The command kept appearing, refusing to disappear. Even the mission completion time continued to move.
[Time remaining: 8 minutes. Complete your mission before the penalty is imposed.]
Erland was confused. In this critical situation, the strange screen kept pressing him. Meanwhile, his father-in-law started approaching him. The man's face darkened, fists clenched, ready to hit him.
Ding!
A new notification flashed on the screen.
[Warning! Player Erland Colvin, the penalty for your mission failure is being prepared. A 1000-volt electric shock will be processed. You will soon experience death. Countdown starts: one minute, 60, 59, 58, 57...]
With each passing second, Erland's heart pounded. With courage and a determination to defend himself, he delivered a hard punch to Edie's cheek, sending his father-in-law flying several meters and crashing into an antique vase displayed near the window.
Erland's powerful punch caused the vase to crack and shatter across the floor. Ronald, Anne, Brenda, and the four bodyguards stood in disbelief, shocked to the core.
'Has that coward secretly learned martial arts?' Ronald thought angrily. As far as he knew, Erland was the weakest man he'd ever met. Ronald had seen Erland being bullied at the factory.
The factory thugs often harassed him. Not only that, but Erland was also terrible at work, even struggling to move coal to the furnace.
The foremen loved to gossip about how slow Erland was. But now? Ronald felt like he was dreaming, seeing Erland punch his father like a champion.
“You! How dare you hit my father!” Ronald cursed.
Brenda screamed hysterically, shouting, “My husband! My husband is hurt! Anne, call the driver immediately! We need to take your father to the hospital!”
Edie was unconscious, and Brenda was frantic.
“Yes, Mom, I’ll call our family doctor right away!” Anne said, her hands shaking as she searched for her phone. The blonde woman began looking for the family doctor's contact number.
As the situation became chaotic because of him, Erland was stunned, looking at his skinny fist. He was confused. This was the second miracle that had happened to him. His physical strength had suddenly increased.
'Am I really this strong? It's impossible for me to knock out my father-in-law. My hands are too thin.'
“Erland, why did you hit Dad?” Ainsley asked.
Erland shook his head. His body had reacted reflexively.
He had just intended to punch his father-in-law to complete the mission, but in an instant, his fist had connected with Edie's cheek.
“Ainsley,” Erland began to explain, but the notification screen appeared again. He swallowed hard, deciding against explaining.
[Player Erland Colvin, the mission is not yet complete.]
“What!” Erland exclaimed. He had already punched his father-in-law, so what was missing?
He tried to recall, but the time on the screen started moving again.
[Time remaining: 30 seconds. Countdown starts: 29, 28, 27…]
Ainsley was shocked as her husband quickly approached her stepmother. Brenda was helping Anne take care of the unconscious Edie.
Erland grabbed Brenda's arm, pulling her to her feet. She turned quickly, her eyes filled with anger.
“You insolent! After hitting my husband, now you act like a hero! Let go of me, Erland! I will sue you! Don’t think I’m afraid just because you hit my husband! I will…” Brenda's words stopped as her cheek burned. Erland had slapped her. The bastard dared to hurt her.
“Mother!” Ronald and Anne screamed. They had never imagined the day Erland would slap their mother.
Ainsley covered her mouth in shock. “Erland, you?”
Ainsley was more surprised. In their three years of marriage, she had never seen Erland hit or slap her parents.
The man before her was usually quiet and patient. But today, the Erland standing there seemed like a different man. His behavior was completely opposite.
Erland's powerful slap made Brenda's cheek throb with pain, as if a large stone had hit her.
“Erland, I know my mother has treated you poorly! But I thought you weren't a violent man who would hit and slap our parents! Apparently, I've been wrong about you all this time! You are nothing but a disrespectful man!” Anne yelled, helping Brenda and examining the slap mark on her cheek.
Seeing Anne's concern, Brenda started to cry loudly, dramatizing the situation to get Anne on her side. All this time, Anne had been too kind, still caring for her step-sister and her rude husband.
“Anne! My cheek hurts, it’s so painful! My mouth seems to be bleeding? What if my teeth fall out? I don't want dentures! Erland slapped me so hard! He must want revenge!” Brenda cried.
“Mother, don’t cry,” Anne comforted, hugging Brenda tightly. Anne's eyes were sharp as she looked at Erland. Her usually gentle face towards Ainsley now turned dark. She began to hate Ainsley and Erland.
“Anne…”
“Shut up, Ainsley! Don't say anything! Your husband has been rude this time! If you want to defend him, then you better keep your mouth shut!” Anne snapped.
Amid the commotion, the guests inside the Thompson family house started to come out. They had heard the noise for a while but chose to stay silent because it was the Thompson family's issue. They didn’t want to interfere.
However, after a long time and the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, they finally decided to see what was happening.
“My God, what is going on?” exclaimed one of the wives of the colleagues.
Ronald, who was about to curse Erland, held back. There were many important guests watching.
No matter what, Ronald couldn't do anything that might disgrace the family's name. He had to show that the Thompson family was noble, kind, and ethical.
“My brother-in-law hit my father until he was unconscious. He also slapped my mother! He's angry just because Ainsley helped Mom prepare for her birthday party. He thought we were making Ainsley work as a maid. But that’s not true, Ainsley offered to help serve the guests with the maids. She said because she couldn't give Mom a gift, she wanted to give her help instead.”
Ronald started to make up a story, scapegoating Erland. He made Erland bear the bad image.
“You know, her husband Erland Colvin is just a poor factory worker. He can't provide for Ainsley's needs. He can’t even give her money. Look at Ainsley's appearance now! She’s not wearing any jewelry. Erland sold all her jewelry! The man makes my sister suffer!”
“Ronald, what are you saying! That’s not true! Erland never...” Ainsley tried to defend her husband, but Ronald immediately snapped at her.
“Stop defending your husband, Ainsley! Just because you love him! You're blind and can't see the wrongs your husband has done to our family! I’m tired of covering up your husband's rudeness!”
The guests began to be influenced, deafening their ears to Ainsley's defense. They started to view Erland as a rude, ungrateful man, a son-in-law who didn't appreciate the Thompson family's kindness.
While everyone began to scorn Erland as a jerk, a worthless son-in-law, and a poor man, Erland didn't care. What he cared about now was the blue transparent screen that had just appeared.
[Congratulations, player Erland Colvin. You have successfully completed the mission in fourteen minutes and fifty seconds. The reward for your mission success will be transferred. $50 million will be deposited into your bank account. Please check your balance and enjoy the money. Until the next mission, the system will automatically be deactivated.]
In an instant, the screen disappeared after delivering the message.
Erland stood still, digesting the information. A few seconds later, he snapped out of it and looked at his wife.
Erland ran and grabbed Ainsley's hand.
“Honey! We need to go to the bank now! I’ve got $50 million!”
“What did he say? He got 50 million dollars?” Ronald suppressed his laughter. “Ainsley, your husband must be dreaming. Where would he get 50 million dollars from? Who would lend him that much money? And if anyone did, it must be a loan shark. Your husband has a small salary; it would take a lifetime to pay off that debt. Ainsley, I feel so sorry for you. Your life will only get harder with loan sharks chasing you.” Everyone joined in mocking Erland. Colleagues, officials, and the Thompson family business clients laughed at Erland's foolishness. “Hahaha, he must be out of his mind,” they jeered. Erland didn’t care; he held his wife’s hand. “Honey, let’s go!” Ronald, filled with anger, saw Ainsley and Erland heading out. “Stop! You can’t just leave like that! You both have to take responsibility! My father and mother are hurt because of you two!” Ronald shouted, intending to chase after them. “Ronald, I’ve contacted our family doctor!” Anne exclaimed. Ronald was furious, but seei
Erland's father's surgery was successful. Now, Edmund is undergoing treatment. The doctor has asked Edmund to stay in the hospital until the stitches from the surgery dry up."I'm sorry for being a burden to you,” said Edmund to his son, Erland."What are you talking about, Dad? It's my duty as a son to be devoted to you. Your recovery is the most important thing to me now."Edmund's wrinkled hand touched his son's head, gently stroking it.Windy and Ainsley entered, both women carrying a basket of apples."Dear, why are you forcing yourself to sit? Just lie down," said Windy to his husband.Edmund looked at the basket of fresh apples. Something was bothering him—where did his family get so much money from? After paying the $50 million surgery bill, his wife still had money left to buy him apples, which were very expensive."Honey, can we talk privately?" asked Edmund to his wife.Windy glanced at her son and daughter-in-law. Erland stood up first, "Ainsley and I will go to the pharm
[Run 10 kilometers, do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 pull-ups.] [Completion reward: secret.] [Mission failure penalty: divorce from your wife.]Erland was stunned. Was this system a personal trainer? Why was it giving him tasks like an athlete's workout routine? The most annoying part of the mission was the penalty: divorce from his wife.[Player Erland Colvin, the system will start the countdown. Complete your daily mission target before the time runs out.]The screen turned into a timer. He had 24 hours to complete the mission. Erland didn’t want a divorce; even if he had to die, he would never let Ainsley go."Arghhh! Crazy system!""Erland!"Ainsley was shocked as Erland suddenly ran out of the room, sprinting at full speed. He hadn't even finished his fried rice."What’s going on?" Ainsley worried.Due to the daily mission, Erland spent his day exercising.Erland's breath was heavy, sweat pouring down his temples. He had run 8 kilometers in a marathon.Two more kilometers to c
[Player absorbed bronze combat mode. Defense and attack increased.] Erland could feel a surge of strength spreading throughout his body. He felt his power multiply several times over.Besides feeling lighter, his agility also increased significantly. "Damn! That loser hit us!" "Erland!" shouted the senior leader, enraged. He had just gotten up after being hit by Erland. "Boss! Your teeth are gone!"Two front teeth had fallen to the floor. The senior leader glared at his lost teeth with anger. "That bastard made me lose my teeth. You want to die!" Without thinking, he lunged at Erland, trying to punch him. But before his punch could reach Erland’s face, he was already kicked by Erland. This time, the senior’s body wasn’t just thrown back; his bones were broken.The senior's subordinates, seeing how strong Erland’s attack was, began to back away, keeping their distance out of fear. "Come at me, all of you! Don't be cowards! Haven't you been bullying me all this time because I st
Everyone stared at each other, then looked at Erland before bursting into laughter. The workers, including Teddy, thought Erland was out of his mind, crushed by the burdens of his family's life."Hahaha! Erland, you're so ridiculous! You're going to get 100 Bitcoins from Mr. Teddy?""Hey buddy, do you think Mr. Teddy will generously give you Bitcoins? He wouldn't even deign to give you a single dollar!""What does Erland know about Bitcoin anyway? He must be bluffing! Pretending to know about Bitcoin, when in reality he's too dumb to go to college! He only graduated high school! What does he understand?"Teddy, hearing Erland being mocked by the workers, just smiled contentedly, feeling superior because of his education. Teddy was a college graduate, which is why he was able to hold the position of factory foreman now."Enough, Erland, there's no need to be embarrassed to apologize to me. Stop your nonsensical talk. Let me tell you, Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency. Your salary i
Two hours ago, after the incident at the factory, Erland didn't go straight home. He decided to go to the nearest convenience store and buy a cup of ramen noodles and a bottle of soda. He had something to check."How much money did I get when I sold this coin?"Erland opened the system's cash-box menu. It was 160 bitcoins. Erland ruffled his hair, he felt dizzy. How do I convert these bitcoins into dollars?"System, do you know how? I want to exchange these coins for real money! Not virtual money!"[Go to sales menu].Erland was surprised when the blue transparent screen changed to the sales menu. There were many items to buy or sell. This menu was similar to an online store, except that not all items could be sold."Are you serious? There's a menu like that?"Erland tried to touch the cryptocurrency sales image. A wide variety of crypto coins appeared. The price of each coin was listed in world currencies, not just dollars."This is amazing!" Erland exclaimed in amazement. He searche
"You must be lying! How could Erland have such a large balance! His salary as a factory worker is very low!""If you don't believe me, you can check."Anne's two friends looked at the computer screen in front of the cashier, their eyes perfectly round at the balance of $8,800,000. They were embarrassed.'Did this poor man secretly have a second job all this time? How does he have that much money?''Maybe Erland is lying to us with his shabby appearance. He's actually a rich man hiding his identity.'Erland who could read their hearts smiled, “Count all the groceries of my wife and these two women. It looks like they're daydreaming because they can't pay for their groceries.”“We don't need your money. We'll pay for it ourselves!”The two women hurriedly gave their credit cards, but strangely enough, their credit cards suddenly became unusable."Sorry, your credit card cannot be used for payment. Your card has been blocked by the bank.""What?""Maybe you owe a lot of money to the bank.
"Honey, I really don't want any secrets between us. But right now, I still can't tell you where the money came from. But I can promise you that I didn't get it by stealing or borrowing from loan sharks. I got a good paying job. I got out of the factory. This $8,800,000 I got as a bonus from my job.""What kind of job can pay that much, Erland? You scare me. I don't want you to get involved in anything dangerous."“Ainsley, listen to me. Look into my eyes. Do I look like a man who likes to do dirty work?”Ainsley shook her head. Erland grasped her hand tighter.“I won't do bad things or commit crimes just because of money. Trust me, this money is clean. You can trust me, right?”Ainsley paused, she hesitated but remembering all of Erland's struggles working hard to pay for her medical expenses, Ainsley had to trust her husband.“I believe you.”Erland smiled, "Thank you dear, thank you for believing in me."The transparent screen message disappeared and Erland breathed a sigh of relief