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2024-10-29 19:42:56In one of Heathrow Airport's parking lots, four members of the Crowne family gathered, getting ready to dish insulting sneers and bitter words to one particular son-in-law.
Ryan took his mind off his in-laws, focusing on a stranger who had just parked a convertible near them. It was yet another time to show off. "Good morning, sir. I'm in need of a car, like right here and now. How much will it takes for a car like yours?"
That was a small correction on his part. Truly, Ryan didn't need another car. He could as well grab a cab and be done with it, but his in-laws, especially Jared, needed something to remind them that he had changed. He wasn't the meek, useless man they could treat like trash or slave whenever they wanted.
Ryan slightly tilted his head, appearing more domineering, and then gave the convertible driver a smile to lower the intensity.
The convertible driver was taken aback, unconvinced. He removed his sunglasses and scoffed at Ryan's lac
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The Revenger's System 29. Violet's Weakness
At eight in the morning, Ryan woke up and opened the double curtains of his newly-bought house. He slept in the second-story bedroom, located in the middle and faced the front yard. It wasn't the biggest bedroom in the smart house, but it was the one directly opposite Jared's house.Ryan smiled, waving his hand mockingly when he saw Jared walk by his front yard. TheFor such an elite neighbourhood, the yards between each house were not that large. At least, it was smaller here than the one of the Crowne residents back in town. However, the calm and fresh air of this upper town of London was better than back home. Besides, they couldn't insult him again for living like a parasite in their house.Ryan left the window, opting to make himself breakfast instead.The previous owner of this house, Philip Blackhand, was a renowned surgeon who had just gotten divorced from his tennis athlete wife. They had no kids and were usually busy with their work. When Ryan w
The Revenger's System 30. The Business Meeting
Early in the evening, Ryan set out with his newly bought convertible. He was following behind Jared’s car, driving under the gloomy sky of London and through its less populated street.His older brother-in-law had offered to ride together, but he wasn’t in the mood to deal with that CEO prick. Moreover, he didn’t want to buy another car just because Jared dumped him on an unfamiliar street.That being said, he’d just follow the CEO prick to whatever meeting place it was.About half an hour later, Jared’s car slowed down to a stop on a side road. The block was filled with red brick buildings and trees along the pedestrian. Several other cars lined up, not less fancy than the ones they owned.Getting out of the convertible, Ryan looked around his surroundings. A movie theater, beauty salon, several office buildings, and a few restaurants with their dim lights, contrary to neon bright, fast food service. Most buildings there were closed, either out of business or empty, but Jared walked
The Revenger's System 31. Objective Two
Ryan turned his head, finding the grey-haired Mr. Presidnet beside him. He didn’t look at Ryan but trained his eyes on the boxing ring on the floor under them. Awkwardly, Ryan introduced himself, “I’m Ryan Wilder. Jared Crowne’s … acquintance.”“Ah, Jared, hmm? Good luck with that with the strongest fighter here.”Sure, he was indeed lucky to have a relationship with someone like Jared. But, strongest fighter?“So,” Mr. President continued without introducing himself back, leaving Ryan unable to put a name on his face, “Who do you put money on?”“Money?”Mr. President glanced sharply, “Didn’t Jared tell you, already?”Ryan shook his head. “He just asked me to be here and see how he does a business meeting.”“Business meeting, he said?” Mr. President chuckled again, “I guess you can call it that. Everyone here is the sponsor of this fight. We all have a fighter to represent us.”“For what?”“The winner will get 5% of the losers’ company shares. Pretty good, isn’t it?”Ryan didn’t say a
The Revenger's System 32. Solo Leveling
Descending to the underground fighting area, Ryan was left in the sweaty locker room.Jared had entered another door, which he suspected to be much better than this windowless room with broken air conditioning. The lights weren’t better with their flickerings and buzzing, but he appreciated the time to prepare. Although there was nothing to b prepared at the moment.Sitting on one of the benches, he took his phone and saw no text he received. For a moment, he expected Violet to text him, but who was he kidding?A snicker was heard.Ryan turned his head to the left, finding two men on the other side of the locker room. One of them was dressed in a suit, while the other was just in his boxer briefs, showing all of his bulky muscles.“You sure you want to fight, mate?” the muscled boxer briefs said. From the mocking smile on his face, he was the one who laughed at him before.“What about it?”The muscled boxer briefs lifted his hands, “You go get your money, that’s why we’re here anyway.
The Revenger's System 33. Danger Void
Danger Void proved to be a handy ability.Ryan was forever thankful that he got it easy. The ability didn’t care about his malnourished physique nor about his lack of skill and experience in martial arts. No hit and punch could harm him anymore.So, going against two more fighters – both inexperienced and experienced ones – was easy. He evaded all their attacks, so it was only a matter of time until he could lay his punches and make them give up.By midnight, the underground fighting floor was blaring with cheers and heavy curses directed at him. To say the least, it wasn’t his fault that the fighter the audience bet on lost to him and his lousy punches.He didn’t care.Ryan came down here to give Jared a taste of his own medicine.“What a marvelous performance from our contender tonight!”The lights blinded him for a second. He didn’t like it.“And now, for the last fight,” the host paused for a dramatic effect, “Our champion, our hero, who have fighst countless opponents in this ver
The Revenger's System 34. About System and the Likes
There was no news about Jared’s victory last night, but Ryan’s beaten body was a trophy on its own.TEETS didn’t heal him. Not its obligation, it said. It only healed him that first time as a kind of gift and to make sure that Ryan's decision regarding TEETS’ installation was sound.[Do you want to call an ambulance?]Somehow, upon his easy defeat in Exhibit X’s ring, TEETS had become quite chatty. Perhaps TEETS didn’t want him as the Host to die so early. And that brought a question in his head.‘What happen if I die before achieving my goal?’Although Ryan was alone in his newly-bought house and was free to speak to himself, his jaw, his entire face, and his stomach were hurt to move. He could only lay on the couch in the living room, having no energy to bring himself upstairs.[TEETS success rate will decrease.]‘So what? You’ll disappear?’[All Systems will unmake once the success rate drop below 50% and then remake with different formats to ensure its success.]‘What’s your rate?
The Revenger's System 35. The Clown
Early in the evening, Ryan set out with his newly bought convertible. He was following behind Jared’s car, driving under the gloomy sky of London and through its less populated street.His older brother-in-law had offered to ride together, but he wasn’t in the mood to deal with that CEO prick. Moreover, he didn’t want to buy another car just because Jared dumped him on an unfamiliar street.That being said, he’d just follow the CEO prick to whatever meeting place it was.About half an hour later, Jared’s car slowed down to a stop on a side road. The block was filled with red brick buildings and trees along the pedestrian. Several other cars lined up, not less fancy than the ones they owned.Getting out of the convertible, Ryan looked around his surroundings. A movie theater, beauty salon, several office buildings, and a few restaurants with their dim lights, contrary to neon bright, fast food service. Most buildings there were closed, either out of business or empty, but Jared walked
The Revenger's System 36. To Start an Espionage
It had been a while since he met Violet.After two days of sleeping on medication, Ryan rose from his bed feeling fresher. As he went to the master bathroom, he was quite glad to find no broken nose and blue and yellow bruises on his face. In fact, there was no single soreness in his body anymore.He checked in a clinic, saying he got into a bar fight last night, so the doctor and nurses weren’t suspicious. He could easily report Exhibit X as an illegal fighting club to the police, but he had another plan for it.That being said, Ryan was ready to kickstart his plan.He ruffled his hair with a towel to dry it, slightly shivering from the cold shower. After getting dressed in a pair of new dark jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, he checked the mirror again. He looked better, in his opinion. Two days of doing nothing drove him into spontaneous online shopping for clothes his size.Still, the smallest shirt he bought was too big for him. Mayb
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- The Revenger's System
156. Signing His Death Sentence
Ryan struggled to stay awake as he stared blankly at one of the bare white walls around him.The hum of the bright fluorescent lights above him flickered occasionally, breaking him in and out of his trance. There were no windows except for the small one at the door, which barely showed into the hallway.He had long lost count of the hours he had been held inside this room since he arrived. He felt tired and broken in more ways than one, but he was managing, and that is all he could do right now.He just needed to hold out a little longer.Just a little longer.Shifting his gaze at the paper before him, it did not take long to realize that no one here was ever on his side to begin with. Telling the truth did not matter. Everyone believed he was a murderer. He was guilty the moment he was arrested, and they made that very clear after trying to repeatedly beat him into signing the confession, making sure to avoid his face. Anything that his prison uniform did cover, they beat until they
- The Revenger's System
155. Turning Table is Not that Simple
The interrogation room was well air-conditioned, it was supposed to be cold. Yet, Ryan couldn’t feel anything but stifling heat from deep within his chest. He felt rage, more than fear or puzzlement at this point.There was only one person who could and would frame him, but getting everyone to believe was hard. Almost impossible, even.Leaning back in his chair, Detective Pierce continued, "Let me tell you the short version of what I think happened. You murdered Jorge and left Edric for dead. You left straight from the party to the airport, trying to flee the scene of the crime.""That's ridiculous.""Why else would you leave Seattle in such a hurry? Were you planning to leave the country next?"Glaring, Ryan griped out a resounding, "No, I simply went home. If I wanted to run, I'd go anywhere but there, wouldn't you think?""It's not far-fetched for you to gather your things and prepare to disappear for good. You wanted revenge for your father's death and you wanted to take down the
- The Revenger's System
154. Murder Interrogation
Still in shock, Ryan asked the police officer who told him to step forward. "Can I make a phone call?""You're not allowed.""What about an attorney?""The police will contact one on your behalf once you've been transferred.""Transferred?"The officer sighed, pushing him to move forward after a moment. "To Seattle's police jurisdiction. Now stop talking and walk."Following the orders to move, Ryan was taken to a small check-in station where an officer forcefully dipped each of his fingers in black ink, printing each digit on a white paper document.Once they were finished, he was escorted into another area, which was equipped with a digital camera and a large backdrop against the wall that was marked with varying heights. He inwardly sighed as he was given a small blackboard with his name to hold up.An officer instructed him to stand up straight and look towards the camera. He flinched as the flash sounded and wa
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153. Arrested in Cuffs
Opening the door, Ryan was alarmed at finding a couple of police officers standing on the other side. Glancing at the police car in the driveway, his face drained at wondering what the hell was going on."Are you Ryan Wilder?" one of the officers asked."…Yes."One of the men immediately took his hand and placed a handcuff around his wrist, pulling his other arm behind his back before adding another cuff.Another officer said, "Ryan Wilder, you are hereby under arrest on suspicion of murder."His mouth fell open in complete disbelief. "What?""You have the right to remain silent," the officer continued. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"His knees felt weak. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. If this really was a dream after
- The Revenger's System
152. Running Away Together
Everything was a blur as Ryan rushed down the hall and burst through the door where they had last left Violet and Edric.What he had found on the other side was his worst nightmare realized.Kneeling down as he pulled Violet limply into his arms, he shakily touched the side of her draining face and gently shook her, finding no response. Choking out her name through cracked whispers over and over, he couldn't stop the sudden tears blurring his vision.Never in his life had Ryan ever felt so hurt and broken as he did now."G-God, no…" he whimpered. "Violet, please… please wake up."Every silent second that passed felt like eternity as his chest began to heave with broken sobs. His throat burned and his eyes clenched in anguish.Weakly picking himself up to see her face, he brushed back her bangs and froze when her blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Everything around him grew still like he was viewing a dream
- The Revenger's System
151. Fight Against Luck
Violet was ready to fight him. She had trained in several martial arts and mastered them for self-defense against harmful men like him. Rendering Edric useless was an easy task. She had almost done that months ago, when he was still playing with his old dog. Come to think of it, where was that old dog of his again? Violet’s blue eyes were focused as she shifted into a defensive stance, her lithe frame ready for action. On the other hand, Edric appeared remarkably nonchalant, sitting at a table with a book and a wide grin on his face as if he knew something Violet didn’t. The first move came from the infamous actress. Her movements were swift and precise, as she had aimed a roundhouse kick at Edric’s head. The red dress with high open slit at her tight created a beautiful motion picture, if one were to enjoy it. Sadly, the circumstance was not fit for such approval. However, just as Violet’s foot was about to connect with Edric’s head, a stack of books toppled over, and he stumble
- The Revenger's System
150. The Outbreak
"Pick it up," Edric haughtily repeated. Violet couldn't believe what she had done - even if he did deserve it. Her reputation was already in the mud lately, so it wasn’t her concern. She just didn’t believe that she punched Edric because of Ryan, the fucking scum. To hell with people still watching her nude scenes. She had made that choice in her younger days, so she didn’t want to regret it right now. However, to insult and humiliate Ryan for having such wife, crossed her line. Oh, how her world had turned upside down because of him. Not responding fast enough for his liking, as she stood frozen in place, he roughly grabbed her arm and nearly pushed her towards the floor before Ryan had cut in between them. "Don't you ever touch her again," Ryan furiously spat. "You'll fucking regret it." Before Edric could retort, the Head Butler of the Ashford family, Jorge, wedged between them, gently pushing them back by the shou
- The Revenger's System
149. To the Fundraiser
Right after breakfast, Thomas knocked on the penthouse door and asked if they were ready. Once they were, they left with Thomas, who had been waiting in the living room. He had been instructed to chauffeur them around Seattle today to find appropriate attire for the company's black tie fundraiser tonight.Although they were being forced to attend, Ryan surprised himself by enjoying their time together shopping for the event. Maybe it was because he got to see Violet try on dresses, or maybe it was just nice to do something normal. Before they return to the penthouse, Violet wants him to buy her a car. She would never ask him for such a thing, because even with all the wealth he had acquired, Violet could afford a car herself. Besides, she was too proud to ask for one. So, when she did ask him, Ryan easily agreed, and they bought one. Too bad, Violet didn’t let him see what the car she bought either, saying it was a surprise for him. Once they returned back to his penthouse after t
- The Revenger's System
148. His First Kiss
Street lamps flickered on one by one as Thomas drove him about an hour south from the Ashford Gorup's building headquarters to the city's international airport.As the car rolled to a stop, Thomas turned back from the driver's seat and said, "I'll go wait for Ms. Crowne and escort her here, Mr. Wilder."Already unbuckling his seat belt, Ryan lifted a hand up for him to remain in place. Opening the door, he said, "Not necessary. Just stay here and wait for us.""But-"Slamming the door shut, he reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He felt like an idiot wearing them, but they had helped with shielding his eyes from any sudden camera flashes. He doubted it would somehow cover his identity, but it served as a kind of protection from meeting someone's eyes directly.Familiar with where to go, Ryan placed his hands in his pockets and walked towards the terminal she would be arriving from.Once he heard Vi
