The Revenger's System

9. The New Owner

After the debacle earlier, the rest of the day went normal for Ryan and the Crowne family. They treated him like trash, and Ryan did anything as usual without really minding their insults.

However, when they decided to go to dinner and ask Ashton to accompany them, Ryan couldn't stay silent anymore. He was fed up with Violet's boyfriend.

"What, you want to go with us?" Marissa asked before they exited the house. "Did I mishear something or are you really said that you want to go to dinner with us? You?!"

Ryan nodded, despite his in-law's mocking expression. Usually, when they dine out, Ryan would drive the car and wait in the parking lot. Now, he wanted to eat there together. Something he wouldn't dare do. But now, with TEETS helping him and due to his fear that Violet and Ashton would get closer, he had to keep an eye.

Violet merely rolled her eyes when he told them. She said nothing as Ashton nudged her bare arm, "You have a ballsy housekeeper."

"Believe me, I'd fire him long ago if I can do that."

"Oh? Did he know something he shouldn't that you have to keep him around?"

Violet shrugged and went back to scroll through her phone, looking for the beach's recommendation for her summer vacation. "Something like that."

Then, Ashton proposed an idea. "I think we can squeeze a seat for him."

Ryan was surprised that Violet's boyfriend was the one to accept his request. On the other hand, his in-laws looked concerned. "A dinner with this useless scum?"

"Oh, Marissa. Didn't he say that he got money now? Maybe he can treat us to a dinner." Ashton said, reminding them. Then, he turned to Ryan. "Or, you really did bluff to fool us?"

Feeling their stares, Ryan steeled himself. "I'm not lying. I'll treat you to dinner then."

"See? We're all happy," Ashton smirked victoriously. Obviously, he thought that Ryan wouldn't be able to pay. He was just a lowly housekeeper who got some secret that prevented the Crownes from firing him anyway. He was due for some humiliation for being so cocky, it seemed.

They arrived at the restaurant about half an hour later. The building itself was high, with tall windows and fancy decorations. Waiters and waitresses welcomed them before the door. From a glance alone, it was clear that the restaurant was frequented by upper-class civilians, businessmen, and stars from the entertainment industry.

Ryan wasn't surprised that they brought him to the most expensive restaurant in the city. All of it was just to humiliate him.

They sat at a six-seated table, and Ryan's seat was deliberately moved by Robert to the end of the table. Clearly, he wanted to estrange Ryan from his family and Ashton, but it simply looked like the despised son-in-law was the head and most authoritative figure at their table.

The menu book was large and quite heavy, filled with dish names written in foreign languages. His in-laws, Violet, and her boyfriend ordered the most expensive ones. Unlike them, Ryan didn't know the dishes, so he ordered the cheapest one. Though, even the most reasonable was priced above five hundred.

They snickered when he mispronounced the name and chuckled louder when they realized he ordered the cheapest dish. Obviously, they wanted to make him unable to pay and swallow his spit.

To be honest, for all of their deliberate way of trying to humiliate him, Ryan was not impressed by the dish at all. For a five hundred and something, the dish's plate was small. On it, there wasn't anything much but something that looked like a piece of roasted beef with glazed brown sauce sprinkled with parsley or the like.

It tasted like ordinary roasted beef. And he was totally not impressed.

When they call the waiter for the bill, they get this insulting look in their eyes. They'd be disappointed, he was sure. But the waiter turned apologetically at him, saying, "I am so sorry, sir, but we don't accept online transaction."

"You don't?" Ryan's heart beat faster. He didn't think this through.

"I'm afraid so, sir. We only accept cash and credit cards."

Chuckles spread on their table. Marissa was the first one who spoke, "You're such a lying useless scum, don't you know? Buy me a Chanel? Don't dream, you can't even buy us dinner."

"Yes, I don't know what makes you think that you have money, when you don't even have shame to begin with." Robert added, leaning back on his chair with no plan to help him.

"Gosh, you're lucky they keep you around, you arrogant trash. And Ashton gave the final blow. "Maybe you should ask the waiter if the restaurant accepts you washing dishes for a month to pay for our dinner."

Ryan's panic increased. He looked at Violet, who kept her silence and poured all attention on her phone.

She felt his stare and glared at him. "What? You want me to help you?" Violet scoffed, not finding it funny in the sightless.

Shit.

'TEETS, you said I can buy anything with Unlimited Balance ability, right?'

[Yes.]

[As long as the transaction is done online.]

[Then, do it.]

[Apoligize.]

[It seems that this restaurant is not accepting online payment.]

Ryan knew this was crazy; he'd never even dreamed of doing anything like this. But now, it was the only thing that came up in his mind. 'Can I buy the restaurant?'

[Transaction on process.]

[Please wait for a few minutes.]

"I'm sorry, sir." The waiter shifted on her feet. "The bill–"

"Can it wait for a minute?" Ryan smiled awkwardly, biting his bottom lip to hide his nervousness.

"Yes, but," the waiter faltered.

"Please?"

Then the waiter decided she'd do as Ryan requested.

"So? What are you going to do?" Marissa urged him. She was enjoying this show.

A minute had never felt so long in his life. He should have thought of this sooner.

"He's a scum," his father-in-law readily commented, "Of course, we shouldn't take whatever he's saying as anything but lies."

Ashton laughed too loud that some people sitting near their table turned their heads. "Sorry, but I have never seen someone acted so blalantly stupid before."

When one minute passed, and the waiter looked like he was about to ask Ryan to pay the bill again, his panic skyrocketed. Still no word from TEETS. Perhaps, he was just a useless scum, then.

"Sir, about the bill–"

"There is no need."

Someone cut the waiter's word. Ryan and the others turned their head, finding a grey-haired man in an impeccable grey suit coming to their table. From how the waiter bowed his head, it seemed that the newcomer was the manager or some higher-up in this restaurant, not some ordinary old man she respected.

"Mr. Ryan Wilder?" the newcomer asked, hands behind his back. Of course, his gaze skipped Ryan, who only wore last night's oversized white shirt and crumpled suit pants.

When both of his in-laws looked at Ryan, the newcomer gazed at him. "Mr. Wilder?"

Ryan merely nodded, not knowing what to expect.

A big smile broke on the newcomer's wrinkled face. "I'm pleased to meet you." He reached Ryan's hand and strongly shook it. He turned to the waiter, "Forget the bills."

"Sir?" the waiter looked as confused as Ryan, perhaps more.

"Mr. Wilder is the new owner of this restaurant. I have sell my entire business to him."

"What?!"

"How can–?! "

"Did I hear–"

"What the hell did you do?" Violet grabbed Ryan's shirt collar and brought him to her eye level.

"I-I, ugh, I didn't do anything." They were not convinced. Neither was he, for that matter. "I swear."

"No, no, no," the newcomer – the restaurant's previous owner, really – gave Ryan a document for him to sign. "Please, no need for violence. My name is Richard Holler, Silver Bay Leaf's owner, no that is not quite right. I'm the previous owner of this restaurant. Pleasure to do business with you, Mr. Wilder."

Violet let go of Ryan's collar with a hard shove, almost making him tumble on the chair and to the floor. "Explain this."

Peeep!

Before Ryan could explain, TEETS finally came in.

[Congratulations!]

[Transaction success.]

[Host is the new owner of Silver Bay Leaf restaurant.]

Double shit.

He couldn't believe it. There was literally nothing he couldn't buy!

At least, as long as it was online.

"You heard him," Ryan straightened his back. "I just bought this restaurant. No need to pay for the bills."

The Crownes and Ashton Bogart couldn't even keep their jaws close.