Contract

Chapter 61 Contract

Inside the room, even the sick tiger's brow twitched, while the scarred man beside him couldn't hold back any longer.

"Damn it, boss, why are you wasting your breath talking to this old geezer?"

As he spoke, he grabbed Chiba Taishi by the collar and yanked him forward. "Old man, let me tell you, your son's 130,000 is a real sum. Your daughter has to sign it today, whether she likes it or not. What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty?"

Chiba Taishi stumbled as he was pulled, but he didn't struggle. He simply turned his head and glanced at his daughter.

His eyes held a complex expression, but he quickly reverted to his usual dejected and cowardly demeanor.

"I have money."

Scarface paused for a moment, loosened his grip, and then looked at the other person with a smile: "You should have said so earlier if you had money~"

Chiba Taishi slowly reached out and pulled an old plastic bag from his inner pocket. Inside was a cloth bag, with a layer of newspaper lining the bag.

The money inside was somewhat worn, but very neatly arranged.

Tucked inside was a bank card. Chiba Taishi sighed softly, "There's 50,000 in here. I've saved it up my whole life, and I originally wanted to give it to my daughter as a dowry. Now it's all yours."

Everyone stared at the cloth bag on the table, remained silent for a moment, and finally, Scarface laughed, clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter on the sofa. "Fifty thousand? Old man, are you fucking kidding me? Your son and I owe a total of two hundred and one thousand, and you're giving me fifty thousand? Just this fifty thousand?"

"Old man, you've saved up 50,000 your whole life?"

"...

'

Chiba Taishi stood there, his back slowly hunching over again.

After a while, until Scarface had finished laughing, he wiped his eyes. He walked up to Chiba Taishi and poked the other man's shoulder.

"Old man Chiba, don't you have anything else? Like your house? What about your wife's gold and silver jewelry? You can take those out."

Chiba Taishi was silent for a few seconds, a hint of despair on his face. "That's all. That's all."

Scarface paused for a moment, then abruptly pulled the other man in front of him, staring coldly at him. "Damn, after all that, it's just 50,000 yuan? I think you're tired of living!"

At this moment, Tiger finally spoke, his voice perfectly calm: "Mr. Chiba, your daughter came to sign a contract today, things could have been very simple. You insisted on barging in and causing this mess. Now you're telling me you only have fifty thousand. What about the remaining sixteen thousand?"

Chiba Taishi looked at him.

"My life."

The sick tiger paused for a moment, then laughed, with a hint of contempt and coldness.

"Your life?"

He leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of the sofa. "Mr. Chiba, how much is your life worth?"

Chiba Taishi remained silent.

Tiger leaned forward, his tone still as kind as ever.

"I'm pretty good at math, let me do the math for you. Your son has been eating, drinking, and living here with me, and he's even taken my goods, totaling 130,000. And the 80,000 you lost at my casino is also a real amount. Add it all up to 210,000."

He pointed to the bank card on the coffee table.

"You took 50,000, leaving you with 160,000. Now tell me, is your life worth 160,000?"

Chiba Taishi's face paled, but he still firmly shielded his daughter behind him.

The sick tiger leaned back again and sighed.

"Mr. Chiba, I respect you as a man. You dared to come here alone for your daughter. So, I'll give you another chance—"

"6

"Your daughter has signed the contract, so your debts with your son are wiped clean. From now on, I'll take care of you two. You'll be well-fed and cared for, and no one will bully you. Your daughter can work for me for a few years, save up enough money, and leave whenever she wants."

He looked at Chiba Taishi with a smile. "How about it? These terms are good enough, aren't they?"

Chiba Taishi looked at him.

The room was so quiet you could hear the air conditioner humming.

Chiba Yume stood behind her father, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly.

"dad----"

Chiba Taishi had initially thought it was some kind of unfair contract, but now, hearing the other party's words, he was slightly taken aback, and then said hesitantly, "This condition is acceptable, but I want to check on my son first; he hasn't been home for over half a month."

The sick tiger raised an eyebrow.

"Can."

He waved his hand, smiling kindly, "Take Mr. Chiba to see his son. He can sign after he's seen him, no rush. We value human relationships the most here."

Scarface walked over and gestured for him to come in.

Chiba Taishi turned around and followed him deeper into the corridor.

He paused suddenly as he reached the door.

I wanted to say something, but in the end I said nothing.

Chiba Yume stood there, not knowing how much time had passed.

After a long while, the door opened.

Chiba Taishi walked out, followed by her younger brother, Chiba Junto.

Her younger brother had changed into clean clothes and had his hair cut, looking a bit more energetic than before. But Chiba Yume's gaze fell on his face and suddenly stopped.

He had a huge handprint on his face.

It was very red and very clear; her younger brother had his head down, not daring to look at her.

The handprint was particularly glaring under the stark white light.

Chiba Taishi walked back to the coffee table and sat down on the sofa. He didn't look at his daughter, but instead picked up the cup of tea in front of Binghu and took a sip.

He glanced at his daughter again with complicated emotions, then sighed softly, "Xiaoyu, sign it."

Chiba Yumeyu was stunned for a moment.

She looked at her father, not understanding why his attitude had changed so drastically after just one glance at her younger brother.

Chiba Taishi didn't look at her, and said softly, "I was downstairs just now and saw the room your brother was staying in. Air conditioning, TV, soft bed, and people to take care of him. I was thinking, what have I worked so hard for all my life? It's all for the sake of giving you all a good life. In the end, what I couldn't do, Tiger did."

"If I had known Tiger was so generous, I would have let you sign it long ago."

The sick tiger smiled but didn't say anything.

Chiba Taishi looked at him, his tone slightly ingratiating: "Scarface just told me that as long as you sign the contract, you'll live in a place like this from now on. You won't have to work anymore, you won't have to scrimp and save anymore, you can eat whatever you want, and wear whatever you want."

Chiba Yumeyu raised her head and looked at her father, her eyes filled with incomprehension: "Dad—"

"I know what you're trying to say."

Chiba Taishi interrupted her, his tone suddenly hardening. "You're trying to say that once you sign the contract, you're no longer a free agent. You're trying to say that working for the Ashes gang has a bad reputation. But what's a reputation worth? Before your mother died, she was one of the best people around. She'd lend a hand to anyone who needed help. But when she died, who helped us?"

Chiba Yume's lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

Chiba Taishi looked at her, his tone suddenly softening, "Daughter, I've never asked you for anything in my life. Just this once. Sign it."

Chiba Junto stood to the side, his head bowed the whole time, not daring to look at her.

The handprint was still on his face, burning red.

Chiba Yumeyu looked at her father.

Looking into his eyes, I saw a complex, humble, and yearning light.

"6

'

Finally, she silently picked up her pen.

She signed it.

As he pressed the final thumbs-up, the smile on the sick tiger's face deepened.

Chiba Taishi watched her finish signing and nodded.

"Alright, you can go back now."

Chiba Yume looked up at him.

"Don't we have an exam tomorrow?" Chiba Taishi said, his tone even carrying a hint of impatience. "Go back and study hard. From now on, you'll be doing Tiger's work. What will we do if you fail the exam and Tiger doesn't want you anymore?"

Chiba Yumeyu was stunned.

She looked at her father, then at her brother, and then at the signed contract on the coffee table.

The father sat there, relaxed, even leaning back slightly, as if everything was under control.

"dad----"

"Go back when I tell you to."

Chiba Taishi waved his hand, his tone even more impatient, "I'll handle my own affairs with your brother. We need to discuss the future arrangements and his treatment properly. You're just getting in the way here."

As he said this, he even smiled at Binghu, as if he had already recognized Binghu as one of his own, and Binghu nodded at him.

Chiba Yumeyu stood there, and suddenly felt something chill in her heart.

She remembered that when she was signing the contract, her father sat beside her and said all sorts of nice things, but now that it was done, he was telling her to leave.

It looks exactly like it.

It's just like those people who sell their daughters, then kick them out after getting the money.

She gripped the backpack strap tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Chiba Junto suddenly walked over.

He lowered his head, not daring to look his sister in the eye. But he reached out and gently touched her arm.

"sister----"

His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of being overheard.

Chiba Yumeyu looked at him.

The slap mark on her brother's face was so red, so glaring.

Chiba Junto leaned close to her ear.

His lips moved, then he stepped back, lowered his head, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Chiba Yume's eyes widened.

She wanted to say something, but her brother had already turned away and wouldn't look at her anymore.

Binghu chuckled beside her, his tone as amiable as if he were seeing a guest off: "Miss Chiba, your father is right. You have an exam tomorrow, so go home first. We can talk about the rest later. Don't worry, your brother and father are well-fed and well-clothed here with me."

Chiba Yumeyu looked at her father.

But Chiba Taishi didn't look at her. Instead, he looked at her with a fawning expression and said, "Brother Tiger, my son is a bit unruly. I'll have to ask you to take good care of him in the future."

Chiba Yume gripped the backpack strap tightly.

She turned around and walked downstairs.

Step by step.

She paused suddenly as she reached the top of the stairs.

I glanced back.

The father stood by the coffee table, bending over and talking to Hu, his posture humble like a servant. The younger brother stood behind him, his head bowed the whole time, the handprint from the slap still burning red.

She looked away and walked down the stairs.

The door closed behind her, and Chiba Yumeyu ran.

At first, she walked briskly, then jogged, and finally started running outside at her fastest speed.

First floor.

iron gate.

The alley outside.

She rushed out.

The night wind blew in, and it was cold.

She was gasping for breath, as if her lungs were on fire.

The alley was narrow, with high walls on both sides. The sky had begun to darken, and the dim sunlight illuminated only a small patch of ground.

She ran towards the maple leaf area, those five words were all she could think of.

Run, don't look back.

These were the words her brother had just said, and she didn't know what they meant. But she knew she had to run.

I ran past the first alleyway.

I ran past the second one.

Suddenly, a commotion arose behind me.

Someone shouted something.

It was far away, but she heard it.

Her heart was beating even faster.

After turning a corner, there was a garbage station ahead. Several large garbage bins were lined up against the wall, emitting a stench of decay.

The footsteps behind me grew closer.

She had no time to hesitate.

She rushed over, lifted the lid of a trash can, jumped in, and pulled the lid down.

A stench hit me.

Rotten vegetable leaves, leftover food from steamed buns, and other rotten things. She lay in the garbage heap, holding her breath, her whole body trembling.

The footsteps drew closer.

A lot of people.

"They ran that way!"

"Split up and chase them!"

"That girl can't have gone far!"

The light from the flashlight shone through the gap in the trash can, flickered for a moment, and then moved away.

Chiba Yume covered her mouth tightly.

The light shone back.

Right above her head.

She saw the light linger on the trash can lid, moving slowly as if hesitating.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

The light moved away.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Chiba Yume lay in the garbage heap, an unbearable stench filling her nostrils, but she dared not utter a sound.

She waited for a long time, so long that she thought she was safe.

But she still didn't move, and it's unclear how much time passed—maybe a few minutes, maybe half an hour.

It was finally quiet outside.

Chiba Yume slowly pushed open the lid of the trash can and poked her head out.

The alley is empty.

She crawled out, her body reeking of foul odor, her legs too weak to stand.

She leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Then she started running frantically, hoping that the Ash Gang wouldn't be so powerful once she reached the Maple Leaf District.

She had only run a few steps when a blinding light suddenly shone behind her.

Car lights.

A black van sped in from the alley entrance, its screeching brakes piercing the night.

The car door opened, and several people jumped out. Chiba Yumeyu turned and ran.

But he hadn't run more than a few steps when someone tackled him from behind.

His face slammed hard against the ground, his mouth filled with ash and pebbles, and the metallic, sweet smell of metal filled the air.

She tried to struggle, but the man held her legs down firmly with one hand and grabbed her hair with the other, lifting her off the ground.

The flashlight beam pierced her eyes, making it impossible for her to open them.

That face came closer.

It was Scarface, the one who took her to see her brother. He grinned, the centipede-like scar writhing in his grotesque smile.

"Miss Chiba, run! Why did you stop running?"

Chiba Yumeyu was speechless.

The blood and ash in her mouth choked her, making her want to cough.

She was dragged toward the car.

The foot was dragging on the ground, and one shoe fell off, but no one cared.

The car door opened, and she was thrown inside, her head hitting the seat, her vision blurring.

Third floor.

The door was open.

Chiba Yume was pushed inside, staggered a few steps, and knelt on the ground.

She looked up.

Her father lay on the ground with several bloody holes in his body, his clothes soaked in blood, forming a large dark black stain.

His eyes were still open, staring towards the doorway. His mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Her brother collapsed beside him.

His hand was still outstretched, as if trying to grab something. The handprint was still on his face, but now it was half covered by blood.

The ground in front of the door was covered in blood.

The dark red liquid had stopped flowing and had accumulated into a small puddle on the floor.

Chiba Yumeko knelt there, motionless.

Binghu sat on the sofa in the same posture as before, leaning against the back of the sofa, holding a cup of tea in his hand.

The tea was still steaming, rising gently and spreading out in front of him.

He glanced at Chiba Yumeyu.

"You're back?"

The voice was very soft and faint, as if asking her if she had eaten.

Chiba Yumeyu did not answer.

Binghu lowered his head and took a sip of tea. "Your dad just tore up the contract and blocked the door, preventing us from chasing after him. It took about three or four minutes."

He paused.

"Your brother is too."

Chiba Yumeko knelt on the ground.

She reached out her hand.

Her fingers trembled as she touched her father's face.

It's very cold.

Then she slowly reached out and closed her father's and brother's still-open eyes.

After doing all that, she felt like a puppet that had lost all motivation.

Seeing this, Tiger put down his teacup, stood up, walked to her, and said in his still kind voice, "Miss Chiba, I didn't mean for this to happen. I originally wanted you to sign the contract properly, work hard for me, and I would support your brother and your father. Everyone would be happy. Wouldn't that be great?"

He sighed.

"But your father won't cooperate, and neither will your brother. Look at them, they could have lived a good life, but they insist on going to their deaths."

He stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his clothes.

"no way."

He turned and walked towards the door.

He stopped abruptly at the door and said in a cold voice.

"No need to sign the contract, just inject her with the divine ash. I hope Miss Chiba gets good grades tomorrow."

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