Chapter 3 I'm Going to Earn This Money

Gao Yi woke up.

It hurt, and he felt extremely weak, but this time his back wasn't ice-cold. As he gently opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the IV drip hanging above him.

Looking down from the IV drip, he saw the infusion tube, then a machine, and following the machine, his eyes landed on a man sitting in the corner.

Why am I here, what happened?

Gao Yi, just having woken up, was somewhat groggy, but with just a little recollection, memories rushed in like the tide, causing him a wave of heartache.

He truly felt the pain in his heart because Gao Yi suddenly realized he hadn't actually been rescued.

The man sitting in the corner, that was the creditor!

Gao Yi wasn't the type to default on his debts, but it seemed he had promised a compensation of one hundred thousand dollars.

Ten dollars, he could think of a way to obtain that, but one hundred thousand dollars, even if Gao Yi were beaten to death, he wouldn't have it.

One hundred thousand dollars was equivalent to 600,000 yuan. Six hundred thousand—what could he sell to get that amount?

Gao Yi hadn't been afraid even when close to death, but now, he was truly frightened.

The upcoming scene wouldn't be a problem for those debtors unwilling to pay up, but for Gao Yi, who felt uncomfortable owing even a penny, he was afraid of the embarrassment of being pressed for debts he couldn't repay.

His brain frantically working, Gao Yi's mind flashed through countless thoughts but did not entertain the idea of defaulting.

If he didn't want to default, then he had no choice, he had to face it bravely.

Gao Yi decided to at least greet the man first.

"Er...ah..."

His throat was dry and painful, like there was a lump of charcoal stuck in it. He wanted to speak, but when he opened his mouth, only strange noises came out.

The sound that Gao Yi made immediately caught the attention of the caucasian man.

The man woke up, raised his head, looked at Gao Yi in the hospital bed, and then suddenly stood up and quickly stepped closer to him.

"You're awake!"

"Water..."

His voice was extremely hoarse, but finally, Gao Yi managed to get a word out. The caucasian man seemed to be prepared; he took a straw from the bedside, and placed it directly into Gao Yi's mouth.

"Drink, you're finally awake! You've made it!"

He wasn't thirsty, but the dryness in his throat finally got some relief, and Gao Yi didn't drink too much water before releasing the straw.

The caucasian man happily and contentedly said, "The bounty is one hundred thousand dollars, medical expenses are 31,046 USD. How will you be paying? Just to let you know, I don't take checks!"

Gao Yi opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. After hesitating for a long time, he finally whispered, "My belongings, my documents..."

"You've been cleared by Scavenger, all your possessions including documents and bank cards must have been burnt. But don't tell me without these things, you cannot pay the bounty."

An excuse? Yes, everything being burnt was the best excuse.

Gao Yi suddenly felt a sense of relief, then, with a look of shock, he said, "Everything's burnt? Then I really can't pay you, I'm sorry... But don't worry, I will definitely pay you."

Gao Yi spoke in English, and his English was not good, so he stuttered slightly.

The caucasian man's face fell, he said indifferently, "To save you, I've advanced 31,046 USD in medical costs, plus, I've prepaid twenty thousand dollars in rescue funds to our partner. Now that you're alive, it means I need to pay the remaining twenty thousand dollars immediately."

Gao Yi's complexion started to look ugly as he swallowed hard.

The caucasian man said sternly, "I haven't received the one hundred thousand dollars you promised, yet I've already fronted 71,046 USD, and according to the emergency assistance clause, the Dark Web won't give me a single dollar. If I can't get the money, all the loss is on me, so now I only have one question."

His eyes shifted downward, staring intently into Gao Yi's eyes, then the caucasian man said very severely, "Do you have the money?"

Gao Yi closed his eyes; his mind was in disarray, and finally, he whispered as soft as a mosquito buzz, "No, not at the moment..."

Opening his eyes, but not daring to meet the caucasian man's gaze, Gao Yi whispered, "But I will definitely repay you, I mean, I will will give you the full amount."

The caucasian man was not in a hurry; he looked at Gao Yi for a long time and then suddenly said, "Actually, I anticipated this situation, yet, I still chose to save you."

Gao Yi didn't need to think much to understand.

There had to be payback for the effort; since the man saved him not for money, naturally, he saw some use in Gao Yi.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Luca Traus, I'm a broker. So, what's your identity? Assassin, mercenary, Scavenger, arms dealer? Intelligence merchant?"

Luca leaned in a bit, then said seriously, "Since you've used the Dark Web for help, you're not just a target that needs to be cleared, are you?"

Gao Yi responded to Luca with silence.

Luca didn't look disappointed or angry; he even smiled.

Gao Yi couldn't keep silent anymore; he whispered, "I'm just an ordinary person, but since you were willing to save me, then you must have a solution for me not having money to pay you, right?"

Luca said easily, "Yes, I have a big job in hand, I need a Chinese assassin who specializes in unarmed close-quarters killings, and you fit the bill very well. Most importantly, the mission has a bounty of one million dollars, one million!"

After emphasizing one million, Luca waved his hand and said, "I have no interest in probing your origins or knowing your secrets. Now I take on this big job, I will handle its operation, we get the bounty and each of us takes half. That way, not only will you have money to repay me, but you'll also make a considerable profit. What do you say, partnership?"