2 Chapter 2 Bill Pitt

  "Good afternoon, Jon."

  "Good afternoon, Sunny."

  At the entrance of the tavern where they worked, Jon happened to meet Sunny, another new hire. Sunny greeted Hardy warmly. They had been working together for three months and had become good friends.

  Sunny was of French descent with chestnut colored hair tied back. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful, but she was young, only 19 years old.

  As they entered, they changed into their work clothes and cleaned up. The afternoon was quiet with few customers, but as night fell, a large crowd poured in, making the tavern noisy.

  The tavern was a mixed place, with both good people and many jerks.

  One guy, clearly drunk, saw Sunny passing by and suddenly grabbed her around the waist, pulling her onto his lap, which frightened Sunny into screaming.

  Other customers witnessed this but no one intervened, instead they smirked and watched the commotion.

  Seeing Sunny's terrified expression, Hardy glanced at the tavern owner, who was completely ignoring the situation and still busy serving beer.

  Having worked in the tavern for a few months, Hardy knew the owner was a coward.

  The owner turned a blind eye, but Hardy couldn't stand by and watch Sunny being harassed. Though the drunkard wouldn't likely go too far in public, his actions were already a great insult to the young girl.

  Hardy stepped forward, grabbed Sunny's arm, and pulled her away from the man's grasp. "Go to the back," he instructed.

  Free from the man's hold, Sunny glanced gratefully at Hardy and quickly ran into the kitchen.

  The man who had harassed Sunny felt humiliated and angry. He angrily stared at Hardy, accusing him, "Kid, are you looking for trouble?"

  "This is a tavern. If you're looking for women, go elsewhere," Hardy replied calmly.

  People nearby chuckled.

  Feeling offended, the drunkard thought they were laughing at him. He grabbed a beer from the table and aggressively threw it at Hardy.

  Instinctively, Hardy dodged, only getting splashed a little.

  Ignoring the man, Hardy walked away.

  Feeling further ignored, the man felt even more upset. He angrily smashed his beer mug on the ground, creating a loud noise.

  Hardy turned to look at him. The man smirked and provocatively challenged Hardy.

  The onlookers in the tavern watched with interest, considering it mere entertainment.

  Suddenly, a surge of rage washed over Hardy.

  Having been in this world for half a year, Hardy's modern soul had fully merged with his original soul, significantly changing his personality. Previously calm, Hardy had become more reckless.

  Hardy looked up at the drunkard, his eyes now icy. The man's expression froze because he saw a strong sense of danger in Hardy's eyes, like being stared down by a wolf, which made him feel scared.

  But in the next moment, anger overtook fear. How could he let a to the tavern intimidate him? This was humiliating.

  "Kid, how dare you look at me like that!" The man, fueled by alcohol, threw a punch at Hardy.

  Before the man's fist could land, Hardy reacted swiftly, punching him hard in the chin. The man was sent flying and crashed heavily onto the floor.

  Hardy approached, straddled the man, grabbed him by the neck with his left hand, and repeatedly punched him in the face with his right.

  Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

  The man struggled at first but soon went limp, lying on the ground like a beaten dog.

  The owner hurried over to pull Hardy away. "Jon, stop! You'll kill him!"

  The people in the tavern were astonished. They had never seen the usually quiet newcomer erupt in such violence. If left unchecked, he might have killed the man.

  The police arrived shortly. The man was taken to the hospital, and Hardy was taken to the police station. Later, he was detained for assault and awaited trial.

  After about a week in custody, the court held a hearing.

  Hardy's lawyer presented a psychiatric report and several witnesses, including Sunny. The judge ultimately ruled in Hardy's favor, ordering him to compensate the man with $350 due to the man's initial wrongdoing.

  With legal fees and compensation, Hardy's retirement savings were depleted, and he even had to sell some belongings, including his second hand Colt revolver.

  He was now utterly broke.

  He lost his job at the tavern, too, as he had caused trouble for the owner.

  When he tried to find a new job, everyone turned him down. In a small town like theirs, news of the tavern incident and Hardy's mental health issues spread quickly, making him unemployable to avoid trouble.

  Upon returning home, Hardy saw Sunny standing at the apartment door.

  "Jon, thank you again for helping me that day. I've also quit; I'm leaving the town," Sunny said.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I've saved some money during this time. I'm planning to study."

  "You're still young and should definitely study. What do you plan to learn?"

  "I'm going to study law. I want to become a lawyer or a judge, inspired by what happened at the tavern."

  "That's a great plan. I hope you succeed," Hardy encouraged.

  Sunny O'Connor looked at Hardy, then suddenly hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

  "Thank you again, Jon. Goodbye."

  "Goodbye."

  Watching Sunny walk away, Hardy wondered if he would ever see the girl again. Often, people in your life are just passing through, and you may never cross paths again.

  Lying on his small apartment bed, Hardy pondered how he would continue his life. He couldn't stay in the town anymore.

  Just then, the propriety owner called him downstairs, he had a phone call.

  Hardy went downstairs to answer, surprised to hear Bill on the line.

  Bill and Hardy had been comrades in arms, the best of friends. Hardy had even saved Bill's life on the battlefield once, after which Bill retired due to injury, a year ahead of Hardy.

  On the phone, Bill was enthusiastic. "Brother, I just found out you were injured and retired. Finally tracked down your contact info. How's life treating you?"

  "Not well," Hardy recounted his recent experiences and current situation.

  "I'm broke, lost my job, and worst of all, everyone here knows about my mental health issues. No one wants to hire me."

  Bill laughed heartily. "No big deal. Come to Los Angeles, there are plenty of ways to make money here."

...

  Carrying his suitcase off the long distance bus, Hardy was met by Bill stepping out of a nearby Ford car, giving Hardy a bear hug.

  After separating, Hardy looked at Bill. Bill had dark blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and the typical big cheeked stubble, resembling Brad Pitt by seven points.

  Hardy thought to himself, Bill's full name is Bill Pitt.

  Could he be related to Brad Pitt?

  "Haha, Jon, good to see you again," Bill said cheerfully, patting Hardy's arm.

  "It's been almost two years. You've put on some weight," Hardy joked, patting Bill's broad back.

  "I'm buff, not fat," Bill retorted.

  Taking Hardy's suitcase, Bill threw it into the back seat of the Ford. "Get in, let's celebrate and have a drink at the bar."