As soon as I finished speaking, Aria and her best friend flew into a rage.

“Mr. Robert, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you calling us prostitutes?”

I curled my lips into a faint smile.

No need to answer, some things are better left understood in silence.

But my silence only fueled their anger. Impatience flared in their eyes.

“Mr. Robert! Let me make one thing clear,” Aria snapped.

“If you don’t apologize right now, I guarantee you won’t walk out of here unscathed!”

“Exactly,” her best friend chimed in.

“You’re a petty, narrow-minded loser. What makes you think you can come here and talk down to us? Take a good look in the mirror before you speak.”

“And don’t even think about asking for that red envelope back. It’s ours now. If you know what’s good for you, leave.”

Their words were absurd. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You call me poor, over and over. Fine. But if I’m really so broke, why are you clinging so tightly to my money?”

I paused, then let the next line cut like a blade.

“Actually, I take back what I said earlier. Compared to real prostitutes, you two aren’t even worth that much.”

“At least they offer a service. You? You went straight for the cash without even trying to pretend.”

Then I held up my fingers, mocking them with a mental calculation.

“A single blind date nets you 10,000 dollars. If you’re lucky, maybe you get a free meal too. This is a solid gig, it’s faster than robbing a bank.”

Aria Johnson and her friend stood frozen, speechless, their faces pale.

There’s a saying. ‘Evil is best dealt with by evil.’

So today, I’ll be the one to dish it out.

“You can’t outtalk me and you definitely don’t dare to fight me. So, here’s my advice, hand over the money.”

I took a step forward, lowering my voice.

“What’s wrong with you girls? Playing scammer in broad daylight, don’t you feel even a shred of shame? What would your parents think?”

“I’ve got better things to do. If you don’t return the money right now, I’ll call the police and let them deal with you.”

The second I mentioned the police, panic washed over their faces.

“No, please. Don’t call the cops! We don’t have the money anymore!”

“What?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Then where did it go?”

I remembered clearly, my mother had handed the red envelope to them in person.

I saw it with my own eyes.

“It’s gone. We handed it over already...” Aria’s voice quivered.

She was clearly intimidated now, shrinking back like a cornered animal.

So, I was right. My mother had been scammed.

Who asks for 10,000 dollars as a meeting gift for a blind date? That’s not matchmaking, it’s extortion.

Yet my mom, bless her heart, actually believed it.

“To whom did you give the money?” I asked coldly.

“To... to Tiger Brother,” she whispered.

Tiger Brother?

Just from the name alone, it reeked of trouble.

“Tiger Brother? Is he your boss?” I asked, eyes narrowing.

Aria nodded and shockingly, her face lit up with admiration.

“Yes. Tiger Brother is the biggest gangster in Brooklyn. We’re just outsiders following him to make a living.”

I nearly choked.

“What year do you think this is? And people are still walking around calling themselves gangsters? Do they have a death wish?”

Apparently, that struck a nerve.

“Watch your mouth!” Aria shouted. “Don’t you dare insult my Tiger Brother. He is my idol!”

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

An idol? Seriously?

What kind of twisted values are girls growing up with these days? Worshipping underworld thugs? What is this, a bad crime drama?

“Alright then. Since the money is with your so-called Tiger Brother, I won’t waste any more time arguing with you two.”

They started to move toward the exit, thinking they were off the hook.

But just as they turned, I added coldly—

“Not so fast. Call your boss. Tell him to bring my money back. Now.”

“That’s my mother’s hard-earned money. And I’m getting it back, today.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the two of them froze, their faces pale with disbelief.

“Are you insane?” Aria looked at me in shock.

“You want to go after Tiger Brother for money? Do you have a death wish?”

“He’s not someone you can mess with,” her friend added, stepping in.

“He’s powerful, just a flick of his finger and you’re done for.”

I let out a lazy stretch, completely unfazed.

“I don’t care who Tiger Brother is.”

“All I care about is getting my mom’s money back. Got it?”

Her friend’s expression turned serious.

“Mr. Robert, take my advice. Drop it. Even the police wouldn’t dare against him.”

“In all of Brooklyn, no one’s ever walked away with money once it’s in his pocket.”

I waved dismissively and pulled out my phone, holding it out to them.

“Enough stalling. Call him. Now.”

Aria and her friend exchanged a nervous glance. Hesitantly, they took the phone.

“You asked for this,” Aria muttered, trembling.

“Whatever happens next, don’t blame us.”

I gave a silent nod. Aria typed in the number with shaking hands.

The moment the call connected, I snatched the phone back.

“Hello, Tiger Brother?”

“I hear you took 10,000 dollars from me.”

“You’ve got twenty minutes to get to the restaurant you own. One second late and you’ll regret it.”

Before he could respond, I hung up.

Aria stared at me, dumbfounded.

“You... You actually dared to talk to Tiger Brother like that? Are you crazy?”

“If he really shows up, you won’t even have time to regret it!”

I sat down on the sofa, calm as ever and began peeling an orange.

“If he comes, perfect. I was worried he wouldn’t.”

The truth is, I’d been stationed at a military base for years and rarely had time to return home.

This leave was only approved because I’d just won second-class merit in the army-wide martial arts competition and the commander himself had signed off on it.

Otherwise, I’d still be on the training field right now.

“Mr. Robert, when Tiger Brother arrives, don’t say we didn’t warn you,” Aria said nervously.

“He’s got a temper. If you provoke him, all the three of us are dead.”

The moment his name came up, Aria’s entire demeanor changed.

It reminded me of how she acted the moment we first met, cocky and dismissive.

It made me realize something.

When you stay too low-key, people treat you like a doormat.

If I hadn’t stepped in today, who knows how many others they would’ve scammed?

My sense of justice began to burn.

Before I left, my commander had reminded me. “Avoid conflict with the locals during leave.”

But I believe a true soldier never turns a blind eye to injustice.

I’m confident the leadership would understand.

The seconds ticked down. Twenty minutes nearly passed.

Then, right on cue, Tiger Brother arrived.

A dozen gleaming black Maybachs pulled up in formation at the restaurant entrance.

At the front was a bald, middle-aged man, swaggering in with an air of dominance.

Behind him, a row of men in black suits followed. tall, stone-faced and clearly trained.

From a distance, the group looked like something straight out of a gangster film.

Before I could say a word, Aria Johnson and her friend rushed over to him like loyal subordinates.

“Brother, he’s the one who called you earlier!”

“He said if you didn’t show up, he’d tear this place apart!”

“My best friend and I are just two girls. We couldn’t stop him. That’s why we had to call you for help.”

No wonder they say the deadliest venom comes from the prettiest creatures.

Aria Johnson’s ability to twist the story was nothing short of masterful.

But it didn’t matter what lies she spun.

Today, I’m getting that money back.

Tiger Brother shot me a sidelong glance and swaggered over like he owned the place.

“Are you Samuel Robert?” he asked.

I didn’t even bother looking up. I just gave a calm nod.

“That’s me.”

“I heard you were planning to trash my restaurant?”

I glanced at the matchmaker standing smugly behind him.

A smirk crept across my face.

“I didn’t say that out loud…”

“But yeah—that was exactly what I had in mind.”

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, Tiger Brother’s men. every one of them dressed in black, surrounded me in a tight circle.

I sized them up.

Three minutes.

That’s all it would take to wipe the floor with every single one of them.

But thanks to my special status, I had to hold back.

Tiger Brother mistook my restraint for fear. He sneered.

“What happened to that tough guy from the phone call?”

“Now you can't even utter a word?”

I calmly poured myself a cup of tea, took a sip and cleared my throat.

“You’re Tiger Brother, right? Your people took ten thousand dollars from me. When are you planning to return it?”

The moment I said that, the group behind him erupted in laughter.

“This kid’s insane.”

“He actually thinks he can ask Tiger Brother for money?”

“Has no one told him how things work in Brooklyn?”

“Here’s some advice,” one of them sneered.

“Get on your knees, apologize and maybe he’ll go easy on you.”

I raised an eyebrow, amused.

“And what if I refuse?”

The room went dead silent for a beat.

Even Tiger Brother hadn’t expected me to challenge him so brazenly, especially in front of his men.

His expression gradually turned ferocious.

“Fine. I like guys who act tough.”

“You want the money? Sure, you can have it. If you can walk out of here alive.”

With a wave of his hand, his men charged at me.

But no matter how many punches they threw, not a single one landed.

I moved through them effortlessly, like a breeze slipping through trees, calm, fluid, untouchable.

Every now and then, I even tossed out a few sarcastic jabs to taunt them further.

Tiger Brother’s face darkened with rage.

“What the hell are you doing? You can’t even land a hit?”

“Kill him already!”

But it didn’t matter how loudly he shouted, his men couldn’t even touch my clothes.

Just then, Aria Johnson stepped forward, thinking she’d found a way to save face.

She pointed to the ARQUUS parked outside with a wicked grin.

“Tiger Brother, see that domestic car out there?”

“That’s what he drove here in.”

“If you can’t get to him, why not smash the car instead?”

Tiger Brother’s eyes lit up.

“Everyone, stop! Forget him, go wreck that car!”

At his command, the entire group stormed toward the parking lot like a pack of wild dogs.

Each of them grabbed a steel pipe and started smashing at my car with all their strength.

Ten minutes later, they were panting and sweating, but the damage?

Barely a few scratches. Just chipped paint. Not a dent on the body.

“What the hell is this thing made of?” Tiger Brother shouted in frustration.

“You can’t catch one guy and now you can’t even smash a damn car?”

One of his men wiped sweat off his forehead, gasping.

“Boss, the car’s too solid. We’ve been hammering it nonstop and it’s still like new.”

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and called out lazily,

“Hey, is that all you’ve got? I’ve been watching you pound away and the car still looks brand new.”

My mockery hit a nerve.

Tiger Brother’s face twisted in fury as he snatched a steel pipe from one of his men and swung it with full force.

Clang!

The rod rebounded with a jarring sound and flew nearly three meters, clattering to the ground.

He grabbed his wrists in pain.

“Damn it! What kind of monster car is this?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It’s not just tough, Tiger Brother. It’s bulletproof.”

Then I slowly took out my military-issued phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, Commander? Your car just got wrecked.”

“WHAT?!”

A furious voice roared through the phone.

I briefly explained the situation.

Even over the line, I could feel the commander’s simmering rage.

“Samuel Robert, report your coordinates immediately!”

The order came sharp and clear.

After ending the call, I strolled casually over to Tiger Brother and gave his shoulder a light pat.

“By the way, the car you’ve been smashing is a Rolls-Royce—a top-tier vehicle.”

To my surprise, that didn’t sober him up. He doubled down instead.

“I don’t care what it is—I’ll smash it into scrap!”

At that moment, Aria suddenly screamed,

“Look over there!”

Everyone turned.

A dozen military pickup trucks with red license plates barreled down the street toward us.