Ethan took note of that. Having a reliable team was always a good investnt.
"Good to know," he said.
Hours passed, and by the ti the sun was starting to dip, the land looked completely different.
Where there had once been an overgrown ss, there was now a flat, cleared space.
No weeds. No tangled roots. Just open land, ready for construction.
The Radleys had finished.
Ethan gave a satisfied nod.
The eldest Radley walked over, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.
"That's it," he said. "Cleared, just like you asked."
Ethan scanned the area, impressed. "Fast work."
The man shrugged. "We get it done."
Ethan pulled out his phone, confirming with the paynt had been transferred.
He had paid them $5,000, the amount they had charged was about $3,000 but he decided to add a bit of a tip untop to make sure he was going to be a priority custor.
"Your money's in."
The Radley grinned. "Pleasure doing business."
With that, the brothers packed up their tools, loaded into the truck, and drove off.
Ethan stood there for a while, staring at the now-empty land.
It wasn't much to look at right now.
But soon?
This place would be a high-end casino.
Grant Radley checked his phone and his eyes widened. "Boss, this is way more than we agreed on."
Ethan shrugged. "Call it a bonus for the quick work."
For a mont, Grant just stared, as if trying to figure out if Ethan was serious.
Then, a wide grin stretched across his rugged face.
"Damn, appreciate it. Really, boss, this ans a lot. You ever need any more work done, the Radleys got your back."
Ethan smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
Behind Grant, his brothers had already climbed into the truck, their spirits visibly high.
One of them even whistled as he patted the back of Grant was trying to enter the truck. "We're eating good tonight, boys!"
The brothers laughed amongst themselves before Grant turned back to Ethan, waving his hand firmly. "Thanks again, boss."
Ethan waved him off. "No biggie."
With that, Grant climbed into the truck, and the Radleys drove off, leaving Ethan standing by his car, leaning against the hood.
He let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he took in the now-cleared land.
It still needed work — fencing, proper leveling, and most importantly, actual construction — but this was a good start.
He pulled up the System Watch, tapping the sleek black surface.
A holographic blueprint of the future casino materialized in front of him, its digital lines glowing faintly.
The structure was massive, a multi-level masterpiece that oozed luxury.
If executed properly, it would be the kind of place that would attract both high-rollers and underground figures alike.
Ethan nodded to himself. It was ti to bring in the construction team.
He climbed into the Porsche, deciding that he would finalize the details once he got ho.
He had to hire construction workers, send them the schematics the System had prepared, and ensure the logistics were taken care of.
He could probably handle all of that remotely, saving him valuable ti.
Just as he was about to start the engine, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen.
Lila.
He sighed. He had been aning to reach out to her first, considering their last date had went.
Figuring it was better to just face the music, he picked up the call.
"Ethan," Lila's voice ca through, smooth yet carrying a sharp edge, as if she was still deciding whether to be mad at him or not.
"Lila," he greeted casually. "Didn't think you'd call this early."
"It's almost noon," she pointed out.
"Early for ."
She sighed, clearly not in the mood for his antics. "Are you busy?"
He debated lying but decided against it. "Not really. What's up?"
"Co over."
Ethan paused. Lila rarely asked for things outright — especially not like this.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Just co over," she repeated, her tone softer this ti.
A mont of silence passed between them.
"Alright," he finally said. "I'm on my way."
The call ended, and Ethan sat there for a mont, staring at his phone before tossing it onto the passenger seat.
What was this about?
Whatever it was, it wasn't like him to leave questions unanswered.
He started the car, revved the engine, and pulled onto the road.
Lila was waiting.
Ethan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his fingers pressing into the leather as he sped down the road.
Maybe he was rushing, maybe he wasn't.
All he knew was that his foot was pressed against the gas, and his mind was racing just as fast.
Lila's voice had been… different.
There was sothing in her tone, sothing that made it impossible for him to ignore.
She wasn't the type to call for no reason. And she definitely wasn't the type to ask for help.
The city blurred past him, neon lights flickering against his windshield as he weaved through traffic.
He barely paid attention to the streets — his body moved on instinct, navigating the familiar route to Lila's apartnt.
His phone buzzed again, but he ignored it. Not now.
When he finally pulled up in front of her place, he barely took a second to park properly.
He killed the engine, stepping out before the car had fully settled.
He knew she had a roommate, so girl whose na he never bothered to rember, but right now, that didn't matter.
There was no ti.
His heartbeat was a steady, heavy thump in his chest as he crossed the sidewalk in long strides, his shoes scraping against the pavent.
He reached the door, pushed it open without hesitation —
And then he saw…
Well.
He didn't even know what he saw.
The mont stretched out, a second feeling like an eternity as his eyes landed on —
[Author's Note]
The Venerable Immortal Izana is here, Youve reached this point in the novel? Ah thanks for reading so far, so we're not done with Volu 1 which will finish within next month.
The MC is going to work on the Casino and much more investnts throughout this book and I'm glad to say I haven't even reached halfway of what I've decided for this novel.
Well next month we'll be needing Golden tickets, power stones and gifts, I'll try to mass release to the best I can as I have promised, this is the last chapter of the month so enjoy!
- Izana out.
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