Chapter 64 - 64 64 Doing a Good Deed

Words : 1909 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

64: Chapter 64 Doing a Good Deed 64: Chapter 64 Doing a Good Deed Yannik River wasn’t a bay. Previously it hosted a river bend, but now the river rarely flows, resembling a mere stream, situated over thirty kilometers from the downtown area; it was a small town. Although slightly remote, it wasn’t too desolate. James Brown’s warehouse was some distance from the town, requiring a twenty-minute walk. Exiting the town led to a narrow country lane toward the warehouse, which appeared even darker. There was no sound on the road, not even a streetlight, but tonight the moon was full, just past the fifteenth of the lunar month, making it the seventeenth, so the moonlight was still strong enough to roughly illuminate the path. Thinking back to when he met Sunny Nguyen in the bar, it was on the fifteenth, a day usually reserved for family reunions. Yet, Sunny had just divorced her husband, no wonder she had drunk so heavily. At the crossroads, James Brown didn’t immediately continue onto the path but stopped and turned to the girl called Ruby, saying, “You still have time to regret this.” The girl paused, staring at him in astonishment. James smiled faintly, “I know you don’t really want to do this. You can still back out. If you go past today, it’ll be too late to change your mind.” Tears filled the girl’s eyes again and streamed down her cheeks as she choked out, “I can’t… I can’t…” “Why can’t you?” James frowned. “My dad’s being pressed by creditors. If he doesn’t pay soon, they’re going to kill him. I need money. Big Brother, I need twenty thousand dollars, can you do twenty thousand dollars?” James was stunned for a moment then with a playful look said, “You don’t seem like you’d fetch that much.” “Ah? Then how much?” “Six or seven thousand bucks should be about right.” The girl froze, bit her lip, and asked, “Big Brother, can’t you really get me twenty thousand dollars?” James shook his head. The girl stared at him blankly for a while before she said, “Sorry, Big Brother, then I can’t go with you. I have to find someone who can give me twenty thousand dollars.” After saying this, Ruby let go of James and took a step back. James had been testing the girl and now was sure she was serious. He smiled slightly, “You know, even if you save your dad, you’d ruin your own life. Do you think it’s worth it?” Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Biting her lip, the girl responded, “I just want to do this once. After this, I’ll never do it again. Nobody here knows me, and I won’t come back here anymore.” James sighed, “Then I’ll help you. But I need to borrow some money too; I don’t have that much on me.” The expression on the girl’s face shifted instantly to one of delight, as she hurriedly said, “Big Brother, are you really going to give me twenty thousand dollars?” “Yeah, I will.” James smiled softly, “First, come with me to where I’m staying. I don’t have that much money with me, and I need to make a phone call to borrow some.” “Alright, alright.” The girl nodded enthusiastically. The two headed toward the warehouse. The girl was excited for a bit but then fell silent again, her steps slowing down once more. James didn’t speak further, instead contemplating who to call for a loan. In YODC City, James didn’t know many people. Previously, there were those security brothers, but they were hard up, obviously without money. Then there were the folks from logistics, and although relations were okay, it felt awkward to suddenly ask them for money, which left Sunny Nguyen and Gina Lopez. If he asked Sunny, James was sure she’d agree, but he didn’t want to borrow from her, as it would complicate things further. So, he ended up calling Gina Lopez. As soon as the call connected, James greeted cheerfully, “Hello, Ms. Lopez.” Now that he needed a favor, he had to be polite. “What’s up?” Gina was surprised by James’s call at this time. “I’m in a bit of trouble and need some cash. Ms. Lopez, could you help me out?” Gina immediately replied, “What happened? Didn’t I give you quite a bit recently? Have you already spent it all?” “No, I need money for something, but I only have six or seven thousand bucks, still short of twenty-one thousand dollars. Can you front me the money? I will pay you back slowly.” “That’s fine, I’ll transfer it to you shortly.” Gina was very straightforward, not pressing James further about why he needed the money. “Thanks so much, Ms. Lopez. You can always count on me if you need anything.” James continued cheerfully. Gina didn’t say much. After a while, she sent him a text saying the money had been transferred. James looked at his phone and said, “All set, the money’s here.” “But… the money is in your account,” the girl said, twisting her hands and biting her lip. James couldn’t help but smile and said, “Alright, let’s go withdraw it now, an ATM can handle twenty-one thousand dollars.” The girl nodded repeatedly. James initially wanted to go to the warehouse to get the money, but the girl hurried back, prompting him to shake his head and reluctantly follow her. It seemed that the distance was about the same anyway—it didn’t matter which they did first. After withdrawing the money, James directly gave the twenty-one thousand dollars to the girl. She nervously secured the money, and her expression relaxed significantly. Then she took out a cell phone—it was one of those models you get with phone service, not even a touchscreen. It’s rare nowadays for girls to use such phones. Holding the phone, the girl’s expression suddenly became tense, her fingers trembling as she dialed a number. After taking a deep breath and waiting for the call to connect, she said, “Mr. Johnson, this is Emma Campbell… I have the money all ready; I’ll bring it to you tomorrow morning. You must not hurt my dad… Definitely, twenty thousand dollars, not a penny less… Okay, okay, I’ll make sure to bring it tomorrow.” After hanging up, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, while James watched her with narrowed eyes and commented, “Emma Campbell, that name really sounds nice.” Emma’s face changed dramatically, her voice trembling with fear as she asked, “How do you know my name, do you know me?” James pointed at her phone and said, “You said it yourself.” Emma paused for a moment, suddenly remembering she had indeed mentioned her name, and became distraught with confusion. “Let’s go, I’ll withdraw the five thousand dollars for you.” Emma bit her lip and nodded, then silently followed behind James. About fifteen minutes later, James and Emma arrived at the entrance to the warehouse. The old gatekeeper saw James return with a girl and gave them an ambiguous smile before opening the side gate. James led Emma inside. Once in James’s bedroom, he fetched his bag. He didn’t bank his money but kept it on him, although he hadn’t carried much when they went out to eat since he wasn’t the one paying. James counted out five thousand dollars for Emma, then looked at his now scant bundle of cash and couldn’t help but ruefully smile. Just a few days ago, he felt quite well-off, but now he was down to a couple thousand bucks along with a twenty-one thousand-dollar external debt. Good deeds weren’t so simple after all. Emma, having now secured the additional five thousand dollars, approached James, her face flushed and her hands nervously twisting as she stammered, “Big Brother, thank you, I… I… won’t, I’m sorry, whatever you tell me… to do, I… I will do.” James looked at Emma, considering to himself. He had indeed spent twenty-one thousand dollars, and getting involved with Emma seemed natural, especially since she was pretty. However, James shook his head. This girl wasn’t one of those thrill-seeking women from the bars. Taking advantage of her would make him feel guilty, a feeling he didn’t cherish. He lightly smiled and said, “Who said I wanted you to do anything?” Emma was momentarily dumbfounded, “Big Brother… you…” James patted her shoulder, tenderly saying, “It’s okay, I know you’re a good kid, a good child with filial piety. Consider this money a help from me. Don’t easily sell yourself for money.” Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief, her speech faltering, “Big Brother… you’re… you’re not buying me…” “No, you are indeed very charming, but I can’t bring myself to do it.” James said, somewhat self-deprecatingly. Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes, but not from sadness. Rather, they came from relief. She had thought today she could not avoid that fate. Prepared to face the storm when receiving money, she hadn’t expected James to not demand anything. “Big Brother… you truly are a good person.” James chuckled, “Come on, don’t start handing me a medal of honor; let’s go, I’ll take you back.” Emma hurriedly responded, “But… but… that money should be considered a loan. I will definitely pay you back.” “No need, I gave it to you without expecting a return. If you ever think of selling yourself to pay me back, that would be an even greater sin on my part.” “But… but…” Emma shook her head vigorously, insisting, “No, Big Brother, I can’t just take your money for nothing, consider it a loan from me.” James was surprised at her obstinacy but had a better impression of her. He smiled, “Alright then, if you insist it’s a loan, that’s fine. But pay me back whenever you can afford it.” “Mm, then I’ll write you an IOU,” Emma said, pulling out a notebook from her bag, tearing off a piece, and meticulously wrote an IOU, which she then handed to James. The handwriting on the paper was very elegant. James pretended to glance at it and then tucked it away, not wanting to crush Emma’s self-esteem at that moment, and when he did, Emma indeed smiled. “Big Brother, I… don’t even know your name?” Emma looked at him shyly but with expectancy. “I’m James Brown.” James didn’t subscribe to doing good deeds anonymously. After all, he had just given away twenty thousand dollars, and it was normal for her to know his name. “Then I’ll call you Big Brother Brown.” “Alright, it’s getting late, let’s get you home.” Emma nodded and was just about to leave when her phone rang. She quickly answered the call, urgently saying, “Mr. Johnson… ah, how is that possible, you agreed on twenty thousand, didn’t you?… But… but… where would I get that much more money? Please, Mr. Johnson, I’ll bring you twenty thousand tomorrow, just don’t hurt my dad. I’ll figure something out… Mr. Johnson, please… Mr. Johnson! Mr. Johnson!” After calling out twice, Emma despondently ended the call, a mix of pain, helplessness, and irritation on her face.

Chapter 64 - 64 64 Doing a Good Deed

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