"Apologize?"
Evan Lin heard Kevin Cheng’s words and shook his head slightly: "Kevin Cheng, what you need isn’t an apology to me, but to admit your mistake and take your punishment."
"If I were still that powerless kid, seeing you today, I’d already have been humiliated. Making you kowtow now is just an appetizer."
Evan spoke calmly: "Starting now, you have five seconds. If you won’t kowtow on your own, you’ll face the consequences."
"Five."
Evan had barely finished speaking.
Kevin Cheng suddenly felt the weight of the foot on his head increase sharply.
"Four."
Kevin Cheng’s neck went numb and his eyes widened: "Can you get off me first?"
Kevin was miserable inside, so anxious he was about to cry.
Normally he sits in his office, always being begged for favors, and every holiday people invite him out to eat. When has he ever been humiliated like this!
"Three."
Evan uttered the word "three."
Kevin Cheng felt his waist start to give out, his head growing heavier and his neck more numb—he was already struggling to hold himself up, his body subconsciously leaning forward.
"Two."
Evan spoke coldly.
The pressure from his foot increased again.
"Hold on, Old Cheng!" Lisa Liu cried out, knowing that if Kevin Cheng really kowtowed, his dignity would be completely destroyed. "I’m calling the police right now! I’ll call the police and have them arrest him!"
Lisa Liu snapped to her senses, digging through her bag for her phone.
She had just pulled out her bag, not yet hearing Evan’s final "one."
There was a dull thud.
Kevin Cheng’s whole body pitched forward, his forehead striking the floor in a solid kowtow.
At the very last moment, Kevin Cheng finally couldn’t hold out and slammed his head to the ground himself.
Evan Lin slowly stepped off his head and onto the floor.
Kevin Cheng lay face-down, his whole body trembling. Beside him, Lisa Liu’s face was pale as a sheet, shaking with fear.
The salesgirls nearby now looked at Evan Lin completely differently—there was clear fear in their eyes.
Some of the security guards lying on the ground had come to their senses, but none dared get up. They kept groaning and pretending to be hurt, terrified of being beaten again.
At the entrance, a group of elderly men and women out for a stroll craned their necks to see what was going on.
"Hey, isn’t that Lisa Liu from the Finance Bureau?"
An old man had been peering inside for a while. When he saw Lisa Liu, he suddenly remembered.
"And there’s Director Cheng from the Water Resources Bureau!"
Someone else recognized Kevin Cheng as well.
The crowd started buzzing with discussion.
But no one recognized the thin, calm-faced youth standing there—Evan Lin.
"What happened here?"
A man in a suit pushed through the crowd outside and hurried in. Seeing the scene before him, he was startled.
"Manager Wang! You’re finally here! I was just showing a client around, but suddenly some guy barged in and beat up my client out of nowhere!"
Seeing the newcomer, the salesgirl who had been showing Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu around rushed over, speaking quickly and glaring at Evan Lin with undisguised hatred.
After all, her commission was about to slip away right in front of her—how could she not be angry?
For salesgirls like her, commissions from selling a unit were their lifeline. The base salary was pitiful, but selling just one house could earn her tens of thousands—more than a year’s salary.
"That’s right, Manager Wang! This guy was brought in by May Wang. She can’t even close a deal herself, and now she’s trying to stir up trouble. I don’t think she’s fit to work here anymore—she’s bad for business." Helen Han quickly chimed in, dragging May Wang down with her.
To be the sales manager at Mooncrest Manor meant having plenty of connections in Whitewood County.
Hearing their complaints, Manager Wang frowned and glanced at May Wang. Her face turned deathly pale—just the thought of being fired filled her with terror.
Just as Manager Wang was about to say something, Evan Lin looked at him and asked, "You’re the manager here?"
"Yes. And you are...? You actually started a fight at our Mooncrest Manor—did we do something to offend you?" Manager Wang eyed the youth before him. Despite the plain clothes, he didn’t dare take this lightly.
After all, anyone who could take down so many security guards so easily, no matter how scrawny he looked, definitely wasn’t someone you could judge by normal standards.
What’s more, Manager Wang noticed that the boy’s calm expression as he spoke showed a level-headedness far beyond his years.
"You’re the manager, right? We just got beaten up here—you’re responsible! If you don’t do something, I’m not buying your house! In fact, I’ll tell all my friends not to buy here either!" Lisa Liu shouted at Manager Wang.
"Madam, please don’t worry. I’ll take care of this for you—please calm down." Manager Wang nodded politely to Lisa Liu, determined to appease his important clients first.
Most people who could afford to buy here were wealthy and well-connected—best not to offend them if possible.
Then, just as Manager Wang turned to Evan Lin, the youth reached out and pointed at two adjoining villas on the sand table model: "Are these two units still available?"
Manager Wang nodded instinctively at Evan’s question: "Yes, they’re still available. The location is excellent, but the price is higher, so they haven’t..."
"I’ll take them. Both. Put them under May Wang’s name for commission."
Evan spoke flatly, but his words landed like a bomb.
May Wang, who had been pale and on the verge of collapse, suddenly froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Evan’s back.
"You... you said you want to buy two units?" Manager Wang was stunned. He’d been annoyed with Evan a moment ago, but now most of that irritation vanished.
"Are you kidding me? Do you even know how much one of these costs? You can’t afford even one, let alone two!" Lisa Liu shrieked. "Manager! If you get someone to beat him up for me, I’ll buy that house right now! I’ll have the bank manager approve my loan as soon as I get back! We’ll take the house!"
Lisa Liu was fuming, while Kevin Cheng, after kowtowing, felt the pressure on his body vanish. But his face twisted with rage: "Manager Wang! We were beaten while buying a house at your Mooncrest Manor! You need to give us an explanation, or you’ll regret it!"
"This kid doesn’t even have a dad—he was raised by a widow! You think he has money to buy a house?"
Kevin Cheng shouted in anger.
Bang!
He had barely finished speaking.
Evan Lin kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying into the floor-to-ceiling glass. Kevin was knocked out cold.
"What a load of crap."
Evan withdrew his foot, his face completely indifferent.
Lisa Liu froze, then started sobbing as she rushed over to check on Kevin Cheng.