One Man Band System

At that very moment, inside a private lounge featuring a single massive curved sofa, a disco light spinning overhead, and a large television positioned right in front, Jason sat wringing his hands. He kept his head bowed, his face twisted in frustration, dripping with sweat, and looking thoroughly terrified.

Sitting casually across from him was a middle-aged man with his arms stretched out along the backrest and his legs crossed. The man wore a gray suit paired with a red-striped tie; his neatly slicked hair was silver-white, and despite his age, he maintained a handsome face. However, his expression appeared deeply troubled and gloomy.

Stationed at the far end of the room stood five hulking men dressed in black suits, while a stunning blonde woman wearing a blazer sat centered between Jason and the middle-aged man. The man finally broke the silence.

"I don’t give a damn—you’re paying me back what you owe right now. Because of you, I’m stuck dealing with federal agents and Joe. Do you have any idea what kind of mess you’ve dragged me into? You swore you’d clear your debt once you got your hands on your old man’s inheritance, and that’s the only reason I lent you my guys. But now you’ve turned around and made my life a living hell," the man said.

"I... I’m so sorry, Uncle Tony. I never meant to cause any trouble for you, but I still haven’t been able to get a meeting with my dad... that’s why I tried closing in on my sister, Ruby. I had no idea it would blow up like this," Jason stammered.

"Save it... I don’t want to hear your excuses. Pay up right now because I’m packing up and leaving this town. I am done dealing with my ex-wife, who just called me and gave me a major headache. Do you get it?" Tony countered.

"Please, Uncle, give me just one week. I swear I’ll pay every last cent back," Jason pleaded.

Tony uncrossed his legs, leaned forward to grab a cigarette from the table, and lit it. He blew a thick cloud of smoke right into Jason’s face, fixing him with a cold glare.

"You really don’t grasp the situation, do you? Do you even realize what you ordered my men to do back there?" Tony said.

"Yes, Uncle... my plan was to take one of my younger brother’s girls hostage so he’d force my dad to speak with me," Jason replied, keeping his head down.

"Do you even know what kind of venue you had bombed?" Tony asked.

"No, Uncle, I don’t," Jason answered.

Tony let out a long, heavy sigh, took a deep drag from his cigarette, and glanced at the woman seated between them. He raised his hand, pointed toward the door, and gave a slight nod. Understanding Tony’s silent cue, the woman stood up, walked over, and pulled the door open.

A man stepped inside. Jason turned to look and froze in utter shock, the person stepping in was none other than a famous movie star. It was indeed Wesley, who walked in and took a seat right beside Tony, his eyes looking down at Jason with sheer contempt.

"The place you had my guys bomb happened to be where my kid and her brother were competing. Do you get it now?" Tony said.

"Oh, so he’s the one who tried to get Emma killed, Dad?" Wesley chimed in.

"That’s the guy," Tony answered.

Hearing Tony’s words combined with Wesley’s confirmation, all the color drained from Jason’s face. He scrambled to pull out his smartphone, showing a photo of Eric and Emma that he had obtained from a private investigator.

"So... this girl... is your daughter, Uncle?" Jason asked, pointing at Emma in the photo.

"Slap,"

Wesley stood up and slapped Jason hard across the face, sending his head spinning to the side and nearly knocking the smartphone out of his grip.

"Now everything’s gone completely sideways, and I have to go underground all because of this pathetic idiot," Tony said to Wesley.

"Yeah... I hear you, Dad," Wesley replied.

"Looks like it’s time to swap faces again. I’ve been using Ethan’s face for way too long," Tony added.

Jason sat there in silence, listening to the conversation between Tony, who was actually Arthur and Wesley. Their interaction sounded like a completely normal exchange between a father and son, yet the sheer weight of their words chilled Jason to the bone as he realized the terrifying position he was in.

"So... pay up right now, and I’ll let you walk without holding any of this mess against you, even though you’ve been a massive pain in my ass," Tony said, his voice cold and firm.

Jason remained silent, unable to utter a single word. His eyes darted left and right, frantically calculating and searching for a way out. Before he could say anything, however, Tony snapped his fingers. One of his hulking henchmen stepped forward, pulling a smartphone from his pocket and handing it to Tony. Tony unlocked it, his fingers dancing across the screen. Once he found what he was looking for, he slid the smartphone across the table, stopping it right in front of Jason.

"Please... don’t... no... I didn’t do anything wrong... aaah!"

Jason’s eyes went wide as he watched his close friend, Blake, getting beaten and stabbed inside prison, the entire incident had been recorded on video. Jason lifted his head, staring at Tony in complete disbelief. Seeing Jason’s expression, Tony grew even angrier.

"Why? I couldn’t have your buddy running his mouth, so I wiped him out. You pay me right now, or I’m coming after your mother and giving you the exact same treatment as your friend here," Tony said, his voice calm yet chillingly stern.

"I’m sorry, Uncle... but could I get a month... or a week... or maybe just three days?" Jason pleaded desperately.

"Fine... three days. Once time is up, if you still can’t pay and start throwing out excuses about your family, get ready for what’s coming," Tony answered.

Jason gasped, his hands clenching into trembling fists. His debt, which had already racked up to seven figures, had to be settled in full within three days or he would face the consequences. His brain spun as he frantically searched for a way to get his hands on the cash.

Suddenly, a single name popped into his mind, and he pulled out his phone to make a call. The call went unanswered, dropping straight into voicemail, "tch." He tried one more time only to get the exact same result. Ultimately, he sent a text message to the contact number, which was none other than Vivian.

However, it turned out Vivian had blocked his number, and only then did he remember that he was still prohibited from contacting her due to the active restraining order.

A sudden migraine hit Jason’s head. He bitterly regretted his impulsive actions, which had now cut off every single path forward, while Tony sat waiting for an answer regarding his debt and Wesley looked down on him with utter disdain.

Sick of watching Jason sit there in silence after being given an ultimatum, Tony turned to his henchmen.

"Drag him out. I’m sick of looking at his face in here. If he stays any longer, I might just change my mind," Tony said.

"On it, boss," replied two henchmen who looked like bouncers standing in the back.

"Wait a second, Uncle! I still want to talk. I am so sorry, I know I messed up, please just give me a bit more time!" Jason pleaded desperately.

"I’ve been more than patient with you, and I am not letting things escalate any further because of your idiocy," Tony said. "Drag him out," Tony ordered his men once more.

Without another word, the two men grabbed Jason by the arms. Jason tried to shake them off, putting on an arrogant front. But "slaaap," one of the bouncers backhanded Jason hard across the face. Right after, the two of them dragged Jason straight out of the lounge, leaving Tony and Wesley behind with the woman sitting in the middle. Wesley turned to look at his father.

"So what are we doing about that idiot’s younger brother? He’s getting way too close to Emma," Wesley said.

"Leave him alone. He’s protected by Joe, and I have zero interest in picking a fight with him," Tony replied.

"What about Emma, though?" Wesley asked.

"I told you, drop it! I have no intention of dragging myself back into Emma’s life," Tony snapped, his voice rising slightly.

Wesley shut his mouth instantly, not daring to say another word. He simply observed his father, who suddenly looked thoroughly exhausted, far more worn down and aged than he had just five minutes ago. Tony then looked across at the woman sitting between them.

"Hand over every piece of evidence to the police. We’re washing our hands of Jason. Whatever he did is entirely on him, so let him suffer the consequences. I’m positive he won’t be able to pay it back in three days, but even if he somehow scrounges up the money, release everything to the cops anyway. Handle it now," Tony ordered.

"Got it, boss," the woman replied.

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