Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 45: Loan Repayment (1)

Darren drove through the city streets, his gaze locked in determination and focus.

The tires rolled over the wet pavement, a faint slickness from the very early morning drizzle making the roads shine under the sun.

Kara, in the passenger seat, had her feet propped up on the dashboard, lazily twirling one of her chips between her fingers.

Darren looked at her. "Kara, set up your laptop and the access to the Red Fang bank accounts."

She exhaled a quiet sigh before sitting up right.

"Alright, alright, Mr. Duckling. Setting up the laptop now," she said, flipping open her sleek device and tapping away.

Darren, eyes on the road, barely reacted.

"Good. Do you think they would have noticed your presence by now and locked you off it?"

She scoffed. "The only person who's ever done that is you, and I still have some questions as to how you did it, dear Mr. Duckling."

"Not that I'm gonna answer any." Darren cut a corner.

Kara smirked, arriving at the interface in her computer. "By the way, I never told you this before, but uh… there's a whole lotta money in here."

Darren didn't miss a beat. "I know," he said simply. "That's why the Red Fang wouldn't want to lose it."

Kara gave an exaggerated whistle. "Damn. You really don't flinch, do you? If I had that much money in my sights, I'd be sweating bullets right now."

"I don't believe that."

Kara chuckled, shaking her head as she continued typing.

The Aston Martin finally slowed as Darren turned into a darker, quieter part of the city.

He eased into a narrow alley just off Crane Street, parking between two abandoned buildings with boarded-up windows.

This place was somehow darker because of the abandoned high buildings, only the faint glow of a nearby streetlamp was the main source of light apart from the poor sunlight seeping through roofs.

Darren unbuckled his seatbelt, reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of black gloves, slipping them on without a word.

Kara watched him with growing suspicion. "Okay, what's with the gloves? This is starting to feel real criminally all of a sudden."

Darren ignored her as he opened a compartment under the dashboard, retrieving a sleek, black Glock.

Kara's eyes went wide. "Woah! Woah! Woah! What the hell, Mr. Duckling?"

Darren calmly slid the gun into his coat pocket.

"What are you planning to do?" she asked, voice half-wary, half-curious. "No one is getting killed here, right? Right?"

"I'm not using the gun for anything," Darren said evenly. "It's just part of the plan."

"Hah? That's what they all say before things go sideways." Kara leaned back, folding her arms. "Just tell me I'm not going to die today. And that I'm still getting my twenty grand."

"You're not going to die today, Kara. And you're still getting your twenty grand."

She sat up and smiled. "You actually said it."

Sighing, Darren opened the door. "Once I activate the router and you get full access to the account to tamper as you please, that's the sign that you should begin."

"Alright, alright. Just… be careful, yeah?"

Darren didn't respond. He stepped out, briefcase in hand, and walked down the dark, ominous alleyway.

Arriving at the heavy metal door, he knocked once and saw the familiar, beady eyes peering through the gap.

"Password," the security man grunted.

Then, his face changed. Recognition dawned.

"Huh. You again."

Darren said nothing.

The guard let out a low grunt before pushing the door open. His gaze dropped to the briefcase in Darren's hand.

"Right on date, huh? You here to pay?"

Darren nodded. "I am."

Hmmm, the man mumbled. He took the case from Darren to inspect, flipping it open to reveal neatly stacked bundles of cash.

His brows lifted in mild approval. Hmm.

But before stepping aside, the guard ran his hands over Darren's torso, patting him down and then searched him extensively.

His fingers halted when they reached the gun in Darren's coat. He pulled it out, gripping it tightly.

Darren's eyes took note of the way his fingers curled around the handle. Seemingly satisfied, he looked away.

The guard clicked his tongue. "You won't be needing this."

Darren didn't resist as the man took the Glock.

Satisfied, the guard nodded toward the hallway. "Come on in."

Darren followed him inside, past the murky, smoke-filled club where the air was thick with cheap perfume, alcohol, and the unmistakable scent of illegal deals.

The scantily clad women sauntered between groups of wealthy men, their laughter sharp and artificial. The bass-heavy music pounded in the background, a steady, unrelenting thrum.

Darren barely spared it a glance. He had only one destination.

The office.

Inside, seated behind a desk cluttered with whiskey glasses and cigar ash, was the man he had met before.

Broad-shouldered, middle-aged, a skull tattoo on his face, and dressed in a dark burgundy rugged suit.

He grinned upon seeing Darren, showing his golden teeth.

"Ah, welcome back, office boy." His voice dripped with amusement. Then he took a good look at him. "Hell, what happened to you? You lookin' kinda different. Almost didn't recognize you."

"Same here, boss," the security guard added, smirking. "Must have started takin' those online red pill routines."

The two men chuckled.

Darren remained expressionless.

The boss leaned forward, scrutinizing him. "So I hear you got my money."

Darren set the briefcase down. "It's all in there."

The boss didn't open it immediately. Instead, he studied Darren a moment longer, eyes filled with something between curiosity and suspicion.

"You telling me," he said slowly, "that you managed to pay off $270,000 in one month? That's the first time that's happened, you know. Especially for a kid."

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Darren didn't respond.

The boss smirked, gesturing toward his men. "Take it inside and count."

Darren finally spoke, his voice cool and collected. "They can count it here."

The room tensed, everyone paused.

The boss's expression darkened. "What'd you just say, boy?"

Darren didn't flinch when he met his gaze. "I said they can count it here. Why not? Here's fine."

The boss leaned back, exhaling sharply through his nose. Then, his lips curled in amusement.

"Oh. So you think you're tough now, huh?" He gestured at Darren's outfit. "Come in here with a fine suit, a fine watch… even saw that fine-ass Aston Martin parked outside. Big car for a small kid."

His smirk faded. "Now, I don't know what kinda business you got goin' on… but I sure am curious. Ain't nobody gets this fresh in one month without doin' something illegal."

He snapped his fingers. "Go ahead and count the money, boys. Tell me how much."

Darren watched them go inside. He didn't move.

Minutes later, they returned. The lead henchman looked uneasy.

"It's only $80,000," he said.

The boss's brow twitched. "Only 80k?" He let out a short laugh, then turned back to Darren. "Where's the rest of it, office boy? 80k is only the interest. Where's the 200k?"

Darren didn't react. Obviously, he'd expected this. "The money is all there. Everything. The 280k."

Silence.

The boss narrowed his eyes. "So you're calling my boys liars?" His voice was dangerously low.

He then raised it. "No. You're calling me a liar!"

Then, in an instant, he pulled out a gun and leveled it at Darren.

A series of clicks followed, every henchman in the room aimed their weapons at him.

Darren slowly raised his hands.

The boss sneered. "Get me the rest of my money, office boy."

Darren let out a sigh. "I knew it would come to this."