At that moment, Darnell was driving his Porsche quickly back to his rental house. Along the way, he muttered to himself,
“Today, I did another good deed. I must remember to write it in my diary later and save it on my iCloud.”
“One day, people will think I’m great.”
Of course, Darnell said this out loud, but deep down, he genuinely wanted to help the group of guys. Despite their past conflicts, Darnell could see that they were fundamentally decent people. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have turned over a new leaf and looked for decent jobs, so he was willing to support them.
He also thought of Cesar. Although that bastard hadn’t shown up yet, Darnell believed he wasn’t a bad person, just as shameless as himself.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Darnell soon arrived at an open-air parking lot. There was only one way in and out.
Two security guards and a dog were stationed there, with a daily parking fee of ten dollars for tenants.
Darnell always slowed down when entering and exiting, not only to avoid hitting other cars but also because of the fierce-looking dog.
The dog weighed nearly a hundred pounds, with a big head and ears but a fierce look in its eyes and agile movements. Darnell had seen it kill a stray cat that tried to steal its food. Thus, even though the dog was on a leash, Darnell didn’t dare provoke it and occasionally tossed it some bread or ham.
Darnell vaguely heard the security guards call it “Sugar”.
As his car approached the entrance, Darnell saw Sugar lifting its head from its food bowl with a bone in its mouth.
Its sharp white teeth were intimidating. When it saw Darnell, it bit the bone in half with a crackling sound.
Darnell shivered and quickly called for the security guard to let him through.
Despite calling several times, no familiar security guard appeared. Instead, a man in uniform holding a lunchbox showed up.
Darnell recognized him immediately. “Leroy! Why aren’t you at home watching TV? What are you doing here as a security guard? Experiencing life?”
Leroy was in his fifties, about five feet seven inches tall, amiable, always smiling, one of Woodsea’s kindest landlords.
As long as his tenants didn’t commit serious crimes, Leroy wouldn’t evict them.
He was also usually the last to raise rent prices under pressure from the higher-ups. Otherwise, he wouldn’t raise rents more than fifty dollars a year. That was why his two buildings were never vacant.
Darnell had moved in because another tenant got married and left.
Leroy hummed a tune while carrying his lunchbox. Hearing someone call him, he instinctively looked up and saw Darnell. He then glanced at the Porsche and laughed,
“Darnell, you’ve done well! Just one month in Whiteville and you’re driving a Porsche. Impressive!”
“I wish I were that lucky. It’s my boss’s car. I’m just moonlighting as his driver. Tough life,” Darnell lamented. “One salary for three jobs. On weekends, I even fix your appliances for free. It’s exhausting.”
“Hard work pays off,” Leroy laughed. “Endure hardship now to succeed later.”
“Too much hardship can make one lose hope in life. We all need some surprises,” Darnell chuckled. “Leroy, could you reduce next quarter’s rent? Otherwise, I’ll have trouble affording food.”
Leroy laughed heartily while opening the gate for Darnell. “If you starve to death, there’d be no one left in Woodsea.”
“Besides, for fifty square meters at the market price of fifteen hundred dollars, I only charge you three hundred.”
“It’s the lowest rent in Woodsea. How can you ask for a reduction?”
“Three hundred is still quite a lot! My base salary is only three thousand dollars a month. Everything costs money,” Darnell argued. “To save on food expenses, I eat carrots every day.”
“But that amount is nothing for you. Just waive two hundred more,” Darnell pressed on.
“You really know how to negotiate,” Leroy said while taking another bite of his meal. “Alright then, two hundred off, but you have to help me fix appliances for other tenants on weekends.”
“They say you’re good at it. Things look brand new after you fix them.”
“You could open a repair shop after some more practice. It’s quite profitable,” Leroy suggested.
“Thanks, Leroy. I’ll think about it,” Darnell responded happily before asking, “By the way, why are you here? Where are the security guards?”
Grandeur Plaza had its own security guards, over two hundred, responsible for village properties’ safety, including this parking lot.
Even if there were shift changes among the two guards due to emergencies, Leroy shouldn’t be here.
“The village has had some issues lately, and they resigned. Over 150 people left. We’re short-staffed,” Leroy replied instinctively before realizing he’d said too much and smiled, “I’m just filling in for a few days.”
Only then did Darnell notice the recruitment notice posted beside the booth, but he couldn’t understand why so many guards would quit such well-paying jobs.
Leroy waved him through with his usual kind smile. “Come over for tea sometime.”
“Sure!”
Darnell replied as he drove into the parking lot.
He glanced back through his rearview mirror once more. Sugar was straining against its leash towards Leroy’s lunchbox aroma.
Woof!
He found an empty spot quickly enough but barely stepped out when suddenly, a Maserati roared up front, colliding head-on with his car!
Bang!
Though not severe, the impact still jolted both cars visibly, shaking them upon collision.
“Damn!”
Darnell jolted awake, fearing the bumper was damaged. He pushed open the door and rushed to the front of his car.
Just as he had expected, the bumper was dented, and even the license plate had fallen to the ground, a pitiful sight.
He looked at the Maserati with anger. “Do you even know how to drive?”
Although the car wasn’t his and was insured, it had just been repaired, and it was still new. Having two accidents in a week made him feel bad for Areli.
Bang.
The Maserati’s door opened and out stepped a stylish girl in a black mini-skirt with long legs, none other than Karlee, who had sought Darnell for a race.
She declared assertively, “I did it on purpose!”