In Evelyn's office, the flames of the fireplace cast swaying shadows on the walls.
She put down the notebook in her hand, her voice calm without a hint of waves.
"The cost of this consultation is five hundred dollars."
Adam's hand reached for the inner pocket of his suit and stopped.
He touched his left pocket, and then his right pocket.
There were only a few crumpled one-dollar bills in my wallet, and a few coins.
It adds up to less than thirty dollars.
Ben saw Adam's movements next to him, and the expression on his face gradually became embarrassed.
Adam's finger stayed in the pocket for a few seconds, then slowly took it back.
"I don't have so much cash right now."
Evelyn's eyebrows were slightly raised.
"You don't even have five hundred dollars, what else do you want to play on Wall Street?"
Her tone was cold and mercilessly pointed out the cruelty of reality.
This sentence pierced Adam's heart.
Just a few hours ago, Jessica said something similar.
"Losers", "No future", "Nothing".
The labels hovered above him, reminding him of his current situation.
Ben's face turned red, and he took out a few twenty dollar bills from his wallet.
"Dr. Reed, I can pay part of it in advance and ... it when I pay my salary next week."
"No need."
Evelyn interrupted him.
She sat back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the tabletop.
"It looks like I'm overestimating your finances."
Adam's jaw muscles were tight, but he didn't speak.
His brain was racing as he pondered how to solve the financial dilemma in front of him.
At this moment, the door of the clinic was pushed open.
A girl with a cello case on her back walked in.
She looks about sixteen or seventeen years old, has the same blonde hair as Evelyn, and wears a private school uniform.
"Mom, I'm back."
The girl's voice was crisp and pleasant, instantly breaking the tension in the room.
Evelin's expression changed immediately.
That professional calmness disappeared and was replaced by the tenderness of a mother.
"Emily, did you finish your class early today?"
"Well, the teacher said that my Bach performance has reached the level of competition."
Emily placed the cello case against the wall and noticed two men in the room.
Her gaze lingered on Adam for a moment.
Adam noticed that the girl had very bright eyes, which, like her mother, seemed to see through everything.
Evelin immediately stood up.
"You should go."
Her tone became cold again, even with obvious caution.
"Before you come next time, please prepare the consultation fee."
Adam and Ben exchanged glances.
They both understood that Evelyn did not want her daughter to come into contact with her "special" clients.
"We understand."
Adam stood up and tidied up his clothes.
He nodded at Emily and walked to the door with Ben.
As he passed by the girl, Adam heard her whisper to his mother:
"Mom, that person doesn't look good."
Evelyn's voice was full of nervousness:
"Leave these things alone, go practice in your room."
After the door closed, two men stood in the hallway.
Ben let out a long breath.
"Brother, what should we do now?"
Adam did not answer immediately.
He was thinking about everything he had just seen.
Evelyn's protective gesture towards her daughter, her complex identity, and that smart girl.
All of this information may come in handy in the future.
"Let's go, let's find a place to eat first."
They found a hot dog stand on the corner.
Hot dogs for two dollars a day are considered luxury goods for Adam now.
Ben took a bite of the hot dog and looked at him with a worried face.
"Adam, I think you should be realistic."
"I know the owner of a small fund company who needs a trader."
Ben took out a business card from his pocket.
"A monthly salary of $6,000 is not much, but at least it will give you a foothold again."
Adam took the business card and glanced at it, then handed it back to Ben.
"$6,000 a month doesn't change anything."
He wiped his mouth and looked up at the skyscrapers in the distance.
"Since we want to play, we have to sit at the table."
Ben almost choked on a hot dog.
"Are you crazy? We can't even get five hundred dollars now! "
Adam's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
"Ben, do you know what the biggest scam in the world is?"
"Make you believe that you have no bargaining chips."
Adam pointed to the building labeled "Sterling Capital".
"I'm going to Richard Sterling and ask him to pay for my father's company."
Ben's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?"
"Never have I ever been so serious."
Meanwhile, in an office building in Midtown Manhattan.
Victoria Vance sat in her office, listening to her men's reports.
Three thugs stood in front of her, and the bald man had a band-aid on his forehead.
"You mean, he knocked down the three of you alone?"
Victoria's voice sounded incredible.
"Ms. Vance, that guy is like crazy."
The bald man covered his head, which was still aching.
"And his skills... It doesn't look like he just got out of a mental hospital. "
Victoria stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
From here, you can overlook the entire Wall Street financial district.
"It seems that I underestimated John's son."
She turned around and pulled out a stack of cash from her drawer.
"Find a few professionals and abolish his hands."
She threw the money on the table.
"Let him never be able to type the keyboard anymore and throw people out of New York. I don't want to hear his name again. "
At this moment, the door to the office was pushed open.
Richard Stirling walked in.
The man in his fifties wore a $3,000 Armani suit with meticulously combed hair.
He exudes an aura that only those who hold great power have.
"Victoria, what trouble are you dealing with?"
Sterling's voice was low and magnetic.
"John White's son is back."
Victoria briefly recounted the situation just now.
After hearing this, Sterling smiled contemptuously.
"What kind of waves can a dead man's son make?"
He walked to the wine cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
"Let him make trouble, just see how many pounds this little cub has."
Victoria frowned.
"Richard, I don't think I can be careless. The boy's eyes... It's dangerous. "
"Danger?"
Sterling took a sip of whiskey.
"Victoria, have you forgotten his current situation? No money, no connections, no company. "
He put down his glass, his eyes shining with a cold light.
"What threat can a bankrupt madman pose to us?"
At this time, Adam was standing in front of the Sterling Capital Building.
The sixty-eight-story skyscraper plunges into the sky, and the glass façade reflects the light of the setting sun.
There were four security guards at the entrance of the building, they were burly and had vigilant eyes.
Ben stood beside him, his face full of worry.
"Adam, are we really going to do this?"
"Are you afraid?"
Adam tidied up his suit and tie.
Although the outfit has been worn for two days, it still remains relatively neat.
"It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I think it's crazy to do this."
Ben wiped the sweat from his palms.
"We didn't even have an appointment."
"Ben, remember one thing."
"What do you mean?"
Adam patted him on the shoulder.
"In this world, there are only two kinds of people who can meet big people without an appointment."
"Which two?"
"Those who give money, and those who die."
Adam walked towards the entrance of the building.
"Obviously, we belong to the first type."
[System prompt: The road to revenge has officially begun, and the host is about to face its first major challenge]
"What?"