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"No fucking way… it's that fake philanthropist guy, Van der something, the taxi driver told me about!" Alex realizes, immediately on edge.

Gareth van der Merwe walks in, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Alex. "Ek sien hier is nog 'n onverwagse gas," he says with a curious look.

Alex mumbles to himself, "Unverwagse gas...unbekannter... nein, unerwarteter Gast? Unexpected guest?" He hesitates but then responds, "You could say that, I guess," vaguely translating the Afrikaans into German and then into English.

Van der Merwe flashes what Alex instantly recognizes as the biggest, fakest smile he's ever seen. "Ah, a friend from Germany, I see. Welcome to South Africa! It's a wonderful country, we all agree, how do you say it again… ah yes, willkommen!"

Alex feels every instinct screaming at him. This man—his smile, his overly cheerful tone, everything about him feels off. "This guy… that fake smile... that phony hospitality… there's probably not a single person as fake as him on the entire planet," Alex thinks, gut tightening with the certainty that this man is nothing but pure scum.

Gareth finally turns to Thato's mother with a tone that oozes false sincerity.

"Good day, madam. As you surely know, I am Gareth van der Merwe, your son's employer and a well-known philanthropist. I have some good news for you, despite the hard times you and your family must be going through."

He continues, now speaking Afrikaans, which Alex can mostly understand...

"I've decided not only to drop the investigation into your son's crime—how he disregarded safety protocols, entered a restricted area, and caused massive damage to the factory—but also to make you a generous offer," Gareth says, his voice dripping with false compassion.

"You see, I don't want to sue his estate for damages. That would be far too cruel for you, wouldn't it? And frankly..." he pauses, glancing around the room with a disgusted look, "you don't appear to have the money to cover such losses anyway."

He continues, "Instead, I've decided to waive my legal claim against your son's estate and offer you a small gift, an act of true charity. Here is a check for 50,000 Rand. Of course, I'll need you to sign a few documents—just legal stuff. Don't worry too much about it."

He hands over a check and some papers for them to sign, his false generosity barely masking his true intentions.

The moment Gareth finishes his speech, one of the men in the room, Thato's cousin, who had worked at the same factory until he was injured and fired a few months ago, erupts with anger. "HOW DARE YOU?! HE DISREGARDED SAFETY? What safety? There's no safety at that place! We don't get proper equipment, the tools are old and broken, the machines barely function, there are sharp and dangerous objects everywhere. We work 12 hours a day with no breaks! How did he disregard safety?"

Feigning shock, Gareth replies, "Oh my, those are serious accusations, but completely untrue. Thato entered a dangerous area that was clearly marked. I have multiple witnesses who saw him go there—hiding to avoid work, no doubt—and that's where the floor gave way, leading to his death. They'll testify in court if needed."

Thato's cousin, now being held back by three others, screams, "LIAR! You're a liar!"

Gareth's demeanor shifts. His smile fades, and with a cold expression, he rips the check in half. "Well, it seems my charity isn't appreciated after all. Now you'll have to sign the papers without any check. You just lost out on 50,000 Rand. Maybe you'll think more carefully next time."

"We'll sue you!" Thato's cousin shouts defiantly.

Gareth chuckles, a sinister smile forming on his lips. "Good luck with that. It'll take about a decade for your case to even reach a courtroom. And as it happens, I golf with the local judges. They're reasonable people, and they make decisions based on evidence, which I assume you've gathered in support of your wild claims?"

The two bodyguards, who are from the town but completely loyal to Gareth, take a threatening step forward.

"You'd better sign those papers... or else," Gareth says, his tone losing any trace of politeness.

Tears welling up in her eyes, Thato's mother reluctantly grabs the papers and begins to sign them.

"YOU SCUM!"

Gareth, expecting another outburst from Thato's cousin, is caught off guard. The voice came from somewhere else.

Alex, with a look of pure rage, grabs the papers from Thato's mother, stopping her from signing.

"You're good, really good. Almost got away with your little power play," Alex says, laughing bitterly, holding up his smartphone, now visible after he pulls it from his pocket.

"Gareth van der Merwe, exposed as a fraud who abuses his workers, threatens their families after they die, and brags about being golf buddies with judges to cover up his crimes. Oh, and uses threats of violence to force them into compliance," Alex declares, tauntingly.

Gareth's eyes widen, his face pale. His bodyguards look uncertain—should they attack? Threaten? Stand still? They exchange nervous glances at their boss.

"I just sent this video to my uncle," Alex continues. "Wondering why I'm here? My uncle's a German diplomat, and he loves sending me out to investigate the cities and communities that get millions of Euros in developmental aid from my country.

"Funny thing—he might even be one of your golf buddies. Though he sucks at it, as I recall. Haha."

Gareth looks stunned, while his guards remain frozen, unsure of how to proceed.

"What do you want?! Don't think I'll let you walk out of this town alive if you expose even a sentence of what I've said," Gareth sneers, signaling his guards to draw their knives.

Alex panics inwardly, but summons every ounce of control, tapping into his newfound skills to maintain his composure.

"Great idea, kill me after I've already sent the video. I'm sure that won't trigger an international scandal, followed by a full-blown investigation. Who could've done it? Maybe the guy I just exposed?" Alex retorts, his voice calm despite the situation.

Gareth finally starts to sweat. "Put the knives away, you idiots! STAY BACK!" he shouts at his guards before turning to Alex. "Now... I think we can find a peaceful solution to this problem. Let's deal with this calmly and logically."

Alex nods, "That's all I want. These papers—" he hands them back to Thato's mother—"we'll sign them on one condition. You stay away from this family, for good. If I ever hear that you've come near them again, the video goes public."

Gareth, sweating but still trying to maintain a calm demeanor, nods. "Fine. Just sign, and I'll leave you all in peace."

Alex smirks. "Do you really think that's it? Take out another check."

Gareth's face tightens before he forces a knowing smile. "Ah, of course."

Alex continues, "Now, 50,000 Rand isn't just a joke—it's a damn insult. I know your net worth. It's not just 50 million Rand, but 50 million U.S. dollars! That's what? A billion Rand? And you're offering 50,000 to a worker you essentially killed with your negligence? Fill out the damn check for 5 million Rand, walk away, and we'll never see each other again."

Gareth slams the table in fury. "5 million?! Are you insane? He could never earn that much! NO WAY I'M PAYING THAT!" he roars.

Alex, confused, fires back, "Dude, that's what—less than 250,000 dollars? For a life? That's still dirt cheap!"

Gareth glares, "1 million, or I'll take my chances." He motions toward his bodyguards.

Alex, enraged but keeping his voice cold and steady, stares Gareth down. "Do it."

Gareth hesitates, clearly unsure. Alex feels the sweat trickling under his clothes, his heart pounding. His bluff could be called at any moment.

"I swear to God, you greedy, corrupt... 3 million, not a single Rand less, or I let it play out. You'll regret this."

After a tense pause, Gareth narrows his eyes and coldly concedes, "Fine." Five minutes later, he's back to his fake, friendly demeanor as he hands over the check. "Well played, my friend. Looks like this family gets to start a new life—here or somewhere else. But if I see you again in this town, trust me, you won't leave ever again. Don't forget I am the law here. Now you better leave… before I change my mind.

Alex glares at him with pure hatred. "He's right," Alex admits to himself. "Thato's family is safe, but 3 million Rand is nothing to him. He'll just keep doing business like before, and more workers will die. This guy is worse than a serial killer. He deliberately refuses to fix the safety concerns because it's cheaper to pay off the families. He'll get away with it all. He's got the judges in his pocket, the local authorities, blackmailing his own workers… he's a mass murderer, and the world loves him! They even give him awards for his 'charity.' This man is a cancerous parasite"

As Gareth and his bodyguards drive off, Alex is left standing there, seething with helpless fury.

Thato's family cheer and wildly hug Alex, screaming, "3 MILLION! WE GOT 3 MILLION!" But Thato's mother doesn't share the excitement.

Alex, too, shows no sign of happiness. "You all realize that he's going to keep doing this... to everyone else, right?"

Thato's mother pats his shoulder. "They know… but apparently you don't understand that Gareth isn't anything new. If it weren't him, it'd be someone else like him. You managed to get us a small victory. Let them celebrate. You still have more than six hours before your flight, right? Stay a little longer and celebrate with us."

Alex nods. "I guess you're right."

He stays to enjoy the final moments of their victory celebration, but it feels hollow. He eventually calls Suraav to pick him up early, deciding to spend some time at the airport. Fully aware of the dangers awaiting him in the Fantasy Realm, Alex says coldly, "I wish you all the best. I'll pray for your safety." His words make it clear that he doesn't plan to return.

Thato's family smiles at him with gratitude. "Thank you for everything."

Alex leaves the house, waiting outside for Suraav, only to notice a flashy BMW parked a few houses down. "I hate people who drive cars like that. Screw them all," he mutters, knowing exactly who the car belongs to. 

He moves a bit closer and overhears Gareth talking to another family through a broken window. From what he can pick up, it's the same old talk of "broken regulations" and "compensation."

"Another one..." Alex sees only darkness. Something inside him finally snaps. "I'm already dead. The Fantasy Realm is just a temporary stop before my eventual doom. Chances are I'll fail either way. This damn cancer needs to be removed from this town… and this world."

Alex quickly calls Suraav and tells him to pick him up at the bus station four blocks away instead, adding that he might need a few minutes.

He sneaks closer to the broken window and listens. Inside, Gareth's henchmen are beating the family until they break down, crying, and sign whatever documents Gareth throws at them. After about ten minutes, Alex notices that Gareth and his goons are preparing to leave.

"I WON'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE!" Alex's rage boils over. "I'm already dead, and whatever life I have left, I'll live without regard for this shitty world's rules. No more holding back! I'll make it through the Fantasy Realm and become someone who can create real change!" As he whispers these words, something materializes in his hand.

"Annihilation Grenade! Set the trigger to max: 12 seconds. Use 5 times extra duration for a total of 22 seconds," he commands silently, feeling the mana drain from his body, forming into a solid object.

Just as Gareth steps out of the house and reaches his car, Alex hides behind the rear of the vehicle. He tosses the metallic, round object—its fuse burning a strange purple—through the open backseat window.

As the BMW speeds off, Alex rolls to the side of the road, holding his breath, hoping he hasn't been noticed. He immediately bolts behind a nearby building, watching the car disappear down the street.

"I'm not just killing you… I'm killing my weak old self. Fantasy Realm, here I come!"

BOOM