NOVEL WEB Chapter 49: Rubber duck
"This isn't what I am looking for."
A young man in a mask stood with a woman looking at him, a slim man behind him standing like a bodyguard.
"Isn't there anything bigger than this?" Tarkan asked.
"I want the biggest house I can buy in Tharn. This one... is not to my liking," he added.
Slim, who stood beside Tarkan, had lost his usual blank expression. Worry crept onto his face, and he couldn't help blurting out,
"Young master, isn't where we're staying already too big for just the two of us?"
"Slim, I want my own place," Tarkan said in a casual tone, unfazed by Slim's nagging, which had been constant.
"But Mas.. Tarkan, we made a down payment for that manor for two years," Slim said, trying to reason with him.
"So?" Tarkan replied, not the least bit bothered.
"The previous place was already too big for both of us. More than sixty people could live in that manor and still live comfortably. Most of our time will be spent in the dimension... and what's wrong with this place? It's four times bigger than the manor!" Slim said, frustration finally creeping into his voice.
"Slim... Slim... there's this saying from a wise man," Tarkan said casually, "that sometimes in life, you just have to say... rubber duck."
Slim blinked.
"Slim, only the living enjoy luxury. So whenever life hits you with money, you do what it's meant for. And what is money created for?" Tarkan asked, staring at Slim's frustrated expression.
"To spend. But th.." Slim answered, looking completely defeated.
"So relax," Tarkan said coolly, cutting him off.
"Mr. Tarkan, this is the biggest we have for sale. Any bigger and you're out of luck, those are all sold out," the woman said, her tone tired. She had been excited to scout good places for her client, dreaming of the cut she'd get. But every house had been dismissed by him as 'not to his taste.'
"Sold out, you say..." Tarkan muttered, looking at the saleswoman.
--
"It hasn't even been a week since I bought this house... and I don't really want to sell. I like it," a fat man said, gold rings stacked on every one of his fingers. His eyes darted between the saleswoman and Tarkan.
"Mr. Brown, I can assure you my client is willing to pa.." the saleswoman began.
"700,000 gold. Yes or no?" Tarkan interrupted, his expression deadpan and clearly fed up.
The saleswoman's jaw dropped.
"Ermm..." she pinched Tarkan's arm and whispered, "He bought the house for 200,000 gold coins." This content is hosted at M|V|LE^MPYR.
"Yes, I heard you the first time, I just hate negotiating," he said.
Slim, now back to his usual blank expression, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He already knew there was no point wasting breath trying to convince Tarkan about his reckless spending habits or he'd get hit with another strange quote again.
Sigh
Slim couldn't help but feel exhausted already.
"Deal or no deal?" Tarkan asked the fat man, who suddenly stood up with renewed energy, as if injected with chicken blood.
"You can move in now if you want!" the man said, eager to leave the house behind.
That's more like it. What money can't buy, more money will, Tarkan thought, wearing a satisfied expression.
"I would appreciate that." Tarkan signaled to the dumbfounded saleswoman to bring over the agreement papers.
After it was done, the fat man left the mansion with only a briefcase, moving quickly like he was afraid Tarkan might come to his senses and demand a refund.
Tarkan turned back to the saleswoman, who had become noticeably more... meek. A button or two of her shirt was now undone, cleavage showing as she tried to seduce him.
Tarkan wasn't surprised.
"I have a renovation idea in mind. Can you help me take care of it?" he asked her.
"I will try my best, Mr. Tarkan," she replied quickly.
Nodding, Tarkan told her what he wanted. He collected her ID, wired 200,000 gold for the renovations, and gave her 50,000 more for her efforts.
Once everything was settled, he and Slim left the mansion and went back to the manor.
--
His money was down 950,000 gold from his small fortune of 47 million, bringing his new total to 46,050,000 gold coins.
Tarkan wasn't bothered in the slightest.
"Slim, I think I'll head to the dimension, seeing as you're all better now," Tarkan said, looking at Slim from side to side.
Slim couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Cough Cough
Tarkan faked coughed, thickening his skin and ignoring Slim's expression.
He found a spot and was about to activate his mark when he saw Slim also sitting down, preparing to activate his as well.
"What are you doing?" Tarkan stopped, turning to Slim.
"I'm fine now, I'll be going to the dimension too. But if you don't want me to go, I can stay," Slim said, his expression plain.
"Ohh, No worries. You can go. If you manage to come back before me, go to our new house and wait for me there. By then, the renovation should be done," Tarkan said.
Slim nodded in understanding.
Tarkan activated his mark and disappeared into the dimension. Slim followed a moment later.
The environment returned to silence.
...
Writing this one was a bit of a struggle (still sick 😅), but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. Your support honestly means the world to me, and even when I'm not at 100%, knowing you're all out there cheering me on keeps me going. Thanks so much for being patient and understanding, it really makes a difference. I'm grateful for every one of you who takes the time to read, like, and comment. Drop your thoughts below, I genuinely love reading them and hearing what you think. Let's keep this journey going together! 💪✨
Thank you
Novelmeister ❤️
Your Power Stones, Golden Tickets, comments, and reviews seriously motivate me! If you're enjoying the book, I'd really appreciate a review 😉