Chapter 137: Good Deeds and Rumors

"Let me make the rules clear: this is purely consensual."

"I will pay you what is owed, but do not seek me out afterward."

"Furthermore, I do not wish to hear that you have been using my name to boast about our relationship to others."

"Is that understood?"

Harvey, seeing the woman so overcome with joy that she was weeping, spoke directly without further preamble.

"Understood, perfectly understood. Thank you for giving me this chance."

The woman nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Seeing her reaction, Harvey brought her back to his estate. The two spent the night in intimacy until the morning.

It was past three in the afternoon when the woman finally stirred awake. She felt a lingering soreness, but the sight of the stacks of cash on the table—totaling five hundred thousand dollars—diminished the discomfort significantly. She climbed out of bed and approached the table, finding a note beside the money instructing her to take it, leave, and never bother him again.

Evidently, even though she did not perfectly fit Harvey's standard for women, since he had given his word, he remained generous. After reading the note, the woman first dressed to cover the signs of their night together. Looking at the fortune on the table, she picked up a pen, scribbled a note of gratitude, and—enduring the weakness in her legs and the lingering pain—took only one hundred thousand dollars and left the estate. Since Harvey Amberaka had kept his promise, she could not break hers; one hundred thousand was what had been agreed upon, and one hundred thousand was all she would take.

Harvey stood in the room, watching her departure through the window. He read her note, which thanked him for his help and called him a "good person." She had essentially given him a "nice guy" card.

The five hundred thousand dollars had, in fact, been a test. If she had taken only the hundred thousand, it meant she truly was in desperate need of life-saving funds. Had she intended to take it all, Harvey would have kept her occupied for a month, or at the very least, kept her nearby. Now that he had confirmed her intentions were genuine, he gave it no further thought.

With a casual flick of his hand, Harvey unleashed a wisp of void energy, vaporizing the "nice guy" card. He made a call to a professional cleaning service to tidy the room, then went off to play video games. Had he not found someone yesterday, he would have gone out to find entertainment today. But since he had, he would take a break for a while and decide on his next move later. In truth, picking up women was merely a pastime for when he was bored at home.

***

Over four months passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Harvey went out occasionally, though he noticed that the number of beautiful women seeking his help had inexplicably increased. Faced with these women who threw themselves at him, Harvey would help those who were truly in desperate need and possessed a certain level of beauty by spending a night with them. As for those whose desperation was clearly an act, he couldn't be bothered.

One day, while out looking for a bite to eat, Harvey spotted the young woman from months ago as he drove past a park. He pulled his car to a stop. This time, she wasn't dressed in the provocative "femme fatale" style she had used before; instead, her makeup was lighter, lending her a more youthful and natural appearance. Despite the change in look, the essence of her vitality remained the same, and Harvey recognized her instantly. Had she appeared this way when they first met, he would have agreed to help her immediately.

The young brunette was pushing a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair through the park. When she spotted Harvey, her eyes did not flicker away; instead, a faint smile graced her lips. Harvey gave a slight nod, stepped on the gas, and drove away. Since it had been a prearranged transaction, that night remained merely a mutual memory.

"Dear, do you know that handsome man?" the older woman asked, noticing her daughter’s sudden smile as she watched Harvey depart.

"That is Mr. Harvey Amberaka, a famous, wealthy, and handsome young tycoon in New York, and a gentleman who keeps his word," the daughter replied with a smile. "He is quite well-known in the city's social circles. I know of him, though he doesn't know me."

"So that’s who he is. I wondered why he looked so striking and drove such a fine car," her mother remarked. "Wealth and looks are one thing, but whether he is truly a gentleman is another matter. Don't be fooled by rumors and hearsay. A man like that isn't someone you can handle. You’re still young—focus on your work. Think about marriage in a few years."

"I know, Mom," the young woman said obediently.

Though Harvey had driven off, he hadn't gone far, and he caught the young woman’s praise. It was no wonder he had felt more women approaching him lately; it was likely due to her. She had only spoken well of him without revealing their connection, so she hadn't broken their agreement. Regardless, this was fine—a small act of kindness on his part had made it easier to find women who caught his eye.

His mood improved, and feeling a sudden craving for food, he turned his car toward Chinatown. Life on Earth was undeniably pleasant. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. had learned his true identity, they dared not appear before him, allowing Harvey to act with total impunity. He didn't need to worry about money or his behavior; he only needed to think about how to pass the time.

In the mercenary world, the operative known as "Death" had been missing for nearly two years. Rumors abounded: some thought he had met his end, while others believed he had simply earned enough to retire. After all, in his few short years in the business, Death had raked in over a billion dollars—enough to live in luxury for a lifetime. If managed well, he had achieved total financial freedom. His retirement was good news for the mercenary trade, as more contracts became available.

As for the darker side of things, no one was happier about this than "Zero," the money-laundering kingpin. Other mercenaries were charged exorbitant fees for his services because he had to hire protection, but after witnessing Death's terrifying power, Zero had been too afraid to overcharge him. Every time he laundered money for Death, he ended up losing money himself.

Zero was the only one who knew that Death was currently in New York, looking for ways to amuse himself. But even if he knew, he wouldn't dare expose Harvey’s identity. Yet, he held an ace in the hole: should he ever fall into deep trouble, he could use the favor he had earned to find Harvey and pay a king's ransom to have him resolve the problem. With this safety net, he felt he wouldn't need to fear any insurmountable trouble for the next sixty years of his life.