"Uncle, are you sure 5,000 dollars will be enough?" Liam asked Alan.
The latter smiled awkwardly, cleared his throat softly, and replied, "How about we go inside first."
"Of course…" Liam nodded.
"Get inside!" Alan pulled his daughter into the house.
This time, she didn't resist.
If she could get the iPhone and MacBook she wanted here, why bother looking elsewhere?
As a pragmatic girl, she was naturally realistic.
Liam and his mother followed behind them.
Diana kept sighing, perhaps troubled by her younger brother's life.
Blood was thicker than water. Of course, she wanted to see her brother live well, without being burdened by such a chaotic family.
"Oh, we have guests… So it's you, Sister Diana…" Alan's wife was already standing when they entered.
Layla Brown.
She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, still looking young.
Her life seemed carefree. Perhaps for her, being able to eat was already enough, and she didn't care much about giving her daughter proper guidance.
Diana only gave her a slight nod.
They couldn't even be considered close.
"Layla, make some warm milk coffee for them," Alan ordered.
He could no longer treat them as unimportant guests.
After all, they had come to lend him money.
Though confused by her husband's attitude, Layla quickly went to the kitchen.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize to your cousin," Alan scolded Linda again.
She still felt awkward, but when she looked at Liam again, her lips finally moved.
"Bro… sorry for what I said earlier," she muttered softly.
Liam only gave a slight nod before looking at Alan, who seemed to be thinking hard about what to say.
At the same time, Layla returned, carrying a tray with several cups of coffee.
Perhaps trying to ease his chaotic thoughts, Alan took the tray, placing one cup in front of Liam and Diana.
"Sis, Liam, please drink first," he said.
Diana didn't refuse. She drank the coffee, as she genuinely liked it.
But after taking a sip, she said, "Alan, you have a high salary. You should have savings. How can you be short on money? It's impossible that all your savings are locked in deposits, right?"
She looked at him sharply.
As his older sister, she felt the need to discipline him.
Strangely, the question made Alan panic, as if thunder had exploded right beside his ears.
"Don't tell me you've started going to the casino again."
"What? Dad, you're gambling?" Linda's eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't tolerate this—this was the reason she didn't have money to buy what she wanted.
Layla frowned when she heard that.
Pa!
Something shocking happened—it even stunned Liam.
His mother's hand suddenly moved, slapping Alan across the face.
Alan was even more stunned, frozen with his mouth slightly open.
"Father's wealth was lost because of your debts in the past. You finally got out of that mess and secured a good job—do you want to ruin your life again?" Diana snapped.
She didn't need an answer to know the truth.
Alan's fear had already confirmed it.
"Dad, you…?" Linda's expression worsened.
"No, that was a long time ago. Yes, I lost my money there, but I stopped after that and I don't have any debts."
"You stopped because no one would lend you money—not because you wanted to. Your friends know you don't repay debts. What about next month when you receive your salary? Can you hold yourself back?"
"Great, Dad. If you gamble again next month, I'll report you to the police for being irresponsible and wasting money at the casino."
"…"
Another argument broke out.
This time, Alan was being scolded by both his daughter and his older sister.
Perhaps because he didn't want to offend Liam and Diana, he mostly stayed silent.
Even so, his reddened ears showed how much he couldn't endure it.
"Mom, just forget it…" Liam said, unable to stand the chaos.
He felt like scratching his head.
"You need to provide collateral if you want to borrow money from Liam," Diana said, calming down slightly.
"Sis, what could I even use as collateral? My house and car are still on loans. It'll be a long time before they're paid off," Alan said helplessly.
"Your bank account—the one that receives your salary. Give it to Liam and let him change the password. Of course, he won't take all your salary. Part of it will still be sent to cover your needs. Besides, 5,000 dollars clearly won't be enough for an iPhone and a MacBook."
Alan, "…"
While Alan froze, Liam gave a faint smile.
"I'll give you 6,000 dollars. Don't worry—it's interest-free," he said.
"Alright…" Alan could only agree.
There was no other option.
Deep down, he still hoped his daughter would become a successful influencer—a relaxed job that could bring in a lot of money.
Unfortunately, his support had always been limited.
After that, he gave Liam access to his salary bank account.
Even though such accounts could be changed—especially for someone in Alan's position as a deputy manager—Liam wasn't worried.
6,000 dollars was no longer a significant amount for him.
But if his uncle betrayed his trust, he would make sure to teach him a lesson.
After securing access and removing Alan's control over the account, Liam transferred the 6,000 dollars.
This served as proof that the money was indeed a loan.
After that, Alan transferred the money to Linda.
With 6,000 dollars in her hands, the way she looked at Liam changed—her eyes brightened.
Who knew what she was thinking.
Even though the matter was settled, Diana continued scolding Alan about his gambling.
Liam felt a headache listening to it, so he took her away.
Unexpectedly, Linda chased after them.
"Bro, Aunt, can I come with you? Just drop me off at an electronics store—I can go back on my own," she said politely, with a smile.
Acting nice after behaving badly was clearly not difficult for this girl.
"Liam, just take her," Diana suggested.
She was still her niece, after all. She wasn't heartless enough to ignore her.
"Alright…" Liam nodded.
This time, Diana got into the car first, not allowing Liam to open the door for her.
Linda followed, entering through the back door.
Liam got into the driver's seat and turned the car around to leave the complex.
"Bro, how did you make so much money?" Linda asked not long after.