Chapter 18: Clash of the Golden Users

Section 1: The Golden Encounter

The next afternoon, sunlight slanted into Local Alley, leaving a strip of shade along one wall.

Lawson was back in his usual spot, squatting comfortably in the shade. He wore the same outdated railroad worker uniform, his arms hanging loosely over his knees while one foot bounced lazily.

Just then, a tall, lean man came walking down the alley.

He wore a tight black tank top, Nike shorts, and athletic sneakers. He had a sharp jawline and strikingly good looks.

As he passed, he casually lowered his sunglasses and glanced toward Lawson.

For a brief moment, a faint golden light shimmered in his eyes. Then he pushed his sunglasses back into place and continued walking.

Lawson gave his chipped ceramic bowl a casual shake.

“Spare some change, good sir? Haven’t eaten all day.”

The man stopped.

“I’m Brian,” he said calmly. “One of the senior members of the Humble Organization. I’m here on assignment.”

Lawson raised his eyes, confused.

“Huh? Me? I’m just a poor, fragile, helpless little beggar trying to survive. Do I look like someone who’d dare mess with a mighty organization like yours? You sure you’ve got the right guy?”

Brian gave a faint smile.

“Yesterday, Sakura Spa, one of several spas among our many businesses, filed a report. Said a customer received two hours of our most… specialized services and walked out without paying. Not only that, but he somehow tricked one of our masseuses out of all her money before leaving. Presumably, it involved some sort of trick with a strange golden light.”

Lawson blinked and tilted his head. He seemed to realize something but kept his act straight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’ve got money to give, I’ll take it. If not, kindly move along. I’m trying to run a business here.”

He lifted his chipped bowl again and gave it a gentle shake.

A soft golden glow shimmered from within.

Neither of them moved. Ten… maybe twenty seconds passed. Nothing happened.

Brian gave a small, knowing smile—like he’d already expected this outcome.

Lawson, on the other hand, frowned. He glanced at his bowl, then back at Brian. He shook it again, harder this time. The golden glow grew brighter, warmer, more pronounced.

But Brian kept his eyes fixed on the golden light inside the bowl, completely unbothered.

Then, without looking away, he casually stuck a finger into his nose and dug out a fat booger.

He began slowly rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, still staring at the glowing bowl.

Lawson gritted his teeth, staring intensely at the bowl. His face turned red, and the veins at his temples began to bulge.

He poured every last ounce of his mental energy into the Golden Bowl, pushing it to maximum output. His hands trembled as the golden light grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding.

Still, nothing happened.

Brian stood there calmly, watching the whole performance without so much as blinking.

“Oh, is that all you got?”

With a casual flick of his finger, he sent the booger flying straight into Lawson’s Golden Bowl.

Lawson was breathing heavily now, completely drained. His head spun, and he looked like he could barely keep himself upright.

Then Brian spoke—calm, cold, and to the point.

“Alright. Let’s talk about your debt.”

Section 2: The Golden Eyes

“The room fee… plus the service charges… plus all the money you stole from our masseuse… plus the penalty. That comes to about a thousand bucks. Hand it over now, and I’ll pretend this never happened. Just a warning, since it’s your first offense.”

Lawson immediately shook his head, breathing hard.

“No way. I swear, I’ve never done anything like that. It’s not like you have any proof or something.”

Brian’s faint smile disappeared, his expression turning serious.

“Well then,” he said quietly.

“If that’s how you want it… I’ll take it by force. One way or another.”

Lawson’s body stiffened. He glanced around nervously, then nodded quickly, fear creeping into his face.

“Alright, alright! I’ll pay up—just don’t hurt me.”

He slipped his right hand into his pants pocket, pretending to search for some cash.

Brian’s golden eyes shimmered faintly.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re gonna pretend to pull out some cash, then throw a cheap sucker punch at me. Don’t.”

Lawson froze. His hand was still hidden inside his pocket, his fingers already curling into a fist.

“H-how did you…?”

Brian calmly took off his sunglasses and slipped them into his pocket. Then he pointed a finger toward one of his softly glowing eyes.

“See these? They’re called the Golden Eyes. Every twitch, every muscle movement, every little move you make—I can read them all. Before you even throw a punch, I already know where it’s going.”

He lowered his hand.

“And as long as a move is physically possible for me to perform, I can copy it. Every single one.”

Lawson stared at him in disbelief, clearly unwilling to accept what he was hearing. But even he could see it now—he had no chance against Brian in a straight fight.

However, Lawson still decided to take his chances.

In one quick motion, he pulled a switchblade from his pocket. With a yell, he lunged forward and thrust it toward Brian’s chest.

But before the blade could reach him, Brian moved.

Crack!

His hand shot forward like lightning, delivering a sharp knifehand chop to Lawson’s wrist.

The switchblade clattered to the pavement.

Lawson staggered backward, stunned and winded.

“W-what the hell? How are you so fast?!”

Brian shook his head.

“It’s not that I’m fast. It’s that your attack was painfully predictable.”

Lawson stared at him, his teeth grinding in frustration.

Brian took a step forward and raised his voice.

“Now! Last chance!”

Lawson swallowed hard and stood there, uncertain what to do next.

Brian calmly crossed his arms and tapped one finger against his elbow, watching him in silence as his patience began to wear thin.

Finally, Brian spoke.

“Come on. Everyone’s busy these days. You know there’s no way out of this, so why make things difficult?”

He paused.

“I’ll give you five seconds. I don’t want this to get ugly.”

Lawson hesitated, still refusing to give in.

Brian didn’t bother counting.

Section 3: Killing Time

Without another word, Brian lunged forward.

Even without the Golden Eyes, he completely outclassed Lawson in speed, strength, and precision. Within seconds, a series of punches and kicks left Lawson staggering backward, barely able to keep his balance.

Brian glanced at his watch. Still plenty of time before his shift ended.

He figured he might as well have a little fun.

Brian grabbed Lawson by both shoulders and pulled him forward.

Then he began pumping his knees up and down at incredible speed, like a cartoon character running in place—except his feet barely moved from the ground.

It was the exact same ridiculous move Homeless Tom had once used against Canelo, right here in Local Alley.

Brian’s knees hammered Lawson’s stomach and chest again and again. Blood sprayed from Lawson’s mouth as his arms went limp.

Ten seconds later, Brian casually released him and stepped back.

Lawson collapsed onto the pavement.

Section 4: The Golden Bow

Lawson lay trembling on the pavement. Slowly, he struggled onto his knees and bowed his head.

“Please… spare me. I’ll pay! I’ll pay whatever I owe you! Just don’t hurt me anymore! I’m begging you…”

He bowed even lower, until his forehead touched the ground.

At that very moment, a soft golden light flashed from the center of Lawson’s forehead.

The Golden Bow had been activated.

Brian suddenly froze.

His body went completely still, and the calm focus in his eyes faded into a blank, distant stare. He didn’t speak or move, as if the Golden Bow had taken hold of him completely.

Lawson slowly raised his head. He studied Brian’s face for a few seconds, then a creepy smile spread across his own.

“Oh, mighty Brian… look at poor Little Lawson. So weak, so helpless, so miserable… Doesn’t your heart ache for him?”

Brian stared blankly ahead.

“Poor guy…” he murmured. “Such a poor guy…”

Lawson’s creepy smile widened.

He reached down and quietly picked up the switchblade that had fallen earlier. Brian didn’t react.

Lawson could already taste victory.

“One wrong move…” he said with a grin. “And even the mighty Brian could meet his demise.”

He suddenly sprang to his feet and drove the blade straight toward Brian’s chest.

Just as the blade was about to pierce his chest, the blank look vanished from Brian’s eyes.

A faint grin appeared on his face.

He had been playing along the whole time.

Then his leg shot up.

Brian’s kick slammed straight into Lawson’s wrist.

Crack!

The switchblade flew from his hand and skidded across the pavement.

Lawson dropped to his knees, clutching his broken wrist and screaming in pain.

Section 5: IQ-Based Domination

But after the initial shock, the pain itself almost seemed to stop mattering. Lawson slowly looked up at Brian, his face filled with confusion and disbelief.

“WHY?! Why the hell didn’t my Golden Techniques work on you?! I don’t get it!”

Brian calmly folded his arms across his chest.

“Alright. I’ll spare two minutes and explain how Golden Techniques actually work.”

Lawson stared up at him, still clutching his broken wrist.

“Golden Techniques have their limits. You see, they’re based on intelligence. The higher your IQ compared to your target’s, the stronger your Golden Technique becomes.”

Brian paused briefly before continuing.

“If your target is much dumber than you, your Golden Technique can dominate them almost completely. If they’re about as smart as you, the effect gets much weaker. But if they’re smarter than you? Forget it. Your technique might not work at all.”

Lawson’s eyes slowly widened.

“So… so why the hell didn’t anyone tell me this before? Damn it!”

Brian looked down at him.

“That’s what Golden Techniques really are—a form of IQ-based domination.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“In conclusion, they only work when you’re smarter.”

Lawson stared at Brian for a long moment, struggling to accept what he’d just heard.

Finally, his shoulders sagged, and he lowered his head.

The Golden Bowl had failed. The Golden Bow had failed. Even his switchblade had gotten him nothing but a broken wrist.

For once, Lawson had run out of tricks.

He let out a long, defeated sigh.

“Fine… I give up.”

And with that, the fight was over.

Section 6: Two Hundred Percent Sure

Brian glanced down at Lawson, who was still kneeling on the pavement.

“Alright. Enough of this. You still owe us money. Hand it over.”

Lawson didn’t answer.

Still devastated by his defeat, he seemed barely aware of what Brian was saying.

Brian was running out of patience.

Brian’s Golden Eyes shimmered faintly as he scanned Lawson from head to toe, searching for any sign of hidden cash.

Then his gaze stopped at Lawson’s crotch.

Lawson was skinny, but there was an unusually large bulge beneath his pants.

Very suspicious.

Brian narrowed his eyes.

He seemed to have found the money.

“The money’s gotta be in there,” Brian muttered. “I’m two hundred percent sure. No doubt about it.”

Without another word, Brian stepped forward. His hand shot straight toward the suspicious bulge, grabbed it firmly, and pulled.

Hard.

Lawson’s entire body jolted as a scream tore out of him.

“AAAAHHHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS ALL THE WAY TO MY SOUL! What the hell are you doing?! Jesus Christ! LET GO! LET GO!”

Brian froze, still gripping whatever he had grabbed. For the first time that afternoon, genuine confusion crossed his face.

Just to make sure, he gave it another cautious squeeze.

“AAAAHHHH! MY SOUL! MY FUCKING SOUL!”

Then Brian’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God…”

He immediately let go and took a step back.

“I thought that was a wad of cash.” Brian stared at Lawson for a moment. “Turns out it was just a gigantic cock.”

A heavy silence fell over the alley.

Section 7: Exactly One Thousand Dollars

Lawson remained on his knees, trembling, both hands protecting his crotch.

Without a word, he cautiously reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of crumpled bills.

Brian took the money and quickly counted it.

Exactly one thousand dollars. Not a cent more, not a cent less.

Brian folded the bills and slipped them into his pocket.

“If you’d just cooperated from the beginning, we could’ve avoided all this trouble—and all that embarrassment.”

Brian shook his head and started walking away. But after a few steps, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

“You know, there’s one thing I still don’t understand.”

Lawson remained on his knees, still guarding his crotch.

“You’re number one in the begging business. With that Golden Bowl of yours, you could easily make thousands of dollars a day just sitting on the street.”

He paused, genuinely puzzled.

“So why the hell would you go to Sakura Spa, enjoy the whole service, trick the masseuse out of all her money, and then run off without paying like a total douchebag?”

Lawson said nothing.

Brian waited a few seconds, but no answer came.

He glanced at his watch.

Almost five.

“Perfect timing,” he murmured. “Time to clock out.”

With that, Brian turned and walked away, leaving Lawson kneeling alone on the pavement, hunched over with both hands between his legs.

For a long while, Lawson didn’t move.

He just stayed there in silence, deep in thought.