Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

For nearly half an hour, they fussed over him, treating him like a VIP guest.

Ethan, however, remained indifferent to all the hospitality. After sipping his tea once, he waved his hand.

"Alright, Sir, Ma’am," he said casually, but with a firm undertone. "That’s enough. Let’s get down to business." Hearing this, Harold Winters and Lillian immediately straightened up, their expressions turning serious.

Ethan placed his teacup down gently and looked at them intently.

"So…," he began, his tone calm yet authoritative. "…I came here to help you, and I do intend to do so. But before we move forward, I need to make something clear."

His eyes sharpened slightly.

"You’ve seen the effects of this ointment for yourselves. There’s no doubt that it will become a craze once it enters the market." He paused. "But… because of how effective it is, the raw materials required to make it are extremely expensive."

"The manufacturing process is complex, and on top of that, we need to build an entire production line from scratch." His voice grew heavier. "The initial investment will be massive."

Harold frowned slightly, deep in thought. He tapped his fingers against the table and sighed. "I understand that much," he said. "You don’t need to explain the obvious. Our Winters Family’s situation… well, I don’t need to spell it out either."

He let out a bitter chuckle. "Ever since Alex withdrew his investment, we’ve been thrown into the worst crisis in our history."

His eyes locked onto Ethan’s. "So tell me, Ethan Carter, how much money are we talking about?"

Ethan leaned back slightly and exhaled.

"I’ve done the calculations," he said. "Because the manufacturing process is so intricate… the cost of setting up the production line alone will be close to fifteen million dollars."

Harold Winters’s expression tensed, and Lillian’s hands gripped the edge of her chair.

But Ethan wasn’t done.

"That doesn’t even include the raw materials we’ll need to stockpile in advance." He paused for a moment before raising a single finger.

His next words shattered the silence like a thunderclap.

"In total… we need Seventy million dollars."

For a moment, the entire room fell into a stunned silence.

Harold Winters and Lillian sat frozen, their faces stiff as if they had just been struck by lightning.

Seventy. Million. Dollars.

Even for a family as wealthy as the Winters Family, that was an astronomical number. Especially now that they were drowning in debts.

A sum that could either ruin them forever… or turn them into titans of the industry.

The moment Ethan Carter mentioned the number, the atmosphere in the room turned deathly still.

Seventy million dollars.

Harold sat frozen in place, his mind struggling to process the sheer scale of the figure. His fingers twitched slightly, his breath caught in his throat. For a long moment, he simply stared at Ethan, as if hoping he had misheard.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a dry, humorless laugh.

"Ethan… oh… Ethan." Harold forced a wry smile, rubbing his temple as if the number had given him a sudden headache. "Do I look like someone who can casually pull out Seventy million dollars?"

His voice was laced with bitterness as he gestured toward the door.

"Do you see the situation I’m in?" He shook his head, frustration flickering in his tired eyes. "Debt collectors are practically camping outside my house every day! If I had that kind of money, do you think I’d be spending my days hiding from them? Would I still be struggling to keep my family’s name afloat?"

Lillian Winters, who had been listening quietly, sighed deeply.

"Ethan, it’s not that we don’t want to help," she said, her voice carrying the weight of exhaustion. "But our family is on the verge of collapsing… We’re barely holding on as it is."

Ethan wasn’t surprised by their reaction. He had expected this.

"I understand," he said with a nod. "Seventy million dollars is a lot. I know that."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering.

"But you don’t have to come up with the entire amount on your own."

His sharp gaze locked onto Harold’s, his next words deliberate and steady.

"I’ve already secured thirty million dollars on my end."

Harold flinched. His fingers, which had been resting on the table, suddenly curled into a fist.

Ethan continued, his voice unwavering.

"All I need from you is forty million dollars. That’s it."

Harold’s expression shifted from disbelief to deep contemplation.

Forty million dollars… It was still an enormous sum, but it was significantly less daunting than Seventy million dollars.

For the first time, the idea didn’t seem completely impossible. But the risks were terrifying. His gaze drifted toward the scar-removal ointment sitting on the table.

The image of Ethan’s wound closing before his eyes, the fresh cut disappearing in mere seconds, played over and over again in his mind.

He swallowed hard. If this medicine could actually hit the market… If it was as revolutionary as Ethan claimed…

Forget Seventy million dollars. Even Seven Hundred Million dollars wouldn’t be out of reach for them if they do the investment!

A tense silence settled over the room. Harold clenched his fists. His mind was racing. ’This is my last chance. If I don’t take this gamble, sooner or later, Alex will completely destroy me.’

He took a deep breath, then looked Ethan directly in the eyes. And then, he made his decision.

"Ethan," he said, his voice firmer than before, "since you have come here with a proposal so incredible and you were willing to trust us, then I’ll trust you this time." His expression hardened, filled with determination and desperation.

"I’ll mortgage every single property under the Winters family name. Every house, every warehouse, every square meter of land."

He gritted his teeth.

"If I scrape together everything, I should be able to raise Forty million dollars for this."

A satisfied smile crossed Ethan’s lips.

"Good." He nodded. "Then I’ll handle the remaining Thirty million dollars."

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Bonus Chapters on: 500, 1000, 1500 Power Stones.

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(A/N: Next Chapter Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!!) 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

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