Chapter 4. The Super Consortium

The next day, Ashley made her way to Carlos’ room for the job hunt but found him still sleeping. She went through a lot of trouble to open the door, thinking something bad might have happened to him given his state last night. When she managed to get in, she scolded Carlos for sleeping like a dead body and scaring her into thinking the worst.

After getting ready and leaving the apartment, they headed into the streets, moving from one restaurant to another. The two weren’t able to find a nice and cozy job for Carlos. Disappointed, they sat by the park and munched on their little breakfast that early morning.

Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, Carlos picked up his phone and continued to stare at the huge amount of money in his account. Suddenly, his phone chimed, and a new message popped up.

“Not a mistake,” it said. It was sent from the same number as the previous night.

He wondered how this could not be a mistake. Sending such a huge amount to his account had to be a mistake because he knew no one. Ashley noticed him spacing out and decided to ask him about it. She thought it might be Zama trying to call him back or messaging him to provoke him.

“Is that Zama?” she asked. “If it is, then don’t read it.”

But Carlos shook his head. He decided he might as well tell his godmother about the money. So, he did. Carlos let out a little sigh and told her about the whole situation—the money situation.

“Just yesterday?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, just yesterday. What do you think I should do?” Carlos asked.

“Are you sure it’s not a fraud or someone trying to frame you?” Ashley asked.

Carlos shook his head. He knew something was indeed off because sending such a huge amount was suspicious, especially when the sender was anonymous.

“Did you call or message the number?” Ashley asked, and Carlos shook his head.

His response made Ashley frown deeply. “I think I might have a solution for this. If we find out who it is, then we can return it in person.”

“How?” Carlos asked.

“I have a friend who can track numbers like this,” she answered.

Carlos agreed, and Ashley decided to take him to a friend of hers who was skilled in tracing and tracking hidden numbers. A number like the one that sent such a huge amount to Carlos was no exception.

Ashley’s friend was very efficient, although he found this one a bit difficult. The number came from a location Carlos had half-expected. It was an estate owned by the richest and most powerful man in all of New York.

Ashley looked at Carlos, concern in her eyes. “I don’t think this is something we should pursue,” she said, as the address given seemed like a no-go area.

“We have to try because, look, if I text the number, I get no reply,” Carlos said.

Ashley shook her head. “What if this is some kind of trap?” She moved closer to Carlos and grabbed his shoulders with both hands. “That estate is known to house powerful politicians and God knows what else. It’s the biggest place in New York City. You shouldn’t chase such.”

“What about the money? Should we just let that slide?” Carlos asked.

Ashley released his shoulders and shrugged. “I mean, they keep insisting that it is yours, right? What if it is a well-wisher?”

Carlos was taken aback by this. The location of the number had triggered Ashley to immediately change her mind on the situation.

The two decided to leave this for a while and wait a little longer. This money could be used to better their lives in great ways, but they didn’t know who sent it or who it was for, whether it was a mistake or not. After a long while, Ashley thanked her friend, and they both left his store.

When they got back to the apartment, Carlos opened his door only to see someone seated in his living room, legs crossed and wearing a black suit. He looked like someone straight out of an action movie.

Carlos froze, and the hairs on the back of his head stood up. Ashley noticed this and came over. She, too, was shocked.

The man smiled at them. “Come in and close the door behind you,” he said.

Seeing that neither of them moved, he laughed. “Look, I am all alone here. I was sent by the Man in Black to meet you and explain things. So don’t worry, I’m not here to kill you. God, no, because my head would roll if I ever had such thoughts toward you.”

After he said this, he stood up and casually strolled toward the refrigerator, taking a drink from it.

“Who is this Man in Black?” Ashley asked, her voice showing a hint of fear.

The man ignored her and instead directed his voice to Carlos. “Mr. Calligan, who is beside you? I wasn’t given any order to speak with anyone else but you.”

“What? Are you out of your mind—”

Carlos covered her mouth before she could say something to anger the huge, scary man in front of them who had entered their room undetected and was now moving about like he owned the house. This was clearly someone who was not to be provoked.

“She is my godmother. I hope you don’t mind. She has done so much for me ever since I moved here,” Carlos said. “I hope you can consider this?”

“Sure thing, as long as she stays quiet,” the man said, and Carlos immediately agreed before releasing Ashley, who nodded and kept quiet after that.

It was strange to see Ashley quiet, but Carlos hoped this discussion would make some sense of all this.

“Who are you? What is all this about? Who is this Man in Black? What is my relationship with him? Is this some kind of action movie?” Carlos blurted out. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the necessary ones came out first.

The man chuckled. “One question at a time. As for who I am? I am just someone working for the Man in Black. Someone recently assigned to look after you.”

“Why?” Carlos asked.

“Woah, one question at a time, remember?” the man cut in.

Carlos frowned at how carefree this man was. He was saying he was sent to tell him everything and that he was well-favored by his boss, yet he was also behaving like Carlos’ own boss. This was absurd.

“Well, first, this information is confidential. It is not to be leaked from either of your mouths,” the man said.

Neither Carlos nor Ashley replied; they both waited for an answer. The man sighed and sat back down, taking a sip from the drink he had just taken from the refrigerator.

“I am from the Super Consortium,” he replied.

“What is a Super Consortium?” Carlos asked.

“It is a secret organization owned by the famous Man in Black. You might not know this, but he was friends with your mother back in their school days. Recently, when he heard about your…” the man looked around the apartment room that barely had any furniture and sighed, “…your situation, he decided to step in and help. To give you a large portion of his inheritance and land.”

Carlos’ eyes widened with shock. He wasn’t expecting such an answer. Hearing about his mother triggered an unknown pain within him. She had died and left the world when Carlos was still a little boy, leaving him all alone to fend for himself up until now.

Seeing that an unknown billionaire suddenly made it his duty to care for him made the feeling even worse. “What kind of relationship existed between my mother and him?” he asked.

“They were friends, as I said earlier,” the man answered.

“So just friends, and he decided to send me ten billion dollars? Why is that?”

The man sighed and rolled his eyes at such a question. He thought he would just come here, relay everything the Man in Black told him to, and that would be it. He hadn’t signed up for such questions or to answer this young man’s questions. But then again, he knew this was new to Carlos, so he relaxed.

“The Man in Black is known for doing strange things like this. Once, he gave a whole billion to a young university student who greeted him while he was taking a walk,” he explained.

Carlos was taken aback by this. Giving someone such a huge amount just for greeting him? What a man. Wasting money like this.

The man knew what Carlos was thinking, so he immediately shook his head. “The Man in Black is feared the most among every living soul in New York, citizens and politicians included. That day, when he took a walk, everyone avoided him, but this one girl walked up and greeted him. This made him so happy; what else could he do?”

“Reply to her?” Carlos answered nonchalantly.

The man frowned.

“Who is he anyway?” Carlos asked.

“As I said earlier, he owns the Super Consortium, the largest organization in all of New York. A hefty billionaire. Though he is in his mid-age, he has no wives or offspring, but because of the past friendship he had with your late mother, he is willing to take you in as his own son.”

This shook Carlos. It was indeed a table-turner. At first, it was Ashley who decided to make herself his godmother, doing her best to take care of him despite their difficulties. Now, it was a wealthy businessman who wanted to take him in as his own son because he knew his mother. What luck. Indeed, a table-turner.

“I was asked to take you to the Bill estate and show you to your new home and the new business you would take over,” the man said.

At this point, Carlos said nothing else. He just stood there and listened. It was all difficult to take in at once, but he had no other choice.

After another hour of explanation and clarification, the man left a card behind before taking his leave. He told Carlos that a car would come to pick him up in three days’ time.

Ashley, who hadn’t uttered a word since the man spoke, let out a sigh of relief.

“It all makes sense now, definitely a nice turn in your life, but I must warn you: do not involve yourself in too much politics. It would be sad to see you take such a path,” she said.

Carlos sighed and patted her shoulder. “Trust me, I would not dare do so. You have my word.”

Ashley frowned, her eyebrows furrowing, but after a while, she let out a satisfied sigh.

Carlos smiled. It seemed that this Man in Black was just helping him as the son of an old friend, so he decided to bring him over. Perhaps he thought that sending someone ten billion dollars anonymously would help, but it hadn’t.

Now Carlos was going to meet this man, and it terrified him to his core.

After a moment of silence, he turned to Ashley. “I will hand over half the money to you.”

As he said this, Ashley’s eyes widened. She started to shake her head, but Carlos persisted.

“You’ve done nothing but help me since I moved here. It is all I can do,” he said.

Seeing that nothing she said could make him change his mind, she sighed and hugged Carlos so tightly that she refused to let go.

“Thank you,” she said.