I Became The Administrator of A Sacred Ground

Euri forced himself to try to sleep for the entire afternoon, and only after the residue of the headache fully went away did he open his eyes. His parents were about to return home anytime now. 

Just as he took the miniscreen in his hand, thinking about entering the game again, the doorbell rang. Through the keyhole, he could see only one silhouette standing outside. And it looked unfamiliar. 

"Who is it?" Euri asked as he picked up the inch-thick metal rod meant to be used in such situations. Break-ins, robberies, and other crimes of the same alley were routine around here. Almost every home had been visited by thieves a couple of times.

While growing up, Euri had learned to be cautious against such scenarios, just like every other child in these areas. 

The outsider replied in a muffled voice, "Son-Bennet sent me for a checkup. Heard some troublemakers broke the rules. He wants to resolve the matter for you."

Well, at least Baldy Bennet has a sense of duty! The protection fees he had handed over for years weren't in vain!

"Give me your chatbox code. I'll send you a video I took when I encountered them. Their faces are clearly visible there. That should be enough for identification, right?" Euri was still not willing to open the door. 

Even if this guy was Bennet's man, he had the identity of a street thug. Without judging his character, it would be unwise to invite him in and create a potential vulnerability for himself.

"Wow, I traveled three miles to look for you, and you're not even going to offer me a drink?" 

Bang!

Euri jumped back warily upon hearing the man punch the door violently. The outburst of fury was too sudden. He was too stunned to reach a quick decision. 

"You know what? I ain't leaving without dinner, boy. So you can keep it shut if you want, and forget about Bennet's protection, hah! Treating us like shit and wanting us to help your bitch ass..."

The man's rage-filled monologue gradually turned too vulgar to listen to. Euri's mind raced, filtering out the noise from outside. 

From asking for a drink to asking for dinner—this man clearly had no intention to leave easily. He'd probably also ask for some 'fees', since Euri hadn't paid his due this month; or a place to crash in for the night.

Euri had seen similar scenes play out in many households, especially those near the headquarters or gathering spots of big gangs.

Give an inch and be ready to sacrifice a mile—this was a common outcome of exchanges with people like this. The thug knew he had an advantage over Euri, and he was going to make full use of it with various demands that bordered unreasonableness, unless Euri could turn the advantage redundant. 

To deal with unreasonable people, one had to be just as unreasonable. Euri swung the metal bat a couple of times to get used to its weight. A few hits in the knee, two in the sternum, and several crushed toes should not be deadly. 

After knocking the man out, Euri could contact Bennet himself and tell him that there was a misunderstanding here that led to a fight. Bennet would never think that any of his chicken schoolmates would dare beat up his man for no big reason. So this guy's accusations later on wouldn't be taken seriously. 

But just as Euri was about to unlatch the door and unleash his frustrations on his unsuspecting target, he heard his father's voice outside.

"Hey, brother, are you looking for someone? I think you got the wrong address."

Euri's fingers clenched harder around the handle of his weapon, his nervousness spiking. 

"Oh no, I definitely have the right one. Just talked to the kid inside. He has run into some trouble in the streets. Are you his father?"

The man's voice had turned a lot softer. It wasn't difficult to determine the shift in his plan. He wasn't going to resort to a show of force to enter this house, not when he was outnumbered.

"Euri? Ran into trouble?!" His mother's concerned voice sounded from a distance. He could hear the subtle glee in the man's tone as he replied.

"Yes. Did you not see him come home yesterday with a big wound on the back of his head? Three outsiders were trying to assault a girl near Simaar Lane, and your son intervened. Our boss appreciates the bravery, so he wants to resolve the future troubles that might arise for your kid."

Telling the story in such a frame was a very good psychological tactic to soften up his parents. The positive approach and detailed information would make them lower their defenses. He could reveal his real face as soon as they made Euri open the door.

Sure enough, within a minute, Euri's father was ringing the doorbell and yelling at him at the top of his voice to let them in. Euri knew he would not be allowed to go through with his original plan. For now, he could only wait for the thug to take off the disguise.

He opened the door, and all three adults squeezed into the gap at the same time. While his parents berated him for intervening in something that was clearly not within his capabilities, Euri stared at the thug placidly, being on the receiving end of a similar calculating look.

Not too tall, a bit of muscle, knuckles that looked like they saw blood regularly, probably in his mid-twenties, and a non-descript face—this guy was not an opponent Euri could handle in a proper fight. Sneak attack was where his only chance lay.

After making Euri spill the whole story and getting a copy of the video of the encounter, the thug asked to use the washroom 'before he left' and Euri's mother unwittingly fell into the trap by asking him to stay for dinner out of politeness. 

Euri had to escort the man to the toilet, and just before closing the door on Euri's face, a vicious look returned on the man's face as he whispered, "Nice family you got here, boy. I think I'm gonna come over more often. What do you think? Keep that front door open for me, okay?"

 As the door of the washroom was banged shut, Euri's frightened expression disappeared. He had been hesitant up until now regarding how to deal with this nuisance. Now, he had come to a decision.