Today, Nathan steered his motorcycle onto a familiar small street, a strange sense of nostalgia washing over him.
Up ahead stood a simple restaurant with a faded sign: "RM Sederhana Bintang" (Simple Star Restaurant). This was the place he used to dream about in high school.
While his friends could eat here after school, Nathan could often only pass by, smelling the delicious aroma, while counting the change in his pocket to buy cheap rice at a tent stall.
Today, he parked his new, large motorcycle, a strange contrast to the simple surroundings.
He entered, and the small bell above the door chimed, a sound exactly as he remembered. The aroma of spices and meat broth instantly transported him back to the past.
His eyes immediately went to the cashier's table. And there, he saw her.
Ratna.
The little girl who was always cheerful, with two pigtails and a school uniform, who always greeted him with a sweet smile on the rare occasions he could afford to eat here.
Now, Ratna was a grown woman. Her hair was tied back practically, her face still beautiful but with shadows of fatigue and worry beneath her brown eyes. What stunned Nathan was a small child, perhaps two years old, sleeping in a sling on her back.
Ratna was counting money, her concentration split between the cash and her child. Nathan felt a tightness in his chest. He had imagined meeting her again, perhaps under happier circumstances. But this... this looked like a struggle.
Nathan averted his gaze, suddenly feeling like he was intruding on a fragile private life. He didn't want to disturb. He decided to just enjoy his meal, satisfy his nostalgia, and leave.
He sat in a booth near the window, ordering the special mixed rice with fried chicken and rendang—food he could only dream of back then.
As he waited, he observed Ratna. She served customers with a smile, but it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked like someone carrying a very heavy burden.
Suddenly, the restaurant's calm was shattered. The door swung open roughly, and five large, tough-looking men entered. They wore t-shirts and jeans, and an aura of violence radiated from them. The other waitstaff frowned, their faces pale.
"Miss Ratna!" boomed the largest one, a man with a scar on his eyebrow, his voice thunderous. "It's time! Where's the money?"
Ratna gasped, and Nathan could see her hands trembling. "Mr. Herman... I... I told you, I need more time. This week's earnings aren't enough..."
"Time?!" the man—Herman—growled, punching the counter so hard that the child in Ratna's sling woke up and started crying. "You've had time! This certificate," he brandished a document, "we'll take it next week if your husband's debt isn't settled! Five hundred million and the interest keeps growing! It will soon reach a billion! Or we shut this place down by force!"
The child cried harder, and Ratna tried to soothe her while fighting back her own tears. "Please, Sir... please don't shout. My child..."
"I don't care about your kid?! Pay your debt!" Herman yelled, and his lackeys stepped closer, intimidating.
Nathan sat up straight, his blood boiling. He was ready to jump up and use his system's martial arts to drive them out.
[Ding! Mission detected. Situation analysis: Target Ratna under pressure from debt collectors. Background: Widow. Former husband was a conman who left massive debt and mortgaged the restaurant certificate.]
[Option A: Entertain these debt collectors with drinks until they're drunk. Distract them. Reward: 3,000,000 Rupiah. Bonus: Drunken Dancing Pro Skill.]
Nathan growled. That was a terrible joke.
[Option B: Permanently drive out the debt collectors. Help Ratna pay off all debts and redeem her certificate. Reward: Ratna's Happiness (and sleeping with her). Bonus 1: Expert Level Stock Trading Skill (to make money). Bonus 2: Intel on the hiding place of Ratna's ex-husband + evidence of fraud to imprison him for 30 years.]
There was no other choice. Only one option in Nathan's mind.
"I choose B," Nathan thought with steely determination.
[Confirmation received. Expert Stock Skill downloaded. Market analysis, trend prediction, risk management integrated. Location of target 'Ahmad' (ex-husband) detected. Fraud evidence files accessible.]
Nathan stood up. His voice was calm yet cut through the tension in the room. "What's going on here?"
Herman and his men turned, looking at him with dangerous eyes. "Who are you? None of your business! How dare you interfere!"
"This is a restaurant. I'm a regular customer here. And you are disturbing my peace," said Nathan, stepping closer. His muscular build and confident aura made the debt collectors step back slightly.
"Customer? You better pay for your meal and get out of here," Herman snarled.
"About that debt," Nathan stated, now standing between them and the terrified Ratna. "What's the total? All of it."
Herman laughed cynically. "You wanna pay? The total of Ahmad's debt, including interest, is already half a billion! It's about to go up! You got that kind of money?"
Nathan didn't answer. He took out his phone. His stock skills immediately kicked in, analyzing the real-time market. He opened his trading app, already loaded with part of his wealth. His eyes scanned charts, numbers, and news.
"Wait here," he ordered Herman, as if he were the one in charge.
He executed several quick trades. His fingers danced across the screen, buying and selling with dizzying precision. In less than ten minutes, he saw the numbers in his portfolio skyrocket. His profit had reached five hundred million.
Herman and his men could only gape, confused by what was happening.
Ratna looked at Nathan, her eyes full of astonishment and a hope she didn't dare express.
Nathan finally closed his phone. "Alright. I will transfer five hundred million to your account, as full settlement for all of Ahmad's debts to you and all other creditors. You are responsible for distributing it. After the transfer, you will hand over all debt documents and this certificate to Miss Ratna. Are we clear?"
Herman gasped, unbelieving. "You... you're for real?"
"Just give me your account number," Nathan challenged.
Hesitantly, Herman gave it to him.
Nathan made an instant transfer. A few seconds later, Herman's phone buzzed. He looked at the notification, and his eyes widened.
"The money... it really came through..." he whispered, stunned. He and his men looked at Nathan with newfound fear and respect.
"Now, the documents," Nathan hissed, his voice cold.
Obediently, Herman handed the stack of documents and the restaurant certificate to Ratna. "Sorry, Miss Ratna," he muttered, then he and his men scurried away, shamefaced.
The restaurant was silent for a moment. Then, Ratna stared at the stack of documents in her hands, then at Nathan. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, but this time they were tears of relief.
"Na... Nathan? Nathan, is it?" she whispered, finally recognizing him. "What... how did you...?"
"I used to eat here a lot," Nathan said softly, approaching her. "I couldn't let them destroy this place. Or destroy you."