chapter 2 Loan sharks come to your door ===

"Stop it, don't touch my wife!" Thorpe Chen pushed Rupert away.
"Oh, growing brave now, are we? Daring to fight back?" Rupert looked at Thorpe Chen in surprise. In the past, Thorpe Chen would look at him as if a mouse seeing a cat. What's gotten into him today, showing such boldness?
"Give me a few days. I'll pay back the money I owe you." Thorpe Chen helped Gloria Ye up and said.
"How do you plan to pay it back? One hundred thousand, and with interest over a few months, it'll be several hundred thousand. Looking at your cowardly appearance, I doubt you can even cover the interest." Rupert sneered.
"I will pay you back, just give me a few days." Thorpe Chen calmly responded.
"Bullshit! Even if you sold yourself, you wouldn't be able to come up with one hundred thousand. Today, you have to provide at least thirty thousand, or I'll break one of your hands." Rupert shouted.
"Brother Rupert, please give us a few more days. I will go to my parents' house to borrow the money to repay you," Gloria Ye pleaded in pain, standing in front of Thorpe Chen, fearing Rupert would hit him.
Thorpe Chen felt a tug at his heart. What did he do to deserve such a good wife?
Because of him, Gloria Ye had fallen out with her family. Her in-laws and all relatives looked down on her. Going back to borrow money from her family? She would just be humiliating herself.
"Wow, Thorpe Chen, your wife is something." Rupert looked at Gloria Ye, whose face was wet with tears. He suddenly felt attracted.
The Ye family originally had a scholarly background, and Gloria Ye's demeanour was top-notch. This lecherous man now had designs on her.
"Well, I haven't been with a pregnant woman before. How about this, you sleep with me and I'll give you a few more days. How does that sound?" Rupert leered.
"Ha ha, Brother Rupert, let us have some fun too!"
"Heh heh, Miss Ye, a well-bred lady, I've never had someone of this high calibre. Today's the day."
The two strong men behind Rupert laughed heartily.
"No, please, I beg you, Brother Rupert. My child is almost four months old!" Gloria Ye stepped back in terror.
"So what if it's four months old? It won't be a problem," Rupert said, reaching for her.
Suddenly, Thorpe Chen swung his hand and slapped Rupert. With a smack, Rupert, despite his hefty size, staggered to the side, spitting out a mouthful of bloody teeth.
"How dare you hit Brother Rupert? You're asking for death!" The two strong men were furious and advanced on Thorpe Chen.
Bang... With one kick, Thorpe Chen sent one of them flying several meters away. Then with one hand, he grabbed the other by the neck, gave a fierce shove, and with a crash, the man smashed through a window.
Moments later, there was a splash as the man fell from the second floor, screaming in pain.
Thorpe Chen shook his hand, though he had merged with the soul of a warrior, this body was weak. He couldn't manifest the full strength of a warrior. He'd have to find a way to enhance it later.
"Thorpe Chen, have you gone mad?" Rupert, mouth covered in blood, looked at Thorpe Chen in shock.
When did this worthless man, other than beating his wife, become so fierce?
Thorpe Chen stepped forward, placing his foot on Rupert's head and coldly stated, "Choose: Either I pay you back with interest in three days, or I end you now."
The murderous intent emanating from Thorpe Chen frightened Rupert, who suddenly felt that if he didn't agree, Thorpe Chen would truly kill him.
"Ouch, be gentle! Okay, okay, I agree, three days it is," Rupert felt as if his head was about to be crushed and cried out in pain.
Thorpe Chen then stepped back.
"Very well, Thorpe Chen, you're impressive," Rupert stood up, backing away and said with resentment, "Remember, I'm affiliated with Manager Zou. I'll remember this beating. I guarantee Eddie Zou will bury you in cement and dump you into the river."
"Get lost!" Thorpe Chen shouted, and Rupert and his comrades fled in terror.
Gloria Ye stood by, dazed. She felt that the current Thorpe Chen was somewhat different from before.
"Are you alright?" Thorpe Chen asked, concerned she might be traumatized.
"Thorpe Chen, you need to leave now," Gloria Ye quickly urged, pushing him towards the door, "Eddie Zou is a well-known gang leader in Fengling City, controlling half of its entertainment venues and casinos."
"Rupert is his man. If you don't pay back the money, he will kill you. You need to go."
"What will happen to you if I leave?" Thorpe Chen stood his ground.
"Stop fussing over me. I'll go back to my parents' house to borrow some money. You should hide for now. I'm begging you, Thorpe Chen, don't act tough. I don't want our child to be born while their father is not around," Gloria Ye pleaded.
Thorpe Chen took a deep breath, feeling somewhat touched. In his previous life, it was always him pleasing Enid Li, giving her handbags for birthdays, necklaces for anniversaries, even offering her nearly half of the shares of his soon-to-be-listed Chen Association.
He never knew that being cared for could feel so warm. The woman in front of him was too pitiful. Even if he had to leave, he wanted to help her, at least to ensure she and the child would have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives.
"Don't worry, I will repay the money. I will also take responsibility and take good care of you and the child," Thorpe Chen said seriously, holding her hand in his.
"Thorpe, you…" Gloria Ye could hardly believe her ears. Thorpe Chen had never said such tender words to her before. Suddenly, she let out a soft cry, a surge of pain in her abdomen.
"Honey, what's wrong? Sit down quickly," Thorpe Chen hurriedly helped her sit down, reaching out to feel her wrist.
Upon doing so, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.
The child in Gloria Ye's belly was fine. It was just that her nutrition was not keeping up. She had hardly eaten any meat since she got pregnant, spending most of the money on Thorpe Chen's gambling and drinking. If this continued, it would lead to foetal developmental delays.
The urgent need now was to nourish her body through diet.
"Honey, take a rest. I'll go out and buy some food for you," said Thorpe Chen, "You don't need to go to work today. Take a day off."
"I...I have some money here," Gloria Ye hesitated for a moment, taking out a piece of cloth wrapped around several hundred yuan.
"Don't be angry, I didn't mean to hide the money. I've been pregnant for a few months, and I wanted to save some money just in case," Gloria Ye said cautiously, fearing Thorpe Chen would suddenly turn hostile.
"Keep the money. I'll figure something out," Thorpe Chen squeezed her hand and then stepped away.
After Thorpe Chen went downstairs, Rupert came out in the corridor.
Rupert's face was bloody, and he limped as he walked.
"When had this loser became so fierce?" Rupert grumbled, holding his buzzing head.
"Third brother, Thorpe Chen has gone out. Should we make a move?" One of the minions, dragging his injured body, came back.
"Take his wife away. This guy has been owing money for too long. Even Eddie Zou has noticed. We have to give Eddie Zou an explanation," Rupert said bitterly. "If I don't sort him out, I can't swallow this indignation."