Chapter 75 - 75

"So, what did this Manuel guy do to you?" John asked Ian as he leaned forward to get a closer look as Manuel was dragged out of a cell.

"My whole life was almost ruined because of him." Ian said with a frown as he kept his eyes on the screen.

"It must have been pretty bad for you to react this way." John said as he glanced at Ian. He couldn't read Ian's expression, he just kept a straight face as his attention was focused on the screen.

"I lost my temper, punched him, and almost went to jail." Ian explained briefly.

"It's good that you didn't go to jail." John said quite awkwardly.

"Yeah, that would have been a disaster." Ian said with a laugh.

As Ian continued to keep his attention on the screen he noticed as Manuel was made to kneel on the ground and the camera was adjusted so that Ian could get a better view.

"You wanna listen?" Ian asked John as he offered one of the earpieces.

"Nah, I'm fine with just watching." John said as he shook his head.

"You aren't a bright guy, are you?" Ian could hear one of the security personnel say in a rough voice. "You should really choose the people you insult." The man said as he laughed at Manuel.

"That guy is nothing." Manuel said in an angry tone. "Trust me, you will suffer more in my hands than with Ian Lim."

"I'm pretty sure Ian Lim is more important than someone like you." The other guard said as he took a step closer to Manuel.

"How could he be?" Manuel asked with a grin. "He has no money, no position, and no connections." He scoffed.

"When was the last time you met Ian Lim?" The first guard asked.

Ian could see how the guards were trying to get him to talk, to build his confidence only for them to crush it once it was at its peak.

"Five? Six years ago?" Manuel said as he thought back to the last time he and Ian had faced each other. "He isn't someone you want to meet often. As a matter of fact a lot of his old friends had told me how embarrassed they were when they saw Ian again."

Ian gripped the arm rests of his chair as he remembered how his old friends had shunned and ignored him. He was an embarrassment to them, someone they refused to be associated with because he had become poor.

He knew that because of their reaction they didn't deserve his friendship, but he couldn't help but feel hurt. 

These were people he had gone to school with, people he had grown up with, they were the ones that approached him to become friends.

Even as a child Ian had a cold side to him. He simply didn't like exerting too much effort for someone else's attention.

But since the Lims were then a very wealthy family, parents insisted that their children make friends with Ian.

At a very young age these boys were taught to see who was worthy of their friendship based on the other person's family income.

Ian didn't mind back then, he was a child. He even questioned if he would have minded if he had grown up rich.

There was a high possibility that he wouldn't  have become a better person. He would have probably ended up as one of those spoiled rich kids that paid their way through life, much like Manuel.

As much as Ian hated the pain and suffering he had gone through he had to admit that it had saved him as well.

"Why would they be embarrassed of meeting Mr. Lim?" The guard asked.

Manuel laughed at their question as he shook his head.

"Because Ian Lim is poor, it's that simple." Manuel said. "He is worthless and thus an embarrassment."

All of a sudden one of the guards punched Manuel squarely in the jaw, almost Manuel over.

"What the fuck?" Manuel said as he wiped the blood off of his face. "Why would you defend a worthless man like him? He is nothing. You should pick the sides you are on properly."

"And do you think you are on the right side?" The other guard asked.

"I have money and the right connections." Manuel said with a laugh. "What other side is there to be on? Ian's side? Please he can't do anything to harm you. The worst is that flimsy punch he threw at me. Completely worthless!" 

"A punch like this?" The other guard asked as his fist collided with Manuel's face from the other side.

This time Manuel fell to the ground as he screamed in pain.

It seemed that the other guard had added more force to this punch, making Manuel truly hurt.

"Why do you guys keep punching me?" Manuel asked as he lay on the ground.

"Up! Back on your knees!" The guard shouted at Manuel.

When Manuel didn't move, he pulled the man by the collar making him kneel.

"What is Ian? The building manager or something?" Manuel asked. "Because I am more important than some building manager. I am a guest at your restaurant! You are supposed to be serving me!"

"Really you're going to go with that?" The guard said with a laugh as he punched Manuel in the gut this time.

"Let me tell you this, Mr. I'm so powerful because I'm a guest at the restaurant, Mr. Lim is much more powerful and important than you can ever dream to be." The guard said as he lifted Manuel by the collar of his shirt. "And your disrespect towards him cannot be tolerated."

The guard then threw him across the room. Ian could hear a thud as Manuel hit the wall.

"Hmmm. . .They aren't that brutal today." John said as he watched the live footage. "I've seen them torture in the past and they are much worse."

"We can't rough him up too much." The security personnel informed Ian and John.

"Later, we'll head down." Ian said as he closed the table's screen and handed it back. "I'm starving. I'd like to finish eating lunch first." Ian said with a grin.