The Master Programmer-Chapter 123: You Lost a Good Man 1

The low hum of idle chatter buzzed around the space, punctuated by the click of heels and murmurs of negotiations. All the noise faded into a low drone the moment the salesman stepped in front of Jason with everyone turning towards them.

Something was happening over there! The man at the front looked stern, unwelcoming, and accompanied by two more men whose stiff posture screamed trouble.

Jason stood there, looking at the man, and waiting, watching him in interest. He did hear what the man had said, but he just wanted to hear it from him once again… And so he had to ask. "I’m sorry could you say that again?"

Jason stood tall, his sharp navy suit flawlessly tailored, the faint smirk on his lips a silent challenge. Yet beneath that calm demeanour, his instincts pricked at the air… something was off. It was so obvious. Especially after the grin he had seen from that woman from his past.

Why come to him when there were so many other people everywhere around? And why was he so combative?

"Leave the premises," the salesman said, voice flat, as though Jason’s presence alone had tainted the dealership’s air. Jason immediately understood… This was no joke. He had been plotted against, and now he was going to be tested again.

Jason’s brow lifted. His gaze flicked to the two looming figures behind the man, then toward the far corner of the showroom. And there she was… Amanda. Even from this distance, her silky blonde hair and grey eyes were unmistakable.

Standing next to her was a man Jason vaguely recognized—tall, smug, and far too amused for Jason’s liking. The man held a phone up like a weapon, capturing everything with a sick satisfaction. The man had taken a phone out at this time, probably at the behest of Amanda. So it really was them…

"A set-up," Jason murmured to himself, his smirk sharpening into a blade. They wanted to humiliate Jason. But would they succeed?

The salesman, clearly mistaking Jason’s lack of concern for arrogance, narrowed his eyes. "You heard me. Get out, or we’ll remove you. I won’t say it again. But if you dont listen… I might just let them take action, ruining the ’suit’ that you so nicely wore on this day."

Jason tilted his head, his confidence unshaken. "Interesting. Why me? You’ve got a full house here, and yet I’m the only one you want gone. Care to explain that?"

"I don’t need to explain anything," the man shot back. "Now—"

"Ah, I see," Jason interrupted, raising a hand. His tone dropped low, smooth as silk and dripping with authority. "You believe you’re the gatekeeper here. The big man with all the power. But tell me—" Jason leaned forward slightly, his voice barely above a murmur but impossible to ignore.

"What happens when you push the wrong man too far? What happens when you discover the universe doesn’t play fair? That the same cruelty you dish out comes back… tenfold?"

The salesman faltered, his smug expression cracking just slightly. Meanwhile, Jason’s expression got colder, ever so quieter, as he leaned even closer to the man, making him step back just by his coldness.

Jason’s words employed pacing and vivid imagery to dismantle the man’s sense of control, leaving him doubting his heart. Now that he had implanted doubt in there, he was going to do so much more, making the man suffer some losses. If he could he would love to get him fired. If not, at least letting him humiliate himself was enough. That would be his reward for doing something like this.

Jason was sure he could make it happen because he knew two things. The first: This was a business, and business was all about sales. The second: He was pretty fucking influential and persuasive. If he wanted something done, he could get it done.

"I-is that a threat?" the man barked, though his voice wavered. But to Jason, it was like a baby trying to pick a fight, especially since his legs were shaking at that moment.

Jason smiled faintly. "Consider it perspective. Or consider it whatever you want to consider it. I still feel the need to ask you… It’s very clear to me that I must have done something to affect you. If I have, I have to admit, it was never my intention. What is it you want from this situation? Is it just a fight, or do you want to achieve some real goal here?"

Jaso was not saying this to the man. He was doing it for everyone else who was at the scene who was listening. And he was doing it just to put himself out there as the victim.

The man frowned and gestured possibly understanding what Jason was trying to do, and Jason immediately smirked. Either shut him up before he made sense to everyone else at the scene or make sure that he accomplished his objective before anyone else could stop him.

This salesman must have gotten benefits for this and he must be promising these guards some benefits too.

Before another word could be exchanged, the two men behind the salesman stepped forward, their intention clear. Jason sighed. "We’re doing this?"

The first man-made rookie mistake. Jason moved like water, sidestepping the attack effortlessly. He grabbed the man’s arm, twisting it with just enough force to send him sprawling to the floor. The second followed, faster but no smarter. Jason caught him mid-charge, delivering a calculated shove that sent him crashing into a nearby display stand that fell on his face.

The commotion silenced the showroom, something Jason had planned to have happen. After all, this meant that he could make them all come to him. They would all look in his direction and he could now dictate the direction of the conversation.

As expected, every eye turned toward the scene… salesmen froze mid-pitch, customers paused with jaws hanging open, and Amanda’s amused companion let out a sharp, surprised laugh. That idiot was so fucked now! That Salesman had done something great indeed!

Meanwhile, Jason straightened, adjusting his cufflinks with the calm precision of a man who hadn’t just dismantled two men in less than three seconds. The salesman’s face burned red, fury and embarrassment mingling in equal measure.

"How dare you!" he spat. "Guards! He’s causing trouble, beating up security. Get him out of here!"

Jason’s gaze remained unshaken as more guards began filing into the room. Meanwhile, Amanda who was watching the entire time, couldn’t help but be taken aback. Was Jason always that good at fighting? Who was he and where had the real Jason been taken?

The guards encircled Jason, but before a single one of them could act, a clear, commanding voice sliced through the tension.

"Enough!"

The room turned as two women stepped into the spotlight.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Samantha Ellis stood at the front, her tailored suit hugging her frame with an elegance that only amplified the authority in her tone. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the scene like a hawk. Beside her stood another woman… the younger, more voluptuous, Celine Ellis, her younger sister and the owner of the dealership.

Jason stared at the younger version of Samantha with an odd glint in her eyes. Her long blonde hair tumbled in waves around her shoulders, and her fitted red dress turned every head it passed. The sensual curve of her smile could’ve stopped traffic.

And it did at that moment, stopping the movements of all those idiotic guards who were doing things without actually putting any thought into things. Jason smirked. Since the owner was here along with his boss, then he was sure that the story would change. But he still felt lucky. What were the odds of Samantha being here? He was glad he had Samantha who would smoothe his path.

But his surprise quickly turned into something far more dangerous when Samantha’s gaze landed on him… and the faint mark peeking out from beneath his untied tie. Her sharp eyes narrowed fractionally, catching the tell-tale hickey with lethal precision. A flicker of something—annoyance, jealousy—crossed her face before she masked it with a smile.

Damn... Veronica, you’ve done it this time.

"Jason," Samantha said smoothly, "mind explaining why you, MY employee, are currently causing a scene in my sister’s dealership?" This woman… always so calculating. She had said it quietly too, making sure that nobody heard the things she said. Anyway, everyone was looking at her sister, who was more concerned with the guards.

Jason’s lips twitched as he leaned down and whispered to her. "Boss," he began, deliberately using the title to earn a subtle smile from Samantha. But then when he saw Celine Ellis coming over, his volume came up again as he perked up.

"I was here to browse, maybe even purchase, but I seem to have upset the gatekeepers of your kingdom." He gestured lazily to the salesman, whose rage was now simmering under the weight of Samantha’s gaze.

Celine stepped forward, her full lips curving upward. "This is him?" she asked Samantha. Her voice held a teasing lilt as her eyes roved over Jason, from the sharp cut of his jaw to the confident way he stood his ground. "He doesn’t look like trouble. He looks… quite intriguing."

Jason turned to her, flashing a smile. "Flattery from the Ellis sisters? I might start believing I’m special."

Jason was not lying. After all, both of them were extremely beautiful. Both of them were extremely powerful too.

Samantha shot him a look, half-warning, half-amused. "Careful. My sister is ENGAGED. And Lil sis… watch out… this guy is a Cross. If he actually wanted to he might buy every car in this lot." Damn... what the hell is that, jabbing at the fact that he was practically not a Cross, at least not right now.

"Of course," Jason replied smoothly, understanding that she was just mate-guarding in a way. "A man would be foolish to think otherwise. Congratulations on the engagement By the way." Jason had no intentions for the other Ellis sister. She was beautiful and younger but it had nothing to do with him.

Celine narrowed her eyes. "Thank you…" she said in a voice that was less enthusiastic than Jason thought she would. Celine’s eyes glimmered with interest. "So modest, for a Cross. I thought your family name came with enough arrogance to build empires."

Jason’s smile remained, but something sharpened in his gaze. "The name is just a burden unless you make it mean something. And for someone like me who was kicked out, it’s nothing special. But I have to say, your Ellis family is special too. I would love to spend time together sometime."

"Sure. I look forward to that day," Celine said with a smirk. Celine tilted her head, clearly intrigued by the conversation she was having with Jason. Samantha, seemingly having noticed the weird atmosphere between them, moved to the salesman also managing to draw both their attention to her.

Samantha spoke to the salesman, her expression cool and unforgiving. "Explain yourself," she said sharply. "Why are you throwing out one of my people?"

The salesman stammered, his earlier confidence evaporating under Samantha’s icy stare. "H-He didn’t look like he was going to buy anything…"

"And that’s your reason?" Celine interjected, her voice now firm, though a cold smile still played on her lips. Jason inwardly chuckled. He had thought the younger sister would be warmer, but it seemed both of them were cold. It was just that one was petite and the other one was voluptuous.

Celine turned to Jason, letting him get a whiff of her perfume, a subtle mix of vanilla and intrigue. "Mr. Cross, I assume you’re here to make a statement of sorts. After all, you’re the one being harmed. So, tell me… how do we turn this situation around?"

So she was allowing him to humiliate the man... how interesting. Don’t mind if I do. Jason leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "Why don’t we make this interesting? A bet."

Celine’s eyes sparked. "Oh?"

Jason’s smirk returned. "I buy the car I want—cash. But if I do, your loyal salesman here buys one at double the price. Call it an incentive for treating customers with a little respect."

The salesman paled. "What?! Wait, please, don’t make me do something like that. Please I take it all back!!"

Celine laughed, a rich sound that turned heads. "You’re bold, Mr. Cross. I like that." She glanced at Samantha, who sighed but couldn’t quite hide the small, proud smile tugging at her lips.

Jason met Celine’s gaze, his voice smooth but laced with meaning. "Dangerous lines are the most fun to walk, aren’t they?" Samantha studied him for a moment, her blue eyes softening—just slightly before flicking to his neck again and regaining their hard nature.

Then, without another word, she turned on her heel, leaving Celine and Jason alone. Celine’s smile widened, watching her sister walk away. "I’m not sure what you did or said to her, but she seems in a bit of a mood. I’m used to her already. Don’t worry, she’ll come back."

"I know," Jason said with a chuckle. "Samantha is a great woman. She might seem cold, but I think she’s an inspiration."

Celine turned to Jason, her eyes wide with appreciation. "Really? That’s nice of you to say... you know, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

Jason smiled. "I think so too." Jason had just said that when he saw the faint flicker of the system page once again. It was a sign that a few missions might have gotten updated. He was looking forward to seeing the information later on.

Celine turned to the salesman again, smirking as she said to him, "So, how are you going to pay for the car." The man began shaking in his boots, looking at him and shaking and then he could not even bear it anymore. He merely looked around and soon dropped to his knees. How the hell was he going to get out of this?

Celine was not letting up, though, still gazing at the man and he soon let it spill out. "Stop, please! I was arrogant. I was useless and I got tempted. I was paid to do this!"

What?!

Everyone in the surroundings felt themselves get shocked by this, turning to the salesman. Meanwhile, the man in the distance frowned.

Damn it that idiot had exposed the whole plot. He would leave, but he was also a rich man. And the Ellis family and his family were about the same level. He had nothing to fear here, or anywhere else in this city, not unless he was dealing with the top three in this city.

The man stepped forward, at that moment, saying, "That’s right I paid him!" Everyone turned to the man with odd looks on their faces.

What?!

It was one thing to pay someone to cause trouble, but absolutely different thing to actually admit to it! This guy. Who was he? Nd why did his mother not teach him common sense?