Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 29: Intense Negotiations, Impulsive Decisions

"No fucking way... it's that fake philanthropist guy, Van der something, the taxi driver told me about!" Alex realizes, immediately on edge.

Gareth van der Merwe walks in, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Alex. "Ek sien hier is nog 'n onverwagse gas," he says with a curious look.

Alex mumbles to himself, "Unverwagse gas...unbekannter... nein, unerwarteter Gast? Unexpected guest?" He hesitates but then responds, "You could say that, I guess," vaguely translating the Afrikaans into German and then into English.

Van der Merwe flashes what Alex instantly recognizes as the biggest, fakest smile he's ever seen. "Ah, a friend from Germany, I see. Welcome to South Africa! It's a wonderful country, we all agree, how do you say it again... ah yes, willkommen!"

Alex feels every instinct screaming at him. This man—his smile, his overly cheerful tone, everything about him feels off. "This guy... that fake smile... that phony hospitality... there's probably not a single person as fake as him on the entire planet," Alex thinks, gut tightening with the certainty that this man is nothing but pure scum.

Gareth finally turns to Thato's mother with a tone that oozes false sincerity.

"Good day, madam. As you surely know, I am Gareth van der Merwe, your son's employer and a well-known philanthropist. I have some good news for you, despite the hard times you and your family must be going through."

He continues, now speaking Afrikaans, which Alex can mostly understand...

"I've decided not only to drop the investigation into your son's crime—how he disregarded safety protocols, entered a restricted area, and caused massive damage to the factory—but also to make you a generous offer," Gareth says, his voice dripping with false compassion.

"You see, I don't want to sue his estate for damages. That would be far too cruel for you, wouldn't it? And frankly..." he pauses, glancing around the room with a disgusted look, "you don't appear to have the money to cover such losses anyway."

He continues, "Instead, I've decided to waive my legal claim against your son's estate and offer you a small gift, an act of true charity. Here is a check for 50,000 Rand. Of course, I'll need you to sign a few documents—just legal stuff. Don't worry too much about it."

He hands over a check and some papers for them to sign, his false generosity barely masking his true intentions.

The moment Gareth finishes his speech, one of the men in the room, Thato's cousin, who had worked at the same factory until he was injured and fired a few months ago, erupts with anger. "HOW DARE YOU?! HE DISREGARDED SAFETY? What safety? There's no safety at that place! We don't get proper equipment, the tools are old and broken, the machines barely function, there are sharp and dangerous objects everywhere. We work 12 hours a day with no breaks! How did he disregard safety?"

Feigning shock, Gareth replies, "Oh my, those are serious accusations, but completely untrue. Thato entered a dangerous area that was clearly marked. I have multiple witnesses who saw him go there—hiding to avoid work, no doubt—and that's where the floor gave way, leading to his death. They'll testify in court if needed."