bdsm-fiction Chapter 5 A Happy Ending
Chapter 5 A Happy Ending
The next morning, the sunlight of Brownsville streamed through the windows of the wooden house, falling on the dining table, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted coffee.
Zeke ate his breakfast absentmindedly. On the plate in front of him was a loaf of buttered bread from the bakery, spread with sweet and sour jam, and a cup of warm black coffee beside him.
The television in the living room was on, broadcasting morning news with entertainment updates. The presenter's tone was light and excited, typical of the broadcasting style of this era.
"...The highly anticipated disco film 'Saturday Night Fever' continues to ignite the US! It grossed $870 million in its opening weekend, setting a new recent box office record, and its momentum continues to rise this week, expected to break records again!"
In other news, it's reported that star John Travolta appeared at the opening ceremony of a club in California last night, and his appearance fee is rumored to be as high as six figures. His agent's latest offer for the film has reportedly soared to $100 million! This young actor is becoming one of Hollywood's hottest stars at an astonishing pace!
On the TV screen, Travolta, wearing his signature bell-bottoms, stood tall and swayed to the disco music. Joey's eyes lit up, and he immediately put down his bread and imitated Travolta's movements, waving his arms and legs and humming off-key tunes with a look of admiration.
Qi Ke couldn't help but sigh: They really know how to make money. Just dancing at a club or making a movie can bring in a lot of US dollars, and it's all legal income. It's much better than being a robber, living in fear and being exploited at every turn.
Old Rossi, seated at the head of the table and a devout Catholic, watched the disco scene on television, his face gradually darkening, his tone indignant:
"This is outrageous! This kind of disco music is poisoning young people. Those dance halls are full of drugs, people are engaging in promiscuous sex, and there's absolutely no discipline. If this continues, this country is doomed!"
Zik silently rolled his eyes: What does this have to do with disco? Even without disco, young people would still do drugs and mess around; it's just an excuse to vent.
Of course, he dared not voice these thoughts. Old Rossi was stubborn, and if he got serious, he would inevitably give him a lecture.
Old Rossi grew increasingly annoyed, picked up the remote and pressed a button hard, trying to change the channel. But even after changing the channel, the screen was still broadcasting content related to "Saturday Night Fever": this time it was a music channel focusing on the popularity of the movie soundtrack. Zeke immediately put down his bread and perked up his ears.
He was soon stunned. The host announced with a laugh, "...And here's another interesting piece of news: last night, a delivery truck serving RSO Records was 'driven away' by enthusiastic fans near JFK airport. A whole truckload of 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtracks was snatched up! Luckily, no one was injured. It seems the fans couldn't wait to own this hot soundtrack!"
The scene then switched to a live video feed, where the host connected with the soundtrack's creators and performers, the Australian band Bee Gees, to ask for their thoughts on the matter.
The band members, sporting long beards, spoke through the screen with a gentle yet helpless tone, saying, "We understand the fans' enthusiasm, but we still hope everyone can remain rational. The record factory is currently working overtime to compress the soundtrack, and there will be a sufficient supply soon. We don't want anyone to be hurt because they want a record."
Zeke was completely stunned, almost unable to swallow the bread in his mouth. Their meticulously planned robbery last night had been casually described as "a fanatic driving away a truck," turning the robbery into free marketing and adding even more buzz to the soundtrack.
This magical turn of events left him speechless for a moment.
The scene shifts again, focusing on the long line of people waiting in front of a record store on the street. People who have successfully bought records are cheering and holding them up, creating a lively atmosphere.
The host continued announcing the impressive results: "It's worth mentioning that this soundtrack, released even before the film, has become a phenomenon, achieving 'gold' certification in its first month, meaning it has already sold over 50 copies! With the film's continued success, soundtrack sales are soaring, and it's expected to take the top spot on the Billboard album chart this week, setting a new record!"
Just then, Mary gently kicked Zeke under the table, winked at the TV with a probing look in her eyes, the meaning of which was all too clear: were these stolen records the ones he brought back last night?
Zeke shook his head calmly, not saying a word. He cleared his throat and changed the subject: "Mary, please ask the school for a day off for me. I have work to do."
"Taking leave?" Mary chuckled, her tone teasing. "Zick, haven't you stopped going to school a long time ago? Besides, when have you ever specifically asked for leave when you skipped class?"
Zik put down his coffee cup, his expression serious: "I plan to go back to school in a while; I'm saving up for university tuition."
Upon hearing this, Joey and Mary exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter. The two little kids sitting next to them, Paul's two children, didn't understand what was going on, but they also giggled along, their hot cocoa stuck to their lips and teeth, making them look like little mustaches, which was quite amusing.
Old Rossi frowned and glared at Mary and Joey: "What are you laughing at? This is a good thing! Zeke, I support you. Even if you can't get into a prestigious university, going to a community college or vocational school will do. Learning a skill is better than living on the streets."
The mother came over with a frying pan, placing golden fried eggs and sausages on everyone's plates, her voice full of concern as she said, "Zick, I support you picking up your studies again, but will your new job allow you to balance school and work? Don't overwork yourself."
"I don't think there will be any problems." Zeke shrugged, his tone relaxed. "I flipped through my old high school textbooks last night, and they're not that difficult. Even if I take a break occasionally, I can keep up."
He knew in his heart that although last night's operation took place at night, it didn't mean that this robbery gang only worked at night. Taking leave was unavoidable.
In fact, before Jimmy went to jail, everything went much more smoothly. They even dared to do things in broad daylight without worrying about being investigated.
After finishing breakfast in a few bites, Zeke returned to his room, packed the tapes he had received into a backpack, and borrowed the car keys from old Rossi. He made an excuse that he was going into town to visit a friend, but in reality, he planned to find a place far away from Brownsville to sell the tapes.
Old Rossi handed her the car keys, then privately asked a few more questions about her work the previous night, his tone full of concern. Zeke took out $100 from his pocket, handed it to Old Rossi, and said with a smile:
"Dad, Christmas is just around the corner. I'd like to use this money to buy some gifts for the family. I'll probably be very busy these next few days and won't have time to pick them out myself, so I'll have to trouble you to do it for me."
Old Rossi took the dollars, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He nodded repeatedly, "Good, good, you're very kind. Be careful while you're working out there, don't cause any trouble."
Zeke responded and turned to walk out of the house. But as soon as he reached the door, he froze. Henry's car was parked in the driveway. The window was rolled down, and Henry was sitting in the driver's seat, looking haggard with large dark circles under his eyes, his eyes filled with exhaustion and frustration.
Zeke's heart skipped a beat; he had a bad feeling. He quickly walked over and asked in a low voice, "Henry? What brings you here?"
Henry lowered his voice, his tone filled with anger and helplessness, and said through gritted teeth, "Don't ask about that. Those two bastards, Tommy and Stanley, killed that union bastard last night!"
Zik's eyes widened instantly, and he instinctively lowered his voice to exclaim, "What? Didn't you just tell them to teach that guy a lesson? How could he kill someone?"
"Those two idiots!" Henry slammed his fist on the steering wheel. "They drank on the way here, and when they got there, that guy enraged them, and they lost control, ending up killing him!"