Chapter 1 Unexpected Offer

Mr. Crisostomo had just left a restaurant and was walking towards his car, unaware that someone had been watching him for a while. It was a man with malicious intentions.

As he was about to open his car door, the sinister man suddenly blocked his path with a dark agenda in mind. He pointed a gun at Mr. Crisostomo.

"Who are you?" Mr. Crisostomo asked in surprise. The man wore a black hood that concealed his face, revealing only his eyes, nose, and mouth. There weren't many people around, and only a few were left in the restaurant Mr. Crisostomo had just come from.

"Give me your money and cellphone!" the man ordered.

"W-why? What do you need my cellphone for-"

"Why are you questioning me?! Do you want me to blow your brains out right here? Give it to me!" the man yelled, his gun trained on Mr. Crisostomo. Trembling with fear, Mr. Crisostomo reluctantly handed over his cellphone and wallet to the man. But before the man could successfully grab them, another man arrived.

---

"Damn, this cigarette I bought is awful! It might even be fake. This is ridiculous! If you're unlucky, you're really unlucky. I don't even have a job, and now my only pleasure, this damn cigarette, is fake!"

Rocky quickly tossed the cigarette he had bought from Aling Bebang's store. It was obviously fake and not enjoyable to smoke at all. It seemed like it was made of papaya leaves or something.

He reached into his pocket and found five pesos. He decided to buy another cigarette, but this time he'd go to Aling Ising's store. Maybe he'd have better luck there, and she wouldn't give him a fake one like Aling Bebang.

As he walked in the direction of Aling Ising's store, he noticed a new restaurant nearby. He wondered who the owner might be. There didn't seem to be many people around.

He was about to pass by when he saw two men who appeared to be arguing.

Having spent a considerable amount of time in this area, Rocky was no stranger to the chaos of Tondo. It wasn't surprising to encounter robbers and troublemakers here.

He was about to keep walking, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man involved in the altercation. It looked like he needed help, and he was elderly. Plus, Rocky felt a pang of conscience.

And, of course, as a self-proclaimed neighborhood superhero, he quickly approached the two arguing men.

"Give it to me!"

Those were the words he heard from the man wearing the hood. He was already behind him without the man noticing.

Seeing the old man trembling in fear and about to hand over his wallet and cellphone to the man, Rocky swiftly grabbed the man's hand and, in an instant, had the gun in his own possession.

To his surprise, the man with the hood, whose face was hidden, stared at him.

"Who are you?" the man asked in astonishment.

"Say hi to my fist," Rocky replied with a grin, and he punched the man in the face.

The man fell to the ground.

Rocky inspected the gun he had taken from him and realized it was fake.

"You idiot! Your gun is fake?" he scoffed at the man while looking at the fake gun in his hand. It was like a child's toy!

He kicked the man and delivered a blow to his stomach.

"B-boss, please, stop! I won't fight!" the man said in fear as he retreated. Once he had regained his composure, he stood up and ran away.

Rocky couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the gun in his hand.

What a fool!

"Thank you very much for your help," the old man said.

Only then did he remember the old man he had assisted. Judging by the car the man was driving, he seemed wealthy.

"No problem," he replied.

He was about to leave, but the old man spoke again.

"What's your name?"

He turned to look at him.

"It doesn't matter who I am. You should go home before that idiot comes back," he said. But instead of going home, the old man approached him. Rocky frowned, especially when he saw the old man taking money from his wallet. He saw a significant amount of cash. There was no doubt that this old man was wealthy. He handed the money to Rocky, an amount that seemed to be ten thousand pesos.

"Take it as my gratitude to you," he said with a joyful tone.

It was a large sum of money, but Rocky didn't really need such a large reward for what had happened earlier. It was just a small thing he did. He didn't intend to ask for a reward. He did what was right.

"No need, sir. I don't need that," he replied to the old man. The old man seemed puzzled, furrowing his brow. Rocky turned away but suddenly remembered something.

Oh, right. He didn't have a job now because he had been fired from the factory he used to work at. He got into trouble with a coworker who was too arrogant, thinking Rocky wouldn't stand up to him.

"By the way, if you really want to help me, maybe you could give me a job. Do you have any connections?" he asked the old man.

The old man's face brightened, as if pleased with what Rocky had said.

"A job? Perfect timing. I'll hire you."

Suddenly, Rocky felt a glimmer of hope because of what the old man said. Maybe this man had multiple businesses and could offer him a position. He could do anything-work in the kitchen, the garden, or even as a heavy lifter. He had no problem with any of that.

"Really? You'd give me a job?" he asked.

The old man nodded, and Rocky grinned.

He was retracting his statement that he was unlucky today.

"In that case, what kind of job is it?"

"Bodyguard. I want to hire you as my daughter's bodyguard."

Rocky was taken aback by what the old man said.

A bodyguard? Why would this kind of job be offered to him?

"W-why a bodyguard?"

It wasn't really his forte. He'd rather be a laborer or do something else.

"The salary will be fifty thousand a month if you agree."

Ah, he no longer wanted to be a laborer. He had always dreamed of being a bodyguard when he was younger.

"When do I start the job?" he quickly asked the old man. The old man might change his mind at any moment. Surely, the job would be easy for him. He needed to make a living, and the salary would be more than triple what he earned at the factory.

"You can start tomorrow. Here's the address. Just go there in the morning."

The old man handed him a card with the address written on it and left immediately. Rocky read the address: Westwood Village.