"I didn't hear you clearly just now. Say that again. Where are we going?"
Olivia put down her coffee and looked at Shane with a blank expression.
"New York."
"I drove for a week straight, from California to Colorado. I slept one night. And now you're telling me we're going to New York?" Olivia stood up, glaring at Shane. "Are you messing with me?"
Shane shook his head. "Impossible."
"Then explain. Why come all the way from California to Colorado, stay one night, and then immediately leave for New York? What was the point of coming here at all?"
Explain?
I'm a dignified tycoon. Why do I need to explain my actions to anyone?
"I went out last night and unexpectedly solved the target I was supposed to deal with today ahead of schedule," Shane explained seriously. "A Wendigo. The name comes from ancient Indian lore—also known as a gluttonous demon, or the Wendigo Yeti."
Olivia's expression softened, replaced by curiosity.
Shane vividly recounted the Wendigo and his experience from the previous night, finally concluding with a helpless shrug. "I planned to scout the situation first and take you to see it today. But people were in danger, so I had to act."
"But don't be disappointed. Even though you missed the Wendigo, are you interested in demons?"
Olivia pouted. "Shapeshifters, Wendigos, demons... when you said you were a wanderer, did you mean wandering around hunting these supernatural creatures? You suddenly want to go to New York because you know there's a demon there?"
"Demons are everywhere."
Shane shook his head. "We're going to New York because it's closer to where I know a demon will appear. And while we're there, I'll buy a few houses."
"A few houses..."
What could Olivia say?
Only: As expected of you.
"Do you know how far New York is from here? Do you know how long that drive takes?" Olivia complained grumpily while pulling up a map to check the route.
Seeing this, Shane's lips curled into a smile.
After spending this time together, he knew exactly what kind of person Olivia was. Whatever else she might be, she was definitely all bark and no bite.
"Driving to New York is too slow. We'll go to the airport in Denver and fly there," Shane reminded her.
"What about the car? Ship it or come back for it?"
"Who knows where the next stop will be? Coming back for it is too much hassle. I'll just buy a house in Denver to park the car. If we ever come back here, we'll have a place to stay and a car to drive."
Too much hassle to retrieve the car, so he's buying a house just to store it? What kind of insane logic was this?!
"You know what? I really want to beat you to death right now!" Olivia said through gritted teeth.
Shane waved his hand with a laugh. "Relax. Basic operation. You'll get used to it. If you become an assassin later, you'll definitely be running all over the country, right? You'll need places to crash, right? You'll need cars to get around, right? Preparing early—no issues there!"
That's "no issues"?
Olivia was too exhausted to roast him.
Shane and Olivia packed up and left the hotel for Denver.
Denver is a consolidated city-county in Colorado, serving as both the state capital and its largest city.
The scenery along the way was beautiful, but once they entered the city, it was just... a city.
"What's the budget this time?" Olivia parked the car in front of a real estate agency and turned to ask Shane.
"Under a million. Pick whatever you want."
Although he only had a little over a million in total and still planned to buy property in New York, Shane wasn't panicked. He'd just have to watch Olivia closely so she didn't go over budget like she did with the car. The shadow clone would have complaints...
As soon as they walked in, a saleswoman in professional attire welcomed them warmly.
To be in sales, you couldn't have bad eyes.
Shane and Olivia might be young, but they were dripping in brand names that could blind you. From clothes to shoes, bags to accessories—everything was luxury.
"Hello, what can I do for you?" Her warm voice rang out before she even reached them.
Listen to that. Not "what do you need," but "what can I do for you." That's the art of conversation.
"I need you to filter some listings for me. Size doesn't matter, just don't make the location too remote. Must have a garage. We're in a hurry, so it's best if we can complete all the paperwork quickly. If not, finding a way to handle it on my behalf works too—I won't be back anytime soon."
Shane stated his requirements.
The saleswoman was delighted, her smile growing brighter. "And the budget?"
"Under a million."
She gestured for them to sit in the lounge area. "Please wait a moment. I'll bring over the listings that match your criteria for you to choose from."
After speaking, she signaled a colleague nearby to bring two coffees, praised the coffee's taste to Shane and Olivia, and only then turned to leave.
Just as the coffee arrived, the saleswoman returned holding a folder. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
She crouched down beside Shane, opened the folder, and began her introduction. "These are carefully selected listings that meet your requirements. We have detailed information and photos of both the interior and exterior. We can go view them anytime."
Shane glanced through them. Sure enough, the details were comprehensive, the photos complete, and there were various types.
Townhouses, detached villas, apartments—there was even a small farm. All met Shane's criteria.
"You choose."
Shane leaned back into the sofa, looking like he was handing over the reins.
"You're the one buying the house!"
Olivia looked at Shane, who had once again become a hands-off boss, and felt speechless. "You let me pick the car, and now you're letting me pick the house?"
"The car you picked is for you to drive. The house you pick... if you want, you can live in it too. It's just for parking the car anyway. You choose. I'm just responsible for spending the money."
Buying a car for the first time. Buying a house for the first time. Normally, one should be excited and definitely wouldn't delegate it to someone else.
But Shane genuinely didn't feel that way. He wasn't buying a house just to buy a house, nor was he spending money just to spend money. Who could understand his painstaking efforts? He... was doing it to get stronger!