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I am the approaching storm

Chapter 001: The Ambition of a Calculating Young Man

"Are you giving me only 200 dollars for a 500-dollar watch?" yelled an old man at a teenager who seemed to be about seventeen years old.

The teenager named Ethan took a bite of a sandwich and then looked at the old man's watch. This was his job in the afternoons before going to play video games with his friends at a cyber café for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

His job was to think of his grandfather's old pawn shop, which should have closed long ago due to the age of the products that had been stuck there for decades.

"Are you listening to me, boy?" the old man asked again, banging the counter angrily.

"What do you want me to say? That watch is obviously a poorly made imitation, and everything in this place seems to get stuck here if I buy it. I'm already making an effort to give you some money and help you with whatever situation you're in." Ethan pushed his hair back from his forehead and pointed at the watch on the table. "You told me you needed the money to pay your electricity bill, so since it's really hot, I'll give you this price, and it's non-negotiable."

"Go to hell, you little brat!" the old man shouted before grabbing his watch and storming out, kicking the door of the shop.

"Another one in the afternoon. I keep saying this place is hell, but no one believes me. Fulfilling my useless uncle's obligation to take care of this shop, it seems like my grandpa only has me and my dad to look after my grandparents... It's not like those damn TV shows. Damn, a fly in my lemonade." Ethan had a very important rule at this job: never bring emotions into this place, as it would be like injecting poison into his veins.

If you argue with a customer, they insult you. If you make a proposal or a comment, they insult you again. And the worst is when those negotiators come in, who've watched a lawyer movie nine times, and start negotiations so long it makes your ears bleed.

"They should get rid of these types of shops." Ethan said as he leaned back in a swivel chair and listened to the radio broadcast of a chess match taking place in Ireland.

Pawn shops are known to offer a financial service to people who need quick money and are willing to leave personal items as collateral.

But despite the rules being set this way, many argue that their item isn't stolen or that it's completely original. If they don't leave within five minutes, it's best to call the police.

If the customer can't repay the loan within the grace period, the pawn shop can offer the option to renew the loan, which involves paying the accumulated interest to extend the loan period. If the customer neither renews nor repays the loan, the shop can sell the item to recover the money lent.

Ding!

"Yes, welcome to Golden Balls Pawn Shop. If we don't shoot down your offer, you'll shoot us down with your counteroffer right in the balls." Ethan said with a deadpan look, and when he looked up, he saw an old man walking toward him with something wrapped in his hands.

"Another old geezer..."

"Hello, young man, Is there an adult who can attend to me?" asked the old man with a smile on his face.

"No, sir, I'm the shop owner, so if you want to sell something, you have to go through me. My grandpa only verifies the price if it goes over a thousand dollars," Ethan said as if reciting a well-prepared speech he had said hundreds of times.

"What a shame... Well, can you evaluate this orb?" the old man asked, handing him the object wrapped in newspaper.

"What a hassle! I'll have to charge my grandpa more for being here... At this rate, I'll end up with white hair before he does," Ethan thought as he unwrapped the object, which turned out to be a crystal ball.

The crystal ball rested on an ebony base, a mysterious and fascinating object that seemed to capture the entire universe within. The crystal was perfectly transparent and polished, and inside, small galaxies were drawn with laser precision.

Each galaxy was a cosmic work of art in miniature. Delicately sculpted with the help of lasers, these galaxies presented intricate details that were a wonder to the eyes. Tiny stars twinkled inside, like distant suns casting golden and bluish glows. Planets, moons, and nebulas seemed to float in a miniature cosmos.

The most impressive thing was that these galaxies seemed to be alive. An electric glow, an ethereal tone radiating energy, enveloped each one. It was as if the entire universe pulsed within the crystal ball, as if the galaxies were in constant motion, spinning and dancing in a cosmic dance.

As the ambient light changed, the colors of the galaxies inside the crystal ball also changed, shifting from electric blues and violets to dazzling reds and golds. It was as if the universe's spectacle was unfolding within that small world of crystal.

Ethan was fascinated by the crystal ball and murmured, "Isn't this too valuable for you?"

The old man smiled as he watched the young man delicately hold the orb and say, "Haha! Everything in life is valuable, young man; remember that well. But money is necessary, so if you offer me a good amount, you can keep it."

"Are you saying you don't want to pawn it, but sell it?" Ethan asked with a more ambitious look, secretly wiping away the drool from having fallen asleep earlier, and said calmly, "Well, as you can see, this piece is incredible, but it's still just a crystal ball. So the most I could offer you is 200 dollars."

"Is that the most you can offer me?" The old man frowned and looked at Ethan as if he were an open-air thief.

Ethan felt uncomfortable under that gaze and then said, "Fine, I'll give you 367 dollars; that's my salary from last month, so it's all I can offer you. It's not that this item will sell, but I like it, and I'll buy it directly."

"Isn't that illegal?" The old man looked at Ethan as if he were a criminal.

"Illegal? Sir, it's only illegal if you get caught. By then, I'll find a good lawyer and claim I have some disease like osteoporosis or something." Ethan showed a professional smile.

"But that's a disease unique to women, not men."

Ethan, embarrassed, said, "Well, do you want to sell it or keep it?"

"Of course, I want to sell it. Kids these days are more shameless than my own grandkids," the old man muttered in a deep voice.

"I'll get your money; wait a minute," Ethan said, looking for the money in his backpack and asking, "By the way, what's your name, sir?"

"Otto, that's my name." Upon saying these words, Otto smiled, fully revealing his face.

"A good name..." Ethan said as he returned with the money, and seeing the ring on Otto's left hand, he pointed out, "How do you have that exclusive chess competition ring?"

Otto lowered his head and looked at his ring, then thought a bit and asked, "Do you recognize it?"

"Oh, of course, I do. That ring is only held by a few people who participated in an old chess tournament that was discontinued last year. I lost mine a few years ago; what a shame." Ethan smiled and, after counting the money, handed it to Otto.

"Now I understand. I'm just repeating the process and returning some things to their original owners. I never thought you'd be a great owner for this new opportunity; don't worry, I just have to thank you," Otto said with a calm smile.

"Are you high, old man?" Ethan asked with a curious look.

"Just enjoy it; you'll know what to do when the time comes." After saying these words, Otto left the ring on the display case and walked out without saying anything else.

Ethan was confused, and just as he was about to stand up to return the ring, no one was standing in front of him anymore.

"Do we have a customer?" Ethan's grandfather emerged from the other side of the shop, holding a large pumpkin.

"I don't know; well, everything is crazy with the heat." Ethan was surprised at how quickly the old man named Otto had left. He seemed to be an expert at disappearing without anyone noticing. Though a part of him felt he had just witnessed some kind of supernatural event,.

He just hoped no dead man had come to sell their belongings.