Chapter 3

Someone immediately chimed in.

"Ten dollars per car, per day. We're not going to put ourselves at risk for nothing."

I tightened my grip on my phone but said nothing.

I wanted to flip the main breaker and never let any of them use my chargers again, but I held back.

That afternoon, property management stopped me at the security gate.

"Mr. Foster, your parking space is temporarily prohibited from use." The security guard pointed toward Clark, who was sitting inside the security booth.

Clark walked out holding a document. "According to the community's fire safety regulations, privately installed cables could damage the utility lines, and outside vehicles could obstruct emergency access routes."

"This is my privately owned parking space. The cable runs through an approved cable tray." I slapped the property management approval form down in front of him.

Clark glanced at it, then immediately pushed it back. "Just because nobody noticed before doesn't mean it was legal. Remove all your charging equipment first. The committee will reassess the situation afterward."

I burst out laughing. "I've had these chargers installed for six months without a single problem. Now that you've suddenly discovered an issue, you think you can make me tear everything out?"

"Nobody was monitoring it before." He kept a stern, unyielding expression. "Now that we've discovered a safety hazard, we can't just stand by and do nothing."

I drove my car to a parking lot outside the neighborhood.

That evening, I posted a message in the group chat.

"The charging stations will undergo maintenance tomorrow. Free charging will be suspended for one day."

The group immediately erupted.

"What? How am I supposed to get to work if you shut them down for a day?"

"Are you deliberately retaliating? Mr. Reeves just raised some concerns, and now you're shutting everything off?"

"I have a long-distance trip tomorrow. Are you going to compensate me for the extra electricity costs?"

Clark posted a message. "You shouldn't be so selfish. Once you've installed public charging stations, you have to see the commitment through. This is maliciously cutting off the electricity supply. Everyone has the right to seek legal remedies."

I stared at the screen and laughed.

When I provided free electricity, they complained that there weren't enough procedures. When I switched it off, they demanded to know why I wasn't continuing.

I opened the property documents on my computer.

Beside the neighborhood, there was an unused electrical distribution room that belonged to my company's warehouse project.

The charging stations inside had originally been installed for logistics vehicles. Neither the electrical lines nor the parking spaces had ever been made available to the public.

I called my secretary.

"Get the warehouse area's security gates and surveillance cameras ready. Starting tomorrow, shut down all the public charging entrances."

At six the next morning, someone began pounding violently on my front door.

When I opened it, I found seven or eight neighbors crowded outside.

Danielle stood at the front, with Serena beside her, visibly pregnant. Clark was at the back, holding up his phone and livestreaming everything.

"Nathan, how can you just shut everything down without warning?"

Danielle slapped her thigh. "Electricity outside costs more than 45 cents per kilowatt-hour! How are we supposed to manage?"

"Nathan..." Serena's eyes were red as she held her lower back. "I absolutely have to drive to the hospital for my prenatal appointment today. My battery is only at eight percent. Please, just do me a favor and let me charge one more time."

"Exactly, Mr. Foster." Clark pushed up his glasses. "Although your equipment has safety issues, in an emergency like this, basic humanitarian principles mean you shouldn't just stand by and refuse to help.

"Do you really want to see a pregnant woman stranded on the road? If she has an accident, can you afford to take responsibility?"

This was nothing short of moral blackmail.

If I refused to reopen the chargers, they'd use Serena as an excuse to vilify me.

If I reopened them, every bit of the risk would fall back on me.

I stared at her pregnant belly for several seconds before grabbing my car keys.

I decided to give myself one final chance to see exactly what kind of people these neighbors really were.

"Fine. I'll open them. One last time."