Besides, judging by the family’s circumstances, she doubted they would spend money on a hospital visit for injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

For now, this was the most practical way she could repay the boy’s kindness.

Coincidentally, the boy’s father seemed to hold some influence in the neighborhood. After all, it hadn’t taken much more than a few fierce glares and threats from him to disperse the curious onlookers.

However, when he and his wife approached Ashley, their intimidating demeanor vanished completely.

The tattooed man scratched the back of his head awkwardly, while the boy’s mother wore a nervous smile. Her gaze repeatedly drifted toward the hundred-dollar bill in her son’s hand, and it looked as though she wanted to return it. Unfortunately, the imposing bodyguards standing around Ashley made her too intimidated to approach casually.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally gathered her courage and spoke.

"Miss, you don’t need to pay us."

Her voice was filled with embarrassment.

"My son already told us that you paid him to watch over your car. It was our negligence that allowed something like this to happen in the first place."

The woman lowered her head apologetically.

As she spoke, she couldn’t help stealing another glance at the damaged vehicle parked nearby.

Even without knowing the exact model, she could tell at a glance that it was an expensive car, far beyond anything her family could ever afford. The thought alone made her heart tremble.

To be honest, she had been worried ever since she learned that the car belonged to Ashley.

Rather than receiving compensation, she had been afraid that Ashley would demand payment for the damage. If that happened, even if she sold everything her family owned, they still wouldn’t be able to afford the repairs.

That was why Ashley’s generosity only made her feel even more guilty.

"No, ma’am. Your son got hurt because he was helping us. This is the least I can do, so please accept it," Ashley said with an embarrassed smile.

Truthfully, she felt that one hundred dollars wasn’t nearly enough compensation for what the boy had gone through. However, she also knew that giving them too much money all at once could attract unwanted attention and potentially bring trouble to their family.

As she pondered the matter, an idea suddenly came to her.

"Actually, ma’am..." Ashley began, her eyes brightening. "If you don’t mind, we’re new to Maple Leaf City and have several places we’d like to visit tomorrow. Since you’re a local, I imagine you’re far more familiar with the city than we are. Would you be willing to be our tour guide for the day?"

The suggestion came so suddenly that even the family looked surprised.

However, Ashley had her reasons.

Since she couldn’t comfortably compensate them with a larger sum of money, she figured she could create another opportunity for them to earn some income instead. Hiring them as guides would allow her to help them without making them feel as though they were receiving charity.

More importantly, Ashley had a good impression of the family.

They might live in the slums and struggle to make ends meet, but they didn’t seem like the type of people who would take advantage of others. Otherwise, why would their son have stubbornly defended a stranger’s car and endured a beating for it?

In a place where lawlessness was commonplace, a child didn’t grow up with such principles by accident.

To Ashley, the boy’s actions spoke volumes about the values his parents had instilled in him.

That was why she wasn’t worried about trusting them.

If anything, she felt that this family was far more reliable than many people she had met in far wealthier places.

It just so happened that, although Mr. Lowe had already promised to lease her a storefront and an office building, Ashley still needed to personally inspect the locations before making a final decision.

After all, the location of a business could greatly influence its operations, customer traffic, and overall sales. A good location could make all the difference, while a poor one could become a constant obstacle. As such, she couldn’t afford to make a careless choice.

She assumed that Mr. Lowe would eventually send her a list of available properties for lease. He would most likely even arrange for someone to show her around and explain the advantages of each location.

Even so, Ashley felt that wasn’t enough.

No matter how detailed a report was or how persuasive a guide could be, nothing compared to seeing a place with her own eyes. She needed to walk the streets herself, observe the flow of people, study the surrounding businesses, and get a feel for the city’s atmosphere before deciding where to establish her operations.

Besides, it had been quite some time since she had last visited Maple Leaf City.

Cities changed quickly. New businesses opened, old ones disappeared, neighborhoods developed, and traffic patterns shifted. The Maple Leaf City she remembered from years ago was unlikely to be the same city standing before her today.

That was why she intended to spend some time exploring it herself before making any important decisions.

After hearing Ashley’s proposal, the boy’s mother looked visibly flustered.

She was nothing more than a housewife, and speaking to someone like Ashley already made her nervous. From Ashley’s appearance, mannerisms, and the bodyguards surrounding her, it was obvious that she came from a wealthy and influential background. Standing before such a person naturally made the woman feel somewhat intimidated and insignificant.

Unsure of how to respond, she instinctively turned to her husband for help.

The man immediately understood and stepped forward.

"Miss, we can tell that you’re not an ordinary person," he said honestly. "You even have bodyguards accompanying you. If you’re looking for a guide, wouldn’t it be better to hire a professional one?"

He paused before continuing.

"We may be locals, but we’ve spent most of our lives here in the slums. We aren’t familiar with the places frequented by wealthy people, so I’m afraid we won’t be much help to you."

His words were humble, but Ashley could tell that he was a rational and decisive man.

Of course, she had already considered everything he had said.

The truth was that she wasn’t looking for a guide simply because she needed directions.

Rather, she wanted to give this family an opportunity.

Since her brother was to establish a branch in Maple Leaf City, they would eventually need trustworthy local employees. While it would be possible to transfer somes staffs from the headquarters, doing so on a large scale would be both expensive and impractical. In the long run, it was far better to cultivate local talent.

And this family had already left a favorable impression on her.

The boy had risked himself to protect a stranger’s property, and his parents had immediately stepped forward to defend him despite the danger. Their actions spoke volumes about their character.

Ashley even found herself considering whether they might be suitable candidates for future employment. Naturally, they would still have to pass the proper interviews and recruitment process, but with her recommendation and their demonstrated integrity, they would already have a stronger chance than most applicants.