FROM BANKRUPT TO BOSS

Chapter 9: A friend back from highschool days

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Two securities stormed over, both holding batons, trepidating the man in Kane's front.

"Oh, God.. have been caught.." the man gasped and looked up at Kane through his panicking face. Then he froze in place, shock cracking through the panic on his face. He practically blinked. "Kane..Kane Everest?"

Kane held his gaze back, searching his face for any hint of familiarity. His brow tightened slightly. "Do I know you please?"

The man held his hand firmly than intended like a man who just found a long lost treasure, a forced genuine smile tightening the corner of his eyes at his new discovery. The excitement in his voice was palpable.

"It is me..Fred Leonard from highschool. Westgate. We share Cookies together...you remember when we burst the principal's car during soccer. It is me, Kane..your buddy, Fred."

Kane looked at the face again, the man's explanation accentuating the image forming in his head.

"What?" He gasped, almost a whisper, looking him intently in surprise mixed with disbelief. "Fred? Damn! It's really you? What happened....why are you looking like this?"

At this moment, the two securities had gotten closer. They stopped in front of them.

"You need to walk out of this place or we'll have to move you by force. Beggars are not allowed here." None of them were smiling.

Kane stepped forward with the calm composure of someone who owns the ground they were standing on but apparently he doesn't.

"Relax gentlemen," he said calmly. "This young man is not a beggar but a close friend of mine. He's with me."

The two securities exchanged glances.

"But he wasn't in the car with you during the security check."

Kane nodded his head gently. "Of course." He said without breaking his voice. "You people sure have a good memory. He's with me now. I guess that shouldn't be a problem. Customers are right, right?" He smiled faintly at them, looking at both of them.

The securities nodded gently, cast Fred a glance. "Alright. We'll leave you to it then." They said and turned, walking away.

Fred exhaled Sharply, relief flooding his face now.

"Thank you, Kane." He said with a genuine smile. "But what are you doing in this place? Imperial kitchen of all places, dude?" His voice dropped to a whisper, eyebrows raised at Kane. "You're a cleaner here?" He said, wandering his eyes all over his body for any indication to back his suspicion but Kane was wearing no staff uniform or badge, but a modest black suit.

"C'mon Fred," Kane chuckled lightly. "I'm no worker here. I came here to check out what they have. New experience. Since you're here then, the more the merrier. We'll talk over dinner."

Fred blinked, shocked. "Are you for real right now? Dinner? At the imperial kitchen?" He really looked at Kane like; WAS HE NUT OR CRACKING? "Dude I don't know how rich you are now. It's been half a decade since I last saw you. Back in the days you were stretching $20 for two weeks. This place is ridiculously expensive. I came here to beg because hunger is firing at my belly. I'm not here to dine behind that glass wall of luxury."

Kane let out a soft laugh, understanding that Fred didn't want to trouble him. "Still the hilarious Fred, Huh?" He said and gently placed a hand to his shoulder. He looked into his eyes in assurance.

Then a slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his voice modest for a man with $50 million sitting in his account.

"I'm not particularly rich but we can get anything here as much as we want." He said and moved.

Fred stood there without moving yet. Kane stopped and turned to him, the soft smile still lingering at the corner of his lips.

"C'mon Freddo, let's bounce inside before they grab your ass and beat shit out of you again."

He chuckled softly.

"Guess if things go south, we're gonna have to wash dirty plates."

Fred retorted and moved.