CHAPTER 8
Author: Sky Runner
last update2026-04-20 18:03:01

Some people shook their heads in amusement.

Others whispered to one another while glancing at Lucas, and a few laughed openly without bothering to hide their contempt.

He could feel their eyes on him, and could hear fragments of their conversation.

“Did you see that?”

“He actually thought he could hug that man with how wretched he looks .”

“What a joke.”

Victoria, who had already begun walking away with Henry, suddenly stopped and turned back, she had not yet finished. 

She looked at Lucas again, her expression filled with irritation and superiority.

“Do you know what is truly embarrassing?” she said loudly enough for those nearby to hear.

 “It is not even your situation. It is the fact that you still do not understand your place.”

Lucas said nothing, but his gaze shifted toward her.

“You are standing here,” she continued, gesturing toward him with a slight wave of her hand, “trying to buy cheap, worn-out clothes in the middle of the night, and yet you still carry yourself like you are something more than that.”

She shook her head slowly, letting out a soft, mocking laugh.

“People like you should learn to accept reality,” she added. 

“Unlike you, we have important things to do. We have real lives, real responsibilities, and serious deals to close. We do not waste our time standing around like this, arguing with someone who has already failed in life.”

As she spoke, she reached out and intertwined her fingers with Henry’s, holding his hand possessively.

Henry smirked faintly, clearly pleased with her words, but said nothing to stop her.

With that, she turned away again, and this time she did not look back. 

Together, she and Henry walked toward their car.

The crowd reacted almost immediately. 

A few people laughed louder now that the confrontation had ended, while others shook their heads as they began to disperse.

“Unbelievable…”

“What a disgrace.”

“He should know his level.”

Within a few minutes, the small crowd broke apart completely, leaving Lucas standing alone once again.

Then, after a long moment, he let out a scoff.

“They do not know anything,” he said to himself. “They have no idea who I am now.”

He turned his head slightly and looked toward the man selling the thrift clothes.

“I will take a shirt and a pair of trousers,” Lucas said calmly.

The man nodded quickly and began searching through the pile. 

After a few moments, he brought out a shirt and a pair of trousers and handed them over.

“They are clean,” the man said reassuringly. “Very durable.”

Lucas took them and examined them closely. The shirt, though worn, was acceptable. 

However, the trousers had visible patches stitched onto them, making them look even older.

Lucas frowned slightly.

“Do you have anything better?” he asked. “Something without patches?”

The man hesitated for a brief moment before shaking his head.

“These are the best ones I have,” he replied honestly.

Lucas paused, then nodded slowly.

“I understand,” he said. “I will take them.”

He paid the man and walked toward a darker corner of the street where he could change. 

After changing into the clothes, his stomach suddenly growled loudly.

Lucas paused and placed a hand lightly over his abdomen.

“I need food,” he said quietly. “I am very hungry.”

He began walking again. 

After some time, he saw it.

A large and brightly lit restaurant stood ahead, glowing against the darkness of the night.

The building exuded wealth and sophistication, and for a brief moment, he felt out of place standing before it.

“I have never been somewhere like this before,” he admitted quietly to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.

“But now, I am the second richest man in the world,” he said softly, as though reinforcing the truth to himself.

Lucas entered the restaurant and made his way toward the counter.

However, just as he reached it, something caused him to pause.

It was not a sound, nor a movement, but rather a sudden instinct that made him turn his head slightly to the side.

And that was when he saw them.

Victoria and Henry, again…

They were seated at a table not far from where he stood.

Their eyes met almost instantly.

Victoria’s expression changed at once, her brows drawing together in a deep frown.

“Are you serious right now?” she said as she began to rise slightly from her seat. “Did you actually follow us here?”

Lucas remained calm, his expression steady.

“I did not follow you,” he replied evenly.

Victoria placed a hand on her forehead in visible frustration.

“This is getting ridiculous,” she said. “Did you really come all the way here just to beg me for money so you can buy food?”

Her voice was loud enough to draw attention, and several customers nearby turned to look, some of them laughing quietly among themselves.

Lucas shook his head slowly.

“I have no intention of begging you for anything,” he said.

Henry stood up at that point and let out a short, dismissive laugh.

“That is very hard to believe,” he said. “If you are not here to beg, then what exactly are you doing here?”

He gestured broadly around the restaurant as he spoke.

“This is not just any place,” Henry continued. “The cheapest meal here costs ten thousand dollars. We literally just saw you outside trying to buy one-dollar used clothes. So how do you explain that?”

Lucas did not answer immediately.

Henry smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Even we,” he added, “only came here to try the least expensive item on the menu, and that alone costs ten thousand dollars. And I have six hundred thousand dollars in my account.”

Lucas let out a faint scoff.

“Well, not everyone has six hundred thousand dollars in their account,” he replied calmly.

Henry frowned slightly, caught off guard for a brief moment.

“Exactly,” he said quickly, regaining his composure. “Which is precisely why you should stop embarrassing yourself and leave.”

Lucas did not respond to that.

Instead, he turned his attention to the attendant at the counter.

“Please bring me the menu,” he said calmly.

The attendant hesitated briefly but then handed it over.

Lucas scanned through the menu for a short moment before closing it decisively.

“I will take the most expensive dish on the menu,” he said.

The entire room fell silent.

The attendant stared at him in disbelief, clearly unsure if he had heard correctly.

Lucas calmly reached into his pocket, took out the cryptocurrency black card, and handed it over.

“I will pay now,” he added.

After a brief hesitation, the attendant processed the payment.

Moments later, the transaction was completed.

Thirty-five thousand dollars.

Paid without hesitation.

A wave of shock spread across the restaurant.

Victoria’s mouth fell open, her earlier confidence completely gone.

Henry stood frozen, unable to react.

But Lucas was not finished.

He turned his gaze slowly around the room, taking in the stunned expressions of everyone present.

“Serve everyone here the same dish,” he said calmly. “Anyone who would like to have it.”

The attendant blinked in disbelief.

“Everyone?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lucas replied without hesitation.

Silence filled the room once again.

Victoria could not speak.

Henry found himself equally speechless

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