Rise Of The Imprisoned Student

CH-3

Alex stood in front of Gold Crest Bank.

The building was enormous with tall glass walls and shining stairs.

Security guards were at the entrance wearing expensive suits.

Everything about the place screamed money.

Alex looked up at the massive sign above the door.

“Gold Crest Bank.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “This place looks expensive.”

People walked past him. Men in tailored suits, women carrying designer handbags, luxury cars pulled up in front of the entrance every few minutes.

Bentleys.

Ferraris.

A silver Maybach stopped at the curb and a man stepped out while talking loudly on the phone about “two hundred million in shares.”

Alex glanced down at himself.

Faded hoodie, old jeans, worn sneakers.

He sighed.

“Yeah… I definitely look like I belong here.”

A wry smile appeared on his face.

He folded his arms and stared at the bank doors.

“Maybe I should just go somewhere else,” he thought.

But then he looked around the street. This was the only bank nearby.

He could walk to another one, but that would take hours.

Alex scratched his head. “What if they don’t even let me in?”

He looked down at his clothes again.

Three years in prison didn’t exactly help someone’s fashion.

“These clothes look like they survived a war,” he said as he tugged his sleeve.

The fabric looked older than some of the students he had seen earlier.

Alex sighed again. “But that shouldn’t matter, right?” He looked at the card in his hand. “I’m still a customer.”

He paused.

Then another thought appeared. “What if that old man scammed me?”

Alex turned the black card over slowly. “Maybe he just wanted to show gratitude. Like those rich people who say thank you and then disappear.”

He frowned. “Maybe this card is empty.”

He imagined walking into the bank, handing the card over and the staff laughing. “Sir, this card has zero dollars.”

Alex chuckled dryly. “That would be embarrassing.”

He shook his head. “Well…There’s only one way to find out.”

Alex started walking toward the entrance.

The security guards glanced at him.

One of them frowned slightly but Alex walked past calmly.

Inside, the bank looked even more ridiculous.

Crystal chandeliers, polished floors, classical music playing in the background.

Even the air smelled expensive.

Alex glanced around. “Wow. This place looks like a palace.”

Several wealthy customers walked toward the inner hall.

Alex simply followed them and passed the reception desk.

The receptionist noticed him immediately and her eyebrows slowly rose.

Then she called out sharply. “Hey! You!”

Alex stopped and turned around.

The woman was staring at him like she had just seen a cockroach.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked coldly.

Alex blinked. “To withdraw money.”

The receptionist laughed. A sharp, mocking laugh.

“Withdraw money?” She leaned forward and looked him up and down slowly, her eyes were full of disgust. “Did you even look at the people around you before walking in here?”

Alex glanced around.

Men in luxury suits, women wearing jewelry that probably cost more than houses.

Then he looked back at her. “What about them?”

The receptionist smirked. “Do you seriously think you belong in the same area as them?”

Alex tilted his head. “What do you mean by that?”

The woman leaned back in her chair. “I mean level.”

“Level?” Alex repeated calmly. “Is there a level for customers?”

The receptionist nodded proudly. “Of course there is. This is Gold Crest Bank.”

Her voice carried a tone of arrogance. “We only serve millionaires here.”

Alex blinked slowly. “Millionaires?”

“Yes,” she said as she gestured toward the elegant clients walking past. “Every person here is worth millions.”

Then her eyes moved back to Alex’s clothes. “With all due respect…You don’t even look like someone who has five hundred dollars in his account.”

Several nearby staff members overheard and snickered.

The receptionist continued without mercy. “If you had even five hundred dollars, you would at least look presentable.”

Alex stared at her quietly.

He had met rude people before. But this woman was something else.

She wasn’t even trying to hide it.

He spoke calmly trying to stay calm even though he was beginning to get irritated by the receptionist attitude. “I just want to check my balance.”

The receptionist laughed again. “Did you hear that?” She turned to a colleague beside her. “He wants to check his balance.”

The colleague chuckled. “Maybe he’s checking if his ten dollars survived.”

The receptionist looked back at Alex with a sneer. “Do you see what I mean now? You don’t even know what’s in your account.”

She pointed toward the inner hall. “But the people going there, They already know they have millions before stepping into this bank.” Her voice became colder. “So do yourself a favor. Turn around and walk out.”

Alex raised an eyebrow slightly. “And why would I do that?”

The receptionist folded her arms. “To save yourself from embarrassment.”

She leaned closer and lowered her voice mockingly. “Trust me. If you go in there dressed like that…They’ll throw you out faster than a stray dog at a five-star restaurant.”

One of her colleagues nearby chuckled.

Another employee whispered loudly. “Maybe he thought this was a charity center.”

More quiet laughter followed.

Alex looked around slowly.

Then he looked back at the receptionist. “You’re very confident.”

She smirked. “I’m also very experienced.” Her eyes narrowed. “I can recognize poverty from ten meters away.”

Alex gave a faint wry smile. “That’s an interesting skill.”

“Years of practice,” she replied proudly and tapped the desk with her pen. “So listen carefully. Gold Crest Bank doesn’t serve people like you.”

She gestured toward the door. “So leave before security drags you out.”

Alex looked at the door then he looked back at her.

His voice was calm. “You’re refusing service to a customer?”

The receptionist laughed again. “Customer?” She leaned back comfortably. “Calling you a customer is generous.”

Her lips curled with mockery. “You look more like someone who wandered in while looking for the public restroom.”

More laughter from nearby staff.

Alex remained silent for a moment.

Then he placed the black card gently on the desk.

“I just want to check the balance.”