2026-04-06 05:37:05Alex 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.”
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Latest Chapter
CH-42
Father and son left the warehouse together shortly afterward.Outside, a long convoy of luxurious Rolls-Royces was already waiting for them. Before long, Alex and Victor entered one of the vehicles and the convoy pulled away from the warehouse.Although they were seated together in the spacious backseat, a strange silence hung between them. Neither man seemed to know where to begin. The entire situation felt unreal. As a result, both men remained quiet while the convoy drove through the city. Nearly thirty minutes later, the vehicles finally arrived at their destination.As the convoy passed through a massive security gate, Alex looked through the window and immediately froze. His eyes widened as he stared at the breathtaking sight before him.For a moment, he genuinely thought they had entered a private city.Before him stood the most beautiful villa he had ever seen in his entire life.Alex already owned the most extravagant mansion in Eco City Estate, and before today he had beli
CH-41
For several moments after Victor revealed that Margaret was his mother and he was his father, Alex simply stood there in silence.His mind was in complete turmoil. Everything had changed within the span of a few minutes. For twenty-two years, he had believed he was alone in the world. There had been times when he watched other children spending time with their families and wished he had someone waiting for him whenever he returned home. But there was no one.Now after all this years, all of a sudden, he had found his father.The feeling was difficult to describe. There was confusion, disbelief, and shock, but beneath all of it was a profound sense of joy. It felt as though he had finally found something that had been missing his entire life.Victor, however, did not have mixed feelings.The old man was completely overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes were red, tears continuously streamed down his face, and before anyone could say another word, he stepped forward and pulled Alex into a t
CH-40
Silence filled the entire warehouse after Victor's declaration.Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Even Sosa and his men had temporarily forgotten about everything that had happened earlier. The tension that had been building because of the confrontation suddenly disappeared as every single person in the room focused their attention on Alex and Victor.Meanwhile, Alex stood frozen in place as Victor's words continued echoing inside his mind.The statement was so unbelievable that for several moments, Alex genuinely did not know how to react. Then suddenly, he threw his head backwards and laughed.After a while, Alex finally stopped laughing. He shook his head before looking directly at Victor."Sir," he began respectfully, "I truly respect you. In fact, I am grateful for everything you have done for me. You gave me money when I needed it, and every time we have met, you have treated me with kindness. Because of that, I have a great deal of respect for you."He paused briefly before continui
CH-39
The atmosphere inside the warehouse had become extremely tense. Sosa himself stood at the center of the room with a cold smile on his face."You brought this upon yourself," he said menacingly. "Nobody interferes in my business and walks away unharmed. Today, you are going to learn that lesson."Several of the thugs tightened their grip on their weapons and began taking slow steps toward Alex.However, just as the situation was about to explode into violence, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the warehouse.A few moments later, one of Sosa's men who was positioned as a watchdog outsider the warehouse came running through the entrance. The thug looked terrified. His breathing was uneven and sweat covered his forehead."Boss!" he shouted urgently. "Boss!"Sosa frowned immediately."What is it?" he demanded. "Why are you running around like your life depends on it?"The thug swallowed nervously before replying."There are several vehicles heading this way."The words immedi
CH-38
The moment Sosa's voice sounded from behind them, Alex, Maurice and his family immediately stopped walking.Maurice slowly turned around, and this time there was obvious anger on his face."What now?" he asked coldly. "You already got your money. What else do you want from us?"Sosa slowly slipped his phone back into his pocket before looking at them with a strange smile."You seem to be forgetting something important," he said calmly.Maurice frowned."And what exactly am I forgetting?"Sosa clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced around the room."You paid the debt, yes," he said. "But you only paid the original debt. You have not paid for the inconvenience you caused me."Maurice stared at him in disbelief."Inconvenience?" he repeated. "What inconvenience are you talking about?"Sosa stopped walking and looked directly at him."The repayment date I gave you expired a long time ago," he explained. "Because you failed to repay on time, I had to spend additional time, addi
CH-37
With the knife still pointed at his throat, Alex continued pressing his phone repeatedly while trying hard to stay calm.Sweat slowly formed on his forehead as he refreshed the banking app again and again, but the network was still completely gone.Sosa’s face became colder with every passing second.Then suddenly, he slowly raised one hand into the air.“You have thirty seconds,” he said darkly. “If I do not receive my money before then, your blood will decorate this floor.”Immediately, he began counting with his fingers.The entire room instantly became silent.Maurice’s wife held her children tightly against her body while trembling badly in fear. Maurice himself looked completely helpless as he stared nervously at Alex.“Alex,” he said quickly, “Forget about us and find away to leave this place immediately. Please. This man is not normal.”But Alex ignored him completely as he continued struggling with his phone.He quickly turned on flight mode and switched it off again, hoping
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