2026-04-06 05:39:58Alex walked out of Gold Crest Bank slowly.
His steps were steady.
But his mind was not.
He looked down at the envelope in his hand. Then at the black card between his fingers.
“Eight hundred billion…” he muttered.
He stopped walking.
Then he said it again, this time slower. “Eight. Hundred. Billion.”
He let out a dry chuckle. “So the machine really said that.”
He nodded to himself. “Yeah… it did.”
He stood there for a moment like a man trying to wake up from a dream.
“Which means…” He paused.
“I have eight hundred billion dollars.”
He shook his head immediately. “Impossible.”
His lips curved into a faint smile. “Alex, you’ve been in prison too long. Now you’re hallucinating money.”
But the card was still in his hand.
The envelope was still real.
The memory of the machine’s voice was still clear.
“Account balance: Eight hundred billion dollars.”
Alex exhaled slowly. “So it’s real.”
He started walking again.
“But how?” he murmured.
“That old man… Victor…”
He frowned slightly. “Who gives someone eight hundred billion like they’re tipping a waiter?”
He clicked his tongue. “That’s not generosity. That’s something else.”
He walked for a few minutes.
Then suddenly stopped again. “No… I need to confirm something.”
He looked around.
A man was walking past while scrolling through his phone.
Alex stepped forward. “Excuse me.”
The man looked up.
Alex spoke calmly. “Can I borrow your phone for a minute? I need to check something quickly.”
The man hesitated. He glanced at Alex’s clothes.
Old hoodie. Worn jeans.
He looked doubtful.
Alex sighed lightly. “I’m not going to run away. I just need one minute.”
The man shrugged. “Fine. One minute.” He then handed over the phone to Alex.
Alex nodded. “Thanks.”
He opened the browser immediately.
Then typed: Top richest people in the world.
The page loaded.
Images. Names. Net worth.
Alex’s eyes moved to the top of the list.
Number one was Victor Hale.
Alex’s fingers paused. He tapped the image and the picture enlarged.
Same face.
Same man.
The one lying on the ground getting beaten.
The one who said, “You saved me.”
Alex stared at the screen. “…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He let out a low whistle. “So I saved the richest man in the world.”
He scrolled down the list and the second name on the list, which was the second richest person in the world, had the total sum of Five hundred billion dollars.
Alex blinked.
Then looked back at his card.
“Eight hundred billion…”
He looked at the screen again.
“Five hundred billion…”
He let out a quiet laugh.
“That means…” he said slowly, “I’m richer than number two.”
He tilted his head slightly. “So where does that put me?”
A pause.
Then a wry smile. “Second richest in the world.”
He chuckled again. “Alexander Hayes… ex-convict… second richest man alive.”
He shook his head. “That sounds like a bad joke.”
He kept staring at the phone.
Muttering quietly.
“Eight hundred billion… second place… what kind of ridiculous script is this…”
The man who lent him the phone frowned as he watched Alex muttering to himself.
His expression slowly changed.
From confusion…
To suspicion…
To disgust.
“Hey,” the man said sharply.
Alex didn’t respond. “…Eight hundred billion… I’m number two…” Alex murmured.
The man’s face darkened. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped.
Alex blinked and looked up.
The man snatched the phone from his hand.
“You’re crazy,” he said bluntly and took a step back. “I shouldn’t have given my phone to a lunatic.”
He looked Alex up and down with a sneer. “Talking about billions in those clothes? You look like you can’t even afford breakfast.”
He scoffed. “Next time, go mutter to yourself somewhere else,” he said, turned and walked off.
“Crazy guy,” he added under his breath.
Alex watched him leave then looked down at himself.
Old hoodie.
Faded jeans.
Worn sneakers.
He nodded slightly. “…Fair enough.”
A faint smile appeared. “I do look like a crazy person.”
He exhaled as he rubbed his chin. He then looked up.
Across the street, a boutique stood. It was a very large boutique.
Clean glass windows.
Mannequins dressed in sharp suits.
Luxury brands.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. “…Guess I should fix that,” he muttered as he crossed the road.
Then pushed the door to the boutique open and walked in.
The air smelled fresh. Everything looked… expensive.
Alex walked calmly between the racks.
He glanced at a few outfits then stopped at a section.
His eyes landed on a simple shirt. It looked clean and fitted.
He picked it up and held it against his body.
“…Not bad,” he murmured.
He turned slightly, trying to picture it.
Then—
“HEY!” a loud voice interrupted him.
Alex turned slowly and saw a staff member walking toward him quickly.
His face was full of suspicion.
“What are you doing?” He demanded.
Alex blinked. “Looking at clothes.”
The staff scoffed. “Looking?” He repeated mockingly.
His eyes scanned Alex from head to toe.
“You?” he said with a sneer. “Looking at these clothes?”
Alex raised a brow slightly. “…Yes.”
The staff folded his arms. “Who let you in?” he asked coldly.
Alex replied calmly. “The door was open.”
The staff's face darkened. “Don’t play smart,” he snapped.
He pointed at the shirt in Alex's hand. “Put that down.”
Alex looked at it, then at him. “Why?”
His eyes widened slightly. “Why?” he repeated like he couldn’t believe it.
“Yes,” Alex said calmly. “Why?”
He let out a short laugh. “Because you’re not buying it.”
Alex tilted his head. “And you know that… how?”
He sneered. “Because I have eyes.”
He pointed at Alex's clothes. “People who can afford these don’t dress like… that.”
“I think we have a thief,” the staff member said as he straightened.
The word echoed loudly and several customers turned to look.
Alex frowned slightly. “A thief?” he repeated.
The staff crossed his arms. “Yes. A thief.”
He pointed at Alex again. “You walked in here looking like that and went straight for expensive clothes.” His lips curled. “What else would you be here for?”
Alex sighed softly. “You could try asking before jumping to conclusions.”
The staff laughed mockingly. “Ask?” he said. “Should I also ask the rats in the kitchen if they’re planning to steal cheese?”
A few people in the crowd chuckled.
Alex gave a faint wry smile. “…Nice comparison.”
“Thank you,” he replied proudly. “Now put the shirt down.”
Alex looked at the shirt again. “And why would I do that?” he asked calmly.
“Because it’s obvious—to me and everyone here—that you can’t afford it, and you’re trying to steal it,” the staff member replied, his tone growing more agitated.
“So if you know what’s good for you, put that shirt down right now before I call the manager,” he added sharply.
“I’ve told you, I’m not a—” Alex began, trying to explain that he wasn’t a thief, but the staff member cut him off before he could finish.
He turned and shouted loudly, “Manager!”
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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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