Chapter 7

The room instantly fell silent.

Anyone who dared to step into Silk Haven to buy clothes was of a certain status. Naturally, they recognized the Premium Gold Card and understood its significance.

Ryan was startled and muttered, "How could this guy possibly have a Premium Gold Card? It has to be a fake card, right?"

The machine beeped, indicating the transaction had been approved.

"Sir, here is your card." The sales associate respectfully handed the Premium Gold Card back to Victor with both hands.

The payment going through had proven beyond doubt that the card was real and Victor really had that kind of money.

"All right, apologize. I'm listening," Victor said. He looked at Sabrina as he took his card back from the sales associate.

Sabrina's face turned red and pale in succession. She simply couldn't bring herself to apologize to Victor.

However, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she had no choice. Clenching her jaw, she muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Louder."

"I'm sorry!"

Victor chuckled and didn't push Sabrina further. At the very least, she had kept her word, unlike Lena, who had refused to admit her mistake no matter what.

The crowd watched as Victor and Maya walked away. They were speechless.

The two of them were now wearing outfits worth over one hundred thousand dollars in total, yet they were riding an electric scooter that cost barely over a thousand.

No matter how they looked at it, it felt absurd.

-

Grand Lakeside Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in Northlake City. It was often used for gatherings and celebrations. Its high prices made most people hesitate before stepping inside.

Shawn Reed looked at the hotel just ahead, lifted his wrist to glance at his Rolex, and sighed. "I wonder how those guys are doing now." He sneered.

Back in college, things weren't as materialistic as they were now. People had valued looks and ability over money. Since Shawn wasn't particularly handsome, he had been rejected by several girls he had pursued.

Now that he had made money in business, this class reunion was his chance to show off.

"Huh? Isn't that Victor?"

Shawn spotted someone riding an electric scooter in the distance. He squinted for a moment and confirmed that it was indeed Victor.

This was getting interesting.

As Victor got closer, Shawn rolled down his car window and said playfully, "Well, well, isn't this our class president? Must've been a tiring ride, huh?"

He deliberately glanced at Victor's electric scooter. He felt smug.

'Damn, back in college, you always acted like you were better than everyone else. And now? You can't even afford a car?'

"It wasn't tiring at all." Victor chuckled, parked his electric scooter, and helped Maya down from the back.

Shawn's expression changed instantly.

Maya looked both elegant and alluring in a silver dress. She was absolutely stunning. Why did such a gorgeous woman sit on Victor's electric scooter?

"Isn't this the most beautiful girl in our class? The wind must've been freezing on the way here." Shawn forced a smile, then proudly patted his car's steering wheel. "Come on, hop in my Mercedes-Benz and warm up."

Just then, more classmates arrived.

"Mr. Reed!" A loud voice called out, and a moment later, someone rushed over to enthusiastically shake Shawn's hand. "Mr. Reed, it's me, Edwin! We used to play basketball together in college. Do you remember?"

"Of course, I do!"

Shawn laughed, but his gaze shifted to Victor.

Back in college, Edwin had basically been Victor's follower. Sure, they had played basketball together, but Edwin had once hit Shawn in the face with the ball and never even apologized.

Now, the moment Edwin saw the Mercedes-Benz, he instantly turned into a bootlicker, which made Shawn feel even more satisfied.

"Mr. Reed, you're loaded now. That's a Rolex, right? Don't forget to help out an old classmate!"

"Of course, of course."

Shawn responded perfunctorily, then noticed Victor leading Maya inside. Instantly, he got out of the car and followed them.

"Hey, Mr. Reed, where are you going?" Edwin had already spotted Victor, but he wasn't the naive kid he used to be. Compared to Shawn's Mercedes-Benz, Victor's electric scooter wasn't even worth a single car tire.

"Hey, isn't this our class president? Nice suit. Where'd you get it?" Mark Johnson walked over, tugged at Victor's sleeve, and smirked. His chubby face was scrunched up.

Just as Victor was about to respond, another voice chimed in.

"Probably from a street stall, right? Trying to act rich while riding that beat-up electric scooter." Shawn strode over, jingling his Mercedes-Benz car keys as if afraid people wouldn't notice them.

"What nonsense. My electric scooter is brand new, and it's fast too," Victor said.

"Hahaha!" Shawn bent over, slapped Victor's shoulder hard, and beamed. "Oh, Victor, you're killing me! Do you think your electric scooter is faster than my Mercedes-Benz?"

"Shawn, looks like you've made it big, driving a Mercedes-Benz and all." Mark chuckled and changed the topic. "But Victor, man, you're really struggling, huh? Life must be tough." Feigning sympathy, Mark continued, "Come on, you're too old to still be riding an electric scooter.

"How about this? Why don't you come work for me? I'll pay you four thousand a month."

Shawn burst into laughter.

The surrounding classmates overheard the conversation and instinctively distanced themselves from Victor. Even those who used to be close with him in college did the same.

In their minds, after all these years, Victor should've at least taken out a loan to buy a car. Maybe he couldn't compete with Shawn or Mark, but he should at least be doing okay. Yet here he was, showing up at Grand Lakeside Hotel on an electric scooter. Wasn't he embarrassed?

"No thanks. I'm rich." Victor waved his hand.

He was telling the truth. He still had a savings balance of twenty billion.

"Heh." Mark sneered. His eyes filled with amusement. "Since you're so rich, why don't you cover today's meal?"

A meal at Grand Lakeside Hotel could easily cost tens of thousands.

"Sure, it's not a big deal." Victor agreed without much thought.

Mark's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Everyone, listen up! Our class president is treating us today. Eat and drink all you want! Don't hold back!"

"Yeah, there's no need to be courteous!"

"It'd be rude to refuse his generosity!"

"Poor guy, this meal is probably going to wipe out his entire savings."

The classmates joined in the jeering. Many had originally hesitated about the high cost of dining here, but now that someone else was paying, they were more than happy to indulge.

"Who spends twenty billion on a meal?" Victor muttered.

Maya sighed in exasperation.

Although Victor was paying, hardly anyone talked to him during the meal. Most of them were busy drinking with Mark and Shawn. To them, Victor was just trying to act rich for the sake of protecting his own ego.

'This idiot actually thinks he's wealthy!' many of them thought.

While entertaining the classmates, Shawn smugly glanced at the ignored Victor. But whenever he saw Maya beside him, his mood soured again.

Jealousy burned inside him.

Still, since Victor was footing the bill, Shawn ordered a few more bottles of expensive wine, each one costing tens of thousands.

Smirking, he called out, "Waiter, it's time to settle the bill!"