Chapter 87: A Bit Too Nice
The revving sound of the engine echoed through the streets, instantly drawing attention. Heads turned, conversations paused, and all eyes followed the sleek red car as it raced by. There were mixed reactions, some pointed at the vehicle in awe, others rolled their eyes or scoffed. Whether positive or negative, one thing was certain, it was impossible to ignore.
"Did you see that just now?" Joe asked, standing just outside the gym, waiting for Steven to lift the gate.
"Yeah. Damn rich people," Steven grumbled. "Always looking to show off. Is there really a need to drive something so flashy and rub it in everyone’s face?"
"You’re not wrong," Joe replied. "But I still wish I was one of them someday. Better than ending up broke like you. "
"I’d rather be broke than a bully," Steven muttered as he stepped inside the gym.
Mancur City was a coastal city, located right by the sea. Strangely enough, there were no beaches, but instead, it had several well-developed port areas. The city itself was shaped like a crescent, which made it possible to live in multiple neighborhoods and still have a view of the ocean from nearly anywhere.
Because of this, each district had its own local high street and shopping area. However, the luxury shopping malls, the ones that catered to the rich, were located in a particular area known as Shindon , right along the sea front. And while Mancur City had no beaches, oddly enough, it still drew in large numbers of tourists every year thanks to its scenery, atmosphere, and high-end attractions.
So the shopping mall didn’t just house luxury brands, it also had popular retail stores, making it appealing to a wide range of clientele. Which meant that even when Aron and Max pulled into the underground car park, they were still turning heads.
People had seen their fair share of BBWs, Bercedez Benzes, and Borches... but a car like this ? That was rare.
"Hey, you think it’s some kind of celebrity?" one of the younger guys whispered.
"Nah," another replied. "Celebs don’t come to places like this. They usually go to those private boutiques, you know?"
Fortunately, the car park wasn’t too crowded as Max and Aron stepped out of the vehicle.
"I think it’s best you stay here and look after the car," Max said.
"Are you sure about that, sir?" Aron asked, brows furrowing. "What if someone’s following you? Or worse, you get attacked again?"
"That’s exactly why I want you to stay here," Max replied firmly. "We’ve noticed one thing, they never come after me when you’re around. So I want to start creating situations where we’re apart. Small ones, like this. Let them get confident. Let them think I’m vulnerable. Then we catch them when they move."
Aron hesitated as Max continued.
"Besides, this is one of the safer places to pull something like this. It’s a shopping mall, full of people and security. And come on, Aron, I do know how to shop. You don’t have to follow me into every store."
Although Aron still wasn’t fully convinced, he decided it was best to let Max go and enjoy a little weekend freedom. After all, he was still a student.
"If you’re not back by 1 PM, after lunch I’ll come find you. That gives you a couple of hours to find something," Aron said, checking the time.
With both of them in agreement, Max went off on his own. Although it was still early in the morning, the shopping mall was already buzzing with people. Without wasting time, Max headed into the first suit shop he saw and immediately picked out a plain black suit.
He grabbed one off the rack and started browsing shirts. That’s when one particular shirt caught his eye, a bold red one.
Damn it... after my so-called ’lucky’ red underwear led to my death, I’ve been avoiding red altogether... Max thought. But... it is more my style.
Reluctantly, he gave in and added the shirt to his purchase.
After trying on the suit, the shop staff quickly measured him up and noticed the pant legs were too long. Thankfully, the store had an in-house alteration service.
"We’ll be done in about an hour," the woman assisting him said with a fresh smile. "If you come back after that, your suit will be ready for pick-up."
With that, Max left the shop feeling pretty pleased with himself. In and out, quick work. And the best part? He hadn’t even spent much on the suit.
There’s no point buying an expensive suit. They always end up ripped or covered in blood anyway, Max thought. But now... I need to find a gift for Sheri. I was always bad at these kinds of things. I don’t even know what women like... I never had time to settle down in the past.
Looking around, Max found himself on one of the higher floors. On this particular level, there were countless jewelry shops lined up, each selling a wide variety of items. Every shop had suited men standing at either side of the entrance, and inside were uniformed attendants, busy talking to and serving customers.
If I get something expensive, then at least they can sell it if they don’t like it, Max reasoned. It’s not like she’s my fiancée. She’s an ex, anyway.
He stepped inside one of the shops.
The moment he walked through the door, one of the security guards gave him a long look, scanning him from head to toe. Dressed in joggers and a hoodie, Max stood out just as much as the red car had on the road... only not in the same welcoming way.
Behind the glass counters, a few attendants took notice. Two female staff members in particular exchanged a glance.
"Come on! " Louise whispered, frustrated. "I really need to hit my sales target. Why do we keep getting time-wasters coming in here?"
"They just browse and leave," replied Claire, her partner, with a sigh. "And that one? He looks like a high schooler. "
Looking around, there were plenty of pieces that caught Max’s eye, rings, brooches, necklaces. However, there was one problem: there weren’t any price tags. Unlike with the suits, he couldn’t just pick something up and bring it to the counter.
"Excuse me?" Max called out.
One of the female attendants turned briefly in his direction, then suddenly pivoted and rushed over to another customer.
"Can I help you with anything today, ma’am?" she said, all smiles.
Max blinked, confused by the abrupt shift.
Maybe she didn’t hear me?
"Err... hello?" he tried again, but this time, another attendant who had been nearby turned and walked straight into the back room.
"What the heck..." Max muttered under his breath. Once could’ve been a coincidence. Twice? Not a chance. Frustrated, Max couldn’t hold it in anymore.
"WILL ANYONE F* CKING HELP ME?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the shop.
The sudden outburst drew the attention of the security guards and several of the staff.
Reluctantly, Louise sighed and walked over.
"Sir, please don’t shout in this establishment. You’re disrupting the experience for our other customers."
"If any of you had actually paid attention to me in the first place, nothing would be disrupted. Aren’t I a customer too?" Max snapped.
Louise looked him up and down again, barely able to take him seriously in his hoodie and joggers.
"There’s no need to be rude, sir," she said curtly.
"Can I look at that?" Max pointed toward a red ruby bracelet behind the glass.
"Sir... may I ask, do you actually intend to buy? Items can be viewed from behind the glass, and we only take them out if the customer intends to make a purchase," Louise explained.
Just then, Max glanced to his side and noticed an older woman asking to see an item. Without hesitation, the attendant took it out and handed it to her, no questions asked.
The situation made Max’s blood boil.
"Do you just not want to do your job?" he asked, voice sharp.
"Excuse me?" Louise replied, clearly annoyed.
Max tapped his finger on the glass and pointed toward the other attendants. With a reluctant sigh, Louise finally took out the ruby bracelet and placed it in front of him. But by now, the frustration had completely soured the moment. Max simply handed it back.
"Of course... typical time-waster," Louise muttered under her breath.
Max continued walking through the shop, glancing at a few other displays, but his mood was clearly ruined. Still, there were plenty of other jewelry stores in the mall. If he didn’t find something here, he could always move on.
That’s when Louise suddenly returned, only this time, she got uncomfortably close. So close that the hairs on the back of Max’s neck stood on end.
"Did you find anything you liked, sir?" Louise asked sweetly, her tone completely changed, her smile oddly forced.
What is this? She’s acting completely different now. Did her manager say something? Max thought.
"Forget it. This place has ruined my mood. I’m getting out of here," Max muttered, heading toward the exit.
But just as he reached the door, an alarm blared through the store.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Immediately, the two security guards stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"What the... what’s going on?" Max thought, confused.
"Sir... we need to do a quick check," one of the guards said, stepping closer.