Jessica and Loren were startled by the dare Zed gave.
He was asking the investigators to frame him and even called them dumb idiots?!
What truly shocked them further was how silent Athol and the investigators have become.
Athol and the investigators didn’t do anything to stop Zed as he left the room. They had prepared an elaborate plan to frame him but now they no longer dared to follow their plan.
"From the very start, he played us," Percy’s mother muttered.
She now understood Zed intentionally provoked Athol in order to record his activities on the phone. If the video was really shared then there would be irrevocable damage for both Athol and them.
"That’s not the worse part," Edgar’s father said with a deep frown, "He is not relying on the video and instead is now daring us to frame him."
"Yeah," Percy’s mother nodded her head.
She was sure Zed had a powerful card in his hand for him to discard the video as a childish trick.
"What to do?" Athol finally got his wits together.
"Nothing for now," One of the investigators answered.
"We’re leaving," Suzane interjected in between their conversation, "Unless you wish to seek our daughters’ statement."
Suzane decided to help Jessica and Eloise out of good will. She was a wife of an investigator so she knew how the police would try to exploit the two of them.
"There is no need," Athol decided to not record their statements for now.
"Goodbye then," Suzane, Eloise, Jessica, Loren, and Olly took their leave.
"I won’t let this insult pass," Athol muttered in his heart after everyone left.
He promised to retaliate...
----
Outside the police station.
Zed was standing in front of the police station. He didn’t really fear the police or the investigators.
The only reason he wished to avoid them was to protect the life has built here. In the last four years, he has invested far too much in the city to let it be taken away by the government.
This was why he initially decided to spare the previous principal and his wife even though they were responsible for the current situation.
He didn’t wish to bring attention to his current form since there was a chance of his association with Castor Damon being leaked.
Now he didn’t even have that fear after the preparations he had made along with the crisis he had created for the investigators during the attack on police headquarters.
He could handle anything as long as it didn’t concern his secret. The investigators only enjoyed unlimited authority for their main investigation about the wasteland and not for other matters.
"You didn’t leave?" Jessica’s voice came from behind.
"Yeah," Zed turned around, "Remember we were going for drinks?"
Jessica and others were startled. He truly wished to have a drink after all this?
Beer was rather a common drink even in households so even the parents have no excuse to refuse.
"Y-yes, we were," Jessica answered after some time, "Loren is joining us as well, right?"
"I..." Loren didn’t know if she should decline or not.
"Of course she is joining us," Zed gazed at Olly, "Her brother is accompanying us as well."
"I am?" Olly asked surprised.
He wasn’t even acquainted with Zed but yet he was inviting him?
Suzane, on the other hand, sighed in relief. Earlier she was trying to think of excuses to not allow her daughter to visit the bar but now she no longer bothered.
If her son was accompanying her daughter then there was nothing to worry about!
"Let’s go," Zed motioned them towards his hover car.
Eloise and Suzane looked on as their children left with Zed.
"That kid is difficult to understand," Eloise said thinking of his behavior inside the police station and outside.
"Yeah," Suzane agreed, "He is strange."
-------
Sweet Love was a popular club in Central District. The club was always overcrowded thanks to the ambient environment and the wonderful drinks it offered.
A long queue of people was standing outside the club waiting for a chance to enter. More than ten bouncers were overlooking the queue to ensure no trouble.
Then there was the surveillance droids and the protection of humanoid droids to further help the bouncers in their task.
"We won’t get entry," Olly said as they left the car along with others, "There are no VIP entries."
He knew how popular the club was so he wasn’t least bit surprised by the crowd outside. He also knew a rich status was useless here since he and his friends have tried using their influence before with no result.
"Let’s try anyway," Zed didn’t join the queue and instead directly went to the entrance.
Suzane and others looked at each other and then decided to tag along. Olly was sure they would become a laughing stock but he joined his sister nevertheless.
Olly’s fear came true and soon the people in the queue started laughing.
"Dream on, kid!"
"Hahaha, I have been waiting here for an hour, and you think you can directly enter?"
"Even I’m from a good background but it was useless."
"Stupid asshole."
"Those girls are even stupider to tag along."
"Hahaha!"
Suzane and Loren’s cheeks turned red from anger and embarrassment. Even Olly felt insulted from the jeers of the crowd.
"We shouldn’t embarrass ourselves further," Olly muttered as Zed reached the entrance.
Three bouncers in black were guarding the entrance with a frown on their face.
"Kid, there is no special treatment here," One of the bouncers said in a heavy voice.
Zed didn’t say anything and instead took out a black card from his purse.
"He thinks a card can change the rules here?" Someone from the queue shouted.
"The club is known for its fairness!"
"Stop being delusional!"
"Even if you are mayor’s son you wouldn’t get an entrance---"
The crowd suddenly turned silent. Each person looked on in complete disbelief at the scene in front of them.
The head bouncer opened the entrance of the club! Not only that but the bouncer was showing a respectable attitude.
Zed still remained silent as he entered the club followed by Olly and others. The bouncer then closed back the entrance with a loud thud.
The crowd got their wits back as they saw the entrance being locked again.
"What?!"
"This is unfair!"
"It is against the rule!"
"Get that kid out!"
"We will protest!"
"Yes! We will boycott the club unless you get that man out!"
The head bouncer looked at the crowd with a mocking expression.
"You think I will give more preference to your protest than the owner of the club?" The bouncer asked with a smirk.
"Owner?!"
"That kid owns this place!?"
"No way!"
"Fuck!"
"No wonder he didn’t give us a damn!"
"The world is unfair!"
----
Inside the club.
The club was spacious with two floors filled with people to the brim. Multiple lights flashed around on the disco floor.
At a far corner, a DJ made sure people had more than worth the money as he adjusted the music to give them the fun of their lifetime.
From the opposite side, Olly, Loren, and Jessica entered the club.
They were in disbelief at the special treatment they were given by the bouncer. They were sure the club offered no special treatment but yet they were made exceptions!
This was definitely something to brag about since the club was one of the most popular ones in the city!
"You own this club?" Jessica asked surprise about the sheer size of the club.
It was her first time entering a club and she was startled by the glamor and vanity inside.
"Yeap," Zed stepped towards the bar counter.
Rows of liquor bottles were placed behind the bar. Beers, wines, whiskey, vodka, and many other beverages were displayed on the glass shelf.
The bar counter was made from glass with a virtual interface to allow the patrons to choose their drinks. Seven bartenders were making the drinks in a fully professional manner.
"No wonder you are so rich," Loren muttered as she glanced at the prices of the drinks and the crowd inside.
There was hardly any empty space in the club and there were more people waiting outside. While the patrons here were rich, the cost was still high than most clubs she knew of.
"Why wouldn’t you allow VIP treatment to others?" Olly asked as he sat on a stool opposite the bar counter.
He felt the club could earn more money and favors by giving special treatment to the rich and powerful of the city.
From what he knew, no one was given special privileges. Except for today of course.
This was such a wasted opportunity and he felt, if he was in charge, then he could earn even more.
"Actually not giving special treatment is more profitable," Zed answered with a smile, "This makes the entrance to the club a privilege issue and attract more spoiled brats."
Spoiled brats?
Olly felt like he was kicked in his guts. He has tried to come here many times before but with rare success.
This only made him his desire to enter the club stronger and when he did, he felt the reputation of the club was well deserved.
"Forget this boring stuff," Zed shook off his head, "Let us have a drink."
"Club Special!" Olly loudly placed his order before others could even check the menu.
Jessica and Loren looked at Olly in dismay.
Why was he suddenly acting like a country bumpkin?!
"It is the best choice for beer," Olly pointed towards the menu on the glass interface, "Most people here come for only this."
"Is it really that good for you to act in such fashion?" Loren was displeased by her brother’s conduct.
Zed ignored the banter between brother-sister. He turned his face towards the chief bartender and said, "Club Special for all of us."
"Understood, sir," The chief bartender was a man with square face and short brown hairs.
He was acquainted with Zed unlike the bouncers at the entrance. This was why he gave more attention to Zed from the start.
A minute later~
Four glasses of beer were placed on the counter. Boozy, roasted malt and dark fruit aromas would be the first characteristics anyone would notice from the beer.
Olly has never smelled a more alluring perfume from a beer. He slowly sipped in a mouthful from the glass.
"Amazing," Olly closed his eyes as he savored the rich and creamy taste. The beer was smooth, fragrant and full of complex hop flavor.
"Truly the best," Jessica added. She felt refreshed and light as she devoured the entire glass of beer.
"Can we have one more?" Loren asked the chief bartender. She now felt her brother’s earlier behavior was only natural.
The beer felt lightly sour, lightly sweet, distinctively spicy and a little bit funky. A rare among rare truly deserving its reputation.
Loren has checked the rule on the virtual interface and knew the Club Special was limited to one glass per customer.
This rule ensured customers never had enough of this flavor, and hence offering them a strong reason to return again.
The bartender didn’t answer Loren’s request and instead glanced at Zed.
"It is fine," Zed signaled him with a smile, "Just make an exception for them."
"Yes," The bartender nodded before proceeding to make another set of drinks.