Alright, who cares.
Money spent can always be earned back. Comfort is paramount.
— Gwen.
— Huh?
Lock waited for Oren, the real estate agent, to leave. He then turned to Gwen, who stood in a daze, and called her name. When she snapped back to reality, he smiled: — Thank you, Gwen.
Gwen flinched slightly, but her good upbringing and sharp mind quickly allowed her to compose herself: — What for? I didn't even do anything.
Honestly, this wasn't supposed to happen.
She had merely intended to help her new classmate find an apartment.
But as a result...
Her new classmate immediately went to expensive apartments and... well, he bought them.
He's a bit too rich.
Could this guy have lied to her?
Maybe he's not an orphan at all, but the child of some wealthy family?
Lock looked at Gwen's expression and smiled: — This is an inheritance my parents left me. Of course, after buying this apartment, there isn't much money left, but it's enough to live on.
— Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it...
— Don't sweat it.
— Actually, if it weren't for you, I might not have bought this apartment at all, so I'm grateful to you. I want to express my gratitude, would you mind going out for a meal? — Lock smiled.
— But... I really didn't do anything...
— What do you mean, nothing?
— After arriving in New York, you were the first person to show me that New York is a very friendly city, and you're also my first friend here, — Lock said with a sincere expression.
Gwen looked at Lock with genuine surprise and even opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
Now it seemed to her that if she refused Lock, her new classmate might change his mind about New York and start to consider the city unfriendly, or even stop considering her a friend altogether.
Gwen hesitated and looked at Lock: — Just for a meal?
— Yes, I'm just expressing my gratitude, — Lock nodded.
"Okay, so it's not a date invitation, that's good."
Gwen inwardly sighed with relief.
The restaurant Lock was treating her to was not far, located on Fifth Avenue. As their taxi pulled up, Lock noted its beautifully decorated exterior.
In reality, Lock was never a gourmand and didn't particularly like heavy meals either.
But...
Lock loved wine, especially bourbon, but being under twenty-one, he was unlikely to be sold wine in stores, let alone at a restaurant.
Unless the restaurant wanted to be shut down.
Dining at five o'clock was rather early, but the packed restaurant showed that eating at such a time was commonplace.
— Hmm.
Sitting at the table, Gwen bit into the cake she held in her hand, her eyes lighting up: — Delicious.
— If it's that delicious, then come by sometime, I don't mind treating you again, — Lock smiled.
Gwen looked at Lock with a smirk: — Hmm, Lock, you're not implying the next time will be a date, are you?
Lock's eyes brightened: — As you wish!
Gwen decided to keep silent.
"What do you mean by 'as you wish'?"
"What kind of answer is that?"
After leaving the restaurant, Gwen planned to go straight home.
Only...
— Gwen?
A police car flashed past them, but immediately reversed. After the driver's window rolled down, the driver himself appeared in Lock and Gwen's line of sight.
Lock raised an eyebrow.
— Dad? — Gwen was also stunned.
Captain George Stacy got out of the police car, his gaze darting between his own daughter and Lock standing beside her.
"A boyfriend…"
"He closed his eyes for a second, and she already had a boyfriend?"
— Dad, this is Lock, a classmate who just transferred to our school today, — Gwen quickly snapped out of her daze and introduced the boy standing next to her to her father.
Lock extended his hand.
George glanced at Lock's outstretched right hand, hesitated for a moment, then shook it and forced a small smile: — Nice to meet you.
Half a minute later.
Gwen said goodbye to Lock and got into George's police car, disappearing from Lock's sight.
Half an hour later.
Gwen's family
— You're back already?
Helen, a typical housewife and Gwen's mother and George's wife, saw them at the doorway and smiled: — Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon.
Gwen was about to reply, but George quickly cut her off, stating bluntly: — Our daughter just got back from a fancy dinner, I don't think she wants to eat.
Gwen turned to look at George and stomped her foot: — Dad!
Clearly, she had already explained the whole situation to her father multiple times on the way home, but he still chose to twist everything around.
Helen noticed her daughter's appearance and looked at George with some curiosity: — What happened?
George took off his jacket: — Ask your daughter.
— Gwen? — Helen looked at the girl.
Gwen was a bit flustered, but still didn't hesitate for a second before answering: — Mom, a new classmate transferred to our class from another city. I showed him to his new apartment, and he treated me to a meal as a thank you, that's all.
Helen nodded, not at all surprised.
— Oh, really? Well, well, tell me, where did your new classmate buy an apartment?
Gwen gave George another helpless look, then, meeting her mother Helen's gaze, sighed: — Star Building.
Helen raised an eyebrow and looked at George.
The Star Building skyscraper was well-known in New York.
— And this classmate...
— Lock is an orphan!
— What?
— The money for the apartment was an inheritance from Lock's parents, and again, it wasn't a date. Mom, I don't want to eat, I'm going to my room, — Gwen sighed, yet explained.
Gwen headed straight for the stairs to the second floor.
Helen looked at George.
George shook his head too: Gwen hadn't mentioned this when they were driving home.
But if it was true, it explained everything.
Pondering it together, Helen and George exchanged glances, then the former went to the kitchen, saying in passing: — Your daughter is very angry with you right now. You made your bed, now lie in it.
For him, everything was relatively obvious.
His daughter, seemingly unwilling to reveal her classmates' private lives, kept it a secret that Lock was actually an orphan.
George, unsure what to do, rubbed the back of his head and muttered aloud: — Um, maybe hot cocoa would help?
If his daughter was angry with him, he just needed to share a cup of cocoa with her.
However silly it sounded, it worked. George had extensive experience in this matter.
Star Building.
Lock retrieved a box well-hidden in the alley and returned to the newly purchased apartment.
*Snip*
After cutting the tape and opening the box, a suitcase came into view.
Upon opening the suitcase, two stacks totaling one hundred Continental Gold Coins were revealed.
Beneath the coins lay a brand-new laptop. Models like it weren't even sold.
Taking out the laptop, Lock opened it, then sat down and waited for it to power on. Once it did, he stood up and headed to the apartment's second floor with the laptop.
On the second floor, Lock locked the gold coins in a safe, then sat down at a computer desk.
Once the laptop successfully connected to the internet, a page appeared on the screen.
— Please confirm identity.
— The Unrivaled.
— Identity confirmed.
After the mechanical voice sounded, the page suddenly reloaded, and tons of text appeared on it.
Lock browsed the information with numerous names and surnames on the display, his face expressionless.
At that moment, a Colt M1911A1 was prominent in his right hand.