I frowned, my face darkening.
This Jason Martinez was the mastermind behind my expulsion; a simple fight shouldn't have led to expulsion, if it weren't for this guy pulling strings behind the scenes.
This was what I resented the most.
In contrast, I wasn't that resentful of him for stealing my girlfriend; blame it on my own poverty. This society has always been realistic.
My gaze shifted to the girl beside Jason Martinez, who was lovely.
For a moment, I was dazed; old memories surged like a tide. A bitter smile appeared on my face, but soon, it turned indifferent.
Once, we were intimately close, but now, we're just strangers.
"Hey! Are you leaving or not? Don't just stand there, blocking the way for guests." the salesgirl shouted, looking at me disdainfully.
"I mean, you're a construction worker, aren't you ashamed? What's Summit Plaza? Is it a place for someone like you?" The salesgirl continued to scold, her tone growing sharper and more acrid.
Hearing the scolding, the two of them looked over.
"Where does this construction worker come from, daring to enter Summit Plaza? Don't you feel embarrassed?" Jason Martinez mocked, but didn't recognize me right away.
He looked closely, paused in surprise, and then burst out laughing, "I wondered who it was, turns out it's an old acquaintance!"
At this point, Tiffany Wilson also recognized me, looking a bit unnatural.
Her gaze swept over me, and seeing my shabby attire, she couldn't help but show some disgust.
Jason Martinez laughed and walked over, "Charlie, long time no see! Where are you working now?"
He pretended to act like an old friend, but his tone was somewhat mocking.
"Ah! Right, I forgot, you're a construction worker, probably moving bricks at some site, right? Must be tough!" he said with fake concern, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I remained silent, my face somber.
"Whoa! Same stubborn temper as before, huh?" Jason Martinez sneered, "I tell you Charlie, people should recognize their own status. A poor guy is a poor guy. Some places aren't meant for a construction worker like you to enter, like here. If you don't want to embarrass yourself, you should get out while you can!"
"Look at your shabby clothes, do you think you belong here? Tiffany, don't you think so?"
As he spoke, he reached out and embraced the girl next to him, taunting me with his gaze.
My face grew colder; suddenly, I sneered, "Eldest Baker Master Martinez, what, you look down on farmers? Weren't your ancestors farmers too!"
"Besides, this is a store, right? Open to customers, who can come in and who can't is unreasonable. I'm standing here, who can chase me away!"
With that, I cast a cold glance at Jason Martinez before turning to the salesgirl.
"Heh! Losing your temper, are we? You can't even afford a piece of clothing here, why come in? If you damage something, can you afford to pay for it?"
The salesgirl shrieked.
"Shut up!"
I shouted fiercely, "Isn't it just nine thousand bucks! Open your damn eyes and look!"
I opened my backpack, took out a stack of cash, and flung it at her face.
The salesgirl screamed and took a step back, staring at the thick stack of cash on the ground, dumbfounded. Such a thick stack, it must be ten thousand.
She never expected this seemingly poor boy to carry ten thousand bucks on him.
"It's just ten thousand..." her voice lowered, but still carried some disdain.
To her, the ten thousand must be all the savings the boy had.
"Not enough?" I stretched out my hand, grabbed another stack, and threw it hard, "Twenty thousand, enough now! Not enough? I have more."
I grabbed yet another stack and tossed it, one stack after another, throwing out five stacks in total.
The salesgirl was left disheveled, dizzy and dazed from being hit.
Each of those stacks was ten thousand, making it a total of seventy thousand. This poor boy was actually carrying seventy thousand in cash!
Even Tiffany Wilson and Jason Martinez were stunned.
"Where did this guy get seventy thousand bucks, how is that possible?" Jason Martinez's face turned extremely sour, knowing that Charlie' family was very poor, and since getting expelled, he'd been working.
But working, how could he have possibly saved up seventy thousand in a year?
He had thought Charlie must have had a miserable and poverty-stricken life this past year, and seeing Charlie just now confirmed this thought. But now, Charlie casually tossed out seventy thousand in cash, leaving him dizzy.
Even an average white-collar worker would only earn about the same amount in a year!
With Charlie' limited abilities, how could he possibly earn so much money?
Tiffany Wilson was dazed, she knew Charlie' family's situation best, and thus was even more puzzled.
"Is it enough now?" I sneered, shouting, "Where's your manager? I want to ask how your store does business, allowing a salesgirl to insult customers."
My voice was loud and carried far.
Even passersby outside the store stopped to watch.
"Sir, we sincerely apologize!" A middle-aged woman hurriedly came out of the shop and bowed to me, "You, quickly apologize to the gentleman!"
The salesgirl unwillingly bowed and mumbled, "Sorry!"
I couldn't be bothered to argue with her and stepped forward to pick up my money.
"Sir, as an apology, I'll give you a ten percent discount, how does that sound?" the manager offered.
"Whatever!" I responded indifferently; I wasn't really concerned about such a small discount.
But then Jason Martinez interjected, "Hmph! What's there to be proud of, you're just a laborer, how could you possibly earn so much in a year, you must've done something illegal!"
I snorted, "Which of your eyes saw me doing anything illegal, Jason Martinez?"
"You..."
Jason Martinez flew into a rage, his face turning red, "Charlie, you dare curse me!"
"I'm cursing you, so what, you want a fight?"
"I... I wouldn't stoop to fighting with someone like you, it's beneath me! My uncle is a policeman, I'll have him investigate you thoroughly." Jason Martinez threatened fiercely.
I rolled my eyes, scoffed, and turned to look at the clothes.
I needed to buy something appropriate for tomorrow's gathering.
"Sir, how about this piece, it suits your stature and charisma." The manager followed beside me, occasionally introducing items.
A moment later, I picked one out and entered the fitting room.
I had never worn a suit before, so it took some getting used to. After a while, I finally got it on properly.
I tidied up my messy hair and gazed at the mirror, seeing a completely transformed young man staring back, I was taken aback.
Was this really me?
The well-tailored suit injected new life into my demeanor. If I had been a shabby boy a moment ago, now I had transformed into a young gentleman, entirely different from before.