On his very first day as a transfer student, Locke truly felt the yawning chasm that existed between different high schools.
Throughout the day, Locke hadn't hesitated to spend the Potential Points he had painstakingly accumulated to upgrade his Math and English skills. After all, if he hadn't invested in those upgrades, he suspected he would have been lucky to walk away with just the basic quest rewards.
But investment in oneself is the only venture that never loses value.
Locke was not ignorant; he could sense that at Midtown High, spontaneous exams like this were likely a frequent occurrence. Each test would inevitably trigger a new daily quest. If he performed well twice, the Potential Points he spent would be recouped in full; every subsequent exam in the ninth grade would then be pure profit.
At 3:00 PM, Locke walked out of the College Guidance Counselor's office.
In the Federation, preparing for university is a process that begins the moment one steps into high school. However, Locke hadn't yet decided which ivory tower deserved his presence.
"Locke!"
"Gwen?"
Locke was pulling his backpack from his locker, preparing to leave, when he heard the familiar voice. He looked over to see Gwen Stacy cradling several heavy textbooks in her arms.
She was likely headed to an Advanced Placement class. Through AP courses, students could earn college credits early, though the school didn't make them mandatory; it was strictly a voluntary choice for the ambitious.
Since Locke had only just arrived, he hadn't finalized his schedule and had deferred the decision for the time being.
Gwen watched Locke shoulder his bag and asked with a smile, "Not planning on joining any clubs?"
Locke shrugged. "I just got here. I want to look around before making a commitment."
Gwen nodded, offering a warm invitation. "If you're interested, you could join our chemistry lab group."
Locke chuckled. "I'll need to see. It's a completely new environment, and I just moved here from Texas. I actually planned to spend this afternoon looking at apartments."
Gwen paused, looking a bit surprised. "You don't have a place in New York yet...?"
"I'm an orphan," Locke stated simply.
Gwen's expression shifted instantly to one of soft concern. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Locke. I didn't mean to—"
Locke waved it off with a smile. "It's fine. Being on my own is actually quite alright."
Reincarnation is a technical skill, and in the Federation, being an orphan provided a stable, if lonely, baseline. At least he didn't have to worry about a dysfunctional family or the unpredictable baggage that came with toxic relatives.
"Do you need some help?"
"Hmm?"
Gwen smiled, opened her own locker to grab her backpack, and looked at him decisively. "I'm a native New Yorker, and as a student assistant, helping a classmate is exactly what I'm supposed to do. Let's go."
How enthusiastic.
Locke blinked as he watched Gwen toss her ponytail and walk toward the exit, her body language radiating the fact that the matter was settled.
What was going on? Even if he was an orphan, it wasn't like he was broke.
However, seeing Gwen turn back to wave him over with that sugary-sweet smile, Locke opened his mouth to protest but ultimately just followed her out.
By the way, where exactly was the Little Spider?
Locke snapped back to reality and hoisted his bag, his mind filled with curiosity. Had he remembered the timeline wrong?
"So, what's your budget?"
"What?"
"Your budget for the apartment?"
As they walked out of the school gates, the ever-helpful Gwen continued, "The City Hall provides a rental subsidy for Midtown High students who need housing. Plus, if there's an opening in the welfare apartments, the discounts are quite substantial."
Locke replied directly, "Actually, I already had my eye on a place before I came to New York."
He had scouted and contacted a location even before finalizing his transfer. He had intended to arrive early, but things had been delayed, resulting in him arriving in the city only this morning. Since it was his first day of reporting, he couldn't very well skip class.
"Is that so?" Gwen asked curiously. "Where is it? Oak Apartments?"
Locke shook his head and hailed a taxi. "It's called... Star Tower."
"What?" Gwen blinked, looking completely dazed as Locke held the rear car door open for her.
Star Tower? As in, the legendary building on Fifth Avenue?
Fifteen minutes later.
Fifth Avenue.
Locke stepped out of the cab and pulled out his phone to call the real estate agent he had been in contact with.
Beside him, Gwen stared at the iconic Star Tower—a legendary fixture of the New York skyline—and then couldn't help but stare at Locke as he hung up his phone.
Didn't he say he was an orphan?
Gwen was profoundly confused.
Just then, a man in a sharp suit with slicked-back hair approached from a short distance away. He spotted Locke immediately and jogged over with a wide, professional smile. "Mr. Broughton."
Locke shook hands with the agent he had previously only seen via video call. "Hello, Mr. Oren. Sorry for the trouble."
Oren's face beamed. "No trouble at all! Shall we head up, Mr. Broughton?"
Oren knew Locke was young, but he had already performed a credit check and asset verification. He knew Locke wasn't some bored high schooler playing make-believe; he had the genuine financial muscle and a very strong desire to purchase. If this deal went through, the commission would be astronomical.
Locke looked at the stunned Gwen. "Let's go."
Gwen snapped out of her daze and nodded. She felt that her understanding of the word "orphan" might have suffered a slight tectonic shift.
The 28th floor!
"Two hundred square meters of interior space, two levels, a duplex structure," Oren began his pitch. "The previous owner upgraded the entire unit to a full 'Stark Smart Home' system six months ago. All furniture and high-end appliances are included. If we sign the contract today, you can move in today. It perfectly matches every requirement you mentioned on the phone, Mr. Broughton."
"..."
Locke set his backpack down on an expensive designer sofa, pushed open the floor-to-ceiling glass doors of the living room, and stepped out onto a terrace that featured a private infinity pool.
Directly across was the sprawling greenery of Central Park.
Gwen stood in the middle of the living room, eyeing the luxury furniture and state-of-the-art tech. She looked at Locke's back as he stood on the terrace with his hands behind his back, overlooking the park. It felt completely unscientific.
Was being an orphan this lucrative nowadays?
Good. This is it.
Locke gazed at a triangular-shaped building in the distance and made his decision. He had been a little hesitant before, but for some reason, the moment he stepped into Star Tower, that hesitation had evaporated.
Locke turned back to Oren, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a sleek black bank card. He handed it over. "Swipe it."
Oren's eyes lit up like Christmas trees.
Gwen's mouth dropped open completely.
He's actually buying it. Just like that.
*Beep.*
As the card reader spat out the transaction receipt, Gwen fell into a state of total existential bewilderment.
Oren respectfully returned the card to Locke. "Excellent, Mr. Broughton. I will head back and prepare the title transfer documents immediately. I'll have them delivered to you in three days."
Locke nodded.
With that single swipe, the savings he had accumulated through years of "hard work" in Texas had been completely wiped out.