Whatever.
Money can always be earned back, but in life, comfort comes first.
"Gwen."
"Ah!"
Locke waited for the real estate agent, Oren, to leave before calling out to Gwen, who was standing there lost in thought. Once she snapped out of it, he smiled. "Thank you, Gwen."
Gwen startled slightly, but her good upbringing and education allowed her to quickly regain her composure. "Thank you for what? I didn't really do much to help."
It was true.
She had intended to help her new classmate find an apartment.
And yet...
This new friend had simply waved his hand and, good heavens, bought the place outright.
Too extravagant.
Is this guy pulling my leg?
Is he really an orphan, or some rich kid playing pretend?
Locke saw the expression on Gwen's face and chuckled. "This is the inheritance my parents left me. After buying this house, there isn't much left. Still, one has to start fresh eventually."
"...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"It's fine."
Locke smiled. "Actually, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made up my mind so quickly. To show my appreciation, let me treat you to a meal."
"But I didn't really help you with anything."
"You did."
Locke spoke with total sincerity. "Coming to New York, you're the first friend I've made. You let me know that New York has warmth."
Gwen looked at Locke's earnest face and opened her mouth, completely at a loss for words.
She felt that if she rejected Locke, this new classmate would believe that New York City was not only problematic but ice-cold as well.
So...
Gwen hesitated for a moment and looked at Locke. "Just a meal?"
Locke nodded. "Yes, just to express my gratitude."
As long as it isn't a date.
Gwen felt a sense of relief internally.
The place Locke chose for dinner wasn't far, right on Fifth Avenue. While taking the taxi over earlier, Locke had spotted a restaurant with a decent-looking exterior.
He didn't care much about food.
However...
Locke was quite fond of alcohol, especially bourbon. Unfortunately, being under twenty-one, it was impossible to buy alcohol through legal channels, and restaurants certainly wouldn't sell it to you.
Unless that restaurant wanted to go out of business.
Although five o'clock was a bit early for dinner, the restaurant was open, which meant everything was normal.
"Mm."
Sitting across from him, Gwen bit into an egg tart, her eyes lighting up. "This tastes really good."
Locke smiled. "Then next time there's a chance, we can come back together."
Gwen looked up at Locke with a grin. "Classmate Locke, would next time count as a date?"
Locke's eyes were clear. "Either way works!"
Gwen: "..."
What do you mean "either way works"?
What kind of answer is that?
After leaving the restaurant.
Gwen planned to head home.
Except...
"Gwen?"
A police car flashed past them but then immediately backed up. After the passenger side window rolled down, a man sitting in the front seat appeared in Locke and Gwen's line of sight.
Locke raised an eyebrow.
Gwen was also slightly stunned. "Dad?"
Captain George Stacy stepped out of the police car, his gaze shifting between his daughter and Locke.
Good grief.
The moment he blinked, a wild boar had appeared while he was napping?
Gwen quickly reacted from her daze and introduced him to her father. "Dad, this is Locke, a classmate who just transferred today."
Seeing this, Locke also extended his hand. "Hello, sir."
George glanced at the right hand Locke offered. After a moment of hesitation, he shook it, squeezing out a tiny smile. "Hello."
After a short while.
Gwen said goodbye to Locke, got into George's patrol car, and faded from Locke's sight.
Half an hour later.
The Stacy residence.
"You're back?"
Helen, a full-time housewife, looked at her husband and daughter as they walked in one after the other and smiled. "Go wash your hands; dinner is almost ready."
Gwen gave a quick acknowledgment.
George, however, spoke up immediately. "Your daughter just came back from a big feast."
Gwen turned to look at George and stomped her foot. "Dad!"
She had clearly explained everything on the way back.
Seeing her daughter's reaction, Helen looked at George with curiosity. "What's going on?"
George took off his uniform jacket. "Ask your daughter."
Helen looked at Gwen. "Gwen?"
Gwen felt a bit speechless. "Mom, it's just a new classmate. I went with him to help look for an apartment. Then, as a thank you, he treated me to a meal. It's as simple as that."
Helen nodded, not finding anything strange about it.
George chuckled. "Ask her again where that classmate's apartment is."
Gwen gave George another helpless look. Then, meeting her mother Helen's gaze, she sighed. "Star Tower."
Helen's brow arched as she looked at George.
The reputation of Star Tower was famous throughout New York City.
"That classmate of yours..."
"Locke is an orphan."
"Hmm?"
Gwen sighed. "The money for the house was an inheritance his parents left him. I'll say it again: it wasn't a date. I'm full, I'm going to my room."
With that.
Gwen walked straight toward the stairs to the second floor.
Helen looked at George.
George shook his head as well. While in the car, Gwen hadn't mentioned this specific detail.
If that was the case, it made sense.
He had overthought it.
Helen and George locked eyes. Then, Helen walked straight into the kitchen. "Your daughter is angry. You started the fire, you're responsible for putting it out."
It was obvious.
Their daughter hadn't spoken up because she didn't want to expose her classmate's privacy.
George opened his mouth and rubbed the back of his head. "Cocoa... what about hot cocoa?"
If a cup of hot cocoa couldn't solve the problem when his daughter was mad, then two cups would.
George already had experience with this.
Star Tower.
Locke retrieved a package and returned to the apartment he had just purchased and moved into.
Rrip!
After the packaging was torn open, a briefcase appeared.
Open!
Inside.
Two stacks totaling one hundred Continental Gold Coins lay there quietly.
There was also a laptop that couldn't be found anywhere on the market.
After Locke took out the laptop, he turned it on. While waiting for it to boot, he stood up and carried it toward the second floor of the apartment.
In the study.
Locke locked the gold coins in a safe and then sat down at the computer desk.
A short while later.
Once the laptop successfully connected to the internet, a page popped up.
"Please verify identity!"
"Peerless!"
"Verification successful!"
Accompanied by a mechanical voice, the page shifted. Then, a set of files refreshed rapidly and was transmitted over.
Locke looked at the personal data on the screen with an expressionless face.
In his right hand.
A Colt M1911A1 pistol equipped with a silencer was very conspicuous.