"Griffin, what’s with that look in your eyes? Don’t you remember me?"

I carefully studied her for a moment before shaking my head. "Sorry, I’ve met too many people over the past few years. I guess I’m bad at remembering faces."

The truth was, I had absolutely no idea who she was.

She raised an eyebrow and let out a mocking laugh, saying, "Griffin, don’t play this whole 'hard-to-get' act with me. You chased me for three whole years back in high school."

The moment she finished speaking, a familiar image surfaced in my mind. Still, the woman in front of me was far different from how she looked in high school.

I hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, "Are you… Thalia?"

As soon as I said her name, a triumphant look spread across her face.

"So many years have passed, yet you still haven’t forgotten me."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly changed her tone. "But I need to warn you. Don’t get any inappropriate ideas about me. I’m engaged now and my fiancé is none other than Malcolm Fitzroy."

Malcolm?

The name sounded somewhat familiar. Wasn’t the Rolls-Royce at the entrance his? Still, what did any of this have to do with me?

There was still a large group of people waiting for me in the conference room to start the meeting. If I didn’t leave soon, I was going to be late.

Seeing me remain silent, Thalialightly patted my shoulder with her manicured hand.

“Civil servants don’t make much money. How about you drive for my fiancé instead? I’ll have him pay you a thousand dollars a month. That’s got to be better than your measly salary.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd burst into laughter.

I couldn’t understand it. Why did people like them always feel the need to humiliate others just to elevate themselves?

This would be my last time attending such a class reunion.

I ignored Thalia’s mockery and casually grabbed my coat, putting it on. "Are you done? If so, step aside. I have things to do."

I had barely taken a few steps when Malcolm, who was sitting across from me, suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

Immediately, a dozen or so burly men in black suits rushed into the room.

I noticed the nameplates on their chests: Fitzroy Group. It was a well-known industry leader in Langston City.

Malcolm downed the drink in his glass in one go, then burped.

"Griffin, did I say you could leave?"

I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes. "My legs are attached to my body. Do I need to report to you about where I’m going?"

Malcolm burst into laughter after hearing my words. "You’re just a lowly civil servant. Don’t you realize whose turf you're on? The whole restaurant is owned by my family. Don't you think you need to report to me? Without my permission, you’re not leaving through that door today."

The class leader sensed the awkward atmosphere and immediately stepped in, saying a few polite words to ease the tension.

"Hey, hey, both of you, calm down! We’ve been classmates for over a decade, no need to let something so small ruin the mood."

Halfway through, the class leader suddenly turned to me. "Griffin, come on, we’ve finally all gathered together. How can you just leave early? Come on, sit back down. Let’s have a drink together and catch up properly."

I knew the class leader was trying to smooth things over for me, but my time was really running out. "Sorry, I know I’m ruining the mood, but I truly have something I need to take care of."

"There’s a whole group of people in the office waiting for me to get back for a meeting."

I had barely finished speaking when Malcolm slammed his glass down. "Griffin, cut the act. You’re just a low-level civil servant. What kind of meeting could you possibly have to attend?"

"So you’re saying a whole group of people is waiting for you? Do you really think you’re some kind of leader now? I was being polite, calling you a civil servant. Without that, you’re just another lousy worker. Got it?"

I was just about to retort when the class leader quickly grabbed my hand, whispering a plea. "Griffin, I think you’d better apologize to Malcolm. The Fitzroy Family is a leading enterprise here in Langston City. If you offend him, you might lose your job. Sometimes, it’s better to just endure."

Malcolm could make me lose my job? If I hadn’t stayed sober today, I’d almost think I was drunk.

Given my current rank, the only way to remove me from my position would be through a direct official order from higher authorities. No matter how wealthy the Fitzroy Family might be, even if their wealth rivaled nations, they couldn’t possibly have any real influence over me.

I gently patted the back of the class leader’s hand, signaling him not to worry.

"Malcolm, if your hostility toward me stems from the fact that I once had a crush on your fiancée, then let me make it clear. I have absolutely no interest in Thalianow. I suggest you focus your energy elsewhere. You and I are not the same kind of people."

I had planned to use this reunion as an opportunity to clear things up and resolve the misunderstanding with Malcolm. But it turned out his mind couldn’t process things that way.

He stared at me with bloodshot eyes. "Griffin, from the way you’re talking, are you saying I picked up some kind of trash? And my fiancée is a woman even you wouldn’t want? Also, what do you mean by ‘you and I aren’t the same kind of people’? Langston is full of businesses owned by my family. Who do you think you are?"

As soon as Malcolm finished speaking, Thaliaimmediately stepped forward to back him up. "Griffin, what do you mean by that? Do you think I’m no longer good enough for you now? You’re not leaving here today unless you explain yourself clearly."

Although that was indeed what I thought, I bit back the words to save them some dignity. "I don’t have time to chat with you two. Tell your people to open the door."

Despite Malcolm’s repeated provocations, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I chose to back down again and again. After all, this was a class reunion. I didn’t want to ruin the mood.

But just as I was about to leave, Malcolm’s bodyguards seized me firmly, blocking my way.

Malcolm strutted over, exuding arrogance and slapped my face with force. "You really think you’re somebody now, huh? Do you even know whose name this hotel carries? Back in school, weren’t you the one always tattling on people? Go ahead, make a call. I’d like to see if anyone’s still willing to help you now that we’re no longer in school."

Clenching my teeth, I locked eyes with him. "Malcolm, this is your last warning."

"Back in school, you were lazy and useless, always fighting or skipping class. I told the teachers for your own good. Now that you're an adult, remember to think about the consequences before you act!"

Malcolm’s eyes scanned the room, surveying our classmates. "You all heard that, right? He says I should think about the consequences, hahaha. Griffin, even if I ruin you today, what are you going to do about it? Do you really think being a top student makes you a big shot? Before you step out of here, you should’ve checked just how much weight the Fitzroy Family carries in Langston!"

I slowly lifted my head, holding back my anger with great effort. "Malcolm, have you ever heard the saying ‘There’s always someone bigger, someone stronger’? Some people are not to be trifled with."

"I advise you to let go of me now, or you’ll be the one regretting it later, not me."

As soon as I finished speaking, Malcolm sneered. "What did you say? I can’t afford to offend you? Let me tell you, Griffin, I haven't met a single opponent in Langston. You, a mere civil servant, are as easy to crush as an ant."

The classmates around us laughed mockingly after hearing Malcolm’s words. Only the class leader seemed anxious.

"Griffin, I think you should just apologize to Malcolm. We’re just ordinary kids, we can't compete with him. The Fitzroy Family has spread its influence all over Langston, involved in all kinds of industries. If you offend him, your future could get really difficult."

I looked at the faces in front of me, once so familiar, with a deep sense of disappointment. Was this what they call friendship between classmates?

I simply needed to leave early because of something urgent, yet I was repeatedly humiliated.

They mocked me for being poor, for driving a domestic car, but none of that bothered me. But now, someone was actually trying to hit me. Was this really how the wealthy behave?

Since I was young, I’d always been at the top of my class, but I never sought trouble. Even if someone occasionally provoked me, I would just smile and move on.

But I never expected that my usual humble attitude would be seen as weakness, something to be taken advantage of.

When Malcolm saw me staying silent, he thought I had backed down, he pulled out a stack of red bills.

"Griffin, here’s ten thousand dollars. If you crawl under my legs, the money is yours and let's forget about everything that happened before," Malcolm said, his voice dripping with mockery.

"After that, you just drive your little broken car and disappear from my sight. But if you won’t crawl, then consider this money your medical expenses."

My eyes turned cold with fury. "Malcolm, you really are asking for trouble. Do you even know who you're messing with?"

Instead of backing off, Malcolm only grew more arrogant.

"You're just a lackey carrying your boss's bags. What kind of status do you think you have? Did you see that Rolls-Royce outside? Just a single chip of its paint could buy you a whole car!"

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words. That was a Phantom S9, not some ordinary car. For most civil servants, owning one wasn’t just unlikely. It was almost unheard of.

Yet here I was, driving it around and being treated with respect everywhere I went. How had he managed to turn it into something so worthless in his eyes?

Ignorance wasn’t the scariest part, but what's worse was when people didn’t realize the trouble they’d brought upon themselves.

As soon as Malcolm finished speaking, the room erupted into thunderous applause.

The sycophants joined in, clapping and chiming in enthusiastically.

"Mr. Fitzroy, you're incredible! You’re driving a car worth millions of dollars at such a young age. You're truly an inspiration to us all."

"Exactly! It's an honor of a lifetime to have a classmate like Mr. Fitzroy."

"Griffin, hurry up and kneel to apologize to Mr. Fitzroy. A thousand dollars is already more than your annual salary!".

The lackeys grew more and more excited, while Malcolm became increasingly smug amidst their flattery.

He basked in the feeling of being the center of attention, not forgetting to mock me in the process.

"Griffin, why are you so quiet now? Weren't you acting all tough just a moment ago? Cat got your tongue?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed out the window.

"Believe it or not, if you don’t kneel and apologize to me today, I’ll smash your car."

My fists clenched involuntarily. Slowly, I let three words slip from my mouth:

"Go ahead, try."