Chapter 9

Before long, under Melody's direction, Nicholas drove the car to the entrance of a small alley. "Wow. This place is packed," Nicholas said as he rolled down the window and glanced outside. Cars lined both sides of the alley, and there wasn't a single free spot. "Of course! I wouldn't recommend a place that isn't worth it," Melody said proudly, raising her eyebrows. "Alright," Nicholas nodded, feeling a bit excited now. Being a true local of Jazona, Nicholas knew that when it came to famous food in the city, barbecue was definitely at the top of the list. "Hey bro, could you back up a bit? I need to get my car out," a man in his 30s approached, handing Nicholas a cigarette with a polite smile. Bro? Upon hearing that, Melody gave a strange look. That guy was clearly older than Nicholas, yet he still called Nicholas "bro"? In this world, wealth really did equal status. "No problem, just a second," Nicholas replied, taking the cigarette and smiling before starting to reverse. His driving skills weren't bad, and he smoothly backed up, clearing space for the man's car. "Thanks, man!" A blue BMW 5 Series drove past them a moment later. "No problem," Nicholas replied, then pulled back into the parking space once the BMW had passed. "Pretty lucky to find another spot so quickly," he commented after getting out of the car. "By the way, I still don't know your real name," Melody said as she led Nicholas toward the alley. "I'm Melody Lane." "Nicholas Jakeman," he replied. "So, you're using your real name online?" Melody chuckled. "Yeah." As they chatted, they reached an open-air area filled with barbecue tables, every single one occupied. "Wow! This place is seriously packed," Nicholas couldn't help but comment. "Right?" Melody grinned proudly, raising her eyebrows again. "Hello, how many people please?" A waiter hurried over. "Two," Melody said, holding up two fingers. "This way, please." The waiter led them to a table that had just been cleaned. "You can scan this QR code to order, and we'll bring the food over as it's ready." "Got it! I've been here before, so you can go ahead," Melody replied with a smile before pulling out her phone to scan the code. "Do you eat beef skewers?" she asked. "Yeah." "Chitterlings?" "No." "Duck breast?" "Definitely." The two of them quickly picked out what to order. "Nicholas? Whoa, it really is you!" A voice suddenly came from the next table. Nicholas and Melody turned their heads to see a young man with dyed yellow hair sitting with a flashy young woman. The young man's eyes widened when he noticed Melody. "Damn. She's hot," he thought. "Who's that?" Melody asked in a whisper. "An old coworker from when I used to deliver food," Nicholas replied, giving the yellow-haired guy a small nod. "You did food delivery?" Melody blinked in surprise, then scratched her head. "Rich guys like you really love slumming it for the experience, huh? I saw a video once where a delivery guy, still in uniform, casually bought a watch worth tens of thousands!" Nicholas just smiled and stayed silent. If it weren't for the system, he'd probably still be at home eating instant noodles, wondering how to meet Charlotte in person. "Babe, your friend doesn't seem too interested in talking to you," the yellow-haired guy's girlfriend said, trying to stir things up. The guy sneered and stood up immediately. "Excuse me, who owns the Porsche Cayenne parked outside the alley?" a waiter called out just then. Everyone turned their heads toward the yellow-haired guy. "Is it yours?" the waiter asked as he hurried over. "Sir, there's a customer outside whose car can't get out. Would you mind moving your car?" "What? Mine?" The yellow-haired guy was confused. He only had an electric scooter. "The silver Porsche Cayenne outside the alley," the waiter clarified. "Do I look like I can afford a luxury car like that?" the guy scoffed. However, as he prepared to walk over to Nicholas' table, he noticed Nicholas standing up. "It's mine," Nicholas said calmly. "It's yours?" The waiter immediately hurried over to Nicholas. As he passed, the yellow-haired guy heard the waiter muttering, "If you can't afford it, why even stand up?" "Damn it!" The yellow-haired guy nearly choked. He had stood up to cause trouble for Nicholas! But what was going on? A Porsche Cayenne? Wasn't Nicholas just a broke guy from an orphanage? How was he suddenly driving a Porsche? "This way, sir," the waiter said politely, leading Nicholas out of the open-air barbecue area. They arrived back at the alley entrance. A man in his 30s was standing by his car, smoking a cigarette. When he saw the waiter leading Nicholas over, he quickly approached with an apologetic smile and handed Nicholas a cigarette. "Sorry, man. Your car is parked a bit too close to mine. I'm not confident enough to move it." Nicholas took the cigarette and smiled. "It's fine. Moving the car won't take long." The man's hesitation was understandable. It was a luxury car worth hundreds of thousands. A small scratch could cost an average person their entire month's salary. Nicholas walked over to his car and took a look. He chuckled to himself. Honestly, there was plenty of space between the cars. But when he looked at the man's car—a used BYD—it made sense. If he were in the same situation, he'd be worried too. People often thought everyone in Jazona was rich just because it was a major city, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Even in the capital city, the wealth gap was massive. Soon, Nicholas moved his car, creating a wider gap. "Thanks a lot, man!" The driver waved and drove off. Nicholas smiled and got out of the car. Just as he was about to head back into the alley, a beautiful woman caught his eye. "Ding!"