Chapter 5 Bank Balance Worth Billions

The autumn was bleak that year.

The yellow maple leaves floated in the wind and fell at Alvaro's feet.

He couldn't believe five years had passed in the blink of an eye.

He took out the black card from his pocket.

The words 'Blyken Card, authorized by Century Bank' glistened under the light.

Alvaro's eyes widened.

Something occurred to him.

It looked like an international bank card -- perhaps more valuable than that.

Only wealthy, influential people owned a Century Bank Blyken Card. Moreover, this card looked special.

Alvaro trailed his fingers across the name of the card and wondered who would have sent it to him.

After he had rejected the gift for the first time, someone had sent it on his birthday for the second time.

Besides, the guy on the motorcycle had given the card to him in person. It certainly did not seem like a coincidence.

Alvaro wandered aimlessly on the street for a while and arrived at the Century Bank. After a moment's hesitation, he made a bold decision.

He decided to see if he could withdraw money.

If there was money in the card, he would be able to use it for his urgent needs.

He could return the money to the owner of the card later.

Alvaro took a deep breath and walked into the Century Bank.

The building looked opulent. All kinds of luxury cars were lined up in the parking lot.

People in branded designer clothes walked in and out of the bank.

However, Alvaro looked like a barbarian and seemed to garner everyone's attention.

At first, he felt inferior -- especially when he saw the young, beautiful women working in the bank. Alvaro had a strong impulse to turn and leave. However, he soon remembered he had no money to eat his next meal, so he gritted his teeth and got inside.

Just then, a graceful young woman in a black uniform walked up to Alvaro.

"Hello, Sir. What can I do for you?"

The woman looked warm and affable.

Alvaro breathed a sigh of relief. His body seemed to visibly relax. Her kind demeanor made him less nervous.

However, he didn't know that every staff in Century Bank was cordial and greeted customers with a smile. Alvaro didn't catch the sarcasm in her gaze.

The woman noticed Alvaro the moment he stepped into the bank.

His body was soaked in sweat. He looked like a beggar. The woman had no idea who he was but disliked him at first sight.

"I'm here to withdraw money." He stepped closer toward her.

The woman's nose scrunched with disgust. She could no longer retain her smile. "Sir, can you please step back? Err... you smell..."

"I'm sorry." Alvaro awkwardly stepped back.

He hadn't washed his face or showered since he left the Douglas family. He knew he reeked of sweat and dirt.

"Okay, please show me your card." The woman reached out her hand. Alvaro took the card from his pocket and gave it to her.

He nervously licked his lips, wondering if the card was fake.

The woman's eyes widened when she glanced at the card.

"You..." she trailed off, looking at Alvaro. "You own this card?"

Alvaro grew tense.

He nodded, shifting in his feet.

"Please wait a moment. I'll call the director."

The woman ran into the room without returning the card to him.

After a while, a beautiful woman walked out with the young worker.

"Director, this is him!" She pointed at Alvaro.

Their reaction frightened him. He had an inkling that he was in trouble.

Alvaro felt stupid for coming to the bank in the first place.

He wondered who had pranked him.

Fearing he would get into more trouble, Alvaro turned around and ran away.

"Security guards, catch him!" The supervisor bellowed the orders.

Immediately, three security guards rushed toward Alvaro.

Although Alvaro could fight now, he didn't want to resist them.

The three guards pinned him to the floor.

"Where did you get this card?" the female supervisor asked, glaring at him.

"I... I don't know." He cursed the man who gave him the card for ruining his already messed up life.

"You don't know?" The supervisor snorted. "This is the limited edition Blyken Card of Century Bank. Only a hundred of these cards are issued all over the world. Even the wealthiest men in the city cannot afford it. How could someone like you possess one?" she asked, sizing him up.

"What?"

Alvaro was taken aback.

He realized the card was not fake.

Alvaro couldn't fathom why would anyone give him this limited-edition card.

"Tell me the truth. Is this your card? Do you own it?"

The supervisor cast a suspicious look at Alvaro.

"Of course it's mine!" he said confidently. A wave of relief washed over him when he found out the card wasn't fake.

"Don't you dare lie!" The supervisor turned livid. "Only distinguished people could own it. Look at yourself! How could someone like you own this card?"

Although Century Bank's main principle was to be cordial to its customers, the supervisor could no longer remain calm when she saw the Blyken Card in the hands of a thief.

"But this card belongs to me!" Alvaro didn't know what to say.

"That's enough! I'm tired of listening to your lies. Security guards, catch him. I'm going to call the police," the supervisor shouted.

Two guards pinned Alvaro to the floor.

Alvaro was always patient and kind. He seldom lost his cool. However, he could no longer remain calm. The workers of the bank seemed to accuse him of stealing. They treated him like a criminal. "Is this how you treat your customers? Let's talk like adults. There's no need to get physical."

However, everyone ignored him. The supervisor picked up her phone to call the police.

Just then, a loud noise startled everyone.

The two guards pinning Alvaro flew in the air and fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

The supervisor froze in horror when she saw that.

She couldn't understand what had happened.

"Enough! You can't keep humiliating me."

Alvaro patted the dust on his clothes and glared at the supervisor.

The woman flinched in fear. "You... You are a mere thief. What can you do?" she croaked, suppressing her fear. "You stole the Blyken Card. The owner of this card would never let go of you."

"I'm saying this for the thousandth time: I did not steal the damn card!" Alvaro hissed through his teeth.

"Okay! If you are so sure about it, would you come to the VIP room with me?" the supervisor asked as a plan occurred to her.

The VIP room had surveillance cameras everywhere. The thief had to go through a series of verification processes. If he failed the authentication test, the police could use the camera footage to find him even if he left the bank.

"Okay!" Alvaro nodded.

*

However, his heart leaped to his throat when he stepped into the VIP room.

Although he didn't steal, the card wasn't his. Someone had given it to him.

Alvaro wondered how he would pass the verification process if he didn't own the card.

"First, enter your six-digit password," the supervisor snapped coldly.

Alvaro's breath caught in his throat.

He didn't know the password and would get in trouble for that.

A mysterious man gave him the card and left without telling him the password.

Alvaro decided to try a random combination of numbers.

He took a deep breath and typed the numbers.

The loud beep of the alarm startled him.

"Incorrect password! You only have two more chances left!" The supervisor sneered.

Alvaro scratched his head and entered the password again.

"Incorrect. This is your last chance."

The supervisor scoffed at him. She was sure he was a thief who had stolen the card.

Alvaro panicked.

He couldn't figure out the password.

However, he took a deep breath and entered his date of birth.

The next second, the supervisor's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You... It's correct."

Alvaro was so excited that he wanted to cry.

He couldn't believe his date of birth was the correct password.

"But this is only the first step of verification. We will also verify your fingerprints and facial recognition." The supervisor's tone wasn't as rude as before.

She was skeptical now.

She wondered if Alvaro was the real owner of the Blyken Card.

"All right. Let's get this over with." Alvaro grinned.

He was now sure the man who gave him the card must have arranged everything.

As expected, Alvaro passed all the verification processes.

Meantime, the supervisor's attitude toward him drastically changed. She was no longer indifferent, vigilant, or suspicious but looked at Alvaro with sheer respect and awe.

Soon, she realized what she had done and bowed before him.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I misunderstood you. Please forgive me! I'm really sorry."

After all, she shouldn't have offended someone who owned a Blyken Card.

If Alvaro complained about her attitude, she would not only get fired but might never be able to find another job in the city.

However, Alvaro didn't blame her. "Forget it." He waved his hands dismissively. "You were just doing your job. Now that you know I'm not a thief, could you help me check how much I have on my card?"

"No problem. Please wait a moment." She smiled earnestly.

Alvaro's kindness moved her to tears.

She blamed herself for being pretentious and calling Alvaro a thief.

Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the numbers on the screen after inserting the card.

There were billions of dollars on his card.