Idle Money System

Alexander recognized the familiar voice and a girl from his high school years instantly appeared in his mind. He looked back and saw a girl with a happy smile gazing at him.

"Zya? What a coincidence," Alexander exclaimed, surprised, as he stood up from his seat.

Seeing his surprised expression, Zya smiled delicately, her voice coquettish. Without hesitation, she hugged Alexander, who was still facing away from her. Alexander was shocked and his face flushed red as he was unexpectedly embraced.

"How have you been these past few days, Alexander?" she asked, her eyes glimmering as she looked at Alexander with longing.

But she stopped her gaze, realizing that he wasn't alone. Two women were accompanying him, and she gazed at them coldly.

Claire, who was shocked by the sudden intimacy, was stunned, but then angry. Her eyes flared as she gazed back coldly towards Zya.

Her eyes were indicating the words 'mine' with her violent gaze looking at her, but Zya did not back down. Instead, she scoffed at the two.

Sophie, on the side, was bewildered. Why was the girl who hugged Alexander looking at her aggressively?

Also, she even hugged Alexander without any constraint. Couldn't she have asked the other party first before she did that? She only pouted as she did not back down from the gaze either.

Seeing their looks, Alexander hurriedly introduced Sophie and Claire to her.

"Oh, yeah, Zya, these are my new friends. This is Claire, the boss's sister from where I work, and this is Sophie, the cook of the restaurant. We came here to have fun but decided to eat since we are hungry. What about you? Are you also here to eat?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, a friend of mine invited me to eat here," she said scornfully, purely irritated or feeling disgust with the person who invited her.

Zya stood tall, a striking 5'8" with long, raven-black hair that cascaded down her back. Her features were small and perfectly proportioned, with a high forehead framed by her long, dark hair. Her eyes, the most striking aspect of her face, were large and almond-shaped, with a captivating shade of crimson that seemed to glow with an inner light.

They were framed by long, thick eyelashes, and a hint of matureness always seemed to linger in their depths. Her nose was small and straight, and her pink cherry lips were so charming to look at.

Her expression was one of quiet confidence, with a hint of a smile playing on her lips. She seemed to be both playful and intelligent, a combination that made her all the more intriguing.

She was dressed in a crisp white blazer, adorned with black trim, over a black collared shirt and a vibrant turquoise tie. The blazer was paired with a pleated white skirt that fell just above her knees, and she wore black tights that accentuated her long legs. Her attire exuded an air of sophistication.

Zya Puertas is Alexander's best friend all the way back from elementary school. She was talkative and cute, and she sometimes loved to talk with him.

There were times when his classmates bullied him, and she was always there to stand up for him. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also brave and smart.

This is when Alexander developed a crush on her when he was 12 years old. At that time, he really wanted to confess but didn't want to. Since her family was rich, she had many suitors at that time, even though she was just a child.

When they were in high school, her suitors were not only rich but also came from families with strong family backgrounds. So he only buried this in his heart and let time slowly extinguish that flame.

Since he knew that the two of them weren't compatible and if he confessed and she said no, then their friendship for years would be ruined for nothing.

Hearing his words, Alexander was about to ask what friend when suddenly a voice of a guy came.

"Zya, sorry I'm late. What do you want to eat? Do you want a-" His voice stopped as he saw a man was so close to Zya, seeming like they were a couple.

His eyes flared with jealousy, his face turned red with anger. He bared his teeth and closed the distance between them.

"Hey, you! Why are you sticking so close to Zya? With your poor clothes, do you think you can afford her?" he spoke without restraint. His vicious eyes and malicious words were so bad to hear.

Alexander narrowed his eyes and was about to retort, but someone already beat him to it.

"Shut up you dog. Being rich isn't an achievement when your attitude stinks like that. You walk around like your money can buy respect, but news flash – it can't. You look like you just crawled out of a trash heap, and yet you have the nerve to insult Alexander? Please. He's got more beauty and decency in his little finger than you'll ever have in your entire miserable existence.

And guess what? Your face looks like it was kicked by a donkey, it makes me want to puked." Claire retorted in a high voice, her anger roused if it concerns Alexander name.

The people dining inside were startled by the sudden shout, turning their heads to see the source. It was an argument between charming individuals.

Hearing a girl berate him in front of a crowd, the guy's gaze shifted, his eyes seeming to hold a flicker of anger. But when he saw that it was a beautiful woman, his face softened into a smile, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"There's not just one beauty, but two! How can this bastard be so lucky?" The man thought to himself, inwardly envious of Alexander's good fortune.

He only looked at the girl, her tomboyish attire making her seem more like a boy than a girl.

"Beauty being handsome isn't everything," he retorted with a smirk, his eyes lingering on her with a predatory gleam.

"If he can't even earn a decent living, what will happen to his future? He'll starve to death and be a low-class insect forever." As he looked at her from top to bottom.

Not only her, but his gaze also shifted to another girl in the group, a short-haired woman with striking beauty as well.

"Well, being with a handsome man with a good personality is better than a rich, ugly wrench," Claire countered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Being called ugly by a beautiful girl ignited a spark of anger within him. His face wasn't truly handsome, just slightly above average. Thin brows framed sharp eyes, a slightly prominent nose, and short black hair.

He was tall, well over six feet, with a muscular build that set him apart from the average man. Alexander was around 6 feet as well, but the guy was slightly taller.

With no way to retaliate physically, he could only glare at Alexander, his disgust is palpable.

"Are you just going to hide behind a woman? What a coward you are," he spat, his voice laced with aggression.

He clenched his fist, attempting to intimidate Alexander with the threat of violence.

Undeterred, Alexander met his gaze blankly, his face devoid of emotion. The skill 'Heart of Stone' helped him quell the rising rage within him. But inside he really wants to cripple him right now. It was only Zya's presence that held him back. If it was his past self, he would have caused trouble already.

"Your mouth stinks," Alexander said, his face contorted in disgust, as if he had just smelled a pile of dung.

"You bastard! What did you say?!" The man roared, his anger reaching a boiling point. He made a right hook, his fist came flying towards Alexander's face.

"Michael, what are you doing? Who gave you the guts to insult my friend?" Zya intervened, her voice laced with fury, halting his attack.

His fist froze mid-air, inches from Alexander's face. It was too close to dodge. Alexander stood there, completely still, not even flinching. He was motionless when the attack was coming at him.

This filled the guy with a strange kind of disgust, "This guy was so easy to intimidate, it was almost offensive." he cursed at Alexander, only at his though.

Thinking that he was so scared that he did not even respond from his attack.

"You're lucky this time," he grumbled, pulling his fist back and shoving his hands into his pockets acting cool.

"I should say that to you," Alexander replied coldly, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Why, you little—" Michael didn't finish his sentence as Zya shouted again.

"Michael, if you don't stop, I'm going to ask you to leave." Her eyes were as cold as her voice.

Michael reluctantly held back his anger as he looked at Alexander, his looked was so cold that seemed ready to devour Alexander whole. If looks could kill, Alexander would have been dead.

"I'm leaving for now, but this isn't over," Michael said, threatening Alexander.

He then left, leaving Zya behind. Alexander watched him go without a hint of fear. Even a gang wouldn't stand a chance against him, what could a normal guy possibly do?

"Sorry about that, Alexander. Please don't mind his words. He's just so arrogant and thinks he's above everyone else," Zya said, pouting and looking adorably cute.

Alexander didn't let Michael's words bother him. Ever since he gained this skill, he felt that insults that once fueled his anger had significantly less impact.

However, the lingering urge to take down that guy remained, thankfully, he was able to hold it back.

"Zya, don't mention it. I don't really care what he says since it's just empty words," he said with a smile.

Seeing this, Zya couldn't help but smile at his carefree expression. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered something important.

"Alexander, I'm sorry, but I have to go or I'll be late. I'll call you to catch up on some things," she said, sounding reluctant but still waved her goodbye as she left.

As Zya stepped out of the restaurant, she was filled with anger over Michael's actions. Their reunion had been ruined because of him. Just then, her phone rang. She answered it as she speaks quickly.

"Dad, I'm on my way now," Zya said into the phone.

"Be quick, Zya. You know how important this day is," her father's voice replied from the other end.

Zya's expression turned serious, "I know, Father. I'll be home soon." She picked up her pace, leaving the mall behind.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Meanwhile, Alexander, Sophie, and Claire also left the restaurant. Their appetites had been spoiled, and people around them were staring and whispering, making them the center of attention.

As they walked through the mall's hallway, Claire was still fuming, practically wanting to skin Michael alive. Alexander tried to calm her down, and after a while, they separated and headed home.