CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: COLLEGE REUNION!

Lake Crown Villa, Mumbai

The world whirled around wildly and in an instant, Alex was there from nowhere.

Two bulging bags stood beside him, filled to brim, overflowing with shimmering gold!

"Made a killing this time!" Alex chuckled excitedly.

"Over 3,000 taels of gold... how much would this amount to?"

He opened the bag and poured out the gold tael before his eyes. A spark of excitement glowed in his eyes, his chest heaving with pride.

Early the following morning, Alex woke up feeling refreshed. The first thing he thought about was to settle over 3,000 taels of gold that he had in his hands.

However, there was one catch—weight.

The sheer weight of it meant he couldn’t hold onto it for long. He needed to get rid of it, before he drew the wrong kind of attention.

With that in mind, he went to an old acquaintance for assistance. Rishi.

Rishi’s contacts introduced Alex to Vikram quite a man who dealt in the gold trade.

Vikram was not just someone. He had dozens of gold chain stores throughout Mumbai, with a giant network to control.

With a fortune exceeding a $100 million, he was nothing short of a gold tycoon.

That morning, Alex carried two massive suitcases and made his way to Vikram’s store.

When the suitcases were unzipped, revealing a mountain of gold inside, Vikram froze.

"Shit!..Carrying gold... in a suitcase?" His voice trembled.

He rubbed his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Gold? Packed in suitcases?

Even though he was a tycoon who handle gold every day, this was the first time anyone had brought out so much in one deal.

It was also done in such an absurd way at that!

Alex, though, didn’t share the same sentiments. He just blinked, embarrassed.

He had been rushed back then. Packing the gold into suitcases was the fastest thing to do.

After all, over 3,600 taels of gold is nearly about more than 180 kilograms!

Who in the world could carry it around by hand?

Naturally, a wheeled suitcase was the way to go.

"Mr. Alex," Vikram finally asked, fighting to conceal his amazement, "what precisely does your family do? Do you... perhaps... have a gold mine?"

His eyes were wide with curiosity. Alex was way too young, barely in his early twenties.

But here he was, carrying out enough gold to destroy entire enterprises.

Other than stealing a bank, Vikram could only assume one thing that Alex grew up in a family of miners.

"I’m just an average guy."

Alex smiled and shrugged as if he were innocent.

"How could I possibly have a gold mine in my house?"

Vikram went speechless. His lips curled.

Average?

This guy had just whipped out over 180 kilograms of gold like it was candy!

If that was normal, then what was abnormal?

However, he soon shifted his mood. Business was business.

"My assistant has already weighed the gold," Vikram said in a composed manner.

"It’s pure. Total weight: 180,000 grams. At the current rate of recycling of $7.8, the total amount is nearly 1,400,000."

Alex nodded casually.

But Vikram scowled.

"Mr. Alex... I don’t have sufficient liquid funds right now. If you don’t mind, would you be willing to swap your gold for other assets?"

His voice was cautioned, but his thoughts were already in motion.

The value of gold was increasing by the day. His stocks were dwindling, and if not replenished in time, his whole gold chain business would suffer.

This young fellow had just entered with the answer to all his troubles.

If he got this deal, Vikram’s shops could keep running smoothly.

Alex cocked his head. "I don’t object. But what do you intend to trade it for?"

Surprisingly enough, Vikram smiled and uttered only one sentence.

"Emerald Villa."

Alex blinked. For a moment, his mind went blank.

Emerald Villa?

Why did that ring a bell...

Afternoon, Emerald Villa, Mumbai

A black Porsche screech to a stop before the luxurious Emerald Villa.

Raju emerged wearing a crisply tailored suit, hair immaculately styled, sunglasses resting on his forehead.

He was the looking like a young man who had made it big.

He mentioned to Alex earlier that he had no clue who had reserved such an luxurious Villa.

But the reality? The reservation was his.

Due to his business connections, Raju frequently had guests to entertain. Such a hotel, with its reputation and prestige, was ideal to make an impression.

Inside the lobby, some of his classmates had already gathered. Their jaws fell the instant they opened the door.

Crystal chandeliers sparkled above, throwing dazzling light upon the refined wooden floors.

Velvet curtains draped beautifully beside the windows, while golden molding adorned each nook.

Even the air had a faint scent of costlier perfume and freshly ground coffee.

No one was brave enough to breathe a little too hard.

They had graduated only a few months before.

Most had never even set foot in such a luxury hotel, let alone thought of eating here.

Their silence was oppressive.

Raju took pride in it.

Watching their awestruck faces, he grinned self-consciously and spread his arms wide.

"My dear old friends," he exclaimed affectionately, "this restaurant is amazing."

"You see, the dishes served here are all genuine gourmet food. Each dish is lovingly prepared with perfection."

He puffed out his chin in pride as if he were the owner.

"The chef here is a Michelin three-star, who once actually cook for the richest man in India."

"Emerald Villa might have just opened for a few years, but its name already sends shivers down Mumbai."

"Credibility, reliability, excellence—this are what makes Emerald Villa the best."

The classmates exchanged glances, still unable to find words.

Raju chuckled, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Come, come! I’ve already reserved a private room for us."

He snapped his fingers at a waiter, then turned back to them with a grin.

"Room 888."

Lucky number, prosperous number.

But for whom...surely not for Raju.

Raju waved his hand like a king leading his subjects, and strutted toward the private dining area.

The others trailed behind, but their grins hardened.

Everyone’s hearts thumped as they thought the same thing.

How much was this going to cost?

Some of them already regretted coming at all.