The atmosphere inside the private room became even more subtle.
Everyone wanted to loosen up and treat this as nothing more than a normal high school reunion.But with three beauties gathered around Jason, it was impossible to relax naturally.
"I really don't understand it…" Rick muttered under his breath, eyes filled with envy. "Jason's only been out of sight for a short time. How did he suddenly become this charming?"
Even though Rick had always been on good terms with Jason, his heart still couldn't handle this level of stimulation.
"There's nothing you can do about it," Ethan sighed quietly. "He was already good-looking back then. Now he doesn't fawn over anyone, so his presence naturally has pressure."
He paused, then added meaningfully,"Plus… with his money, he's basically an indiscriminate killer."
Rick froze.
"Money?" he repeated. "What money power? This is real life, not some TV drama."
Before Josh could answer, there was a knock on the door.
A voice came from outside, but with the music and chatter inside the room, it was hard to hear clearly.
Katherine, who was closest to the door, stood up and opened it.
A middle-aged man with a receding hairline stood outside, dressed neatly, his posture cautious and respectful.
"Excuse me," the man asked politely, "is Mr. Carter in this room?"
Katherine was momentarily stunned.
After all, he wasn't used to hearing Jason addressed so formally—let alone with that kind of tone.
Before he could respond, Rick's expression changed sharply. He stepped forward immediately.
"Mr. Robert?" Rick asked in surprise. "Why are you here?"
After graduating high school, Rick had entered the workforce early. He stayed in Brookside City and did all kinds of jobs—construction, renovations, delivery work, small contracting gigs.
To put it nicely, he was versatile.To put it bluntly, he did every kind of odd job imaginable.
He was hardworking and quick to learn, but impatient. He wanted fast money, which meant he never quite stabilized.
Right now, he mainly took on small construction projects—home renovations, plumbing, small rural builds. Technically, he was a contractor, but in reality, he had to do the labor himself, and payments were often delayed or never fully collected.
As for Mr. Robert, the man standing at the door—
He was also in construction, but on a completely different level.
Roads. Infrastructure. Government-linked projects.
Mr. Robert didn't even glance at Rick.
His eyes scanned the room once—and the moment they landed on Jason Carter, they lit up.
He walked in quickly, placed several bottles of premium wine on the table, and spoke with unmistakable respect.
"Mr. Carter, I apologize for the sudden interruption. I'm Charles Robert, owner of Robert Engineering LLC. We're in the private room next door. When I heard you were here, I had to come over and pay my respects."
"These are just a few bottles of wine. Please accept them."
Jason smiled faintly."Thank you, but there's really no need. We're classmates—most of us don't drink much."
Mr. Robert nodded immediately."Of course. You decide what to do with them. If you need more, I'll have someone bring them over. If not, just leave them here."
He smiled politely at everyone."I won't disturb you any further. Enjoy your reunion."
Without lingering for even a second longer, Mr. Robert turned and left.
Inside the room—
Josh, Katherine, Ava, Ellie, Tanya all looked completely calm.
Given Jason's status and background, this kind of scene was… normal.
But Rick, Natasha, and Caleb were completely stunned.
Especially Rick.
He stared at Jason as if he were seeing him for the first time.
"Wait—wasn't that Mr. Robert?" Rick blurted out. "Why was he that respectful to you? He didn't even look at me! And those bottles… each one costs thousands. That's tens of thousands in total!"
What Rick didn't know—
Was that for Mr. Robert, being able to say the name 'Robert Engineering' in front of Jason Carter already made those tens of thousands worth every cent.
Just then—
Knock. Knock.
The door was knocked again.
This time, Rick went over to open it himself.
The moment he saw the burly man standing outside, his eyes widened in shock once more.
"Mr. White?" Lewis blurted out. "Why are you here too?"
And at that moment, the tension in the room silently climbed to a whole new level.
This Mr. White was on an entirely different level from Robert earlier.
WhiteRock Construction was one of the top construction companies in Brookside City. Many of the city's major commercial buildings, residential complexes, and infrastructure projects had his company's name stamped on them.
Yet—
Just like the others, Mr. White walked straight up to Jason Carter.
He placed several bottles of premium wine on the table and spoke respectfully.
"Mr. Carter, I'm Brian White, owner of WhiteRock Construction Group. I heard from another private room that you were here tonight. To be honest, I felt it was fate, so I took the liberty of coming over."
"Our company's capabilities in Brookside City are well known. If Mr. Carter ever needs a building constructed, I sincerely hope you'll consider us."
Jason waved his hand lightly."Today is a class reunion. Let's not talk about work."
Mr. White immediately nodded, not daring to push further.
"Of course, of course. My apologies for being presumptuous. Mr. Carter, please enjoy yourselves. I won't disturb you any longer. If you need anything, just let me know—I'm in Private Room Seven."
He bowed slightly and withdrew without hesitation.
At this point, Rick was completely dazed.
"Jason… what is going on?" he asked blankly. "Not just Mr. Robert—but even Mr. White is being this respectful to you. Don't tell me you're not just some ordinary guy… but a real big shot?"
Before Jason could answer—
Knock. Knock.
The door was knocked again.
Rick walked over to open it.
The moment he saw the man standing outside, his expression changed dramatically. He forced a polite smile.
"B-Brother Leo… hello."
If Rick had been polite to the first two, then toward this man—he was genuinely afraid.
This was Leo Vargas.
A man with deep roots, once active in both legal and illegal circles. After a major crackdown years ago, he had mostly gone legit—but his ruthless aura hadn't faded in the slightest.
More importantly, his connections behind the scenes were terrifying. Even operating within the law, he could still ruin ordinary people effortlessly.
Offending someone like him meant you wouldn't survive in this city.
Yet—
Leo Vargas walked straight past Rick.
He went directly to Jason, his attitude even more respectful than the previous two.
He bowed slightly and took out a cigarette, intending to light it for Jason—but the moment Jason waved his hand, Leo immediately put it away.
"Mr. Carter," Leo said respectfully, "I heard you were here from other rooms. I've long admired your name, so I came to pay my respects."
"I've made a small name for myself in Brookside City. If Mr. Carter ever needs anything—anything at all—just give the word. I'll do my utmost."
Jason frowned slightly, impatience flashing across his eyes. He waved his hand again.
Leo didn't dare show the slightest dissatisfaction. He bowed once more and retreated quickly.
Rick stood there, completely dumbfounded.
The Jason Carter in front of him felt strangely unfamiliar.
Only now did he realize—
This couldn't be coincidence.
This small karaoke lounge wasn't the kind of place these people would normally appear. One showing up might be luck.
But three, one after another, all on the same night?
They weren't here by chance.
They were here for Jason.
Sure enough—
Knock. Knock.
The door was knocked yet again.
Jason's patience finally ran out.
"Rick," he said calmly, "don't you take on all kinds of small contracting jobs?"
Rick nodded subconsciously.
"Why don't you go greet the people outside," Jason continued casually. "Tell them you're my good friend. They'll naturally be polite."
"Take this chance to get to know Mr. Robert, Mr. White. These connections will be useful to you."
Jason didn't want to be disturbed anymore.
At the same time, these people were extremely valuable contacts for Rick.
Two birds with one stone.
Rick's eyes instantly lit up.
He might not understand why this was happening—but the reason didn't matter.
What mattered was the result.
These people were treating Jason with extreme respect. And since he was Jason's close friend, they would definitely give him face.
Without hesitation, Rick rushed out the door, excitement written all over his face.
Inside the private room, whispers spread uncontrollably.
Many classmates stared at Jason in disbelief.
Do we even know this guy anymore?Is our classmate… actually a big shot?
On the other hand, Ava Summers and Ellie understood everything perfectly.
Mr. Robert and Mr. White showing up was clearly to secure future projects. With Jason's two-billion-dollar investment, massive developments were about to begin.
As for Leo Vargas—
He was here to curry favor and build connections.
Anyone with insider knowledge knew the truth:
Right now, Jason Carter was the most influential person in Brookside City.
A man who could walk straight into City Hall and be personally greeted by the mayor.
The so-called "connections" Leo had painstakingly cultivated over the years—
Were nothing in front of Jason Carter.
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