I kept walking without stopping, letting the distance between me and those five geniuses stretch out naturally until even the idea of them started to feel far away.
The street ahead was quiet in a way that felt almost staged, like the world was performing peace just to see if I would relax and make a mistake.
I did not plan on giving it that satisfaction, but I could not deny that something about this moment felt… lighter.
Not emotionally. That would be asking too much.
Financially.
I adjusted the pouches in my hand and listened to the faint clink of coins shifting against each other. It was a clean sound. Simple. Honest in a way nothing else in this world seemed to be.
Some people probably found comfort in silence or music, but right now, this was better than both. This was the sound of profit. The sound of five bad decisions turning into one very good one.
