The moment she complimented him, his eyes automatically began tearing up, filling with moisture. He blinked, and a single drop trickled down.
Seeing the system message, he quickly wiped his eyes.
Though the tears did not stop, knowing that he was crying because he was happy made him cry even more.
Why am I crying? he mused and wiped all of his tears quickly.
"Hidden task? Extra $20,000?... Haha, I couldn't… ask for more," he laughed awkwardly and checked his balance.
| Avail. Bal: $34,172.8
A small grin appeared on his face. He took in a long breath and exhaled slowly, calming himself down.
"Maybe things really are looking good," he mumbled with a happy tone—until life reminded him who he was, or who he used to be.
"Augustus, is that you? Whoa, look at you, man. You look even worse than when we were in university. Well, that's not surprising. Looking at your sorry state, maybe I should donate you $50," a young man similar to Augustus's age insulted him.
"Maybe you could dress properly and get a haircut and shave done. You look like—" he paused, contemplating whether to complete his sentence or not.
But as he got closer, he smirked. "You look like a beggar, honestly," mocking Augustus brazenly as if already knowing that it had no consequence.
[Task #04: Stay Calm. Let Actions Speak.]
Calm beats rage. Make them regret doubting you Let your Actions Speak.
| Penalty: Your hair starts parting itself—badly.
↳ Reward: $100,000 + Unshakable Composure.
Augustus eyes widened at the new tasks amount O-one hundred thousand? he thought, then glanced at the source of his mockery…or money.
"Caesar What are you doing here?" Augustus asked, narrowing his eyes at a much sharper, cleaner, and healthier-looking young man.
"None of your business, smartass," he provoked.
Most of his classmates hated Augustus for two main reasons: he was smart and hardworking, and teachers would sing his praises in the classroom, embarrassing most of the male students in front of the girls. Since he was already easy to pick on, the hatred grew much more easily.
[Task #05: Haircut. Shave. Dress properly.]
Level up your look, because the world treats you how you present yourself.
| Penalty: Your 3 contacts will receive an embarrassing message.
↳ Reward: $50,000 + Brand new phone + Confidence.
"What are you looking at, dirtbag?" he asked, easily getting triggered when Augustus stared not at him but at two system panels side by side near Caesar's head.
Two back-to-back tasks? Should I call my whole class here to insult me? he thought, with a small knowing smirk. And no, he wasn't a masochist, just a poor guy looking for more ways to make money.
"Nothing, I was just going to get a haircut and shave done at Orno's salon," Augustus assertively replied, meeting Caesar's gaze.
"Heeh, you?" he sneered. "Thought you were quite well off with your family business during the first year of university. Now your family is almost homeless, just scraping by," he paused to let his mockery sink in.
"Looking at you, the only thing you eat might be cup noodles."
Augustus's expression shifted at his last words, which was easily noticed by Caesar. He narrowed his brows. "Huh, really? Man, you are so miserable. Maybe stop lying, and I might pity you," Caesar said with a bitter tone.
With an ugly grin, "Say 'Master Caesar' while barking twice, and I'll give $500. Not a bad offer, right?" he mused and pulled out his iPhone 13 Pro to record him.
Augustus furrowed his eyes. Honestly speaking, this was not a bad offer. Until yesterday, maybe his miserable self would have actually done it. There were not only his expenses due but also his sister's tuition fees.
"I am going to Orno's salon. Follow me if you want," Augustus confidently stated and walked past him without paying any attention.
"W-why are you not getting angry, man?" Caesar wanted to see Augustus all angry and frustrated. Sadly for him, Augustus reacted oppositely and answered, "You're not worthy of my anger, Caesar."
His eyes twitched. "I was really going to give you $500, but that's not off the table. Follow you? Sure, let's go. But before that…" he paused and video-called his university friends from the group chat.
"Let's talk to our old friends," he asserted, and mentioned that Augustus was going into Orno's salon. While most knew this was impossible, six people still joined in for the fun.
Daniel Orno was a famous salon professional in Bridgemont City. If you stepped in even once, at least $500 would be leaving your pocket.
Already in the city center, they quickly arrived at the richer side of the city.
"Orno's Salon," Augustus read the large branding board and saw an open area with a parking space that had many mid- to high-end bikes and cars parked.
There was even a Lamborghini Huracán Evo parked in red color, along with a Bentley Continental GT V8, attracting many eyes.
"Look, guys, this loser thinks he can walk into Orno's salon and get a haircut," Caesar began, panning his camera toward Augustus, then showed the high-end salon. Then he turned his front camera as his friends began talking.
{Haha, will they even allow that beggar?} another classmate sneered through the screen.
{I don't want to see his miserable state, show those beauties behind,} another said, looking at the cars in the background.
Augustus paid no heed to them, minding his own business. He walked straight toward the entrance of Orno's salon. However… he was soon stopped by a bodyguard.
{Look at that idiot, already blocked by the bodyguard,} another classmate said.
"Haha, LOL. Why does he even want to pretend and embarrass himself? Even I can't afford haircuts here," Caesar said, looking into the camera, then turned his head toward Augustus.
"Augustus, let's go, man. This is giving me secondhand embarrassment," he yelled.
"Hahaha!" and everyone began laughing through the screen, making it entertaining and fun.
"I'm sorry, kid, but I can't allow you to go inside," the burly bodyguard said in a steady voice with a firm gaze.
"I'll pay first, then take the services," Augustus shot back bluntly.
The bodyguard looked at him with a frown, confusion flickering in his eyes. Then, after a few moments of contemplation, "Wait here. I'll go and inform the boss," he mused and stepped away from his spot.
Minutes later, the bodyguard returned with a woman who wore a black T-shirt that had her name written on it.
"Hello, I'm Tiffany, a staff member here. What are you looking for?" she asked in a professional tone, yet her gaze gleamed with scorn after looking at his worn-out clothes.
Augustus used to the scornful look, said with an expressionless face, "Show me the menu."
The woman pulled out a meticulously designed menu and shoved it in his face.
"Please select fast, sir. I have to attend to other clients too," she said impatiently.
Precision Haircut – $100
Gentleman's Facial – $80
Eyebrow Shaping – $150
…
Full Luxury Package – $1,399
Augustus read the menu, his eyes widening with shock. He had anticipated the amount to be high, but this… this was way too high for him.
Noticing his reaction, Tiffany mused, narrowing her eyes. "You don't have money. Right? I knew it. You—"