Under the night sky, Klaus followed Justin leading the way, down a quiet street under the illumination of streetlights. They came to a deserted area, but there was a bar lit up with music coming from inside.
As they entered the bar, and the smell of alcohol hit them. The place was packed with people, and the noise level was just right, and th sound of chatter and laughter filled the air.
This bar was dimly lit, with a low ceiling and a long wooden bar stretching across the room, and the walls were covered in vintage posters and old photographs.
A group of middle-aged men sat at the bar, watching a football game on the TV. A couple sat in a corner, whispering sweet nothings to each other. A group of young women giggled loudly, sipping their cocktails.
As they were looking for a seat, someone spotted them from across the room.
"Hey, Justin!" A dark-skinned man in a white t-shirt, waving from a distance, signaled them to come over.
Justin opened his eyes wide, then gestured for Klaus to follow him.
The celeb was wearing a black knitted hat, covering his pink head and wearing sunglasses, so he didn't attract much attention.
They sat with a group of students, three men and two women. The man who called Justin gave Klaus a place to sit, while the other students chatted with Justin.
"Wow! Look at our celebrity, he still wants to hang out with us." The male students joked.
"I thought you were busy with your filming." A female student chimed in.
"How could I forget you guys." Justin smiled widely and stroked the back of his head.
Klaus stayed and watched, allowing Justin to chat with his friends. They joked and laughed, a pleasant atmosphere surrounded them, and they ordered extra glasses of beer.
"So, when did you introduce your sweet friend, Justin?" The female student coquettishly glanced at Klaus.
"Ah, he's Klaus. We're coworkers."
"So he's a celebrity too?"
"Nope, more like a superior and subordinate relationship," Justin grimaced, glancing at Klaus, while the student bobbed his head up and down.
A waiter came in with a couple of beers and set them on the table. The dark-skinned man handed out the beers, but when he thrust them at Klaus, Justin signaled by shaking his head at the dark-skinned man.
"You don't drink?" the dark-skinned man asked Klaus.
"No, I'm still 18."
The students were shocked as soon as they heard Klaus's answer, especially a female student who had previously intended to tease him. They stared at Justin. The minimum age to consume alcohol was 21, if they gave Klaus alcohol, then they would be in trouble.
"Are you nuts to bring kids to this place?"
Klaus was a little annoyed at being called a kid, but he still held back.
Justin raised a hand, pushing into the air. "Calm down. Don't get angry yet. Listen to me carefully."
The celeb told his friends about Klaus' identity and background. They were in disbelief when they learned that Justin worked for Klaus. Not to mention when they learned that Klaus was the grandson of Robert Lee, the founder of LR Enterprise, they couldn't help but drop their jaws.
The way they gazed at Klaus changed drastically. Justin didn't tell them why he brought Klaus into the bar.
Feeling the air become heavy, Klaus began to take the initiative. He introduced himself politely, like a junior talking to a senior, and then he got each of their names. Among the five of them, only the dark-skinned student left an impression on Klaus. The name was Jonathan Moss.
Every word that escaped Klaus was casual, but still had the impression of respecting them as seniors. Gradually, they became accustomed to speaking normally to Klaus.
Meanwhile, Justin could only gaze with a look of disbelief on his face. Klaus had never spoken to him like that.
"So, how did you meet Justin?" asked Klaus.
"We just happened to be in the same group during freshman orientation." Jonathan seemed relaxed when talking to him.
After a lot of boring small talk, Klaus found the right time to start a real topic.
"I heard you guys have an interest in arcana research," Klaus said.
Upon hearing the term "arcana" enter their conversation, Jonathan perked up. "Yes, arcanas. These things are, uh, miracles."
Then, Jonathan started talking about arcana non-stop, and his friends who had been silent or busy with their own conversations chimed in.
While eating peanuts and drinking water, Klaus just listened to them talk. Justin didn't understand a word of what they were talking about, just stayed silent and enjoyed his beer.
"If we can uncover the mystery behind arcana, I believe we can find out the reason why dungeons and monsters appear." Jonathan seemed emotional as he said it.
Not long after, the man realized that he was lost in his own world. "I'm sorry. I forget myself when it comes to arcana."
Klaus kindly shook his head. "That's okay. I actually have an interest in Arcana too. How about you work for me? I will fund you to research Arcana."
They laughed, thinking that Klaus was joking. However, he was not.
"I own a company, and I'm in need of some young people who have a keen interest in arcana."
Jonathan laughed. "Come on, Klaus. Stop joking around."
Klaus did not answer, his face was flat, the gaze in his eyes said that he was serious. Instantly, the smile disappeared on Jonathan's face. The man began to take the conversation seriously, as did his friends.
"Klaus," Jonathan said carefully. "I don't mean to belittle you but—"
"I'm still too young and don't have much experience, right?" Klaus cut in. "I know that's what you're trying to say. I can't deny that I'm still very young. If you don't believe me, at least believe Justin."
The celeb was surprised as his name was mentioned. Jonathan and his friends looked at him curiously. Understanding that he was being dragged into their conversation, Justin cleared his throat and said, "I won't say much. Trust him. I work under him for a reason. Klaus, he's different from us."
Jonathan and Justin stared at each other for a long time. The other students were silent, they knew that the atmosphere was becoming heavy.
After a long silence, Jonathan finally opened his mouth. "Alright. It doesn't seem like an offer I can easily refuse, seeing as you're so serious. I only consider Arcana research as a hobby. But, I need to hear your plan before I join your company."
Klaus clasped his hands together and leaned in. He explained his goal in creating the company in detail. He even told him what goods they would produce and the plan to market their products. This was something he had never told anyone else.
Jonathan and his friends couldn't help but be silent. They were three or four years older than Klaus, but they had never dreamed so high.
For a moment, they wondered if Klaus could have such a vision because he was the son of a conglomerate, but even if they too were born with the same wealth and privilege, they weren't sure they could be like Klaus.
"Wow... This is really mind blowing. I've never met anyone as ambitious as you. Honestly, I'd love to join, but," Jonathan stopped his words, worry filling his face. "I'm just a regular student. I still have student loans and my parents have a huge expectation on me. I can't leave my study just to work on something uncertain."
Klaus understood what Jonathan was afraid of. He took a napkin and a pen from his pocket. He wrote on it, and then he handed it to Jonathan.
The dark-skinned man opened his eyes wide. "No way. This..." Jonathan was speechless
His friends were curious, they saw what was written on the napkin, and they were wide-eyed instantly.
It was an employment contract worth 300,000 dollars per year.