Noah was taken aback when he noticed Jason's intense gaze, as if he wanted to kill him with his eyes.
"Wow, take it easy, Jason. I'm not related to the military, nor do I work for any military top brass..."
Noah took a moment to collect himself. He saw him relax and slowly sip his wine.
"Absolutely not. What I really mean is that I'm an undercover billionaire. I'm in Caldwell to learn more about office management."
"Pft..." Jason nearly spat out the expensive wine he'd just tasted. He quickly closed his mouth and forced himself to drink it down.
Although he was too shocked to hear Noah's words, he also couldn't waste expensive wine.
"Man, don't waste the expensive wine!" Noah laughed warmly and handed him a glass of water.
After Jason emptied the water, he narrowed his eyes at Noah and asked, "Are you trying to humor me?"
"Humor you? What humor?" Noah asked. A frown gradually appeared on his forehead.
Despite wanting to believe Noah's words, Jason finds it hard to accept them. "You are an undercover billionaire?"
Noah responds with a smile, observing the flicker of doubt in Jason's eyes. He envisions the moment he finally reveals his true identity to his closest friends.
What he sees now is precisely what he had envisioned.
"I have no reason to do that, Jason." Noah's steady tone and intense gaze left Jason speechless. "I'm being honest! Throughout this time, I hid my identity because of..."
"Wait, wait..." Jason lifted his hand to halt Noah from speaking further.
"So what you told me was also a lie? Your sick mother, your genius sister, but she might not attend college due to the tuition costs?" Jason asked, his tone clearly expressing the shock he felt.
'Damn it! I'm doomed now! Why the hell do I share so much about my miserable life?' Noah vents his frustration inwardly.
After setting aside his irritation, Noah explained that his identity was kept secret because his father feared for his safety. To protect him, they orchestrated his life as an orphan from childhood, and his adoptive family was real.
Noah did not continue his explanation right away; instead, he gave Jason a chance to understand what he had just explained.
He noticed doubt lingering in Jason's eyes, but his expression was less tense. He felt relieved.
Finally, Jason no longer sees him trying to make a joke.
...
At the same time, their order arrived at last.
Jason was surprised to see Noah ordering two ribeye sets—one for Noah and another for him.
This time, Jason didn't question him. Instead, he tried to enjoy the meal he hadn't eaten in so many years.
They enjoyed their lunch silently as if they were lost in their thoughts.
Jason was still trying to process what Noah had said, which sounded unreasonable.
Meanwhile, Noah?
He was taking a moment to check his system. So much had happened in his life over the past two days that he hadn't found the time to go through all the unread notifications in his inbox.
Moments later, he was astonished to find the reward: a Golden Card granting access to the Golden Phoenix Group.
He received this reward after successfully taking his revenge on Julia Hart.
'Why did I forget about this card? Where's the card now?' he wondered, feeling a little puzzled if Edgar had handed it over to him or if that man had forgotten to do it.
When he looked at the 'Storage Space' he noticed the card there.
Noah held back a grin, aware that every time he received an item from his system, it would sooner or later be placed in his 'Storage Space.'
This setup would simplify retrieval whenever he needed it.
As he checked his storage space, Noah noticed that everything his father had given him was now stored there.
He didn't want to risk leaving everything in the hotel room, so he only left his old suitcase behind.
'It looks like it's time for me to shop! I can't wear my old clothes again,' he pondered enthusiastically.
...
Soon after, Jason's voice interrupted Noah's thoughts, asking, "Why are you suddenly sharing your identity with me, Noah?"
Jason tries to accept the reality that the skinny man before him, whom he has known for years, is, in fact, a billionaire. Yet, this question troubles his mind.
"Come on, Bro. Why don't you believe me yet?"
Noah laughed as he placed the cutlery on his empty plate. His eyes lit up when he saw Jason before him.
"Well, man, I try to believe you, but that question still bothers me. You said your identity was a secret, but now you have exposed yourself to me. Why?" Jason asked.
"The answer is simple: my father called me to return to the capital. I'm sorry, but I can't share more details about my real family. I initially came to Caldwell to resign and say goodbye today, but what happened today changed my mind."
Noah continued, "I told you before. I will help the company escape from bankruptcy. So, I bought the company from Alan Caldwell..."
"You WHAT? Noah, did you fucking serious buy the company?" Jason can't help but curse. He was too shocked.
"Hmm, yeah, I did..." Noah replied, pulling out the agreement letter he signed with Alan Caldwell and handing it to Jason. "You can check it yourself."
Noah calmly watched Jason read the agreement.
After a brief pause, Jason turned to Noah and asked, "So, are you seriously a billionaire?"
"Yes! And my intention in calling you here is to recruit you to work for me." Noah explained he wanted him as his bodyguard.
Jason was shocked to hear Noah's offer, which matched his skills. Yet, he felt hesitant to accept it.
"Noah, I..." Jason's voice trailed off; he looked at Noah, unable to continue his words.
"Jason, feel free to ask me for your salary or anything you want. I'll make it happen!"
Noticing the wrinkles on Jason's forehead, Noah continued speaking.
"If you worry about your father, I will help pay his medical expenses and move him to the capital for better care." Noah offered.
"I agree!"
"Really?" Noah was overjoyed to hear Jason finally agree.
"Absolutely! I will protect you, Noah, to the best of my ability. By the way, do you need my profile? Do you want to know my abilities before I officially work for you?"
"No need. I know your identity, and I'm satisfied with the report."
"Wow! Did you actually manage to obtain a complete background about me? I'm impressed," Jason was taken aback.
Jason knows that his military background and all his achievements in the army have been erased from the public report and the military database.
He is aware that his files are buried in a secret location, accessible only to higher military officials. No one will know about it unless he has a capable person to retrieve them.
All of a sudden, Jason gets goosebumps as he gazes at Noah. 'Who is his family again? Morgan...? That Morgan...?'
"I have a complete report all about you, The Punisher..." Noah couldn't help but smile, watching Jason's jaw drop in disbelief.