"Mr. Chase," Mabel called out as she noticed me entering the lobby of the Millennium Acres Club. As promised, she had spoken with a senior associate at Smith & Holts and arranged a meeting over brunch at the club.
I was halfway across the lobby when a tall brunette approached from the side. She wore a stylish orange jumpsuit beneath a pristine white blazer, paired with elegant high heels that clicked softly against the polished floor.
She stopped in front of me, extended her hand, and greeted me with an unusually respectful smile.
"Mr. Chase, it’s an honor to meet you."
"I’m Mille Miles, a Senior Client Manager here at the Bank of United Archipelagos on Skyonee Island. I also lead your dedicated Elite Boutique Private Banking team. Thank you very much for choosing us."
When Mille finished speaking, Mabel, who had just caught up, stared at the scene completely dumbfounded.
Private banking!
An Elite Boutique Private Banking team!
As a junior associate at a top law firm, Mabel understood enough about banking to know what those words implied. True private banking typically required at least one to ten million denars in investable assets, while entry-level tiers could start as low as 150,000 to 250,000 denars.
But an Elite Boutique Private Banking team was an entirely different matter.
Those were the kinds of services reserved for Ultra-High-Net-Worth clients, people with more than ten million denars in investable assets and enough wealth to warrant a dedicated team of banking professionals.
In other words, the man she had mistaken for a paper-pusher with decent prospects was actually a multimillionaire with at least tens of millions in savings.
And judging by the banker’s demeanor, his actual investable assets were likely far beyond tens of millions.
Holy shit.
If Avery were here, Mabel would have kissed her for introducing her to this golden goose.
If she played her cards right, she might even land her first Ultra-High-Net-Worth client.
Of course, the senior associate would technically be in charge of the account, but that didn’t mean Mabel couldn’t become the lawyer he relied on. If she could fend off the vultures circling at the firm and keep him as her client, this one introduction could turn into the biggest opportunity of her career so far.
"Manager Miles, hello. You’re the one who called me this morning, right?" I nodded at Mille Miles as I shook her hand.
"Yes."
"Mr. Chase, I’m so sorry." Mille Miles suddenly bowed slightly, her voice carrying a genuinely apologetic tone. "If I had known you were caught up in the monster outbreak yesterday, I would have visited you in person much sooner. I also shouldn’t have tried to contact you repeatedly and disturbed you while you were dealing with the aftermath."
"You don’t need to apologize to me. How could you have known?" I waved my hand dismissively.
The moment my raid loot was deposited into my account, the Bank of United Archipelagos had tried to contact me. Unfortunately, with everything happening around me, I hadn’t had the time to respond. I only managed to get in touch with them this morning.
Mille Miles had invited me to the Bank of United Archipelagos’ private banking office to officially register me as a private banking client. However, since I had already made a commitment to Mabel, I took the liberty of inviting Mille to join us.
It was rather absurd when I thought about it.
I had gone from awakening as a Hunter to becoming a multimillionaire in the span of just a few hours. Compared to other multimillionaires with similar levels of wealth, my foundation was practically nonexistent. I had money, but I had neither the experience nor the connections that usually came with it.
And in this society, money wasn’t always enough.
Connections mattered too.
The private bank had proactively reached out to me, offering access to services normally reserved for people far wealthier and more established than I was. If I used that opportunity properly, it could significantly improve my current standing.
After all, banks were hubs of resources. Regardless of the industry, almost every major business eventually had to deal with them. Loans, investments, acquisitions, insurance, property, business accounts, and countless other matters all passed through the banking system.
I was no longer the helpless, broke young man struggling to make ends meet.
The faster I adjusted my mindset to match my new circumstances, the better off I would be.
"You’re generous, Mr. Chase. And this is?" Mille Miles asked, turning toward Mabel.
"Forgive my manners. This is Mabel Werner, a junior associate at Smith & Holts. I plan to hire their firm for professional assistance with my official transition into a registered Hunter and to secure the Summoner class."
"Mr. Chase, if nothing has been finalized yet, I would prefer that you leave this matter to me and your dedicated team," Mille said, her tone becoming noticeably more eager. "The Valorant Guild’s guild leader and several other prominent members are clients of our private banking division. We can efficiently assist you with your official registration as a Hunter and help you secure a high-tier class, not just the Summoner class skipping the lengthy queue."
She was clearly in a hurry to demonstrate the benefits of choosing the bank’s services before her potential client committed himself elsewhere.
Although Mille spoke with confidence and definitive terms, she was careful not to assume anything. He wasn’t officially a client yet, and until he completed the registration process, she had no guarantee that he would become one.
As for Mabel, Mille wasn’t particularly concerned about offending a mere junior associate.
Before I could respond, Mabel fired back.
"Manager Miles, Smith & Holts has prior dealings with Valorant Guild and its subsidiary businesses. If it’s us, we can ensure Mr. Chase receives priority placement and premium treatment. If you step in, all you’ll be doing is unnecessarily lengthening the process."
The two women stared at each other, neither willing to give an inch. It was only then that it dawned on me, these two women had stopped pretending to be polite and were openly fighting over me, right in the middle of a busy lobby.