"I'm no longer restricted?"
Looking at the message, Noah smiled.
He came from an extremely loaded family, and even he himself didn't know how much money his family had.
He did remember one thing, though. Years ago, in 2008, the financial crisis erupted.
It was like a horrifying tsunami spreading quickly from Bear Country to the entire world, including the Oserter Continent, the Valerance Continent, and the Desert Continent. Not a single area was left intact.
Many of the world's largest financial institutions were collapsed or taken over by the government. Countless factories went bankrupt, bosses were too broke to pay wages, and tens of millions of people were laid off. Noah was just around 14 years old at the time.
He remembered that shortly after the crisis erupted, his family got a visitor.
Foreigners, dark-skinned men from the Desert Continent, hale and hearty old men with badges on their shoulders, and armed police put Noah's home on lockdown together.
As a teenager, naturally, he wasn't allowed to be part of the adults' conversation.
He recalled that they spent 3 entire days at his family's house. During these days, the atmosphere was utterly tense and solemn. Special police guarded the place 24/7, making sure no one got in or out.
Only after 3 days did they leave respectfully with a pile of contracts and documents.
Noah sent them off and couldn't help but look up at Elliot Anderson, his tall father, asking, "Dad, why were they here?"
Instead of answering him directly, Elliot stroked Noah's head with his warm, broad hand and said, "Noah, remember. With more money comes greater responsibility.
"You're Noah Anderson, and you're bound to inherit the Anderson family's fortune.
"Never forget that you must never profit from national disaster, because you're from Eagleland.
"Also, lend a hand when your country and friends are in need. It's the only way to get you further."
Noah didn't quite get it back then, but he still kept Elliot's words firmly in his mind.
After a year, the global economy gradually recovered.
If it weren't for the Anderson family, it wouldn't have been recovered so soon.
***
Snapping back from these memories, Noah pondered his next move. 'I'm no longer restricted and can access the family fortune however I want. Well, when I married Lisa, I didn't get her any jewelry. It seems like the right time to buy them now.'
With that in mind, he took out the No Preset Spending Limit Card from his wallet.
The card was sleek black with gold edges, smooth all over. A string of 99999 engraved on it gave a sense of nobility.
The number symbolized prestige and distinction.
Noah thought, 'Lisa has been married to me for such a long time, and I haven't given her any decent gifts. It’s time to make it up to her.'
He hailed a taxi and headed for a nearby jewelry store.
Oceanbridge City was the first-tier city and the economic center of Eagleland, and of course, there were jewelry stores there.
After the taxi driver pulled up outside Tiffany & Co., Noah got out and walked into the store.
He didn't know much about jewelry, yet he did know one thing. The more expensive the jewelry was, the better it must be.
He walked around the store and finally came to the very center where high-end jewelry was at.
"I'll take this set, including the pair of earrings, the necklace, the ring, and the bracelet. And I'll pay by card," he said.
"Give me a break, will you? Just give me 500 dollars, and I'll get you a receipt." Amelia Priestley, the shop assistant, glanced at Noah disdainfully.
"What do you mean?" Noah was puzzled.
"Drop the act. The set of jewelry is nearly 80 thousand dollars. Do you see the diamond ring with the blue diamond? It's cut with top-of-line technology from the City of Technology, and it alone is worth 50 thousand dollars. Are you saying that you can afford it?" Amelia said mockingly.
"Come on. I've seen countless guys like you. You pay a deposit to get the receipt, and then you take it to the woman you like to win her love." After that, she looked down at her manicure, not even glancing at Noah.
"I know the drill. When you take her over to pay the balance, I'll play along and say that we're out of stock. What else can she do but accept the result? And you? You get to sleep with her after paying only the deposit. I'm being generous enough not to expose you, yet you just don't appreciate it. Cut me some slack. 'I'll pay by card'? Yeah, right."
Upon finishing speaking, she snorted.
Noah was stunned for a second and then shook his head helplessly, not bothering to argue with her. He took out the black card and placed it on the counter.
"My time is limited."
"This is..."
Amelia glanced at the card inadvertently. In the next second, she froze.
After a moment of surprise, she realized something and looked astonished.
"This is ... the No Preset Spending Limit Card.”
"It's issued by Citibank! How is this possible?"
Her body trembled due to great thrill. "It has a credit line of 16 million dollars and no interest."
As the shop assistant working at a luxury store, Amelia had seen a fair share of high-end items.
"The card owner can even make planes land and trains stop. The card represents a super noble status."
Looking at Noah, she thought curiously, 'Who is he?’
'His clothes are plain, and I don't think they're worth more than a few dozen bucks. I admit that he's kinda good-looking and gentle, but other than that, I don't see anything good about him.
'How come a guy like him gets to hold the No Preset Spending Limit Card?'
"Hello?" Noah urged, noticing Amelia seemed frozen in place.
"Right away, Sir!"
Amelia snapped back to reality, grabbed the POS machine, and gingerly inserted the black card.
Noah entered the code, which was his birth date.
With a crisp sound, the receipt was generated.
The transaction was completed successfully.
Amelia thought, 'It's his card indeed.’
'He's definitely at the top of the heap.’
'I'm so lucky to stand in here together with him!'
"Just a second, Sir," utterly thrilled, she said while carefully getting out the jewelry and packing them one by one.
After 2 minutes, she handed the jewelry box to Noah respectfully.
"Sir, everything is inside, including the authentication certificates and warranty documents. If you need anything, call us at any time."
"Thanks." Noah took the box indifferently.
Given his wealth, 80 thousand dollars was nothing. He didn't care at all.
"Sir, may I have your number?" Amelia asked rather abruptly, blushing slightly.
Noah glanced at her. She was dressed in a black business suit, her black hair pulled back. She had a fine figure, and her long and plump legs looked even more attractive underneath her trousers.
Catching his gaze, Amelia felt that she was seen through.
She hastily added, "Nothing personal, Sir. It's just for after-sales service. Also, with this purchase, you automatically become our VIP customer with access to discounts on future purchases."
Amelia explained earnestly. She knew that big shots like him took their privacy seriously.
Asking his number was nothing but unprofessional.