Looking at Inna, I involuntarily started to think that maybe there is a higher force in this world. Not God or Keeper of the World, but something akin. And perhaps, some magical races like elves or others. Of course, maybe I'm exaggerating, but now I don't deny such possibilities.

Also… maybe I should make a wish, too?

Although, what should I wish for? It seems I already got everything I wanted. Yesterday, I discussed some details with my sister, after which she took the money and went to Silverside. The essence of money laundering was simple, at least the scheme we were going to use. She exchanges cash for chips, plays a little, loses a certain amount, and then exchanges them back for money, now completely clean. Considering that many casinos are the same mafia, no one will have any complaints here, and everyone will get what they want. The casino gets a bit of money, and we get the cleanliness of our finances.

In the end… it would be just a waste of money. A coin saved is a coin earned, so I turned away from the fountain.

And immediately, my gaze fell on a sewer manhole cover on the floor. It's amusing to see something like that in a shopping center, but there are underground rivers running below the city in many places. Therefore, there are quite a few sewer passages that go in different directions. You can get anywhere through them.

"You should have tossed a coin," said Inna, interrupting my thoughts. "Maybe your wish would have been heard."

"My wish has already been heard, so it doesn't matter. I have everything I need."

"You're undemanding," I couldn't tell if she was praising or frowning. "Oh, look, here come these dawdlers!"

She pointed a finger at two guys who were walking towards us. If I recognized Alex, then Malu... I mean, Matvey looked different. More decent, if you can put it that way.

He seemed a bit taller, his hair slicked back, which made him more open and less thuggish, although his cocky facial expression was still there. Now, he looked more like one of those arrogant guys who didn't care about anyone with less money than they.

In addition, there was a girl in black opaque glasses between them. With a ponytail, she looked a bit awkward, as if out of her element, even though she was smiling. Perhaps due to her blindness and being surrounded by many people, she felt her vulnerability. Her fingers were white from gripping the arms of her brother and boyfriend, who were practically dragging her along.

Now, it became clear to me who introduced Alex and Matvey. And why Alex suddenly started to pull up his studies. Looking at the blind girl, I think I understand how much love can change a person.

"Oh la la, what are you two doing all alone over here?" Alex livened up as we got closer.

"Alone?" I glanced around. "I wouldn't exactly call this being alone."

"Alex is an idiot..." Inna snorted and touched the girl's hand. "Hello, Mari, glad to see you."

"Inna! Hello, I've been waiting for you to visit, but you didn't come," her voice was terribly hoarse. As severe as an old rocker who managed to smoke a lot, get a sore throat, and then strain his vocal cords. "Is someone next to you?" she turned her head slightly to the right of me. "Hello."

"Good afternoon. You must be Mari. Alex has told me a lot about you."

"I hope only good things," she smiled and extended her hand towards me, having seemingly determined my position more accurately by my voice. "Your name is Rud, I presume?"

"Of course, he only says good things about you."

Obviously, I wouldn't tell her about the foursome Alex suggested to Syringa... I mean, Inna. She might not understand the joke.

"Please, no formalities, I'm younger than you."

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart," Alex intervened. "He's younger than you. He's the youngest one around here!"

"Some people have all the luck," Matvey muttered.

"Don't be grumpy," his sister nudged him in the side. "You're not old yourself."

"Alright, your cooing is very cute and intriguing," Inna interrupted us, "but are we going to eat or what?"

"Yes, I know just the place; let's go," Alex gestured and led us through the crowd.

Mari took Inna's arm now, chatting about something while Mal... I mean, Matvey walked beside me. Somehow, it's difficult to stop calling them by the names I've become used to for the past three months.

We were walking a bit away from others so we could talk freely without fear of being overheard. At the same time, the hubbub of the bustling crowd muffled our voices and made eavesdropping impossible.

"You've changed," I observed.

"But you haven't changed at all. You could at least dress up a bit. Seriously."

"I will. Later."

"Listen, Rud, there's something we need to talk about..."

At that moment, a running child crashed into us and almost fell to the floor from the impact - we both managed to catch her: I by the left hand, he by the right, and stood her back on her feet.

"Be careful, kid, you'll crack your skull," Matvey grumbled, releasing her. The child ran off without a word. "Ungrateful brat, can't even say thank you."

"It's the times," although it sounded strange coming from me, a sixteen-year-old 'elderly.' "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You haven't really quit yet, have you?"

"I quit," I replied without hesitation.

"It's only been a damn day!"

"And I've already quit," I was resolute.

"Alright. Just listen..." At that moment, we pushed through a crowd of students, their clamor nearly deafening me. How I've grown unaccustomed to crowds... "Arrow is looking for something. Actually, he's found it already, but now he's working it out. I need... I need three more people. I only have two and don't want to pick up a third from the street."

"We've known each other for three months," I reminded him. "That's too much trust in me."

"So what, if I see a decent guy, why can't I trust him? Some people betray even after ten years."

"Alright, about this job. What exactly?"

"A bank."

I couldn't help but whistle.

"So, you let Alex set up a celebration just for this? To talk to me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Rud. I just really wanted to let loose, so don't start feeling you're special like a pimple on the ass," he started to get worked up.

"So I'm a pimple on the ass? Thanks, Matvey," I nodded.

"Fuck, Rud, you're pissing me off, I'm just asking you to listen. What's your problem? If it's a no, it's a no."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Alright, fine, go ahead."

"The bank in the downtown. We need six people. I can find two; they're really solid and will pull in for such a job, but we need another trusted one. Arrow... I don't trust him that much; I won't take his man, and he won't give one himself."

"Why?"

"All his men are on a tight leash."

"And?"

"If they're discovered, the clan will be questioned immediately. And here's the thing... The bank, basically, belongs to a noble house."

That explains it. The clan doesn't want to get involved with the houses because houses have this bad habit of asking for help if the matter is serious, and the heads of other country's houses will send someone tougher than regular guys with baseball bats. Plus, the legitimate authority won't allow a clan to mess with a noble house.

In this case, the clan doesn't want it to be known that it's their doing. So, it makes sense: we've had experience with this before, we're somewhat hardened in this matter, and we're not associated with the clan in any way.

But...

"It smells fishy," I grimaced.

"Why all of a sudden?"

"Why," I looked carefully into Matvey's eyes. Into these cold and slightly crazy eyes, but I didn't feel fear. Not anymore, as if something had changed in me during these three months. "Haven't you thought they might want to get rid of us?"

"Bullshit, that won't happen."

"Why not?"

"Because it won't!" he said louder than necessary, which made the girls ahead turn around in surprise. I just waved my hand, signaling everything was fine.

"Fine. But I'm still out."

"The amount we're talking about is around fifteen to twenty million. Just listen to these numbers. That's almost two million three hundred each, if we take the maximum!"

"No."

"Don't you need the money?"

"I don't need it at all," I shook my head. "I have everything I need."

"Fuck, Rud, we need a sixth. Twenty million weighs two hundred kilos. If there are six, that's a bit over thirty-three each. Plus, the foyer is big, and as I was told, we need at least three to check everything while the rest clean out the vault. Two are breaking in: one handles the cameras, the other one takes care of cutting into the vault; he is called Uncle Gena, a professional welder. Syringa is on the wheels."

"But she'll be with you, right?"

"Listen, we need a sixth for peace of mind. Two will break in and pull out, while three will be on guard. Inna will be on standby. It's still not certain if she'll be in the car or with us, but we still have to carry the bags. Plus, Arrow asked to grab something from the vault."

"What?"

"I don't know. I'm just giving you the overall picture."

"Listen," I sighed. "We came here to celebrate our luck. I said no, and I'm not changing my answer. Sorry, Matvey."

"Alright," he sighed and patted me on the back. "Fuck it. Let's celebrate."

We caught up with the girls, who were, amazingly, talking about clothes. It's especially surprising concerning Inna, who... I wouldn't call her a fashionista. She always dressed too much like a tomboy. But now she's discussing scarves with Mari, sweaters, skirt designs, and their colors.

We weaved our way through shopping areas, further and further, until we reached a place where the restaurants were located. They varied from your typical burger joints to the Chinese ones that Alex had wanted to visit. He pointed to one of them. It was small and seemed cozy, with classic Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere, enveloped in dark tones as if designed to conceal its visitors.

"There! What did I tell you?! Ideal place!"

We took seats at the far end of the room. Unlike me, who wore almost nothing but a basic T-shirt and trousers, the others had made an effort to dress up a bit. Matvey wore a form-fitting dark blue shirt, and Alex sported a light blazer over a t-shirt and tight trousers... What a "dandy," it was obvious his girlfriend dressed him. The girls, on the other hand, were pleasing to the eye with their tops, skirts, blouses, and small, beautiful accessories.

Looking at us now, you wouldn't even guess that we had any ties to crime. We looked like ordinary high school seniors or future college students who had decided to go somewhere together before the New Year.

As soon as the waitress approached, everyone started to order at once. It was like a competition to see who could dictate to her first. She wrote so fast that she could have ignited the paper with her finger, and then she raised her finger and...

A small lightning bolt shot into the ceiling, and above us, many tiny lights resembling stars came on, illuminating our dark corner with a soft blue light.

She, too, was a girl with an impulse, but apparently a very weak one, no more than a lightning bolt from her finger, hence why she was working here. She was Chinese, fitting the restaurant's atmosphere. The Chinese usually kept their impulse bearers under close watch, as they were quite an important combat unit, so if you met one here, they were definitely not strong impulse-wise.

"I'm just surprised that you ordered so little. Are you on a diet?" Inna frowned as if she was genuinely concerned about my weight.

"I'd say I never ate much to begin with."

"No one's going to believe that," Alex smirked. "Although he used to be chubby before, too."

"Alex," Mari jabbed him in the belly with her elbow. "You've put on weight yourself. You used to be a scrawny guy."

"Exactly, so keep your envy to yourself," I retorted calmly. "I'm so soft that it's impossible to stop hugging me, right, Inna?"

"Are you two dating?" Mari immediately perked up.

"No!" Inna seemed horrified. "Of course not! What a disgusting idea to date someone!"

"You're acting like a little child," Mari pointed out. But she was only seventeen herself, as far as I understood.

"Inna's always been like this, as far as I remember. Always playing the innocent maiden until she gets drunk," Matvey noted.

"Hey! Smartass!"

"Seriously?! If Inna gets drunk, she becomes a wild woman?"

"Alex!" This time, it was Mari trying to rein him in.

"I'll tell you more. When she's drunk, she even becomes sweeter, kinder and caring."

"Matvey, you talk too much!" Inna growled.

"Is it bad to be kind and sweet?" I shrugged. "She seems like a great girl to me."

"Some people just haven't grown up," Alex replied.

"Or maybe being that way is too dangerous somewhere," Mari noted. But I gathered she was speaking from her own bitter experience.

While they were discussing Inna, our food arrived, and the conversation turned into a bit of a buffoonery. Not that I minded or was particularly troubled by it. In any case, it was much better than discussing someone. It may be entertaining to everyone else, but that someone would want to sink into the ground. Here, everyone was just joking and remembering old times.

After this, Mari suddenly perked up, as if stung.

"How about we take a picture?!"

"A photo?" I asked doubtfully.

"For memory! First without me, then with me!" she clapped her hands and called the waitress. We used Matvey's phone, and Mari promised that she would certainly print regular photos and distribute them.

"Isn't it better on the phone?" Inna asked.

"If the phone breaks, it's gone, but a photo lasts forever!" she replied.

We took a picture. First, without Mari, huddling together in a group of four, trying to smile. Then, with her, placing her in the middle. Surprisingly, it turned out quite decent. Even for me.

Just a typical group of happy teenagers, from whom you would never guess that they've done anything wrong.

"You know," Mari started, "there weren't always twelve grades."

"That was back in... which period, the Russian Empire? They have eleven now, right?" I tried to recall.

"Yes," she nodded.

"But we have twelve, lucky us..." Alex sighed.

"On the other hand, our diploma is accepted in many places. They also have twelve grades in the States. Or in Japan. I think in Korea, too," Inna pointed out. "And our university in Silverside is considered one of the most prestigious. You don't even have to go anywhere."

"But you have to be really some sort of advanced smart person. Or very rich," Matvey grimaced. "It's just for the chosen ones."

"By the way, did you finish school?" I asked. He gave me a sideways glare, but Mari answered for him.

"No. He was taking care of me and had to drop out. He was technically enrolled, but he doesn't have a diploma."

"School gave me nothing," he dismissed. "Absolutely nothing. None of it is needed in life."

"Yeah, especially math," Inna snorted, clearly disagreeing with him.

"Fine, but why do I need to know chemistry? Just to have the teacher drilling into my head that I'm so stupid? I don't need that crap!"

"Yeah, for real," Alex chimed in. "Physics. Okay, the basic laws are fine, but the other stuff? Why do I need to know this if there's the internet?"

"And what if there isn't?" Inna posed a counter-question.

"Then I clearly wouldn't be worrying about physics."

"Although, chemistry can be quite useful," I noted.

"And how's that?" Matvey asked skeptically.

"Well... for example, thermite, I don't need to explain what that is, right? They give its formula at school."

"And what is it?" Alex immediately leaned towards me.

"Don't tell them!" Mari interrupted me before I could say a word. "You're the smart one, but these two will definitely be trying to create it at home!"

"You're such a troublemaker," Alex smirked. "I'll have to punish you tonight."

At that, she smiled at him too happily. It seems that the punishment they're talking about isn't what it seems. And by Matvey's expression, it's clear he's not thrilled about it either.

"Still, other subjects are useful," Inna chimed in. "They broaden our horizons."

"Yeah, only all the essential things are taught in nature study. The rest is to deep," Alex answered dismissively.

"You're such an idiot. I can't understand what Mari sees in you."

"A rich inner world," he replied instantly.

A rich inner world. Alex's... he's flattering himself, although knowing him, he's quite a character. A good person, but not very smart.

We sat for a long time, our lively and cheerful company discussing all sorts of topics, even what we'd do with a million dollars if we had it. Inna would immediately go to the Amazon - a country in the north of South America along the Amazon River. There, she said, she could settle down with her sister.

Matvey would just leave and lay low somewhere, while Alex wanted to go to Japan with Mari and open his own shop. He also wanted to perform an operation on Mari's eyes to restore her vision. After all, it's Japan, the country of technology, where cyber implants aren't a figment of imagination. It's also the homeland of powerful houses that have almost no rivals.

As for me...

"I'd donate it to an orphanage."

"Why?!" Alex was shocked.

"I don't need it. Say, I buy a house and a car, and what? What's the point?" I didn't add that I didn't need stolen money, deciding not to spoil the mood with my thoughts.

"But you can afford all this at once!"

"I will. On my own. With time."

"I think it's a great idea - to give the money to those in need," Inna sighed.

"Sure, but you didn't choose that option," Matvey smirked. "Your own money you wouldn't spend on that, right?"