The System's Game: A Tale of Power and Redemption

6. Mark's Surprising Reunion Twist

Mark's appearance was truly attention-grabbing; he arrived in a luxurious sports car. Furthermore, he wore stylish sunglasses and branded clothing he had bought for this occasion. Mark looked incredibly cool in his well-fitted suit and tuxedo.

"Hey, Mark! Is that you?" Someone called out to Mark as he arrived, scanning the surroundings.

Mark turned to the source of the voice and saw his old friend, Gilang. Mark remembered Gilang as one of the people who had bullied him in the past. Mark gave a slight smile and waited for Gilang to approach.

"Hi, Gilang. How have you been?" Mark asked, making small talk.

"I'm good, you can see for yourself how I look tonight. I'm also running my family's business. This is my girlfriend, and we're getting married soon. Honestly, I'm really surprised that you showed up. And wow..." Gilang couldn't help but notice Mark's remarkable appearance, which even left his girlfriend in awe.

"Friends! Look, it's Mark Starlight!" Gilang suddenly shouted in the midst of the crowd.

This immediately drew the attention of some of Mark's friends, who turned to look at Gilang and Mark.

"Come on, Mark, let's join them." Gilang immediately invited Mark, wrapping his arm around Mark's shoulders, while his girlfriend walked gracefully at his side.

Mark became the center of attention among his friends, who all seemed to be successful in Mark's eyes. So, had none of them failed? Mark thought that perhaps karma would never visit the wealthy. But he also believed that karma didn't necessarily have to do with someone's failure or their business going bankrupt. Maybe they were being tested by having everything first, and Mark didn't know what God's plan was.

"Hey Mark, you look different," Arsen said as he walked around Mark, examining his appearance. He was the leader of their group. Mark used to dislike him, but he wasn't going to show it; he just gave a thin smile.

"Hello, everyone," Mark greeted, but no one responded. They were scrutinizing Mark from head to toe.

Mark's eyes scanned the area to find Jake and Lisa, but it seemed they hadn't arrived yet.

"Did you wear knock-off clothes to this event?" Arsen quipped, eliciting a chorus of light laughter from the others.

Mark didn't answer; he had no intention of getting into a debate and allowed them to make their assumptions or find out for themselves if necessary.

"This tuxedo was what I wanted to buy, but it was sold out due to its limited edition! How did you manage to get it? It's so expensive, my friends," Roy suddenly appeared on Mark's left, eyeing the tuxedo he was wearing.

"Maybe it's a knock-off; he can't possibly be wearing the original. Jake said he only works as a courier and was abandoned by his girlfriend Lisa, who is now with Jake. Let's wait for Jake to arrive first," Arsen remarked, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Just as Jake and Lisa arrived, their beloved pretty girl, Sandrina, showed herself after news that her parents had split due to a third party.

"Wow, look, Sandrina is here too!" Arsen exclaimed, causing his girlfriend to quickly move closer to him, fearing she would turn away from him.

"Jake, come over here!" Gilang, focused on Jake and Lisa, called him to join them.

"Hey, guys, what's going on here? Oh, and it turns out you're here too, Mark!" Jake exclaimed, raising an eyebrow when he saw Mark.

"Hi, Jake, Lis," Mark greeted again, this time flashing a thin smile.

"Jake, look at him, the courier you mentioned. Are you really sure he's just a courier? So he's wearing KW fashion?" Gilang seemed enthusiastic about finding out about all of Mark's standout fashion.

"Good evening, everyone." In addition to focusing on Mark, Sandrina approached them with a gentle smile. She looked elegant, beautiful, and graceful, causing the men to stare at her without blinking, except for Mark.

"Mark, you must have deceived all of us," Jake suddenly pushed Mark's chest, but since Mark was no longer the weak person he used to be, he remained standing tall and strong.

"Wait, let me take a photo of you, Mark. I have a channel that can help answer our questions. He knows whether the items are real or fake," Wildan said, suddenly taking a direct photo of Mark without asking for permission. He even took a close-up shot of Mark's wristwatch.

Seeing Wildan asking his acquaintances about the authenticity of Mark's branded fashion, the attention of the others turned to Sandrina, who was standing next to Lisa.

"San, how have you been? I heard you had a collapse?" Arsen asked, trying to make small talk.

Sandrina gave her best smile. "I'm fine, everything's fine. I know you were all really worried about me, but thank you."

Arsen nodded briefly. "So, what business are you in now, San? Do you have a husband yet? Why did you come alone?" Arsen asked again, making his girlfriend look at him with irritation.

"Right now, I'm in some kind of business, I guess. I just finished my education in Germany and just returned to Indonesia. My parents' business hasn't fully been handed over to me, so I guess I'm not really in any specific business. I just came to this reunion party to meet someone."

Arsen suddenly felt confident that Sandrina might want to meet him, as they had a close relationship, even though it didn't lead to dating because Sandrina had refused. For Arsen, Sandrina was his first love, and he was infatuated with the beautiful woman.

"Wow, this is unbelievable!" Wildan exclaimed, capturing the attention of everyone.

"What do you mean?" Arsen asked quickly.

"Everything Mark is wearing is authentic, and my acquaintance even asked who that man was because the amount of fashion Mark is wearing costs four billion rupiahs."

Mark didn't say much because he knew they would confirm everything. Then Mark received the spotlight from the men, including Jake, Arsen, and Gilang, who had been disapproving of him from the start.

"Mark, I apologize for doubting you. What business are you in now?" Wildan suddenly became friendly toward Mark.

"Wildan! Why are you being nice to him?" Arsen looked at Wildan with annoyance.

Wildan suddenly smiled broadly. "I just want to make amends and be friends with him."

"Uh, Jake, it seems we're over; I want to get back with Mark." Lisa shifted from Jake and stood next to Mark, hugging his arm.

Mark, seeing Lisa's actions, moved his hand away from her.

"Lisa! What are you doing?!" Jake looked angry, not expecting Lisa to leave him so easily and choose Mark, whom he had clearly rejected.

"Mark, I'm sorry. I want our relationship to be better," Lisa said, pleading with Mark and ignoring Jake.

"Sorry, Lisa, I already have a girlfriend." Mark suddenly walked over to Sandrina, extending his hand. "San, would you like to leave with me?" Mark said, leaving everyone stunned.

Sandrina smiled gently, gazing at Mark with a serene look. Without waiting long, she immediately accepted Mark's hand to hold. Then the two of them walked away from the reunion party, leaving Arsen, Jake, Gilang, and the others never expecting that the Mark they used to belittle and ridicule had now risen above them.

Arsen, disappointed that Sandrina had been taken away from him, suddenly commented and vowed to win Sandrina back, as he believed he was the only one worthy of being with her. "I'm curious about Mark's background now. You said he was a courier, but it turns out he's a billionaire?"