Joining SCC

"I'm just waiting for my car here. How did I offend you?" he was about to say, but was interrupted by the sound of a beep. A Range Rover pulled up in front of the trio. "My boyfriend is here. Jane, do you need us to take you to your destination?" Ms. Jenkins asked with a hint of pretentiousness.

As the car door opened, they caught sight of a figure stepping out of the vehicle. When David saw Ms. Jenkin's boyfriend, he lost all desire to retort. The man was only 160cm tall and weighed around 108kg. He could even rival Mr. Gomez from the entertainment company in terms of looks, and he was also balding. David estimated that the man was around 40 to 50 years old. No wonder Ms. Jenkins had immediately started roasting Jane upon her arrival; she was undoubtedly jealous of her. "It's all right, Ms. Jenkins. We can call for a car," Jane said.

"But wasn't he in first class just now? Why does he need to call for a car? Jane, don't say that I didn't warn you when you're being lied to," Ms. Jenkins retorted.

Just then, they heard the rumble of engines. "Look, that car is so pretty!" exclaimed one of the bystanders. "Damn, what a cool sports car. I dream of having one like that," said another. Two flashy sports cars pulled up behind the Range Rover.

Hugh got out of his car and walked straight towards David. "Dave, I'm sorry for being late. I had to take care of something. Here are your car keys," he said, tossing the keys to David. After David caught them, he hugged Hugh. "It's fine, Hugh. I feel ashamed for asking you to free up some time in your busy schedule to pick me up."

"Alright, let's dispense with the pleasantries. Go check out your car! This car has only been driven for less than 300 kilometers in three years, so it's practically new," said Hugh, placing his hand on David's shoulder.

David walked over to his Bugatti Veyron and reached out to touch the car. It was beautiful and felt even better than a woman's body. This was so cool! So stylish! He would definitely show up those bastards at the university if he drove this back there. "Hugh, this car is amazing. I love it so much!"

"Excellent," he said. "Please, get in the car. I'll take you to a proper place to welcome you."

"Then I'll just follow your lead today," she replied. Suddenly, a man emerged from a car parked in the distance. Though just as flashy as the one they had arrived in, it was parked further away. The man approached Hugh and handed him a set of keys. "Mr. Greene, here are your car keys."

"Lenny, please call a car to take you back to the office," Hugh told the man. "Yes, Mr. Greene." David then moved toward the Bugatti Veyron and was about to enter when he saw Jane standing by the roadside, looking bewildered. "Miss Blau, where are you headed? Shall I drive you?" David asked.

"It's alright, Mr. Lidell. I wouldn't want to trouble you. I'll just call a taxi," Jane replied.

"Get in," David insisted, sliding into the driver's seat of the Bugatti Veyron. Jane hesitated briefly before approaching the car and taking a seat in the passenger's side. David then called Hugh, who was in the car behind him, and informed him that he needed to drop someone off along the way. Since Jane's destination was en route, Hugh agreed to lead the way. The two supercars zoomed off from the airport with a low rumble. Ms. Jenkins watched as they disappeared and her expression soured. The slap in the face had come too quickly, and she had not yet processed it. As she looked at her millionaire boyfriend, whom she had been so proud of, she suddenly felt that he wasn't as impressive as she had thought. From a distance, a few other stewardesses had witnessed what had happened. "Did you see that? Jane just got into that sports car."

"Did anyone take a picture? Find out what car that is. I've never seen anything like it before."

"I took a photo and am searching now..."

"Goodness gracious, this is the newest limited edition Bugatti Veyron! There are only eight of them in the entire world and the market price is 60 million dollars!"

"Sixty million dollars? That's absurd!"

"Wait until you hear this: that was the price three years ago. Now it's worth 80 million dollars!"

"Unbelievable! Jane only started a month ago. How did she manage to snag such a young, handsome, and wealthy man? Why can't I meet someone like that?"

After David had dropped Jane off at the hotel where she was staying, he followed Hugh to to the Lake Heart Club. This club was the most upscale one in all of Lake City and had been built in the center of a man-made lake. Apart from the stunning scenery, it boasted all sorts of entertainment for the wealthy, including a golf course and a racetrack. Hugh brought David to the golf course where a group of seven to eight individuals in their twenties or thirties were chatting in the lounge. There was even a man and a woman playing golf outside; the man had his arms around the woman from behind, holding her arms as if he was coaching her.

"Let me introduce you to everyone. This is my friend, David Lidell. He is currently studying at South River University," Hugh announced to the group in the lounge. He then turned to David and said, "Dave, these are the members of SCC." The individuals sitting there glanced over at David but did not pay him any mind. After all, he was quite young.

"Greene, did you really call us all here just to introduce us to this David?" A young man, who looked to be about 24 or 25 years old, inquired. His name was Andy Lewis, and he was also a middle-tier member of SCC like Hugh. There were different tiers within the SCC, with the higher tiers possessing more power. Thus, a low-tier member would not dare to talk back to a high-tier member. However, since he was on the same tier as Hugh, he did not need to be polite with him. He would say anything that came to his mind. Furthermore, Hugh was a smooth and slick businessman, so he was more easy-going.

"And who might you be, sir?" David asked Andy in a polite tone, ignoring his disrespectful remark.

"And why does it matter to you?" Andy shot back in a hostile tone, his eyes narrowing.

Hugh interjected before the situation could escalate any further. "Andy, I called you all here today to be my witnesses." "I'll use my privileges as a middle-tier member to invite David into SCC," Hugh said. The people in the room were surprised by his words, their gazes immediately falling upon David. Anyone who could make Hugh use his middle-tier member privileges was certainly not an ordinary person. One had to know that a middle-tier member could only invite one person to join the club, making this resource extremely precious. There were even those who had proposed to buy it for tens of millions, but had still failed to secure an invitation. And now, Hugh was giving his only invitation to this young man in front of him? Who was this kid?

Just then, a man in his thirties spoke up. "Since Greene is exercising his privileges as a middle-tier member, then David will be a member of SCC from now on. Come, David, save my contact and send me your ID. I'll report this to headquarters and in three days, you'll get your badge. I'll also send you a brief introduction to SCC." With that, he took out his phone and exchanged contact details with David.

David was confused. He did not know what SCC was or what he would gain from joining. However, since Hugh had invited him, he decided to go along with it. After they exchanged contacts, David sent him his ID and received a document in return. As he opened it, David saw that SCC was simply an acronym, and that its full name was Springfield Car Club. Their headquarters was located in Springfield, and they had many branches in first-tier cities across the south, including Lake City. However, there were no branches in the north. When SCC was first founded, it was intended to make life easier for people who were passionate about cars and racing, by providing a place for them to gather. Over time, it had developed into a tightly-knit organization that served as the top circle of the upper class.

Not only could they gather for the sake of enjoyment - racing, horse-riding, and golfing - but they could also convene for business discussions, allowing for mutual aid in reaching a win-win situation where they could share the spoils. Many upstarts and nouveau riches were keen to enter this circle in hopes of mingling with the elites, yet they lacked the means to do so. This was not a place where money alone granted entry. The requirements were strict, and they had to fulfill all three of them. Firstly, they needed to own a sports car worth tens of millions - a requirement that was not particularly difficult to meet.