Chapter 169:

Ace finished putting on his clothes, a simple white linen shirt with some straight black formal pants, topped with some white sneakers, that had cost a lot more than they should have.

He also wore a watch, one his grandmother had bought him as a congratulations gift after he had launched his charity in his second year, something that had been a huge success with anyone that had been involved. At this point, that pretty much meant half of the internet.

It was a simple watch, made of a black steel-like material, that had an almost magnetic feel to it. It matched his wrist perfectly, having been clearly custom-made just for him.

It was hot now, so he did not bother to pick up a jacket, just picked up his phone. His online banking was set up on it - not that any of the places they would go to would actually allow him to pay anyways. Even if they did not know about his family, they would for sure recognise him.

He was about to leave, but then, in an almost forlorn manner, picked up a black facemask stored nearby. This was a new development, he had gotten used to being recognised, but it was sometimes an inconvenience, so he decided to begin wearing a mask, in hopes that it would make him less noticeable. It did. Well, until people began catching on to the fact.

It was fine though, he was going out at night, and the facemask would cover half of his face. Furthermore, he was not going to be walking to the place, so it should be all right.

***

Inabura was one of the more high-class places in the whole of New York, it was massive, and had various rooms with various atmospheres, from the pool table and games bar, to the more relaxed lounge bar area.

It catered to various tastes, with perfect service as their key tenet. It had been started out by a nice Japanese family, and had grown over about a decade of time to one of the most well-known places. They had refused to open up a chain, and seemed content to simply cater to the usual suspects, but were just as nice when someone new or a tourist came to the city.

It had a modest yet tasteful decoration, and it seemed to just 'fit'.

Ace went in. It was a normal bar, or at least the entrance was, a sake bar, just one in the pile of what you could find all over Japan. And yet, as you went in, you could see that the people there, unlike looking dirty and dishevelled, having come out of the fields, wore forty-thousand dollar watches, and most had leather bags with them.

"Good evening Ace!", a young man in his early twenties saluted him, this was one of the children of the nice couple - they had more than a handful. He helped tend the bar, and was probably one of the best bartenders in the country. Ace knew that in his late teens, he had worked in bars and clubs all over the world, a trip at first funded by his parents, but then himself, as he gained notoriety in certain circles, and he was invited over.

Now, Noro, or No, as some called him, worked at his parent's bar, and was one of the big reasons as to why it did so well.

"What's up? Did the others get here?", Ace asked, as he sat on a stool.

"Nah.", Noro said, talking to Ace, as he filled out orders that came his way, and mixed drinks all at once, he was a machine. Ace had once asked him what his technique was, but he just grinned and replied, "Bah, for here? I have to do nothing, try tend in a club in Vegas, you have to serve drinks, clean glasses, and flirt with the girls, all at once. Now, that's complicated, this? A piece of cake.", before laughing.

"Ok then, I guess I'll just wait here.", Ace said, and Noro nodded, "Usual?", this time, it was Ace who nodded.

Ace in his pursuit of experiencing the world, had luckily met Noro, a prodigy bartender. Since the fateful day they had met, every time Ace ordered a drink, Noro would make...something. It did not have to be alcoholic - even if they often were. The goal was that he would surprise Ace with something new every day, helping him achieve his goals of experiencing all he could.

"Well, here ya go, as usual, you don't know what you get until you try it.", Noro handed him his beverage, and then walked off to the other end of the bar, to speak with a customer he knew.

It took about five minutes for the others to arrive, they came all at the same time, and all the while, Ace was sitting, drink in hand, just watching the customers. He overheard drunken gossip and conversations, but nothing really caught his attention - things rarely did now.

When they came in, they made a beeline for him, and as they greeted each other, they walked over to another of the rooms - the lounge room, where they ordered new drinks, Ace was not done with his yet, but asked them to bring him a coke with ice and lemon when he finished.

"I guess some things don't change huh?", Amy said, "Also, Kristina said she'll be able to come later, but she was busy now, since her parents are leaving on a business trip."

"Ah cool. So, tell me all about your trip. Did you do anything cool?", Ace asked as the drinks came, and they leaned back into their comfortable chairs.

***

"Thanks for the drink Noro, as good as always!", Ace shouted over the noise as they walked out of the bar.

They walked for a few minutes, it was a short walk, since the club was pretty close to the bar. Ace had his face mask on which helped avoid trouble, and he was not stopped by anyone.

When they got to the club, the line was actually going on for long, but they were not the average club-goers. They walked straight to the entrance, where they were stopped by two large men in expensive suits.

Before they could say anything, however, Sophie handed them a card, and with just a peek, they allowed them in, to the complaints of the clubbers waiting in line.

The atmosphere inside was pretty much like any other club, packed, with lights and smoke, loud music filling the gaps between the cheers and the shouts.

They went to the bar, where they all ordered something to drink, while they observed their surroundings.