Chapter 139: Access Denied
Chapter 139: Access Denied
Then, the guard standing on the right finally lost his patience. He took two aggressive steps toward Lucas, his expression darkening with every stride.
"You brat."
His cold voice echoed through the quiet hallway.
"I already told you your card isn’t valid for this level."
"And you’re still telling me to check it again?"
He jabbed a finger toward Lucas’s chest.
"What?"
"You think you know my job better than I do?"
His temper flared instantly.
He had worked in this club for years. In all that time, he had never once seen someone as young as Lucas gain access to the VVIP section.
Every person who entered beyond this point was either an old billionaire, a powerful politician, or the heir of one of the country’s most influential families.
And now...
Some unknown young man had the audacity to question him.
The guard was already reaching for Lucas’s collar, clearly intending to teach him a lesson.
Before his hand could touch Lucas—
A firm hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Enough."
The second guard calmly stopped him.
His expression remained composed, but his eyes carried a warning.
"We don’t know who he belongs to."
The angry guard frowned.
"So what?"
The second guard lowered his voice.
"If he really comes from one of the hidden families..."
"...do you want to explain to the manager why you assaulted their guest?"
The first guard’s expression immediately stiffened.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
Although he was still glaring at Lucas with obvious hostility, he forced himself to calm down.
The second guard then turned back toward Lucas.
Unlike before, his tone became much more professional.
"Sir."
"The problem isn’t that your card is fake."
"It’s simply..."
"...the wrong level."
He pointed toward the black membership card in Lucas’s hand.
"This grants access to the standard VIP area only."
"If you wish to enter beyond this door..."
"You’ll need a Gold Card."
He briefly glanced toward the massive steel door behind him before adding,
"Only Executive Members possess Gold Cards."
"The black card cannot open this entrance under any circumstance."
"You’ll need to upgrade your membership."
Lucas frowned slightly.
"So..."
"How do I upgrade?"
The moment those words left his mouth...
Silence.
Both guards slowly turned to look at him.
Then...
They looked at each other.
Neither of them spoke.
Lucas stared back at them.
For several awkward seconds, nobody moved.
Then it finally hit him.
"...Right."
That...
...was probably the dumbest question he could have asked.
Anyone who truly belonged here would already know the answer.
There was no reason to ask.
By opening his mouth...
He had almost exposed himself.
An awkward smile appeared on Lucas’s face.
"...Forget I asked."
He quietly slipped the black card back into his pocket.
His confidence had taken a direct hit.
With all the pride and authority he had displayed only moments earlier completely gone, Lucas gave an embarrassed cough before slowly turning around and walking back down the hallway.
Behind him...
The two guards watched his retreating figure in silence, their expressions becoming increasingly suspicious.
Just as Lucas turned around to leave, something suddenly caught his attention.
A waiter carrying a silver tray filled with expensive wine walked confidently toward the restricted corridor.
The same two guards who had just interrogated Lucas didn’t even spare him a glance.
No questions.
No card check.
The waiter simply gave them a small nod before disappearing through the security door.
Lucas immediately stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed.
"...So the staff aren’t checked."
A slow smile spread across his face.
Now that...
That was an opportunity.
Instead of leaving, Lucas quietly changed direction and began following the route the waiter had come from.
Pretending to admire the paintings and decorations along the hallway, he casually searched for the staff entrance where the waiters were coming in and out.
A few moments later, he spotted a partially concealed service door tucked away beside the main corridor.
Waiters constantly entered and exited through it, carrying trays of expensive wine, gourmet dishes, and elegant desserts.
Lucas stopped before reaching the door. He didn’t rush in.
Instead, he quietly remained around the corner, carefully observing everything through the partially opened entrance.
Waiters constantly moved in and out of the service area carrying trays of expensive wine, gourmet dishes, and elegant desserts.
The place was incredibly busy, with employees rushing in every direction to serve the club’s distinguished guests.
Unfortunately...
No spare uniforms were lying around.
Lucas slowly scanned the room again.
Nothing.
"...Damn."
Just as he was wondering what to do next...
One of the waiters let out a loud yawn before rubbing his stomach.
"Be right back."
The young waiter casually placed his empty tray onto a nearby table before walking toward the restroom.
Lucas lowered his head.
A faint smile appeared.
"Perfect."
Without hesitation, he quietly followed behind.
The restroom was almost completely silent.
The moment the waiter stepped inside and closed the door~
Lucas slipped inside after him.
Click.
The waiter had only just turned around when—
Thud!
Lucas’s fist landed cleanly against the side of his neck.
The poor man didn’t even have time to scream.
His eyes rolled back before his body collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
"...Sorry."
Lucas caught him before he could hit the floor.
"I’ll make sure you’re compensated someday."
Working quickly, Lucas stripped the unconscious waiter of his uniform before pulling it over his own clothes.
Surprisingly...
It fit almost perfectly.
"Not bad."
He searched the unconscious man’s pockets.
Wallet.
A few bills.
An employee keycard.
Then...
An identification badge.
Lucas lifted it beneath the restroom light.
John.
"So your name’s John."
He clipped the badge onto his chest before adjusting the black vest and neatly straightening the white shirt.
Walking over to the mirror, Lucas carefully examined himself.
The disguise was almost perfect.
Only one problem remained.
His face.
Fortunately, the uniform included a black service cap.
Lucas pulled it down slightly until its brim cast a shadow over his eyes.
From a distance...
Nobody would pay much attention.
Satisfied, Lucas dragged John’s unconscious body into one of the restroom stalls before closing the stall door and sliding the lock from the inside.
Anyone entering the restroom would simply assume someone was inside.
He then climbed onto the toilet, reached the small ventilation opening near the ceiling, and carefully squeezed through into the adjacent maintenance corridor.
A few seconds later...
He landed softly on the other side.
The luxurious atmosphere disappeared instantly.
Instead of polished marble and expensive decorations, the maintenance corridor was narrow and plain.
Cold fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
Gray concrete walls stretched endlessly in both directions.
Exposed pipes ran across the ceiling while stacks of wine crates, cleaning supplies, and maintenance equipment lined the walls.
Employees hurried back and forth without paying attention to one another.
Guests would never know this hidden world existed behind the elegant club.
Lucas dusted off his sleeves, adjusted his collar one final time, and slowly took a deep breath.
"Relax..."
"You’re just another waiter."
Immediately...
His posture changed.
His shoulders relaxed.
His steps became quicker.
His face turned expressionless.
He now looked exactly like another exhausted employee trying to finish his shift.
Without attracting attention, Lucas returned to the busy service station where dozens of waiters constantly came and went.
A supervisor barked orders nonstop.
"Table Twelve!"
"VIP Lounge!"
"Move! Move! Move!"
Lucas casually picked up a tray filled with champagne.
Before he could take two steps—
Someone shouted,
"That’s for the VIP section!"
Lucas immediately grinned before shoving the tray toward another waiter.
"You’re lucky."
"I just saved you a trip."
The confused waiter blinked.
"...Uh... thanks?"
He hurried away without another word.
Lucas remained exactly where he was.
Patiently waiting.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Finally...
A supervisor walked out carrying a black tray.
Unlike every other tray, this one held only a single crystal decanter and two elegant glasses.
He looked around impatiently.
"Who’s taking this to the VVIP floor?"
Before anyone else could respond—
Lucas immediately stepped forward.
"I’ll take it."
Without waiting for permission, he smoothly accepted the tray from the supervisor’s hands.
Several nearby waiters looked at him strangely.
One of them even frowned slightly, as though trying to remember where he had seen Lucas before.
But the service station was complete chaos.
Orders flew through the air nonstop.
Managers shouted.
Guests constantly demanded more drinks.
Nobody had the time to question one more waiter volunteering for extra work.
The supervisor impatiently waved his hand.
"Fine."
"Just don’t spill it."
Lucas smiled politely.
"I won’t."
Then...
Carrying the tray with perfectly steady hands...
He calmly walked back toward the heavily guarded VVIP corridor once again.