After a while, Alex calmed down.
Wiping his tears away, he looked at the tv that had already changed into another program.
He slumped his back into the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
Actually, there's no ceiling in this house, when you look up, you will directly see the roof.
Sometimes, when it rains, water drips down inside the house because there are a few holes in the roof.
That is why it's such a hassle when the rainy season comes.
Thinking of that, Alex said, "Those days were really depressing sometimes…"
"Alone in the house, cleaning the water that leaked from the roof… Hais."
Then when he thought that he is about to have, Alex can't help but become melancholic.
"With that money, I will be able to buy a good house in the city."
"Then I won't have to worry about leaks when the rainy season comes."
"I can also buy an air conditioner so that when the summer comes, I don't have to worry about the heat."
All of these might sound simple to other people, but for Alex, these simple things are like things that can only happen in his dreams.
Not all people are able to afford what we think is cheap, that's why we should be mindful when talking to other people.
Anyway, while thinking of such things, Alex unknowingly fell asleep on the sofa.
It seems like after the excitement he was worn out, exhaustion came and made him drift off to sleep.
A peaceful night passed.
The next day.
The sun rose gently into the sky, giving life to every living being on Earth.
The gentle morning sunlight shone through Alex's sleeping face through the window, making him appear holy for a second.
Feeling the warm touch of the sun, Alex's closed eyes flickered before slowly opening.
Looking around, Alex noticed that it was already morning and got up.
"Ugh, I fell asleep on the sofa, huh."
Alex said while doing some stretches.
After that, Alex is finally fully awake.
And so, he immediately started preparing to leave.
He took a shower and ate some leftovers for breakfast before leaving the house.
This time, Alex is not wearing his school uniform.
Because his destination for today is not school but the sweepstakes office.
So, with casual wear, Alex started walking towards the Pearl's city center.
This time, the city center is really far from Alex's home.
If you go there from Alex's house using a car, it will take about 30 minutes.
But now, Alex has to walk that far since he has no more money to use for commuting.
Fortunately, Alex's body is now multiple times stronger than before.
Such distance is no problem to him now.
And with his speed, he can even arrive there faster than a car if he wants to!
While walking, he said to himself, "Next time, I might no longer have to walk. I can just buy a car and experience the feeling of driving."
Thinking of that, Alex's speed can't help but hasten a little.
He can't wait to get the money already and so he started hurrying.
An hour later, Alex arrived at the sweepstakes office.
Immediately, he strode inside and walked towards an inquiry counter.
"Hello, good morning, how may I help you?"
The female staff asked with a polite smile on her face.
Taking the lotto ticket from his pocket, Alex said, "Uhm, last night I won the grand prize for the lotto so…"
Showing the ticket, Alex didn't continue speaking.
Hearing his words, the girl looked surprised.
But with her professionalism, her face returned to normal just after a second.
Then with a smile, she said "Sir, to get your prize money, please head to the second floor and go through the procedure."
Alex nodded, "Okay, thank you, miss."
After saying thanks to the staff, Alex looked for the stairs and went up.
The staff left behind looked at Alex's gradually disappearing figure.
She sighed, feeling a little envious, she said, "The winner this time is such a young guy, huh. How I wish I could also win the lotto and quit my job."
…
After Alex went upstairs, he met the official who's responsible for the sweepstakes.
From there, Alex was guided through the procedure.
After about an hour, Alex finally left the sweepstakes office with a bank card.
Alex received ₱235 million after the tax was deducted.
Outside the sweepstakes office, Alex stood there, feeling like it was all a dream.
"So now… I'm officially a millionaire?"
Calling himself a millionaire feels so strange to him.
"Then, what should I do? Should I buy something?"
Feeling that he was starting to get anxious because of the sudden wealth he received, Alex took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"Relax, Alex. This is just money, no need to be so agitated." He said to himself.
After that, Alex managed to regain his composure.
Looking around, Alex thought about what he should do.
Now that he has the money, Alex can't really think of what he should do with it.
Should he buy a house?
How about buying a car?
Or maybe invest it somewhere?
Alex doesn't really know what to do, that's why he decided to walk around to clear his head first.
Wandering aimlessly, Alex observes the city center calmly.
"So this is what the city center looks like in the morning, huh." He said.
Alex is usually at the outskirts of the city where his house and the dumpsite are located.
In his whole life in this city, the number of times that he went to the city center can be counted with the finger on his hands.
And all those times, he didn't get the chance to look around like today so everything feels a little blurry in his memory.
Now, looking at the bustling city center, Alex can't help but be infected by the energy of everyone.
After walking for a while, Alex unconsciously arrived at the Royal Mall.
Seeing the people going in and out, Alex suddenly thought of his dungeon for some reason.
With a light in his eyes, he curiously thought,
'Will it be possible to turn a mall like this into a dungeon if I own it?'
