'Money comes, money stays,
But with the rich who already own.
Money builds, money breaks,
The poor man bends, the rich one takes.'
'It works in secret ways and sets the test,
Only those who understand it will be served.
While for the reward afterward—
Are the women, to where gold and silver lie.
Shining their teeth, they choose those with fattened pockets and sell their love to them.'
It was the lingering golden hour. The sun spilled over the horizon as people walked about, each absorbed in their own journey.
"What is my purpose?"
In the middle of the crowd, a heavy voice spoke aloud, drawing a few curious glances.
But Oliver did not care as he continued walking through the crowd, his head facing down and his hands pushed deep into his pockets.
Unlike others walking in lively groups, he was walking all alone... no, not alone. At least his heavy backpack, dragging behind like a dead weight, kept him company.
'My purpose?..'
'...My purpose in life! Funny for my mind to suddenly think about this,' a dark chuckle escaped from his lips.
He turned into a short lane leading to another street, with the number of people around him becoming fewer.
'After graduating as a first-class pilot, only ten years later to end up working as a laborer in a construction company. Is my purpose not obvious already? To remain poor at the very bottom of the society.'
He sighed, disappointment and anger leaking out in that single sound.
'And back then, in my school days, I had this naive mindset of 'money doesn't buy happiness.' But now, look at where I am.'
'That stupid phrase fooled me and affected my mind so deep that I didn't push myself harder to get rich at that time.'
'Now I understand that money is the true measure of happiness. Imagine waking up on an exclusive island with a beauty at your side, a life of endless luxury at your beck and call, a life free from problems and filled with good health. That is true happiness!'
With these thoughts swirling like a bitter storm in his head, he stopped in front of a five-story building with a strange, hollow smile that concealed the real expression on his face.
"Back to this damn place," he uttered, clenching his fist.
He finally walked into the building and began the familiar climb up the stairs until he reached the door of his small apartment.
Only to be welcomed by a white envelope at the front of his door.
At that moment, Oliver's expression changed into a weird one.
"Another one today," he let out, his tone utterly devoid of surprise, as if he knew the contents before he even touched it.
Nevertheless, he still bent down and picked it up.
From your landlord.
Those were the first three words that greeted his twitching eyes.
'As expected.'
All interest in reading the rest of the notice vanished. Folding it carelessly, he stuffed it into his chest pocket and unlocked the door with another weary sigh.
A gentle gust of breeze grazed his skin from the open window, the curtain dancing to the rhythm of the wind.
The apartment smelled faintly of cleanliness, a sign that he was trying his best.
His backpack dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
His tiny apartment had one room, a tiny kitchenette and a small bathroom tucked in the corner.
Yawning, he allowed his exhausted body to fall freely onto the small worn-out couch at the side. His own tired reflection stared back at him from the nearby mirror on the wall.
Oliver ran his hand through his hair before he closed his eyes, inhaling the air in the room.
Who was he?
The thirty-year-old Oliver was a casualty of life, a poor man ground down by a world that valued only wealth.
He was betrayed first by his greedy family, who saw him as a worthless piece of trash because he lacked the one thing that defined a real man to them—MONEY.
And three years ago, his wife abandoned him.
With the cold saying, "Don't your mates spoil their wives lavishly? I can't keep suffering with a man who can't even pay his bills, let alone take good care of me." She left the marriage, which wasn't even a year old.
Rrr-umn!
The violent sound of hungry worms rumbling from his stomach shattered his silent peace.
"Thankfully, I still have some leftover food from yesterday's meal," his dark eyes opening as he stood up.
He grabbed a plate of rice from the mini-fridge and microwaved it.
Sitting lazily on the kitchen cabinet, he devoured the food with little care.
Each bite filled his stomach, but it tasted more of survival than enjoyment, just to satisfy those hungry protesting worms.
"Let me check if there is any luck today from those emails I sent my application forms to," he remembered his life situation.
While eating, he pulled out his phone and went down to his email.
"Seriously? Nothing?" His face sank at the empty inbox. "What the hell is going on?" He nearly knocked his food off the counter.
Calming himself, he muttered, "Well, nothing I can do but search again."
He went directly to the Internet and began his job hunt once again, the screen's harsh light shining against his rough face.
Going through different websites, he came across a lot of them, but none of them seemed suitable for him.
Then a job caught his eyes—a chauffeur with good grade needed. A new job posted a few minutes ago.
"This can't be real," he stated, eyes glued to the screen.
The interesting part was the pay, $7,500/monthly.
He quickly clicked on it, eager for more details, only for another blank white page to take over the screen.
It was nothing more than one of those irritating, pointless pop-up ads for a spin-the-wheel game.
He cursed, "What kind of rubbish is this!" he exclaimed, trying to close the window, but his hand accidentally touched the game.
The wheel began to turn quickly, colors flashing across the screen.
He tried to remove the page, but he couldn't.
The phone froze, trapping him on the page.
Then, a message popped up after the spin stopped.
「Congrats! You've won yourself a MILF Sim and an Infinite Harem Subscription, arriving at your location within the next two minutes!」
Oliver hissed at the screen. "A man needs money and this stupid pop-up is showing something useless."
He swiped the screen again, this time with furiousness and the page finally exited.
He quickly went back to the job posting, only to find out someone had taken it just a few seconds ago.
A roar of pure rage escaped him. "That goddamn pop-up! I lost the job because of that stupid fucking thing!" He slammed his hand down on the table.
Ding Dong!
The doorbell rang.