Chapter 9: Dreamer…Dreamer!

After a few minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation from Rachael, Joe Cole was revived and allowed to rest until he was fit enough to continue. Once he was fine, they continued.

“Am really sorry for passing out like that. My brain shut down for a while.” Joe Cole apologized, “Please sir, can someone explain these figures to me?”

“Fortunately, the contract your parents made with the government which is TOP SECRET CLASSIFIED ended this year as the 50th year. And so far, the 2% annual interest paid to the account totaled at $300 billion, a solid 100% ROI. And now we have to return the treasures and continue a perpetuity payment of $3 billion yearly.” President Carter explained.

Joe Cole, all smiles and his perfectly lined teeth showing, reacted,

“So I’m worth $300 billion right now?”

“No sir, you’re worth far more than that,” Rachael answered him. Her response widened his eyes more, his mind forgetting what the President had told him about the contract.

President Carter continued his calculations,

“As I said, we are returning the treasures to you at the current gold valuation pegged at $2,000. This means the value of those treasures had quadrupled in over half a century. Your parents’ $300 billion treasures are now worth $1.2 trillion to you.”

“WHOA!!!” Joe Cole screamed as he jumped up and began running around the Oval Office shouting, “I AM RICH!!!”

Everyone smiled and laughed as they watched him express his joy. When he was done, he quickly asked,

“So, does this mean I can do whatever I want with this $1.5 trillion?” He asked, having quickly done the maths of adding the liquid cash and the assets together to arrive at $1.5 trillion.

“Yes. It's all yours for the spending.” President Carter replied to him.

Joe Cole jumped up and shouted again,

“Yes!!!” Then he returned to his seat to continue the conversation.

President Carter continued, 

“While you may spend it all as you wish, we’ve made arrangements according to your parents' demands, to hire the best hands in finance, business, investments, economics, legal affairs, and all to guide you. Rachael here, is the leader of that team. She will be your personal assistant, handling everything you want her to as you settle into your new status.” 

Joe Cole took a sharp look at Rachael with a very attractive smile and in his mind he thought,

‘Such a beautiful and smart woman as my PA? What am I right now? I can’t wait for Jake and Emily to meet her and find out they are nothing.’

His mind quickly jumped to Jake, Emily, and all the rich kids in his school, 

‘So, as it stands now, I am richer than all their parents combined.’ That thought took him off character as he burst into loud laughter.

“I'm sorry, I just imagined something. As it stands, I’m the richest man in the world right now.” He said jokingly.

“Yes, you are. Richer than the top 100 richest people in the world combined.” President Carter answered him.

“Now, to conclude this meeting, I'd like to appeal on behalf of the nation to loan the treasures to us again. If you should withdraw them and liquidate them, it'll gravely impact the economy of the nation. So, we are open to another deal.” President Carter's request landed well in Joe Cole's ears as he was just almost thinking the same thing.

“Definitely.” He replied, and without much thought, he landed his own deal, “I would love to re-loan the country everything, except for the already accumulated interest. I'll do the same deal my parents made but the loan period would be 100 years.”

“That is, 2% yearly interest for a hundred years and then 1% yearly in perpetuity.” Rachael clarified, “That puts the ROI at $30 billion yearly for 100 years and $15 billion in perpetuity. Together with the already existing 1% yearly from your parents' deal, you'll earn $33 billion yearly for the next 100 years.”

Rachael's calculations and her sharp mind were on another level. Without the use of a calculating device, she'd run the calculations in split seconds and deliver the figures all in one breath. Joe Cole looked at her again, smiling from ear to ear.

‘'Not only is she beautiful, he is smart and intelligent. And she's my PA.' His smile glowed even brighter as the thoughts ran through his mind.

“Everything Rachael just said is accurate,” Reese Bolton said in confirmation after running the figures through his calculator, “So, what do you say, Mr. Cole?”

“Yeah. That's the deal. Am good with it if you are.” He replied.

“Alright then, just swipe here on the screen and it's all done. The system already took in everything you said and designed the contract as you said.” The lead guy in charge of the briefcase said to him.

Joe Cole did as he was told and the system printed an interface requesting his authorization,

'LOAN $1.5 TRILLION WORTH OF TREASURES TO THE UNITED STATES AT 2% YEARLY FOR 100 YEARS AND 1% IN PERPETUITY AFTERWARDS?’

“Yes, please. Authorise.” Joe Cole replied to the machine with his voice. 

‘'CONTRACT SUCCESSFULLY AUTHORISED!’

The final words from the machine caused them to cheer, Rachael served the drinks and they raised their glasses to a new beginning.

“CHEERS TO A NEW BEGINNING!” They all said, but none was happier than Joe Cole.

In a matter of hours, Joe Cole had just become a trillion-dollar rich, and even more, he had just loaned the United States, the world’s most powerful nation, a trillion and a half dollars. From the broke guy who almost got mobbed for a false allegation of stealing items whose worth was a mere grain of sand in his newly inherited beach of sand, now Joe Cole is not just the richest person in the world, he was richer than the top 100 richest people combined.

‘Could this all be a dream?’ he wondered to himself.

**********************

BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!

“Joe Cole!”

“This fool is still sleeping. Wake your fucking ass up!” Robert stood, in front of Joe Cole’s room, banging his door and shouting his name but was getting no response from Joe Cole.

“Alright, Cole. Since you won’t respond to my calls, I’ll be right back.” Robert hurried off to the kitchen.

In minutes, he was back with a bucket of water. He opened the door which for some reason was unlocked,

“This fool didn’t even lock his door. Good for you.” Robert entered the room and turned on the light.

SPLASH!

“What the fuck!?” Joe Cole jumped from his bed, water dripping all over his body.

“Robert, what’s your problem?” He yelled out at Robert.

“What is my problem? You ungrateful bastard, how dare you?” Robert lashed back at him in anger.

“What do you want, Robert?” Joe Cole, loosened his tone as though his brain had juggled to the awareness of who he was talking to.

“Why haven’t you washed my car?” Robert asked.

“I’ll do it now, please.” Joe Cole quickly got up to jump on the task.

“Don’t go anywhere near my car, you filth.” Robert halted Joe Cole and stormed out of the room. 

Joe Cole sat on his bed, ruminating over what had just happened. Suddenly, his memory triggered,

“Wait. The meeting at the Oval Office. Was I dreaming?”