"Red Coast, this country of ours needs an extensive purge!"
This was the opening of the President's speech years later after his election. Keres Wiscon stood proud and immovable amidst the crowd gathered in the country's largest square. Today was his State of the Nation address, and today was the beginning of the drastic change in the lives of the people on the Red Coast.
The entire podium was silent when in the middle of his speech, the President's assistant was asked to come handing a red gold box, and when the President opened it, the audience wait in anticipation as they saw a piece of paper being pulled out from it. After a while, it was flashed on the huge screen projector, there the entire country knows what was it, as the President pronounced -- The Red Tape Letter. That's it, it was a letter that was even more important than his speech at the moment. The letter that's even more powerful than the country's constitution. For in that letter written in red, was a new law revealed. A law that later shaped the people of Red Coast's lives and destiny." In my years of being an economist and philosopher, I realized that our own morals and filthiness are what hindered us in achieving financial freedom, so from this moment, at the issuance of this letter, I therefore, begin this country's purging process, thus, from now on, there will be a segregation of the rich and poor. The rich will have the best in lives, the best of services in the country from health care to education and businesses!" Keres continued his speech.
" Remember that this I am doing to maintain the better future of our country, and thus to maintain the high morals of our people for a rich country means having empowered citizens, and empowered citizens are those that have the right perspective and disposition in lives! Thank You!"Henley turned off the television.
It irritates his ears that now he's hearing that speech again as the people of Red Coast are commemorating the issuance of the red tape letter. It's been years since that letter was released, and it's been years since commoners like him had been living a f** up life. The words of the philosopher president were deemed as an inspiration to those who can keep up to the standards he set, particularly to those who can afford to live in Elite City, later the president's words had become a toxin to the society, it created a culture wherein the poor were regarded as sinner and filthy, and that their being poor was because of their filthiness whereas those who can afford to settle in Elite City are regarded as clean and people of high morals. Blame the president. It was he who set the minds of the people, who lead the thoughts and cultures with such outcome. And yeah, for Henley, the president is to blame for why his life was a present hell. He can't even eat in a nice restaurant without being bullied. It was like filthy has become his other name. He was always treated with contempt. He even quit school because of that for he was treated as if without a right to be human. It's either the residents of Elite City who will make him their personal slave, they will make fun of him or make him run errands until he misses the next classes. Henley thought his life will get better when he landed a job. He was thinking that his job will be a way for him to afford the settlement in Elite City but he was wrong. The employment and even businesses were of different situations for the commoners and Elite City residents. The residents of Elite City were given the most favors. The top positions were reserved for them. They were the first in line when it comes to investments. The residents of Elite City are living in favors and extravagance while, the commoners are living in crumbs, yeah, their crumbs. It doesn't matter even if you're smart or the most hardworking. Natural talent is useless if you're a commoner, so later on, Henley realized that his hard work won't provide him a way to Elite City. And speaking of settling there, maybe it would take a lifetime for Henley to be able to save for the price of a lot in there. Just a lot, the housing construction and other fees are not yet included."Hey, Henley are you up for tonight's gig?" one of his co-workers asked him.
Henley nodded cheerfully. "Are you sure you still got some muscles?" they asked. Henley understands their hesitations. He's working in the mining camp for straight hours and later tonight would be serving wine in the bar." Of course, I need this for grandma's medicine!" he said.If not for Naomi he would not stay long working in the mining camp. She's actually the reason why he's working straight here most of the time. Naomi's family owns the mining company. Though he isn't one of them, he wanted to show his girlfriend's family that he's a hardworking guy and that he can give Naomi a nice life. But what's always happening here in the mining camp was contrary to what he was hoping. Naomi's brother always picked on him.
"Dangerous work is for Henley!"
" Let Henley stay overtime!" " Why should Henley get overtime pay? When he's clearly not finishing his work on time just to see my sister?"Oftentimes, those were Naomi's brother's alibi for not paying him, fairly. One time the mine guards beat him up for some unfair reasons. Henley wanted to retaliate but he tried hard not to for Naomi's sake.
"What are you filthy commoner huh? I don't know where you get your confidence to pursue my sister!"
Naomi's brother would always say those words to him every time he picked on him. Filthy. That word has become like his name. Ever since the President launched the purging process through the red-taped letter, the people outside the Elite City have been tagged as filthy.Richess and blessings are for the clean. Only the clean of motives and clean hand work will be blessed. Blessed. Yeah, that's why the residents in Elite City are rich. They are blessed because they are clean because they are people of high morals.
Henley was honestly pissed off by that perspective for what he experienced from those elites is contrary to their claim of being clean.
"Dude, if I were you I would give up that Naomi girl because of your relationship with her, your life here is in hell," one of his co-workers suggested one time.
But he loves Naomi and he won't be giving her up unless it's her who said so. As long as Naomi wants her, all these agonies don't matter."Such a s*** love! You know you two can't be together! She's a resident of Elite City! She's clean, you're not!" his co-worker exclaimed, shaking its head in distress.
Henley's brows raised, " Who said we're not clean? It's just them who categorize that! It's just because they can afford to live in Elite City so they're clean? They just regarded themselves as that!" he objected. "Well, that is what is it now," the co-worker shrugged.Yeah, he's right somehow.
Being poor in Red Coast country is a curse. To be rich. To be a resident of Elite City. How's that all even taste? Henley could only wonder. Transferring from one foster home to another, Henley Austen was a survivor of an abusive home. He barely got to school. At a young age, he learned to live on his own, toiled, and worked hard to have something to eat. And what's even crueler is that he lived in a world where people of status like him are greatly despised ever since the proclamation of the Red-Taped Letter which segregates the rich and poor. Like the usual commoner, it has been his dream to settle in the City of Elites, for being able to live there was like becoming a new person. For sure his life will change and Naomi's family's treatment of him will change too once he affords to live there! No longer he would be called filthy. How he long for that! But how! Yeah, how, that's the pressuring question for unless a miracle happens he'll forever be stuck in the mud.There are only two things to blame for my f*** up life! That red-taped letter and that twisted mind of our economist philosopher President! Henley thinks.
The Red Coast Country was at first like the other countries. It was succumbing to poverty until the economist philosopher, Keres Wiscon was elected as President.Keres Wiscon is a man in his 40s. They say it's such an achievement for his age to reach success that early, to become the country's president knowing that he's a self-made man. His story was an inspiration to many. He rise to wealth and power not because he was an heir like the others but because of his intelligence and perspective in life, and because of that many wanted to become like him. Keres has this kind of approachable charisma despite his cold eyes and sleeky black hair, which for Henley, he's not sure if he's the only one who sees that something is off in the President, a kind of strange dark vibe. Anyway, if he aired that impression even his best friend would object. It seems that every citizen of Red Coast is a fan of Keres Wiscon, who wouldn't? Every time he opened his mouth, the words that come out of it make the people alive.
"The President is saying the right word! That's what I need right now in my life!"
" Did he just say the thing I should decide since then?" " How could he utter such life-changing words?" "How can he be both brilliant when it comes to money making and money managing? He's our hope!"For Henley, hearing those praises for the President was like viral music that's everywhere, where ever he goes. It was like the people had been enchanted by Keres Wiscon's charm -- except him. Yeah, except him. He hated him since Keres launched the red tape letter.
That letter was favorable only to the rich and that worsen the commoner's hellish lives! He thinks.
He has so much trust in Naomi's love for him. Naomi accepted him despite that he was a commoner. She's from the Elite City. He's from the bottom. He couldn't forget that dreamy eyes he saw one time right at the moment he need of saving. If not for Naomi he could have been killed in the mine camp. Drex, Naomi's brother always picked on him. Drex always made sure he'll have a difficult work life in the mining camp. "Hey! You are filthy! you do this!" Drex never had called him in his name. He always assigned him a dangerous task in the mine like underground drilling, or with explosives, like blasting or moving the ore. Though it's still difficult, he'll be thankful if he's assigned to the breaking rocks operation. For Drex and the rest and the likes of him, Henley's life isn't valuable. They don't care if he'll die down there, a commoner like him always gets the lowliest and most dangerous job. For Henley, this work life of his is nothing compared to what he had when he was a kid. Un
He was jobless. He was brokenhearted. And his grandmother was in the hospital. Perhaps there could be no more f** up life as his. The next few days, Naomi's wedding news was everywhere. The Krux family takes pride in it. He even heard Mr Krux announcing over television that her daughter's wedding is going to be the grandest of the year. Henley turned to the window to not hear the tv in the end. He's on the public bus at the moment, and even up here, he's hearing about Naomi's wedding. He remembered his encounter with her last night. So, that arrogant guy was her fiancee? Adder. Yeah, that name stick in his mind, when that arrogant who he saw wrapping his arms around Naomi uttered his name. How could he forget him? He was too proud to say who he was! He even ordered the bar staff to drag him away. Later he learned that this Adder guy was the guy whom Naomi had cheated on with. Yeah, it turns out that behind those innocent faces of hers, and those pretentious love she had shown to him
The bell ring. It's mealtime here in Iron Gate Max Security Prison. That bell sound was the only thing perhaps that brings color to the day of the inmates detained here. It means they'll have to get out even just for a minute in their small claustrophobic rooms, but who would have thought that their canteen would even have some hierarchy? Yeah, you heard it right, meals aren't all free. Yeah, there are free meals for the general prisoners and that free meal means bland, tasteless, low-quality food. If you want to have some pleasurable eating time, you can spend money on it. And often those meals are for the rich people who would not spend a long time in this rotting place. "Hey, dude what are you looking at? The line is stuck!" The canteen attendant called Henley's attention. He had been looking at the other menu that was displayed on the other side of the food rack. The ones that are for the VIP prisoners. " Do you have money for it? huh? What are you looking at?" the canteen a
Aside from the fact that all the best things are promised in Elite City from education to health care and spectacular skyscrapers, no one from the outside knows what really is for some information about the city remains mysterious for the settlers outside of it. Elite City is a promised land. That's all that everyone knows and was sure of. Elite City was dubbed the most expensive city in the world. Owning a house there does not come easy even though you're a resident of Red Coast settling in Elite City was like applying for citizenship in a country. It involves many requirements one has to be CI from financial to personal background making sure that the applicant for residency is eligible to live up to the standard of life in Elite City. So, having money for housing does not guarantee a residency in Elite City. First, one needs to have at least 500 million dollars maintaining balance in his account, a kind of money that's not allowed to be touched during the entire residency, then asi
Day 3[Well done! You have got 16 Billion Dollars in your account! You're now near closing level 1! Spend it in 3 days to grow your money! Failing to do so within the required time will reduce back to level zero!]No pressure! Henley smiled as he closed the system update he was reading. He already had in mind where he was going spend next, for now, he'll enjoy this scene he's seeing. "What is this? You can't do this!" From a distance, Henley saw Mr. Krux freaking out. He was angry yet begging the estate staff to stop dragging them out of their house. The estate agreed to his terms. In the end, he was told that the housing secretary likes the idea of raising the housing cost to set the bar high. It's good for the Elite City's image so they choose Henley's proposal over the Krux family, besides it was like Henley had paid all the overdue balance of the Krux family since it has been a year that the family was failing to pay the city association dues. His proposal was a win-win for the
Henley Austen who becomes instant famous because of his Aurum Chateau is now again making headlines because of the unique policy he implemented in Night Zero Club -- No Elite Residents are allowed. Many were surprised after they learned that the famous club was now owned by him. While the public is in awe of the club's elegance and high-end impressive reputation, they are at the same time confused as to why of all the people, the Elite City residents are banned from the club. "If there are those who suit well in that place it's us!" "Look at the elegance, the expensive tastes! The glamorous image of that club! It speaks of us! Why are we not allowed in there?" The protesting residents usually have the same lines with their objections. But Henley remained deaf to their whinings. He was firm in his decision. He intended the club to be that way! Only for the common citizens. No Elite City residents are allowed. "Boss, many Elite residents have come by just today. They wanted to go in
The daily life of a billionaire. Henley Austen now resides in Elite City cluster A. This is just a secret, but besides his Aurum Chateu in Elite City, he also owns another house there where he lives. Aside from that, he also now owns another secret property outside Elite City, and that house serves as his hideout. Thanks to the system he had got, it was like he had won the lottery more. His life quickly changed. Henley's house is the biggest in cluster A. His bedroom is situated on the 5th floor. His maids were gathered around him before his alarm clock even sounded. And as he rose from the bed, all the maids greeted him, while one of them handed him warm water to drink, and the other handed him his slippers to wear. At the signal of his hand, the maids quickly leave the room, and he gets the curtain's remote. Then he settled in his room's balcony, where there was already a coffee ready for his consumption. Comfort. This was part of his daily routine. Minutes after he enjoys his cof
Henley gazed at Tori's face. She's one seductress! Damn it! He thinks. They stepped into the dancing area. Henley could feel all the eyes staring at them. He's sure that they have gotten their attention. It could be that they are curious or they are awed by them. At the side of his eyes, he saw the Krux's family's face. They were frowning, perhaps envious. But there's one particular face that made him rejoice. It's satisfying to see Naomi's expression. Was it pain? Was it regret he saw in her eyes? Whatever it is, it delights him that she's hurting or regretful. She must. They started to dance as the classical music's whispered beat rumbled into their ears. Tori slid her right foot back while moving her other foot forward. She lowered herself until her dress touched the ground, and then abruptly rose to her feet with such force. Henley heard the guests gasp at Tori's show-off. This woman is making me proud! Henley thought to himself. Before leaping into the air, Tori extended he