There was a cafe on the hotel's ground floor, just a few meters away from the hotel lobby. It was serene yet there was a slight bustle to it — similar to ruffling feathers. For its wonderful qualities, it was very expensive. It had some of the most expensive coffee Arnold had ever seen not to even consider drinking. But, here he was, sipping a latte like it the most mundane thing ever. He took his time to savour the taste. It was nothing extraordinary, just overpriced. It was quite disappointing but he could guess that the price was more for the ambience than it was for the coffee.This morning as the sun streamed in through the windows, he tried to soak in everything and just be in the moment for once. He was wearing a casual get-up, trying to match the atmosphere: a pristine checkered shirt rolled up to show his strong hand and a black trouser.Even as he tried to look and feel zen, his head was running round and round in circles as he tried to calculate how much he’d spent and ho
"Hello?" Mr Xiu waved his hand across Arnold's face.He continued when Arnold didn't reply. "Are you alright, young man? You suddenly went off and it looked like you were talking to yourself for a moment there."Arnold cleared his throat and muttered something inaudible about using a tiny ear bud to make a phone call."Oh, forget it," Xiu said lightheartedly. He linked his fingers on the table and asked. "So, what do you say?"Arnold's eyebrows scrunched up. He was just getting over the sudden, new quest and he was wondering what Mr Xiu was getting at. "So what?""What do you say about the offer?"Arnold's eyebrows raised up. "What offer?" Had Mr Xiu been talking to him while the voice was also speaking to him?Xiu laughed. "You don't think I was just trying to make small talk when I told you about investing a few minutes ago, did you?"Arnold was genuinely surprised. He stuttered. "I — Ii—""So, what do you say to—"Arnold found his voice quickly and replied, a little too fast. "I ac
Arnold was shocked. It flowed through his entire being and flooded his face. He could feel the heat and he was sure his cheeks and nose were already flaming-red. Confusion mixed in with the shock. His brows knitted. What was Mr Xiu talking about? It was so sudden that he almost laughed. He wanted to laugh. But he held it in by a thin thread. He stared at the coins in his hand, trying to weigh what it was: the currency and amount."What?" He didn't know when the words left his lips. His mouth worked on its own sometimes.He held one of the coins closer to his face. Maybe he needed to use prescription glasses because it was hard to identify the coins. As he took a closer look at them, he discovered why it was hard for him to identify them. They were an outdated currency. They were American coins, but they were no longer in use.He scoffed."What?" he repeated. He looked up at Xiu who looked very un-bothered. Like this was a very normal transaction. Like his demands were totally easy a
Arnold was back in his heavenly hotel room. After the conversation with Xiu, he found that he could no longer sit at the cafe. He couldn't even finish his coffee. It had become very cold. He ordered five club sandwiches and another cup of coffee, which he took to his room. He stuffed his face full with the sandwiches, and when he was done with his meal, he took off his clothes. The hotel room had lost the brand new feeling he'd gotten the first night he'd spent in it and he was too busy thinking so he couldn't sleep. Instead, he laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling.The clock was ticking. Time waited for no one, after all. A few hours later, he still hadn’t gotten over his encounter with Mr Xiu. He was spread out on the bed, thinking hard about, poring through every bit of their conversation. He held up one of the coins between his thumb and index finger. The other coin was on the dresser. He brought the coin in his hand close to his face. The light bounced off the metal."What
Arnold felt better than ever. He'd not still found a way to somehow magically transform the coins the Ghost of Wall Street, Mr Xiu, had given him into money, but he was trying and that was what mattered to him. The fact that he was trying made all the difference. And, he wouldn't stop trying. Not now. Not ever. It was this resilience that would take him further.He'd hit a huge milestone that was more than worthy of celebration. He'd not yet completed the chain quests, but he'd finally found an apartment that he liked and he could finally settle down there. It was far better than he could have ever dreamt of and he was so proud of himself, he could cry from all the emotions passing through him.When the agent had taken him to see the apartment, he had actually almost cried from awe and relief. Finally. After days of searching, he'd found an apartment he could call 'The One'. He was moving right up the ladder and it was the best feeling anyone could ever ask for, especially him, co
Lisa walked into the store, subconsciously swaying her hips a bit more than she would normally do. She felt the man's eyes on her and a silly part of her intended to give him a good view.Good God, she thought as she headed to the aisle that had fresh vegetables, he was one hot hunk. She wondered how she'd managed to stop her squeak after she'd bumped into him and looked up to find that he was the one.She'd watched him from her balcony on the days she was bored and lounging there, sipping red wine. Now that she had finally seen him up close, he was even hotter. Who knew that a simple grocery run would bring her towards his direction?She picked a few carrots, staring at the sizes a little too long. Her thoughts doubled back to him. He looked like a caring man. Not just an outwardly hot man, no. He looked like someone strong that she could depend on. Someone she could share all her worries with. She had to talk to him again. She just had to. She couldn't waste this opportunity whe
Arnold walked into his apartment and made his way straight to his empty kitchen. Everywhere in his apartment suddenly felt so empty. He could hear his footsteps echoing and it made him a little bit sad. Or, maybe he felt a little sad because he'd had to leave Lisa after their long conversation. Or, maybe it was because he was beginning to realize how empty his life was beginning to feel like living alone.He should be ecstatic. This was the highlight of his day. The fact that he'd met such a beautiful woman like her. Added to that, the nexus informed him that he had passed the grocery quest. But, something else bugged him. Even though he'd passed the grocery quest and the other quests the system had thrown at him that day, he had also gotten another quest while on another quest.Was there an end to these quests?He knew this present quest was different because without it, he might never have thought of getting together with Lisa and he'd have simply let such a sweet woman go.He t
Arnold was determined. His tenacity bled into the next week. On Monday, he dressed in a faded t-shirt and grey joggers, ready to hit the gym. He'd signed up online and had been emailed to come in on Monday to get his ID. He'd paid for his gym membership in order to get the extra perks that came with a paid membership as opposed to a free one. He wasn't going to take less than the best in this new endeavor.It took him less than twenty minutes to jog all the way to the gym. It was merely a few streets over and he had his smart watch on to count his steps while at it. He'd actually just ordered it over the weekend. Part of his resolution to become fit for Lisa.Lisa, Lisa, Lisa.She was ringing in his head night and day. When he closed his eyes. When he opened them. When he laid in bed. As he jogged to the gym that morning.He could almost compare it to how he'd felt in his early days with Vera.He shook his head as he stood in front of the gym now. He would not think about Vera. He w