1 Prologue 1

My name is Derrick Vogel, the sole successor of Royal Throne Corporation in Luxembourg. The first company which boasted to have trillions worth of assets. Yes, I am the son of the CEO who dominated the world's industries. It is fate that gave me such a blissful life, the life dreamt by billions of people.

I have millions of subordinates under me and my father. I can do anything, I can do whatever I like. Even life can easily be taken in just a word of my mouth. But this kind of hobby is boring, what I want is to be happy.

I can buy anything I like. What catches my eyes will be bought by me. People always give me face whenever I buy stuff and even fawn at me, but being condenscending while buying what I like is what I don't do. I still have my own principles.

Everything that caught my eye will surely give me happiness, I don't doubt my foresight. However, everything that I get, only my happiness is short-lived, what I really want is eternal happiness.

Out of boredom, I searched happiness. In internet, outside the city, everywhere. But what I mostly see is the people I labeled poor are talking with each other while flashing their bright smiles on their faces.

With this I wonder, why are poor people very happy? Aren't they mad, and envious that they can't buy what they want, but can only barely accommodate their needs?

Are they contented to stay poor and always be poor? How can they get happiness if they can't even buy branded clothes, bags, and jewelries?

I thought for answers. I asked my trusted aide, my trusted confidants and my circle of friends, what is happiness? All I get are different answers that didn't make sense to me.

My friends would laugh at my ridiculous saying. "Who even needs happiness? We have money!"

My trusted confidants and aide gave me different answers, they were too profound to understand, talking about their wives and kids.

Leaving me no choice, I asked my mother. She knows this stuff better than my father does. I asked her on the phone since it's impossible for us to meet in these times.

The answer surprised me though. She said. "Follow the footsteps of those people you envy, and you will find the answer you will need."

In a flash of inspiration, I managed to find what goal I should set. And to find this answer, I disguised myself and hired the best, trustworthy guards, as I journeyed from one country to another.

There is one path I can take while finding the answer, it is to live as a poor person, and to interact with poor people.

I traveled from Luxembourg to a developing country in Asia to live for a month in order to find the answers I'm looking for.

Then I filtered places to places as I pointed my fingers in the world map where I would live for some time.

I froze my bank account so I won't be able to cheat myself in the name of money. I have to force myself to adopt this lifestyle whether I like it or not, all for the sake of the goal. Everything will be worth it if I can endure this little bit of hardship.

Thus, I rented a room of the worst apartment I can find near an area where countless people would flock, the park.

I always prioritize my safety over my needs, thus I made sure that there are no dirty and hidden backgrounds around and inside this city that will affect me.

My honest thoughts of the apartment I will be living from now on? I can see dust all around me, so dirty. below the cabinet is dirty, the borders of the air conditioner is dirty, even the floor is dirty. As expected of the worst apartment I can find.

Now what should I do? There are people living in this apartment just next to my door. Maybe I'll try visiting them.

I once had the thought of calling the landlord downstairs to hire people and make them clean my room, but that would make the whole thing meaningless right? I want to find my answers myself, not to hire people to find the answers for me.

I have no problems talking with other people; may they be poor, rich, with racial differences, or cultural differences, anything. Discrimination is already wiped off my head long ago. I learned this the hard way.

As I knocked to the door that was next to mine, I already heard some feminine voice shouting. "Please wait." As I heard this, I can already tell the difference that the natives here are easier to talk to than the people I deal with in business.

I waited for ten seconds, for the door to be opened, what greets my eyes is a native aunty, I'm half a head taller than her.

The aunty asked. "How may I help you, boy?"

Its the first time someone calling me with an honorific, "boy". Even though I am 16, no one ever dared to call me that. It may be disrespectful in business but not in here, especially in terms of seniority, I am really a kid, a boy compared to her. I always take note of these matters.

"May I borrow your broom?" I said without shame. If someone were to record this scene of me without my disguise and spread it online, everyone's mouth will widen in surprise instantly.

"It's uncommon to find kids that are independent without their parents. I'm going to get a broom so just wait, okay?." Let me clarify missus, I hate dirty things all over my place. I am forced to clean my own room, understand? But I will never invite hostility over nothing, so I refrained myself from speaking and just silently nod.

I waited for less than a minute as I stayed in place until the aunty arrived with a broom in her hand. "Here kid, remember to return the broom back after using it, okay?" Yeah, I am borrowing it. So it makes sense to return it soon enough.

As I was planning to say thanks to this good aunty, she chimed in first with a gentle tone. "Do you want to eat dinner with us? I heard you just recently moved in here, everyone in this apartment would like to know you."

"Thank you aunty, but I have already eaten an hour ago." This statement is not a lie, I already ate on my way here. I look whiter than the natives here so I'm definitely be labeled as a foreigner to them. I don't wish to be high-profile in this city.

"Gosh, it is still 10:30 a.m! But then it's okay, we can still talk later."

"Thank you for being so understanding aunty."

"Boy, stop being an outsider here, we are just neighbords next door, we live in the same apartment right? So there's no need to be formal." The aunty is right, I don't have to force it.

"I'll have to go now aunty, I have to clean in my room." I replied, ending the conversation immediately.

"Sure." The aunty gently smiled at me, but I didn't mind it at all. This ends the conversation now so I'll have to go back and spend my time for myself.

Before the aunty closed the door, she pushed it back and asked. "Oh by the way, what's your name kid?"

The moment I heard it, I stopped. Then I turned my head to the aunt, saying. "Call me Rick, aunty." Then turned back, opened the door, and went in. Of course, I like to act mysterious.

Moments after Derrick closed the door, the aunt started to laugh happily and shook her head. "Rick? Why don't you call yourself Rick Roll? You can't fool me, boy, I'm well informed in memes compared to my peers."