HIDDEN TRILLIONAIRE

Richard was startled by the sudden screech of a speeding black van near him. Confused, he turned to know why or what happened, only to see masked thugs armed with crowbars and steel bats jumping down from the van. Richard didn't need a soothsayer to tell him that they were here to make trouble for him, or worse.

He bolted immediately without even asking a question. They chased after him. The Valerian Estate where the Warren Family Mansion was located was supposed to be security tight, but Richard couldn't find a single security personnel around. He didn't think much of it and ran faster. He turned towards a neighborhood he believed he could lose his pursuers.. but fate seemed to have abandoned him as he didn't expect the black van in front of him. It seemed that while the thugs chased after him, the driver had circled around to block his only escape route.

Richard skidded to a halt. The thugs chasing him were no longer in a hurry, they were now casually walking towards him, while the driver had alighted the van and walked towards him with a crowbar.

"Nowhere else to run? Little doggy can't escape anymore?" A rough voice said. Richard turned to the voice and saw it belonged to one of the thugs that was previously chasing him. That burly thug seemed to be the leader.

"Who are you and why are you here? I haven't done anything to you!" Richard attempted to reason with them.

"Little doggy, it's not us that you wronged, not really.." the man said with a smile and then stopped a few feet away from Richard, meanwhile the other thugs formed a circle around Richard, cutting off any escape plan he might be hatching. Richard raised a brow in confusion.. he was sure he hadn't offended anyone at all.. not like he had the guts to do so.

"Looks like your luck isn't really that good doggy. The boss doesn't want you around to disrupt his plans anymore." The thug leader said.

"Listen, I'm sure we can talk things out, I don't even know who this boss of yours is, I'm a nobody, really." Richard said while doing his best to keep his voice steady, but in truth he was absolutely terrified. The tone of that thug indicated that he was to be killed..

"The young master's orders were very specific; you are to be beaten to death.. not stabbed, not shot, but beaten to death." The thug said with an evil smirk. "You really lucked out. Sucks to be you doggy. You can only blame yourself for biting off more than you can chew."

Richard knew then that these thugs were intent on killing him. Knowing that there will be no help coming, Richard decided to break away from this circle.. perhaps if he can take down the leader and make a break for it back to the Warren Family Mansion, he will be safe.

Richard made a dash for the leader without a second thought, his right hand balled in a fist.. he was so close, but the thug leader was faster, way faster..

BAM!

Richard vision darkened for a moment as pain exploded in his head.. he fell down to the hard cold floor. Pain exploded all over his body as the thugs pounced on him.. hitting him with their steel baton and crowbars. Richard cried out for help, asked them to stop but they didn't. The thug leader merely laughed.

Richard wished for the pain to stop, prayed for death.. as his consciousness was slipping, he felt at peace.. finally, he could experience some peace and quiet. But then his mind drifted to Diane.

'If only he was wealthy and powerful! Why? Why was fate cruel to him!? Why was wealth elusive to him!? Why couldn't he be rich as others!?. If there's a second chance at life, I will never be poor, I will do whatever it takes to become the most powerful man.' And with that thought, Richard died.

*

In a lonely alley of the Valerian Estate, a lifeless body of a certain young man laid there. There was no sign of life, no heartbeat nor movement. That body has been there for almost an hour. His once plain casual clothes were now bloodied and muddy. His black hair were matted with thick blood and bit of brain mucus from the bursted up skull. Nevertheless, even in that deathly state, a miracle was happening. Even though by logic he was dead, and his heart had stopped circulating blood, his mind however was still working, or rather his subconscious mind was undergoing changes.

«Data collection complete. Host matches the requirement of the system. Host's current status: Deceased. Injecting revitalization serum to Host. Host current status: critical. Injecting advanced healing serum to Host. Host current status: Salvageable. System booting in progress. Time required: One hour thirty minutes.»

DUDUM! DUDUM! DUDUM!

The heart of the lifeless body began beating once more, color began to return to his once pale face. His wounds began healing at a fast pace that will make any doctor drop his jaw. His fingers began twitching as life force began coursing through his veins once again.. and then.. his eyes finally opened.

"GODDAM!" He shouted as he sprang up in a sitting position. "Ugh! I feel like I've had a fight with a freight train." He felt his hands were wet and squishy, only then did he notice the bloodstains all around him, and even on him. He remembered being beaten.. to death. Richard immediately ran his hands all over his body.. "What's going on? How come I'm not dead, and there's not even a single scar on me. What the hell just happened!? It certainly wasn't a dream as I can very well see the bloodstains on me."

«System booting in progress.

98%..

99%..

100%..»

«Ding!

Welcome Host Richard Tucker, to the Trillionaire System. I will be your personal assistant and aid you in your journey to acquire wealth, becoming the very first Trillionaire of your generation.»

"Nani!???"