"Wow, brother you really are a multi-millionaire now!" Liselle said as she finished preparing the small table where we'll be having our dinner. Already on there, is our simple meal that consists of rice, fried fish, and homemade sauce.

As I take my seat, I sarcastically replied, "A multi-millionaire that resides in a dilapidated house."

"Oh come on, Nat, no need to be humble already," Andrew said as he also takes his seat. Currently, there are four monoblock chairs facing the table. One for each of us.

"Brother, when you already receive the money, what are you planning to do with it?" Michael said that instantly lead me to wonder what is the befitting answer to that one. When I get the money, what is the right thing to do with it... Investment? Own business? Just keep it for future use? Ahm... what else?

But just as I will be drowned in the depths of my self-thoughts, I was pulled back to the present when I felt the hand of Andrew touched my left shoulder. When I faced him he gave me a smile. He told me to lead the prayer for us to already have dinner. With no hesitation, I nodded and told everyone to close their eyes. I let several seconds pass before started talking to the creator of all things...

It's been a while since we already started our dinner. And just like those ordinary times of having a meal together with my siblings, it has been filled with a light atmosphere. And it went even lighter because Drew from time to time pulls a joke.

I still remember when Andrew and I are just kids, when people ask us what we want to be someday-- and that I answered to be a doctor-- but Drew will answer to be a clown, laughter is what we get then as a reply from the people.

Ah, that is one of my many unforgettable memories with Drew.

To fully introduce my best friend, Andrew Richelle is a neighbor living ten houses away from our residence, the residence of Skye's. And unlike us, the family of Richelle has the wealth to send their only kid to university. Currently, Drew is just waiting for the graduation of his Engineering course. He is a cum laude...

It was ten in the evening when I decided to order my siblings to go to sleep already. They have a school so if they don't do anything that will direct to studying, might as well call this already a day to them. But it seems like they were older than me for this first time. Liselle refuses to obey, and so as Michael. Their reason is that they need to hear my conversation with Rey Vallera.

At first, I refused to agree with what they want to happen. My reason, I can just tell them tomorrow how's my convo with that man went. But as they continue to be hard-headed by not obeying my order-- and add this pure determination in their eyes-- I surrendered and gave them what they want since waking all night is just a very rare scenario that took place to the family Skye. Together with Andrew, the four of us waited for midnight to arrive...

"Hey, dude, chocolate milk," Andrew said as he hands me a mug of what appears to be steaming. I am now planning to call Mr. Rey when he gave me something to drink in the cold midnight. Currently, the time now is 11:55 P.M..

"Thanks," my only word. I then accepted the mug and took a sip from it. My two siblings are also drinking something from their respective mug. I think it is the same as drink mine. I placed beside me my mug and reached for my keypad phone and dialed the personal 11-digit local number of Mr. Rey Vallera. By the way, the Mindrey Incorporated president and owner is half-Filipino and half-American businessman that based on the latest news I've heard, he is now here in the Philippines.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Three short rings envelop the silence in the house which followed next to it is a certain sound that tells everyone in the house that someone answered my call. One more second past and this person spoke, "Hello, who is this?"

One by one, I took a glance at the sight of Drew and my siblings and saw that their current expressions are all in unison. They were so focused. I put down the phone-- since it is in loud-speak mode-- and formally replied to the person who answered my call.

"Good evening, sir. My name is Nathan Skye. And I am sorry to contact this cellphone number at this late time of night. But someone told me that this is the best time to communicate with Mr. Rey Vallera. Am I allowed to talk to him?"

And what I thought those lines of mine would commence a formal conversation all the way to the finish, the moment the person from the other line replied, it proves me wrong.

"Oh, so this is Nathan. Hello once again, kid. This is me, Rey Vallera the president of Mindrey Incorporated. And regarding the person who told you that this is the right time to communicate with me, he is very right. Very right in the sense that I am already done entertaining the 95 percent of my chosen public demonstrators. And thank goodness none of them backed out. Haha! Mr. Nathan, since you are the one who contacted me and not the others that will be in your stead, I suppose you, too, have come to the decision to accept my proposal. Is my judgment right?"

Since his tone of speaking is so relaxed and chill and so untypical to hear unlike from those successful business-minded individuals you can see in real life and in television, it was several seconds past already when I noticed I was startled. Because of that, I lost my capability to speak for a short while. And once I regained it, immediately, I replied. "Y-yes, sir. I have accepted it."

"Awesome!" his word. I don't know what happened on the other line but I heard like someone did sip on something. Throwing the possibility that I could get enlightenment from it because who am I in the first place to hear him explain, but when Mr. Rey once again spoke, for the second time, it proves me wrong. "Excuse me for making that disturbing sound, Nathan. I did just take a sip on my warm drink."

"That is alright, sir," I replied. First I'm hesitant to say this but I guess there's no bad in pulling this out. So, I go with the flow with his approachable personality. I said, "If you will be too kind, sir. Please excuse me also for I will take a sip too on drink."

"Oh, go on, go on," he said as if shocked by what he heard. I did what I excused and when I'm done I resumed the conversation...

As yesterday bids away and another day welcomes us, it was a surprise to know that what Mr. Rey was sipping is the same as mine. Yes, you are right: Chocolate Drink. And with just that fact alone combined with his pleasing kind of talking, I felt like I have known Mr. Rey for a long time already.

In the continuation of our conversation, Mr. Rey told me that the public demonstration for his Mindrey Gear will take place on December 14. That is seven days away from now. And starting tomorrow, he will be asking for my time to attend orientation. There he will teach me and all of the remaining 149 participants how to handle the Mindrey Gear, how to maintain our well-being in good shape because we will be using the device for several hours every day, and familiarizing the terms we will be encountering in the game we'll be playing...

It is past 1:00 AM when our talk ended. Immediately, I told everyone including Drew to prepare to sleep...

Fast forward, and now I am on my bed waiting for my conscious to already take rest. I closed my eyes and waited for a moment to pass... But when I opened it again, wonder is in me when I saw a kid version of mine crying. Approaching is my parents, and behind them is a guy younger than them. This guy holds a styro cup of what appears to be given by a vending machine if you order a drink with a chocolate flavor.