Disembarking from the train, Mark appeared in a huge city with spiraling skyscrapers. This was the city he envisioned, the place for the well-to-do and affluent. He had finally made it to Transville, the city many slum dwellers wished to at least get a glimpse of, but were not able to even pay for the train tickets.
He held the handle of his bag firmly, then began his search for his house, since he was obviously going to buy the place.
"That's right, I still have to pay the bank loan," he clicked his tongue as he got to a traffic light intersection which was currently displaying green for the vehicles. "Um, I can just do that after settling in." He shook his head and smiled, crossing the road after seeing the pedestrian light glow green.
Yes, he actually did owe the bank a huge amount, and he was not the only one though. About seventy percent of the slum dwellers owed the bank. And this was actually a scheme the bank cooked up to enslave many of them to forever pay an endless interest. They first give you a mouthwatering proposal that seems too good to be true, and yes, it is. But the victim only realizes this after they default on their first monthly payment, which then causes an increase in the subsequent payment, and with time, they become slaves like workers of black companies.
Mark originally borrowed to rent the apartment and get an android phone, but with time, he realized his menial jobs were barely enough to sustain him, pay his rent, talk more of servicing his debt. So he opted for another loan which the bank actually rejected. However, he used the building which was not even his as collateral, and the bank finally approved it.
It was weird to think about, and he kind of felt guilty for all the evil he had done to the landlord. First owing for four years and a few months, then using his building as collateral and escaping. The way things were, if he did not service his debts quickly, the bank might actually start aiming for the building. But that was a thought for another day, as right now he just spotted a five-star hotel he always saw on adverts.
He stared at his phone and saw it was already 4 PM, and the chances of not getting swindled were painfully low, so he might as well check in, then rest for a few days with the much needed room services and free of stress living. He then altered his direction and headed for the magnificent edifice.
He stepped in through the automatic doors and was greeted by a magnificent hallway. There was a huge chandelier that cast a dazzling brilliance within the room, and he could see an elevator at the far end of the hallway. The place was jampacked with people from all walks of life, but with the number of receptionists he could see, they probably had no problem dealing with this number of people.
He stepped towards one of the receptionists who had a smile on her face as her gaze fell on him. She had blonde hair that was slightly tinged with brown. It was fastened with a clip behind her head, forming a neat bun. She had blue eyes, and just like the rest of the workers, she was dressed in a uniform of white shirt held tightly together by a red monkey jacket, and a knee-length black skirt.
"Can I help, kind sir?" she asked with a curt nod.
"Well yes, how much does a premium room cost for a month?" Mark asked with a smile, only to be met with a look of disdain as her smile faltered.
'Oops,' he thought, as he finally realized his mistake.
He was dressed in a slum dweller.