Many may think this is a story of a pitiful youth, traumatized by life, who dies and gets reincarnated. Unfortunately, I am not a loser. Let's talk about my past for now and have everyone understand the kind of man I am. My name is Louis Park, owner of the mighty Lark Foundations that took the world by storm.
No, I was not born with a silver spoon. Like most, I was born in a small neighborhood filled with violence and the perfect nurturing place for thugs
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How did I end up making it this big? Mindset!
At a young age, I was opportune to learn from the mistakes of people around me. I observed a lot and participated less. I read books written by men I admired and aspired to be like, and imitated them.
Did I listen to my parents? Not much.
I know they had my best interest at heart, but let's keep all the sentiments aside and look at things objectively.
Can you learn how to become a billionaire by listening to a beggar?
Can you build a healthy relationship by taking advice from a prostitute?
The same applies in this situation. While I appreciate my parent's effort to lead me on the path they thought was best for me, the reality of things remains that they don't know enough. If they did, they would have accomplished far more in life.
To grow, I had to keep sentiments aside and look at those I aspired to be like. That is what I did and that is why I succeeded. Creating Lark Foundations was my greatest achievement at the age of twenty-eight and in just a decade, it was valued at half a billion dollars.
Many ask what I did to grow so fast, and I always give the same answer; "Everything necessary."
On the surface, the Lark Foundations engaged only in legal businesses, dedicated a good portion of its earnings to charity, and even supported the masses. Behind the scenes, we were the ones to call for anything and everything.
Drugs? Assassins? Weapon deals? Name it!
The only thing limiting you is your imagination. I started working with politicians at the grassroots level, masking my intentions while proving my loyalty. Through them, I was exposed to a much bigger world where even more powerful people reside.
I outgrew my employees and reached for their bosses. I sheathed my blade and guarded it with my life, only revealing it when it was time to cut ties with those whom I deemed unworthy of my services.
Each time my blade was unsheathed, a powerful man fell and I took his place. Many may call me cruel names, but the truth remains, I understood how the world works more than anyone else.
Might make right.
A weak man cannot save the world.
A weak man cannot solve world hunger.
A weak man cannot protect anyone.
I had to become strong to protect the people I love. I understood those at the top don't play fair, so I played their game.
You do not bring home training to a street fight.
Power is not requested, it is taken, and that's what I did.
In just ten years, I became the center of attention in the world. I became the man every powerful leader wanted to work with. I cleaned up my old neighborhood, put all the thugs on the streets to work, and made their lives a thousand times better.
As for my parents, I barely got to see them because they were always flying to different parts of the world on romantic trips, doing things they didn't dare dream of. I only got to hear from them whenever they felt the urge to hold their grandchild, and they remember their only son is still single at the age of thirty-eight.
Against them, I was helpless. The mighty founder of Lark Foundations could only sit in silence while his parents nagged for hours. I could only calm them down by promising to start dating someone soon. Unfortunately, I didn't live long enough to fulfill that promise.
The thing about standing in the spotlight is that you become everyone's target. A man envied by most of the world is bound to meet his end eventually. From surviving a few assassination attempts to being slandered and accused of sexual crimes I am unaware of and by women, I knew nothing of.
It felt suffocating when it felt like the entire world had guns pointed at me. Even though I was deep-rooted and had allies in high places, somewhere deep down I suspected my end was close, so I started putting things in order, just in case.
Less than a month later, my private jet exploded while I was on a business trip. What happened after that remains unknown to me. Right now I have found myself in an eternal darkness, a realm of nothingness. This gave me enough time to think about my life and wonder where it went wrong.
I believed I did everything right and kept myself protected, but somehow they still got to me. Two forces collided and one was overwhelmed, that is the simple explanation for all of this. While I felt frustrated about my death, I also accepted it wholeheartedly. I am no saint, I have committed my fair share of atrocities, I have taken lives, so I have no right to be angry.
But what about my parents?
What about my friends who helped me build everything?
I felt a deep unsettling feeling when I considered the possibility of them meeting a terrible demise just like mine. I didn't want them to end up in a lonely place like this. Especially my parents, who know nothing about the enemies I have made or what I did to make those enemies.
In their eyes, I will always be that little, defenseless Louis who simply wanted to provide for them and keep them safe.
"God, please protect my parents and my friends. I know I do not deserve your mercy, but they do not deserve to share the same fate with me" I prayed for the very first time in forever.
"And who did you think took your life?" A response came faster than I could imagine, leaving me dumbfounded.