THE BILLIONAIRE DOPPELGÄNGER

THE BILLIONAIRE doppelgänger CHAPTER 1 The man with the smile The factory works without stopping Even at midnight the place roared like a wounded beast. Steel and concrete battled each other, Machines rattled, shaking the ground which they trod,Trucks were controlled by men while their engines coughed dark smoke into the cold night. Beside the main gate,in a cabin made specially for the guards, Rolland sat, rocking his chair lazily as he watched with no interest through the dusty window. The radio on the table was on, but its sound was more of a noise than entertainment. “Come on, old man,” Rolland muttered to the radio. “You can rest during the day. Tonight I need company.”He said as he tapped on it carefully. The radio responded with a sharp burst of noise like the chirping of many birds. Rolland smiled. “Haha, even broken machines still have good humor.” He leaned back and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. He had three hours before the shift ended, hours that seemed longer than eternity itself. Rolland turned to stare at the factory floor where workers moved in sync with the heavy machines that produced uncomfortable sounds. He sighed, dropping his shoulders, “How funny it is, guarding containers loaded with stuff I might never afford.well i guess i should not say that” He rubbed his stomach, an action that shows he was hungry. “And not enough money for a decent dinner,” he murmured. Almost immediately, the cabin door burst open, a cold wind rushed in, then three loud voices. “Still chatting alone, Rolland?” Rolland looked up and immediately smiled. Rufus stood in the doorway holding a plastic tray with four cups of cheap tea. He wasn't alone. Behind him were two other workers—Jack and Dave. “Ah!” Rolland exclaimed, holding his chest pretentiously. “It must have been hard on you guys to stay this long without your lifeline.” “And who is that lifeline?” Jack asked with a mocking look. “I am," Rolland answered with a bold smile on his face. Rufus rolled his eyes, concealing a deeper message. “What makes you think so, young man?” Rolland accepted a cup of tea and sniffed it suspiciously. “This better not be poison.” He said and took a sip “Why waste poison on a poor fellow like you? Poor is worse?" Jack said jokingly, with a smile that was only superficial. Rolland raised the cup with a smile on his face. “To survive,” he said. They clinked their plastic cups together. For a few minutes, the small cabin was filled with laughter, obviously the handiwork of Rolland's charm. That was the strange thing about Rolland Brooks. Even in a city where life squeezed people dry like old fruit, he always managed to smile and maintain a high sense of humor which is highly contagious. His job was terrible, and the pay was pathetic. His apartment was slightly larger than the security cabin, yet he cherished and kept it clean. Rolland would laugh like someone who had nothing to fear. Rufus watched him quietly, then asked, “Have you ever thought about leaving this job?” Rolland replied. “Yes,I have applied for a couple of jobs in other places, just waiting for feedback and I will see who will be here safeguarding your lives and destiny.” He ended with a joke which he alone laughed at, “But I am not sure i will be called,” he added. “Why?” “They said I lacked experience.” Jack scoffed. “You lack everything.” Rolland pointed a finger at him and said you are wrong. I have charm.” Dave leaned against the wall silently with an unchanged expression but Rufus noticed a slight change yet said nothing. Rolland leaned forward like he was about to gossip something highly confidential and said . “Besides, something big will happen soon.” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?” Rolland nodded vigorously and answered. “Yes.” Rufus giggled. “And why are you saying that with so much confidence?” Rolland smiled. “i have a strong feeling that things will get better and life won't be this serious forever."he said as he posed like a shaman The others laughed again except Rufus, who seemed soaked in a thought. His eyes stayed fixed on Rolland like a viper monitoring the movement of a mouse soon to be swallowed. Something sharp flickered in his eyes. Something Rolland didn’t notice.just as it is becoming tense, a supervisor walked past and called out, “Rolland!” Rolland saluted jokingly. “Still alive, boss!” His response made the supervisor shake his head with a smile. By the side, Rufus was watching the interaction carefully. When the supervisor disappeared, he spoke quietly. “He likes you.” Rolland smiled and shrugged. “I saw him sometime ago, stranded, his car broke down, and I helped him fix it.” Jack snorted. “You help everyone and that’s how you build comrades.” Rufus gave him a deep look. “Or foes.” Rolland laughed. “Who would hate me?” Dave finally spoke. “People who feel inferior or unnoticed standing next to you.” With that, the room fell into a deep silence, giving a feeling like standing in a graveyard in the middle of the night. Just then, Rufus pushed himself off the wall and walked toward Rolland. “You walk around smiling while everyone else struggles, making it look as though you live in a separate world. Rolland blinked and said. “That’s because crying doesn’t pay rent.” Jack chuckled, and Rufus stopped talking, evidently upset with the reply he got. Dave spoke, looking straight into Rolland's eyes. “Do you know something interesting, Rolland?” “I know many useless things,” he replied with a smile, resuming back to his normal jovial state. “The supervisor position will be up for take next month,” Rolland nudged.“Then?” “You’re the one management trusts most,” Rufus said through gritted teeth. Rolland waved his hand in an attempt to dismiss the topic.“I didn't even apply.” “But they might still give it to you,” Dave said. The tension was gradually accumulating . Rolland finally noticed something, “Guys… what’s going on?”he asked. There was no response, only stares from eyes that looked like lasers capable of piercing through one's soul. The alarm sounded from a control room coming to the rescue of the scene. Change of shift, and workers began leaving the factory mostly in pairs. Rolland stood up. “Finally, freedom,” he echoed. He grabbed his jacket and flashlight, tapping Dave on the shoulder he made his way to the door. “Farewell comrades,I shall begin my heroic March to my humble abode," he spoke aloud, posing like a character from the epic era. “Are you walking home tonight?” Rufus asked as he drained the last of his tea. “Like every night,” Rolland said. “i guess you should buy a bike,” Jack teased. “I already have one, ”Rolland said as he opened the door, “Wow, are you serious, Rolland?” “in my dreams though, just thinking of how to ship it into reality.” They both laughed at that and stepped outside together. The cold night wind hit hard on their faces, The ocean, which was only two streets away, gave a view like a mighty wall as its dark waves rolled beneath the city lights. Rufus lit a cigarette and the smoke curled into the air. Rolland shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, adios amigos,” he waved as he walked away. Jack saluted.“Good luck, poor knight.” Rolland laughed as he hopped down the empty street. Leaving behind him, Rufus and the others who stood silently watching him disappear into the fog. Dave spoke in a low voice. “You see it now?” Rufus exhaled smoke. “See what?” “Everyone likes him, and he is annoyingly pretending not to care." Jack nodded slowly in agreement. “It’s irritating.” Rufus folded his arms. “ What if the Management trusts him? What will that change?” He said as he flicked ash onto the pavement. “When the promotion opens…” Dave spoke, trying to sound logical. Rufus completed the thought quietly. “He will definitely be picked.” The trio fell into a deep silence. The distant sound of waves filled the night, whispering thoughts into their ears and their eyes flickered with a fire like ones possessed. Then Dave spoke, dropping the bombshell that changed everything.“He should not exist.” Rufus looked at him, and there it was the cold eyes of a man who was once a friend. “We’ve worked here longer, so naturally we deserve that position, not him.” Jack shifted nervously.“ Hold on, are you suggesting ....” Dave cut him off.“He walks home alone every night. Rufus paused, his cigarette stopping halfway to his lips.with a voice choked with smoke, he whispered. “The sea is deep,” he stared at the dark road where Rolland had disappeared, his jaw tightened and slowly…he crushed the cigarette under his boot. “This is the night,” he said. Somewhere in the dark, Rolland walked along the quiet road toward the seashore with streetlights flickering ahead merging with fog, giving the atmosphere a hair-raising feeling. As he walked, he hummed a song under his breath, but something seemed off. For the first time that night, Rolland found his instincts a bit more active. Guess it's true that when death lurks around the spirit knows. The street behind him felt… too quiet. He slowed his pace slightly. There were echoes of Footsteps somewhere in the distance. Rolland glanced over his shoulder but saw nothing, just fog. He chuckled timidly. “Relax, Rolland.” Then he turned into the narrow lane that led toward the seaside path. It was darker than the street. Shadows clung to the walls, then a voice came from behind him. “Rolland.” He turned around a bit agitated but relaxed immediately he saw who it was. “Rufus?” Three figures stepped out of the darkness. Rufus, Dave and Jack. But there was a hard and unfamiliar expression on their faces. Rolland’s smile slowly faded. “What’s going on?” he asked cautiously. Rufus took a step forward and the dim light revealed something in his hand,a shiny steel,a knife. Rolland’s heartbeat skipped and he stammered. “g..guys…?” Dave's voice was rigid, “You laugh too easily.” Rolland took a cautious step back.but the lane suddenly became small. “I think we need to talk.” He tried to speak. Rufus raised the knife slightly. “Oh, we will,” he said as he closed the gap between them. Rolland’s breath seized when Rufus stepped forward and the knife flashed under the streetlight. Then it dawned on him for the first time since coming to the city five years ago…a terrifying discovery. The men standing before him were no longer friends. And behind him the ocean, which was only a few steps away. Unknown to them all, far at the end of the street…A black car sat quietly in the shadows. Inside, a man lowered his binoculars as He stared at Rolland with sharp interest. After a moment of deliberation, he took out his phone and called…“I found him.”A pause, then he proceeded: “The one who looks exactly like Anthony Kyle.” There was a strong silence. Then the voice on the other end asked…“Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?” The man in the car was quiet with his eyes fixed on Rolland. “… That’s what I thought.” He hung up the call before speaking to himself … “If he had been dead, then who are they about to kill?”...