Lazarus Quintus: The Epic Saga Of A Megalomaniacal CEO

Chapter 1: Enter the Quintus

January 1, 2009

5:50 AM

Lower East Manhattan, NY

----- Lazarus' POV -----

Throngs of people cheered me on as I proudly waved at them. Cute ladies surround me, blushing. Government officials proudly salute me. It was a marvelous moment for me as I savored the moment longer than ever anticipated. As the city's youth look upon me in sheer reverence, diplomats shower me with glorious praises, and celebrities of all walks of life envy my success, I made my way to the Manhattan Municipal Building via parade float. As I made my approach there, I noticed that the following people are going to be there: the Mayor of New York City, the Governor of New York, the General of the US Army, the UN Secretary-General, and the Head Honcho of America himself, the President of the United States. I shook hands with them as I got off the float.

After a couple of inspiring and praiseworthy speeches have been exchanged, the Mayor has given me the Key to the City, the Governor offered me a government seat in the state, the General commended me of my every merit, the Secretary-General appointed me as the Ambassador of the Universe before I could accept the Governor's offer, and the President sent me a formal dinner invitation to the White House.

This is indeed the greatest moment of my entire life. This rarely happens to anyone at all, since opportunity only knocks once, I always say. Good thing I take advantage of every opportunity I could find before anyone else could get the chance. After all, 'tis the moment to be glorified. The moment to be respected. The moment to be...

*** BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT! ***

...the moment to be free of ear-shattering noise! I grew worried as the public became extremely panicked, throwing the entire city into bedlam. Everyone ran in different directions, hoping that they will be safe from the horrifyingly loud cacophony. I tried to ponder on the source of this noise, but seeing that such racket is too loud for me to bear, not only am I unable to hear myself think, but I also became heavily disoriented in the midst of the bedlam that continued to spread chaos to the city and its environs. I gotta get it together... get it together... get it together...

----- END OF POV -----

It is 6:00 AM on the Financial District of Manhattan, and an ambitious yuppie began tossing and turning in his bed upon trying to resist the incessant buzzing of his alarm clock. His lucid struggle continued until he fell off the bed with a thud, which woke him up instantly. Feeling woozy after the impact, he slowly got on his feet and regained his composure. After a while, he quickly went over to the alarm clock and slammed the "Snooze" button. He shook his head in dismay and said, "It's been one of those days that you have to get up, gather your wits about you, and get moving." He put on his white cotton dress shirt, dark-gray cotton suit, matching cotton slacks, and a black silk tie. Having been suited up quite well, he grabbed his briefcase and headed out the apartment door.

As he stepped out of his Maiden Lane apartment, a doorman greeted the yuppie with a tip of the hat.

"Hello, Mr. Quintus."

"And a salutations to you, Stephen," was the reply.

That's right. This yuppie goes by the name of Lazarus Quintus, a corporate drone working for Goldman Sachs & Co., located on 85 Broad St. How a 21-year-old man became a committed cubicle grunt in the M&A (Merger & Acquisition) Department is quite shrouded in mystery. Maybe he was referred to by an employee who became his coworker. Maybe he was recommended the job by one of his close relatives. Or maybe he was persuaded by the local job fair to apply. Nonetheless, what matters at the present time is that he was working at a financial institution with a decent salary that provided him basic fringe benefits, including paid personal time.

Upon arriving at Starbucks, Lazarus took a deep breath an entered the building. The barista greeted him with a customer-friendly smile.

"Welcome to Starbucks, sir. What can I get for you?"

Lazarus replied, "Yes, I'll have the grande mint-flavored doubleshot cappuccino."

"Alright, coming right up."

The barista went to work on the order, and Lazarus took his seat, awaiting his caffeinated morning beverage to help jump-start his workday. To pass the time, he let his mind drift away in thoughts of grandeur...

"Number 24? Did somebody order the mint-flavored doubleshot cappuccino?" Unbelievable how a few minutes have been shaved off the points of time, then the barista has completed the yuppie's order.

"Thanks."

"Sure thing. That will be $6.93."

With a defeated sigh, Lazarus shrugged it off and paid for the drink. "Sometimes you have to invest in order to achieve gain."

"Right..." The barista rolled her eyes.

Lazarus softly chuckled upon hearing that and left for work, hoping to earn a more efficient salary that will help provide him with better-quality goods & services offered by high-end companies. The thought of living in luxury is very enchanting to him. It brings great delight when he picks up the belief that he must acquire material possessions in order for him to grow, just like his bank account. Why can't everyone accept that fact, since this is a huge city and there are many people struggling to attain a chance for an opportunity of sorts? Perhaps the main reason, he feels, is because there's too much on their minds (i.e.: safety, work, taxes, grudges, etc.), which appears normal for passive people, regardless of personality.

"Enough of this," he muttered under his breath as he entered the edifice of his occupation. "Time to labor my way through the 9-to-5 grind."

And so, the story of our beloved and determined hero begins to unfold...