The Incredible Master Planner

Asher Blake touched the collar of his crumpled and worn out shirt, eyes wavering over the antiques displayed in the shopping mall. He had decided to propose to his girlfriend who he had dated for three years already. Lilian was a very beautiful lady that no man who walked past her would not give her a second glance. 

Asher checked all the prices on the rings before him and he shook his head sadly. His account balance ranged $100 and the cheapest ring available there was $800. It was his salary for twelve months. How could the owner of this mall set prices so high that a beggar could not afford them?

The salesperson at the counter sensing that Asher was probably there to steal from them because he had spent more than necessary time glancing at the antiques like he could take them all with his eyes. So she walked up to him with her nose flared up in annoyance. "Mister, please leave the premises now. I believe you are here to steal from us rather than making any purchase."

Asher turned to look at her with a surprised expression on his face. She didn't even let him buy a product before he decided to accuse him of attempted theft. "I'm not here to steal Miss. As you can see, I'm checking the prices. Why are all these products so expensive? Couldn't you give me a discount please?"

The salesperson sneered at him. "What do you think, that the mall is open for charity purposes? If you need charity please kindly go to the beggars' section across the road and hope for someone who would generously give you a tip."

Eyes rounded, Asher could not believe he heard her right. The customer service of this company certainly lacked and he wondered when he would become a noble man so he could make sure that those as rude as she was never got a job. 

"I am not a beggar, and if not that you are a lady, I would have redecorated your face right now. Let me shop in peace, you may return to your counter." Asher said dismissively, and he turned back to the rings, paying her no mind. 

The lady could not believe her eyes. As poor and tattered looking as he was, he still had the guts to speak to her in that manner? Poor men like this disgust her, hmmph. She knew she was not considered rich herself but she knew she was far better than he was. At least she dressed fashionable and she still managed to get the attention of the rich. 

She impatiently tapped his shoulder and glared at him. "Are you deaf or do you need some hearing aid? Leave right now or you would make me call the guards to throw you out like a dog."

Asher raised his voice, he could take her insults no further. "Don't you dare touch me again, else I will forget the morals about beating a lady and deal with you right now."

At that moment, a man in his middle age with a portly belly walked towards them. He looked at the duo and he immediately sensed what the problem was. Still, he turned to his employee and requested an explanation.

"Thank God you are here sir, because this man here wants to steal from us. He has been standing here for a while and when I saw he made no attempt to pay, I asked him to leave but he simply choseI'm to stay back and make trouble." Her chest heaved as she explained to her boss, and Asher shook his head sadly. She was such a beautiful woman blessed with the right places but she lacked manners. 

Without waiting for the young man to explain, the man who Asher believed to be the manager because he didn't have the aura to be a Director, spoke out using the tone the salesperson had used. "I believe you are man enough and that you do not want any problem for yourself. Kindly leave this premises or I would ask the security to oust you out."

By then, the mall was filling up with lots of customers and those who had stayed long enough to observe what happened taunted Asher endlessly. 

"Look at him, he can't even dress well and he dared to show up at this expensive mall."

"He's so shameless."

"The woman who birthed him must be ashamed of the seed she reproduced because he's such an embarrassment."

"Look, his shoelaces are even undone to show how wretched he is."

"I wonder how he's able to be here looking like the world has fallen on him."

Asher heard all those words but could not retort, rather he clenched his fists to stop them from embarrassing himself any further. He neither blamed them nor himself for what happened to him today rather he put the blame on his fate.

Asher fixed his hatred filled gaze on the man before him and smirked. He believed the world revolves and that one day he would be the one to ride it, then he would teach them all who had looked down on him a lesson. 

"What are you still looking at? You want to fight me? Go ahead but one thing I promise is to make sure that you rot in jail if you dare lay your filthy hands on me." The Boss warned, eyes scared of the man before him. He was aware of the saying that a hungry man is an angry man is a fact. Today, he witnessed how a human looked like a lion. The poor tattered man in front of him looked like one and he was scared to shits. 

Asher scoffed loudly. "Fear not for I have no intention in beating you up. To me you are nothing but a piece of chalk so killing you would be easy."

The Boss by now almost peed on his pants and he quickly pulled out his mobile from his chest pocket and made a call. "Nathan, come quickly with two of your men."

Soon enough three bulky men advanced towards them with emotionless faces and when they confirmed from their boss the purpose they were summoned, turned to grab Asher by his shoulders but then they were stopped from throwing him out when a man screamed. "Stop right there, let the man go."

Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice including Asher who was stupefied. He had never had someone stand up for him before including his girlfriend and having a mere stranger do so triggered tears to fall from his tear gland but he refused to let them fall. 

The man who had asked for Asher to be released had been observing the scene for a while when he thought that he looked like his fist young master who had gone missing for five years. He had been in charge of him ever since he was a child, by training him in Kung Fu arts and other basic things in life. His late father had treated him well and with no father and son to rule the empire, the company was now in chaos but he still stayed out of respect he had for the old man. 

"And who are you? One of his stinky poor friends?" The manager bellowed, his voice raised as he studied the man before him.

The man frowned, if only he knew who he was speaking of in that tone, he would be down on his knees begging for mercy. "I am Irk Brown, the servant of the late Blake Donald."

Immediately the Manager went down on his knees and pleaded for mercy before Irk. "Please have mercy, I didn't recognize who you were." He turned towards Asher whose face was shocked and asked him for mercy too. "Please have mercy, I didn't know you were trying to hide your identity. Please do not take things to heart by ending the contract between us and the Blue City Enterprise."

Some gushed at this while others could only shake their heads at the scene. If it was true that the man before them was none other than the first master of the Donald's then the saying, never judge a book by its cover was truly what it was. 

Although he could not understand what was going on, Asher was not stupid to dispute the man. At least the mis identity had totally cleared his plate and they all thought he was superior than they were. Nodding his head, Asher forgave the man and made promises to not end the contract between both parties. 

Five minutes later, Asher stood in front of the mall with Irk Brown, his savior. To him, he owed the man huge gratitude even if he did all that to save him or because he misidentified him.

"Thank you very much for your help back there, I don't know how to repay you." Asher said thankfully, his voice low as to avoid any passerby from eavesdropping. "Although, I did not understand what you meant by my being the first master."

Irk wasn't sure if the young man was pretending not to know him or not, so he decided to explain who he was. "All that I said back there is true, I didn't make up any story. But where have you been, Young Master? Don't you recognize me again? I was the one who trained you in Kung Fu when you were still a child. Where have you been? We have been searching for you these past five years and everyone thinks you are dead."

Asher knew that there was no one who was as confused as he was. He understood nothing of what the man was talking about. 

"Me, the first young master," he giggled, "how could it even be possible when I've been poor all my life?" He said, shaking his head at him because he knew it was impossible. 

"I think you must be mistaken as there might be someone who has my looks. I have no family and neither were my ancestors poor. Please let's end this here, thank you for helping me purchase the ring I couldn't afford. Isn't that enough to prove that I am not the person who you think I may be?"

Irk was sure it was Asher who was his master, there was no way someone could have the same striking resemblance with another person. "Come home with me, I believe after meeting with the family that you will remember who you are."

Shaking his head, Asher refused the offer and thought it was rather too real to be true. Simply because someone referred to him as the first young master of the Donalds dynasty.

"What if this man has another motive in mind and uses this strategy to disguise himself," Asher mumbled.

At this juncture, Irk was unsure of what to do next so he offered him his card in case he changed his mind later.