Club LUX

You never thought you would be rich one day. You grew up in a middle-class family, graduated from high school at 19, dropped out of university at 21, and worked in a fast-food restaurant at 22. Work sucked, life sucked, everything sucked. So you stood 5 days a week either at the fryer or at the cash register and watched day after day, how people ate the food, of which they better shouldn't know, how it is made.

Until one day you had an idea: Fast food is unhealthy. Sure. Why do we eat it anyway? It tastes good. You studied biochemistry for two years before dropping out. So you scrape together the last of your money, clean out the garage and buy some lab equipment. You work day and night and work like a maniac on your project and eventually, you made it. Your parents threatened to kick you out and your friends thought you were crazy, but then the first prototype was finished. It was a tube with single, transparent drops. One drop on mom's stew and it tasted like the best burger you've ever had. Except it wasn't. You start a business, launch your product, release newer varieties and flavors over time, and then, 10 years later...

Let's just say that money doesn't matter to you anymore. Just last week your face was on the Forbes cover, the most successful business magazine in the world. But you didn't care about that either. You were on the cover last year and the year before that. You could buy a private plane. Oh, no wait. You already did that when you bought the entire airline. You got insulted on social media? One call from you and the person no longer has a single social media account.

It's 2035 and you have everything your heart desires. Money, power, influence. You never noticed that you lacked anything at all. Until the day you see a black envelope on your pillow. You asked your butler and the maid, but they both swore they didn't put it there. So you open the mysterious envelope and pull out a business card, also pitch black. Written on it in red lettering was "LUX." On the back, in the same writing, an address and the inscription "Lust. Unforgettable. SEX."

So it's an advertisement. What's that about? Even your mailbox says "Please do not insert advertisements." Your butler usually sorts out advertising from the mail. But how did it get here? You're a little curious.

You take your smartphone and google the name with the address. It seems to be a hotel. And a mid-range one on top of that. 5 stars or not, when a night is less than the price of a mid-range car, you don't expect much.

Still, you're hooked. How the heck did they get that card in here? You decide to visit this hotel, regardless. You might even buy it. Their marketing department seems more than competent. It was only afternoon and the hotel was only 800 km away. With your private plane, you land in just under an hour at the private landing site, of the airline you bought. A limousine picks you up and takes you to the hotel.

The driver opens the door and you get out. "LUX" is written in bright red neon colors above the entrance. More lights illuminate the street. Looks like a cheap brothel, you think to yourself and sigh. But whatever, since you're already here, you can just go in quickly, get the name of the marketing director and make him a takeover offer where he'll be well off in five years, and then quickly make your way out again.