King Midas - Everything Turns to Fool's Gold
In a distant and bustling kingdom, there was a man who went by the name King Midas. To be clear, this wasn't the mythical King Midas who turned everything into gold—no, this was a man who decided to nickname himself after the legend. It had a nice ring to it, and let's be honest, "King Midas" sounded much better than his real name: Julian. Not quite as flashy, right?
You see, Julian—sorry, King Midas—believed that everything he touched would turn to gold. Not literally, of course, but he had the utmost confidence that every scheme he came up with would make him rich. And he was certain everyone else would be rich too, if they only listened to him. All it took was a little trust, a lot of money, and a willingness to completely ignore logic.
King Midas had a knack for telling grand tales of riches and success, the kind of stories that could make even the most skeptical person raise an eyebrow and think, Maybe he knows something I don't. He was always "just about" to close a deal with some wealthy royal or sign a contract with the biggest business tycoons in the financial world. He'd flash a confident smile and say, "It's in the bag," which always seemed impressive until you realized that the only thing in the bag was hot air.
He had charisma for days, though. King Midas could walk into a room full of TEFL teachers—teachers who had arrived in the kingdom hoping to cash in on this supposed "golden opportunity"—and have them all convinced he was their ticket to easy street. Within minutes, he'd have them picturing yachts, private islands, and unimaginable luxury. He even convinced a few teachers that they'd be able to retire early and buy their own castles—yes, castles. It was quite the sales pitch, if you could ignore the fact that he himself lived in a four-bedroom flat that was shared by 3 other grown men.
But despite all the big talk, the only thing King Midas truly excelled at was getting other people to believe in his elaborate, completely made-up stories. He didn't have wealth. He didn't have royal connections. And his idea of "networking" was hanging out at home with his roommates, drinking questionable moonshine called "Sadiqui." Now, Sadiqui, which means "my friend" in Arabic, was about as far from friendly as you could get. It tasted like jet fuel mixed with regret, and drinking it would leave you with a headache that felt like you'd tried to outsmart a brick wall... and lost.
King Midas loved his Sadiqui, though. He’d sip on it while spinning his tales of grandeur, often exaggerating his own adventures in the kingdom. He'd say things like, "Ah yes, the Prince and I were just talking the other day," when in reality, he'd merely been talking to a student with the first name "Emir," a common name in the kindgom which happens to also mean prince. The funny thing was that, eventually, people started to see through his golden facade. After a few months of hearing the same recycled stories about his "secret" investors and "guaranteed" deals, the shine started to wear off.
But King Midas was never one to give up easily. When the jig was up, he’d simply pack his bags—well, more like bundle up his few belongings—and move on to find new, more fertile grounds. There were always new people to impress, new gullible souls ready to buy into his tales of instant riches. TEFL teachers were his favorite targets. They were new to the kingdom, full of optimism, and most importantly, they hadn't yet heard the infamous tale of "King Midas and the Totally-Not-a-Pyramid-Scheme Investment Opportunity."
And let's not forget his loyal followers. Oh yes, there were a few die-hard believers who stuck with him no matter what. These were the folks who, despite all the setbacks, still thought, Maybe this time, it'll work. They were the ones who'd nod vigorously as King Midas spoke of his "foolproof" plans. They truly believed that one day, they'd strike it rich alongside King Midas. They were willing to ignore the fact that every "foolproof" investor had somehow backed out at the very last minute. Every. Single. Time. They believed that somewhere, somehow, King Midas really did have the golden touch. They just hoped they’d be there when he finally found it. Until then, they'd be right by his side, sipping on Sadiqui and dreaming of castles and riches that were just one deal away... or maybe two... or maybe three.
After all, in the kingdom of fools, the man with the most convincing story is King.