Alex Han sat on his couch, eyes glued to the glowing digital screen floating in front of him, generated from his aPhone, now embedded within him. The screen flashed with familiar numbers from his banking app—his balance sat at just enough to keep him comfortable but not even close to covering the $3.5 million mountain of debt he was staring down. How the hell did I let this happen? he thought, scrolling aimlessly through the figures for what felt like the hundredth time.
His mind replayed the events of the previous night. The endless drinks, the rounds of champagne, the game of upmanship against that billionaire celebrity. A blur of luxury and pride that had left him suffocating under a ballooning debt three times his initial winnings.
"How the hell am I supposed to pay this off?" Alex muttered, swiping at the air to close the app.
Kofi, ever present in his headphones, chimed in. "Well, I was gonna say, maybe we—"
"Not now, Kofi," Alex snapped. His head was spinning, trying to piece together a way out of this mess. He could sell something, invest smarter, or… Wait. His eyes widened as he remembered the call he'd received just before the night ended. The guy's voice—cocky and familiar—had greeted him like an old friend. "Brick Phone Guy!" he'd shouted.
The conversation had been casual at first, but then the man had mentioned something intriguing. A high-stakes poker game. The kind of game that only the elite knew about, where the buy-in alone could solve half of Alex's problems—if he won. The catch? The buy-in was a cool million dollars.
Kofi's voice cut through his thoughts. "You remembered, huh? That game's your ticket. One good hand and poof! Debt's gone."
Alex stared at the screen in front of him, his balance mocking him. "Yeah, but a million-dollar buy-in? I don't have that kind of cash."
Kofi chuckled. "Not lying around, sure. But you've got access to it."
Alex felt a knot form in his stomach. The credit card. The bank had given him a ludicrous limit, five times his winnings. It was enough to cover the buy-in, but that was it. If he lost, the fallout would be catastrophic. His $3.5 million debt would look like a drop in the ocean compared to what he'd owe then.
But if he won?
"Come on," Kofi pressed.
"You've got the upper hand. Future knowledge, remember? All those tricks, all that time-travel nonsense you went through? This is your chance to outplay the billionaires. You want to spend years clawing out of debt or fix it all in one night?"
Alex stood up and paced, waving his hand to dismiss the screen, but the numbers from his banking app still burned in his mind. He could try small investments, manage his winnings carefully, but it wouldn't get him out of this mess fast enough. Or, he could take the million-dollar risk, play the game, and potentially clear everything in one shot.
Kofi's voice was smoother now, more tempting. "You've survived worse. You've faced crazier odds. What's one little game of poker? Besides, you're overdue for a win."
Alex opened the banking app again, his hand hovering over the option for a cash advance. His finger twitched. A million-dollar advance. He could do it. The limit was there. But once he took it, there'd be no turning back.
Before he could second-guess himself, his phone rang. The digital screen in front of him blinked, revealing an unknown caller. He hesitated but swiped to answer.
"Brick Phone Guy!" The voice on the other end was alive with energy, confident and sure of itself. "You still in for the game tonight?"
Alex's heart pounded. His finger hovered over the app's confirmation button. He could hear Kofi whispering, urging him on.
"I'm in," Alex replied, his voice steady, though his pulse was anything but.
Hours later, Alex sat in his living room, the glowing screen once again flickering in front of him as he stared at the confirmation: $1 million advanced. His account now teetered on the edge of oblivion. He had put everything on the line—his winnings, his future, his last shot at fixing this mess.
Kofi's voice, as always, chimed in with smooth encouragement. "That's the Alex I know. Trust me, you'll crush this. Just play it smart, and you'll walk out with more than enough to wipe the slate clean."
Alex stared at the screen, his mind racing. He had faced time travel, alien technology, and the unknown. This was just another gamble, right?
But this time, the stakes had never been higher.
Still jittery, Alex decided to do some research on the game. He flicked his hand, summoning the app list, and opened weCube, a video platform he used often to check trends. His fingers flew across the digital screen as he typed "poker elite" into the search bar.
"Bingo!"
An old video appeared, showing footage of one of the exclusive poker games—the same type he was about to attend. His heart rate spiked as the video loaded. The room was filled with billionaires, each face more recognizable than the last.
Alex gulped. These were men who played for fun, where losing a million dollars was like losing pocket change. The stakes, the pressure, the mind games—it was all there, laid out for him to see.
Kofi's voice hummed in the background. "See that? That's where you're going. High risk, high reward. You ready for this?"
Alex swallowed hard, his eyes glued to the screen. He didn't answer. All he could do was stare at the players, imagining himself sitting in one of those leather chairs, cards in hand, and a mountain of chips on the line.
It was all or nothing now.