As the taxi cruised down the dimly lit street, Leon sat in the backseat, his face illuminated by the cold glow of his phone screen. The muffled hum of the engine blended with the occasional sound of honking cars outside, but his focus was entirely elsewhere.
With a calm breath, he opened Tistake, an online betting platform he had scoped out earlier. His thumb hovered over the screen, then tapped.
After a few moments, he deposited $80,000 into the account, the number flashing briefly on the screen before vanishing into the virtual balance.
"Alright... let's see how this goes," he muttered to himself, cracking his neck. His mind was already in motion, a plan forming.
He smirked and leaned back into the seat. "System, can you tell me which number will come next?"
[Available. This information will cost 50 RP.]
Leon hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Just tell me."
[-50 RP deducted.]
[Next number is 36.]
As the system's response appeared, Leon's fingers flew across the screen. In the virtual roulette game, he quickly tapped on 36, placing multiple chips—$10,000 each—on the number. By the time the timer ran out, all $80,000 was riding on the same single bet.
"Let's go... I'm all in," he muttered under his breath, his heart racing despite his outward calm.
The screen showed the roulette wheel spinning, the ball bouncing erratically across the numbered slots. Each clink of the ball seemed to echo louder in his ears.
The wheel began to slow. The ball skipped over 15, ricocheted off 23, and danced dangerously close to 7 before finally coming to a halt.
36.
For a moment, Leon stared at the screen, his brain processing the flashing number. Then the dealer announced:
"Congratulations, winner! Payout: $2,800,000."
His jaw tightened as a rush of adrenaline hit him. The screen displayed the total winnings, climbing exponentially from his initial deposit. 2.8 million dollars.
"Holy sh—" Leon muttered, cutting himself off as the realization hit him fully. His account balance now displayed $2,800,000, the numbers shimmering like a dream.
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Alright, now the hard part."
He navigated to the withdrawal section of the app, his fingers steady despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The platform had a few withdrawal options, but large sums like this would take time to process.
Leon selected bank transfer and entered his account details. As he typed, a warning popped up on the screen:
"For withdrawals exceeding $1,000,000, verification is required. Please upload identification documents."
"Tch. Figures," Leon muttered, quickly snapping a photo of his ID and uploading it to the platform. He tapped the confirm button, and a message popped up:
"Verification process may take up to 24 hours. Please wait."
Leon frowned but immediately navigated back to the withdrawal page. "Alright, fine. Let's keep this under the radar for now."
He adjusted the withdrawal amount to $999,000, just below the verification threshold. The app accepted the request instantly, showing a confirmation:
"Withdrawal successful. Funds will be transferred within 1–3 business days."
Leon leaned back in the taxi seat, exhaling sharply. "One step at a time," he muttered. "This better go through."
The taxi pulled up in front of Emily's house, the soft hum of the engine fading as Leon stepped out. The quiet suburban neighborhood felt almost too still, the warm glow of streetlights contrasting with the chill of the night air.
He approached the house, his breath visible in the cold. Something felt off.
He tried the handle. Locked.
"Odd," he muttered, knocking firmly. The sound echoed slightly, but there was no response.
Pulling out his phone, he called her. The line rang twice before she answered, her voice faint and tired.
"Leon?"
"Emily, I'm outside your house. Where are you?"
There was a pause, followed by a shaky sigh. "I'm at the hospital."
"What? What happened?"
"It's my little brother," she said, her voice trembling.
"Which hospital? Tell me."
"City Hospital," she replied, her tone full of exhaustion.
Without another word, he turned and started walking briskly back toward the main road.
"I'm on my way," he said before hanging up.
He pulled up the app on his phone, confirming that the withdrawal request for $999,000 had been successfully processed.
"What happened to that little guy?" he muttered under his breath.
...
It didn't take long to arrive at the hospital.
Leon stepped out of the taxi, paid the driver, and walked briskly toward the hospital entrance. Standing just outside, he spotted Emily. Her posture was tense, and her eyes reflected a mixture of exhaustion and worry.
"Emily," Leon called out, walking up to her.
She turned, her tired eyes showing relief at seeing him. She gave him a small, weary smile. "Thanks for coming," she said, her voice quiet.
Leon frowned. "What's going on?"
Emily hesitated for a moment, her eyes clouded with concern. "Jake's been diagnosed with cancer," she said softly. "It's treatable, but... it's going to take years of treatment."
Leon nodded silently, walking beside her as they entered the hospital. Soon, they arrived at the waiting area, where they both sat down side by side. The air between them was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts. Emily rested her hands on her lap, staring at the floor in silence.
Leon glanced at her, noting the stress etched across her face. Without a word, he leaned back in his chair and asked, "Give me your phone for a second."
Emily blinked, startled out of her thoughts, but handed it to him without question. Leon opened her banking app, scanned the QR code, and quickly transferred $50,000 from his account.
He handed the phone back, and Emily barely glanced at the notification that popped up. She seemed too drained to care, assuming it was something routine.
Minutes passed quietly before the sound of heels clicking against the floor drew Leon's attention. His gaze shifted toward the source of the noise, and his breath caught for a moment.
A woman with an undeniably striking presence approached them. She appeared mature yet graceful, with excellent curves and a natural elegance that seemed to command attention.
Her pink hair fell in soft waves, framing her face, and her deep purple eyes carried both exhaustion and concern.
Leon straightened in his seat, momentarily caught off guard by her appearance. He gulped subtly, though he quickly tried to compose himself.
Beside him, Emily stood up abruptly and called out, "Mom! How is Jake?"
The woman, Emily's mother, managed a small, tired smile as she reached them. "He's stable," she replied, her voice soft but filled with worry. "The doctors are still running tests, but they've started him on the treatment plan. It's... it's going to be a long process, Emily."
Emily nodded. "Thanks for staying with him, Mom. I know it's been a lot."
Her mother shook her head gently. "He's my son. There's nowhere else I'd be," she said before glancing at Leon. Her eyes studied him briefly, curiosity flickering across her face. "And this is...?"
"Oh, this is Leon," Emily introduced, giving a small smile. "He's my friend from college. He's been helping me a lot with everything."
Leon stood up and offered a polite smile, extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
She shook his hand. "Thank you for being here for Emily," she said sincerely. "It means a lot to us."
Emily's mother looked visibly exhausted, her shoulders sagging slightly. Emily noticed and immediately spoke up. "Mom, you should go home and rest. You've been at the hospital all day."
Her mother hesitated. "I can't just leave Jake—"
"I'll stay with him," Emily reassured her. "You need to take care of yourself too. Leon can drop you off at home so you don't have to worry about getting back."
Leon, who had been quietly observing the exchange, nodded. "Of course. I'd be happy to take you home."
Her mother glanced between them, clearly reluctant, but eventually sighed. "Alright. If you're sure, Emily."
"I'm sure," Emily insisted. "Go get some rest, Mom."
Leon gestured toward the exit. "Whenever you're ready."
Emily's mother gave her daughter a final, grateful smile before turning to Leon. "Thank you, Leon. Let me just grab my bag, and we can go."
Leon nodded, watching as she walked off toward the nurse's station. He turned to Emily, who gave him a small, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Leon. I know she wouldn't listen to me unless you offered to help."
"Don't worry about it," he replied. "Focus on Jake. I'll make sure she gets home safe."
[IMAGE]