CHANGING THE GAME WITH THE CASHFLOW SYSTEM

$60,000 alert from the system.

Blake's eyes flickered open.

Then slowly his eyelid dilated and his gaze fell on the strange roofing; white and pristine. The smells of antiseptics hit his nose and the soft blinking of devices surrounded him. At first, he thought he was in heaven.

But a pain shot through his head. This couldn't be heaven. He remembered Lana telling him; “no pain in heaven."

He wished to go there, to abandon this world where people hate him because he's poor but yet who wishes to die? Or who wants to force himself to death? Even when in the next life he'll feel no pain just like Lana claimed.

Talking about his grandmother.

The thought jolted him up from the bed. The pain shot through again. He winced, his hand hovering on his temple where a bandage had been wrapped around his head.

“What.. what happened?"

He tried to remember, gathering the memories bit by bit – Walter's birthday, meeting Jemina... the money and the attack…the men.

He gasped, his heart racing with fear. He prayed it'd better be a dream because losing the money is like losing his life. His grandmother's life matters.

The memories gathered and now he could remember everything.

And then–

The voice he heard last. It was strange. It doesn't sound like a human's voice. Maybe his attackers came with a technologically advanced device to attack him.

CASHFLOW SYSTEM ACTIVATED.

INITIATING CONNECTION WITH HOST: 10, 20..40..60, 70, 80...100.

CONNECTIONS SUCCESSFULLY.

HOST NAME: BLAKE SUVILLAN

AGE: 25

KNOWLEDGE ON CASHFLOW: 1%

STATUS: LIABILITY

ACCOUNT BALANCE: $20

MISSION: NONE YET.

Blake froze on the bed, his eyes fixed on the blue hologram screen that floated in the air like a lumina grid, displaying a strange biodata.

Wait.

That was really his account balance! What is this about!?!

His jaw dropped slightly, shock seated in his eyes. He steadied on his feet, curiosity swirling within.

“What the hell is this?” Slowly, he carried his hand up to touch the screen but the door of the room suddenly swung open and entered a woman dressed in a white apparel, blue edge and a white cap tilted just right on her head.

She paused at the door, her face a mask of confusion, trying to pick meaning from what she was seeing.

Blake's hand was still hanging in the air like a magician about to cast a spell.

“What are you doing?!” The nurse, her face twisted slightly.

Before Blake could reply, the screen blinked and a new feature appeared.

WELCOME GIFT: $60,000.

“What!!??" Blake shouted, jaw dropped and eyelids dilated, all expressing shock.

He pointed in the air sharply, unable to mask his expression “Can you see that!?"

But the nurse was just looking at him as if he's going mad.

Blake looked at her clueless expression and gulped hard. “I'm not mad! Can't you see that!?!" He blurted, his heart racing.

Then another person entered the room. It was Dr. Frank.

“Dr. Frank. Can you see that?!" Blake asked him immediately, finger still pointed at the screen.

To Blake, he was pointing at a screen but to Dr. Frank and the nurse, his finger was pointed at the wall. So the man looked back but he saw nothing but the white wall.

Dr. Frank looked at him like a putz, like he's really going insane.

“I think the injury affected his brain sir, like he's going insane or maybe seeing the unseen." The nurse whispered, stealing glances at Blake.

Dr. Frank stared at Blake, observing him as if to analyze the nurse's claim from his stance.

But he waved the thought aside. “Frank. You couldn't get $20,000 for your grandma's surgery. What kind of son are you?!” His voice was low but it struck Blake's nerves.

“I was about to raise the money but I was attacked and it was stolen from –”

“Excuse!! You?! $20,000?!” The doctor scoffed, condescension thick in his voice.

Blake knew what was coming. The usual mockery. He was used to it. The Walter family, everyone– they all derive satisfaction from mocking him.

“Do you think $20,000 is some kind of meager amount to you? I knew you wouldn't be able to get the money. I gave you a deadline just to hasten you but now I have seen enough!!”

The doctor turned to the nurse sharply

“Evacuate the woman out of the ward now!!” He ordered and walked out before Blake could argue.

Blake's heart dropped in his stomach, his mind, a chaos of thoughts. What is he going to do?! Should he call Jemina and request for another money but she might not believe what happened or she might.

“Hey wait!!! Don't touch my grandmother!!”

He grabbed his phone. His hand quivered on the phone as he fiddled with the power button.

His mind was racing. No. He had to do something– to call Jemina. Probably she would be of help again.

The phone came to life and his thumb hovered on the screen sharply. His body shivered as anxiety tore through his body.

As he wanted to dial Jemina's number, a notification popped up on the screen.

It caught his attention immediately.

The $ and the staggering Zeros behind the significant number 6.

Blake's curiosity pricked. His eyes narrowed like the skin around the *nus.

He tapped on the notification and the full message appeared.

Gasps!

$60,000 alert!

He froze.

He wanted to scream, to shout but it seems his throat tightened and the words cramped just below.

His heart raced. He shook his head frantically, in disbelief of what he was seeing.

His actions and expressions were the only thing speaking. He quicked minimized to his bank app and clicked on it.

And there it is.

$60,020. Seated in his account.

His thoughts tumbled. His mind was racing with several thoughts.

The system? Could it be real?! It felt surreal and he still couldn't believe it!?

Only one way to believe this is by spending it. It might just be fake. Someone might be playing with his emotions and desperation just like Matriarch Walter.

He didn't think twice. He rushed out of the room. His feet clattered on the pristine floor of the narrow hall. People stared at him strangely as ran along the corridor but he didn't care.

Getting to his grandmother's ward, he was panting heavily, his chest moving up and down, rhythmically.

“My grandmother is staying. I'm going to pay! You can take her out but to a more conducive ward!" He blurted sharply,his heart pounding in his ear. The confidence in his voice was unmistakable but deep inside, he was uncertain.

This might lead to trouble.

The nurse looked at him, her cheek twitching as she was suppressing a burning laughter. Her cheek flushed red and then she spilled it out, forgetting to be professional. Her laughter bounced off the wall, attracting stares on her.

“You–” The nurse pointed at him lazily, wiping droplets off his eyes with the other hand as the laughter died down.

Blake's expression hardened.

The nurse tried to compose herself but she couldn't just help it. “I'm so sorry about that..but do you think here is a theater room to act comedy? Or another excuse to get your grandmother stuck in a fancy ward without any treatment?!"

“I'm really going to pay. How much is the VIP ward?!" He simply said, not ready to banter words with the nurse.

Blake has two thoughts staggering in his mind like a pendulum bob– The system might just be messing with him or it could be true.

Then if it is, his life is really about to take a sharp thriving turn.