003 - System Activated

Adams woke up to the sound of beeping from the machine. He looked around the room. The white walls and the smell of disinfectant reminded him of the hospital.

Adams tried to get up but noticed an IV drip attached to his hand and that his clothes were gone. He is now dressed in an oversized hospital gown.

Adams frowned as he relaxed his back against the pillow. Just then, a junior nurse strode in. She gasped, seeing him already awake, and sauntered to his bed, then rang the small bell by his side. Soon after, a doctor in a white coat appeared at the door.

They performed some examinations on him and asked different questions, which Adams gladly responded to. He tried to remember how he had ended up in the hospital, but couldn't recall anything. All he could recollect was Samantha's sweet betrayal.

"How did I get here, doc?" Adams asks.

"A lady had brought you here, young man. She claims to have found you by the roadside," the doctor replied.

It immediately dawned on Adams as memories flooded in. He had gone to the bar and couldn't pay. He attempted to escape, but ultimately, they apprehended and assaulted him. But again, strangely, Adams didn't feel any pain around his body.

"Ooh, I have to thank the lady then. Did she leave any contact information?" He asked. The doctor, unfortunately, shook his head.

"No, but she did leave a note before disappearing," He said, pointing at the table beside the bed.

There was a water bottle on the table, and under it was a yellow note. Adams nodded quietly as the doctor left to do other things while the nurse stayed behind. She took out two medicine tablets and handed them over to him.

"Here, have this; I'll bring you lunch in a while," she said.

Adams stretched his palms out and accepted the pills. He wanted to avoid remaining in this chill place and being surrounded by white walls for any reason.

"When do I get discharged?" He questioned.

“Once you settle the bills and empty the contents of the IV drip, you can be discharged,” the nurse replied with a smile.

Bills—the word rang in his head. Where is he supposed to get money to pay the bills? He could tell from the nurse's polite gestures that this was a private hospital, and their charges were way higher than the government hospital.

An average worker like Adams, who despite having graduated with a first in business administration and management, couldn't secure a high-paying job because almost no one wanted to employ him,

He, fortunately, got a job as a cleric staffer in Evans George's Corporation and receives only fifty dollars monthly, of which he gives half to his supposed lover. Now that he has no money left, things have fallen apart.

Somewhere in his heart, Adams couldn't help but blame the lady who had saved him and brought him here.

Why didn't she just let him die in the cold? What made her not consider the cost before bringing him to such an expensive treatment center? Why didn't she just walk away and mind her business? If only she'd done this, he wouldn't have to deal with the issues of paying bills.

"How much is the bill?" Adams asked in a slow tune. The nurse stared at him for a moment before replying, "I'll go get the detailed outline".

"Alright then," He responded, still thinking of a way out of his dilemma.

As soon as the nurse left the ward, Adams raised the water bottle, took the note, and then read it out loud.

"Next time you want to have a free drink, make sure you don't get too drunk and remember to run faster through the busy street instead of the dark alley. Your phone and wallet are in your pants pocket. "

Adams chuckles wordlessly. Somehow, those words brought an unknowing smile to his face. He looked over at his old clothes, which were folded on the table, and moved over to take out his phone. He realizes it was switched off and immediately turns it on.

Adams scrolled through the internet; news of his ex-fiancee and his boss getting engaged filled the pages. Everyone was posting about it, and the photos of the both of them looked perfect with no flaws, like a match made in heaven.

He stared at the pictures and didn't feel anything at the sight of them. He was neither feeling love, hate, nor jealousy.

It was like staring at the photo of some random stranger. Adams kept his phone aside. He looked at the slight note one more time and then placed it into his wallet.

Not long after, the nurse arrived with his lunch and the bill. She left after placing the ball of congee made with meat, bread, and milk.

Adams took a bite of the bread and almost spat it out after reading the details on the bill. He needed to pay twenty-eight dollars.

Of the twenty-eight dollars, fourteen are for the meal he is currently eating. Adams felt like crying at his misfortune. Twenty-eight dollars is already more than half of his next month's salary.

Somehow, he was certain that Evans wouldn't want to fire him from his job. If he could tell Samantha not to break up with him, he must have other plans for his sleeves. What Adams couldn't understand was why Evans was hellbent on hurting him.

Trailing out of his trance, Adams noticed his phone screen lit up. He took a look at it and realized a notification had popped up.

It states, "Pro win, click OK." Knowing there was nothing for him to lose or have doubt about, Adams clicked the OK icon, and his phone instantly went off.

Shocked, he placed the food tray aside and was just about to pick up the phone when it lit up again. A Series of zeros and one danced on it. The numbers began merging, forming circles and triangles.

Adams saw the wall, floor, ceiling, and windows in the ward reflecting the same thing that was happening on his phone. He was amazed and dumbfounded. His eyes were wide open in disbelief.

The circles merged into rings, and the triangles positioned themselves around the circles, forming a strange symbol. Blue light emanated from the screen, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the windows.

Another notification popped up. It states, "Click Accept." Intrigued, Adams clicked on the accept icon.

A statement once again popped up. It states, "CONGRATULATIONS!!." Confused, Adams was still comprehending the situation when a metallic robotic voice echoed, "You have five days to cash out the twenty million dollars in your account, Adams. If you don't finish using it, you die!"

As soon as the voice disappeared, everything returned to its usual state. The metallic and robotic-sounding words reverberated in his mind, prompting him to burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Ooh, what a joke, Adams! You have such a weird imagination!" he muttered, still laughing. Adams sure believed in the Gods and miracles system, but such things felt like a fantasy.

He picks up his phone and notices the clock ticking, counting down from one hundred and nineteen hours, fifty-three minutes, and one second. His brows creased. He immediately checked his account balance, and his jaw dropped.

Holy cow, there's Twenty million and two dollars in his account!