Second Chance: I Can See the Future

Chapter 3

Having been a street thug for many years, Rocky knocked the weak Anthony down with a mere punch and sneered, "Stop f*****g pretending! I know your tricks, idi*t! If you care you wife so much, it wouldn't have gone this far."

Ashley was taken aback by Anthony's sudden move. She had never seen him put himself in harm's way to protect her before.

"Rocky, please, listen to me!" Anthony struggled to crawl to Rocky's feet, grabbing onto his leg with a desperate plea in his voice. "Ashley and I are divorced now; she shouldn't be dragged into this! If anyone deserves punishment, it's me! Don't hurt her! Please!"

Ashley's expression changed dramatically. Anthony seemed genuinely willing to protect her. But she couldn't shake off the memory of how he had manipulated her in the past, using self-harm to guilt trip her into giving him money for his gambling addiction. It was hard for her to tell whether he was sincere or not.

Rocky's patience was wearing thin. He kicked Anthony aside and brushed off his pants, snarling, "D*mn it, beat him to a pulp! Aren't you protecting her? I'm going to drag her to the car and fu*k her, then sell her as a prostitute. Who told you to not pay back your debts, you fu*king loser?"

Anthony lay on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, tears of shame streaming down his face. His mind went blank. He couldn't accept it. 'Could the second chance he had just gotten is going to slip away?'

He looked up at Ashley, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ashley, I'm sorry. I thought after the divorce, you could start fresh; it's all my fault."

Ashley's tears flowed freely. She wanted to comfort Anthony, to tell him it was okay, but the words stuck in her throat. Even though Anthony was risking his life to protect her now, the current situation is entirely of his own making. Even if he was sorry now, it was too late.

Anthony curled up on the ground, writhing in pain. He reached for the notebook hidden in his pocket, his last hope. And then, new information appeared on the pages: [At 2:15 p.m., Vance from Wavelink Networks will visit Anderson Finance to finalize a five-million-dollar loan deal. Anderson Finance will be investigated by the national security department, and Kevin will be sentenced to fifty years in prison.]

As the details unfolded on the notebook pages, Anthony's mind was racing. He was thinking of a plan, a way to turn things around.

Rocky crouched down beside Anthony, patting his head mockingly. "Don't play possum. You said you're divorced, so I guess you don't have any guilt about selling out your ex-wife, huh?"

"I'll take your wife first; selling her will cover part of your debt. You can figure out the rest later." Rocky signaled to his men, who moved to take Ashley to the car.

"Wait!" Anthony suddenly stood up, holding a phone in one hand, with a number already dialed—Kevin.

The call connected, and Kevin's voice came through the speaker. "Anthony, have you got the money to pay off your debts?"

"No, but listen, Kevin. Your company will go bankrupt tomorrow, and you'll end up like me, or even worse, because of this bankruptcy. In five minutes, people from Wavelink Networks will come to you for a five-million-dollar loan, saying it's to cover their company's funding gap. But if you give them a loan, tomorrow, the National Tax Bureau, the National Security Bureau, and all related departments will come knocking on your door. You'll be finished." Anthony took a deep breath, his words spilling out in a rush.

Ashley looked at him, knowing that he was stalling for time, but she suspected how long this trick could last.

"Anthony, have you been scared out of your wits by Rocky, or did you lose your mind in the casino? What's that nonsense?" Kevin burst out laughing on the other end of the phone, and Rocky and the others also laughed. They really thought Anthony's brain had been damaged.

"Mr. Anderson, I'm a gambler, you know. Let's make a bet—if what I say about Wavelink Networks is true, you'll let me and Ashley go and give me more time..."

"And if you lose?" Rocky asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Anthony shot Rocky a fierce look before responding into the phone, "I won't lose."

Kevin burst out laughing on the other end. "You sound so serious. Do you think I'm an i***t? We're a legit financial service company. All loans go through layers of scrutiny before they're approved. No one can cheat me out of my money. "

"Mr. Anderson, you'll know the answer in just three minutes," Anthony said, glancing at his phone. "Think about it. Do you want to wait for three minutes or regret for the rest of your life?"

Kevin fell silent, unsure if Anthony was just stalling or if there was some truth to his claims. After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. "Rocky, listen up. We'll wait for another three minutes. If he is just talking nonsense, then you'll carry out my previous orders, got it?"

Rocky stared at Anthony, his eyes cold, before responding into the phone, "Got it, Mr. Anderson."

***

On a certain floor of the Crestview Tower, a man in his forties sat leisurely in a swivel chair with a hint of anticipation on his face.

Just then, a knock sounded at the office door.

"Come in," Kevin called out.

Two figures entered. One was dressed in a sharp suit, sporting gold-rimmed glasses that gave him a refined look.

The other was the company receptionist.

"Mr. Anderson, this is Mr. Vance Prescott from Wavelink Networks. He wants to discuss a loan with you," the receptionist introduced.

As Kevin studied the figure, he was taken aback—not because of who Vance was but because of Anthony's earlier "prediction."

'Could what he said be true?' Kevin thought in disbelief.

He had heard of Wavelink Networks, a rapidly growing tech company. Vance, its owner, was a familiar face in the media.

'Could Anthony have found someone to impersonate him to trick me?' Kevin remained doubtful, still processing the situation.

When the secretary brought the visitor into his office, Kevin brushed aside any doubt; it was indeed Vance himself. Someone like Vance was not someone a small fry like Anthony could easily connect with, so Kevin figured it wasn't surprising that a company at this level was seeking a loan. He guessed that maybe Anthony just got lucky and he guessed right.

"Hello, Mr. Prescott," Kevin said as he stood up, and they exchanged polite handshakes.

"Please, have a seat," Kevin offered. "So, Mr. Prescott is looking to take out a loan? Wavelink Networks shouldn't be low on funds, right?"

"I'll be honest with you," Vance replied. "Our company has enough money, but we're planning some big moves soon, and we need to fill some funding gaps temporarily. That's why we're turning to you for help."

"How much do you want, Mr. Prescott?" Kevin asked while pouring him a cup of coffee.

"Five million dollars!" Vance stated.

At hearing that figure, Kevin's hand shook slightly as he held the coffee. That was the exact amount Anthony had mentioned.

'Can he really predict things?' Kevin wondered, frowning.

It wasn't just the fact that Vance arrived just in time; the loan amount matching Anthony's words felt too coincidental to simply be chance.

Vance seemed to sense Kevin's hesitation and confidently said, "Five million dollars, and I'll pay you back six million in three months, interest included."

Anderson Finance did have some shady dealings, but they'd never been involved in loan sharking. The idea of charging one million dollars in interest over three months was something Kevin wouldn't have dared to suggest if Vance hadn't brought it up himself.

This was definitely a big client, but the more confident Vance seemed, the more uneasy Kevin felt. He couldn't shake off the memory of Anthony's words.

"Mr. Prescott, five million dollars is a significant amount, and this company isn't just mine. I'll need to discuss it with our other executives," Kevin said, taking a sip of his coffee.

In fact, Anderson Finance could handle this large loan without any problems. But Kevin couldn't help feeling worried, as everything was exactly the same as what Anthony said. Even though Vance was offering high interests, he dared not to take the risk.

Vance stood up, seemingly uninterested in negotiating further. "I guess I overestimated your company. My time is valuable, and since you're hesitating, let's just forget it."

Kevin was taken aback by Vance's sudden departure. He instinctively wanted to keep the client, but Anthony's words about "you'll be finished" kept echoing in his mind. He didn't speak up to stop Vance from leaving.

As he watched Vance walk away, Kevin lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Have I lost my mind? Why did I believe Anthony's nonsense?" he thought to himself.

In the past, Kevin would have done everything to keep a client like Vance. Given Wavelink Networks's current situation, this loan was a sure thing, but he was afraid Anthony might be right. For some reason, Kevin just couldn't shake off the feeling that he shouldn't take the risk.

"Rocky, let him go," Kevin said through gritted teeth, still on the phone.

On the other end, Anthony smiled shakily. "Looks like Mr. Anderson made the right call."

"Don't get too full of yourself," Kevin warned. "If it doesn't go as you said tomorrow, you'll be in a world of trouble. I'll keep my word."

"Mr. Anderson, don't worry," Anthony replied, his eyes sparkling with confidence. "The results will speak for themselves tomorrow."

"He's offering a million dollars in interest for three months! You have no idea how big that is. You better hope God bless you!"

After hanging up, Kevin called his assistant again, his reluctance evident. "From now on, keep a close eye on Wavelink Networks. If anything happens, let me know right away."