Chapter 4 One Hundred Grand

• In the evening, Maverick sat alone on the steps of the square.
• He and Josephine had never bought a house or a car. All their savings had been squandered by him.
• They used to live in a rented house as a family of three, but now, after the divorce, Maverick couldn't bring himself to go back.
• Reflecting on the events of his past, Maverick found it hard to come to terms with what had happened to him.
• Suddenly, his phone rang. Maverick took it out and saw that it was a call from Josephine.
• Startled, he quickly answered the call.
• “Daddy, where are you?” A childish voice sounded, instantly making Maverick's eyes red.
• “Sasha...”
• “Daddy, do you have somewhere to stay tonight?” Sasha asked again.
• Maverick felt a lump in his chest.
• Even though he had treated her harshly multiple times, the little girl still cared about whether he had a place to stay.
• Maverick was no fool. He knew that Josephine was the reason why Sasha had called.
• “Don't worry, Sasha, I have a place to stay. Be good at home with Mommy. When I earn a lot of money, I'll buy you lots of toys and snacks. I'll also buy you a beautiful big house...” Maverick murmured.
• He yearned to hold that adorable girl in his arms, yet at that moment, it seemed to be the hardest thing to do.
• “Go for it, Daddy!”
• After Sasha finished speaking, the call ended.
• Maverick took a deep breath, looking around at the bustling crowd. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
• He was broke, so it seemed he had to sleep on the streets that night.
• But it didn't matter. Things would start to get better tomorrow!
• Throughout the entire night, Maverick was engrossed in studying his ability to “predict the future.”
• He finally discovered that this ability was truly extraordinary!
• There were no restrictions on characters or time.
• He could even predict changes clearly in industries, urban planning, and international developments, among others.
• There was nothing he couldn't predict, it just depended on whether he was willing to predict it!
• Maverick had also thought about predicting the future of Josephine, Sasha, or his parents. He tried doing that, but surprisingly, he failed.
• The splitting headache made Maverick almost faint. He tried several times, but it was the same.
• In the end, Maverick had no choice but to give up.
• Since he couldn't predict the futures of those he owed, he would go and change their futures himself!
• In the bustling city, the night remained lively.
• Dawn gradually broke. Feeling lonely and desolate, Maverick spent the entire night sitting on the steps.
• People gradually got busy with their own affairs. Maverick had never before experienced such a vivid sense of the hustle and bustle of human life.
• In the past, he was wholly consumed by a deep obsession with drinking and gambling, paying no mind to anything else.
• What no one knew was that during this night, Maverick had basically planned out the next half year.
• He decided to leave the rest to time.
• Ring, ring!
• His phone rang suddenly. Maverick glanced at the battery level, which was now down to a mere nine percent.
• His charger, however, was still in his rented place.
• It was Howard calling. When he saw “Howard Finance” on the screen, Maverick smiled.
• “Mr. Lemmon, didn't you sleep last night?”
• “I just woke up, but judging from your tone, it seems like you're the one who didn't sleep at all last night?” Howard replied.
• Maverick shook his head. “Is there an outcome?”
• “Where did you learn these things? Or, did you secretly study Oceanic Network or Charles?” Howard asked, his tone complex.
• Before Maverick could speak, he continued, “Around nine o'clock last night, several scandals regarding Oceanic Network were exposed, mostly related to the e-commerce live streamers under Charles' management. It seems like some products were fatal!”
• Maverick's expression remained calm. He had foreseen this event long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn't have warned Howard with such certainty back then.
• Howard continued, “This morning, the Bureau of Quality Surveillance, the International Trade Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration all stepped in and shut down Oceanic Networks. I'm not sure about the specifics, but as for Charles, I think he's finished. At the very least, he's looking at several years behind bars.”
• Obviously, Howard was speaking with a sense of relief.
• The one million interest for three months that Charles had proposed yesterday really tempted him.
• He had even speculated that if it weren't for Maverick's reminder, he would have lent the money to Charles.
• After all, who would have thought that Oceanic Network, which seemed to be thriving, would fall apart overnight?
• If Charles had taken the money, Howard might not have been able to recover it for at least a decade. It would have been equivalent to throwing the money away.
• Howard Finance was not solely owned by Howard. His stake in the company was only a quarter of its total assets. If he lent out five million, Maverick's prediction of him losing everything would come true.
• “Maverick...”
• Howard took a deep breath. “I have to thank you for this. I overestimated my capabilities. Had it not been for your reminder, I would be in trouble by now.”
• “I merely offered you a suggestion. The final decision, however, still rests in your hands,” Maverick replied cheerfully.
• “You don't have to call me 'Mr. Lemmon' all the time. I owe you one. From now on, you, Maverick, are my friend!” Howard said.
• He was genuinely terrified. Even now, he could still feel goosebumps all over his body.
• When his assistant told him about Oceanic Network last night, he almost fell out of bed.
• “Of course, Howard.”
• Maverick paused slightly, then continued, “Howard, now that there's an outcome, shouldn't you transfer the money?”
• On the other end of the phone, Howard paused for a moment.
• He then chuckled bitterly. “Well, I'm discussing friendship with you, and you're talking about money?”
• “I still owe you more than eight hundred thousand now, what else should I talk to you about if not money?” Maverick grinned.
• “True, but as for eight hundred grand or so you owe, I won't rush you to pay it back. There will be no interest. This time, you've essentially saved my life!”
• Howard remembered Maverick's situation and added, “Send me your bank account, and I'll transfer the money to you right away.”
• Maverick breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Howard wouldn't acknowledge the wager.
• However, this did prove that Howard was indeed a person of good character. At the very least, he was true to his word. Maverick considered helping him in the future.
• After the call was disconnected, Maverick soon received a text message confirming the bank transfer.
• A hundred thousand, not a penny less.
• With this startup capital, Maverick immediately gained confidence.
• First, he purchased a charger, then spent around two thousand and five hundred to rent a condominium roughly the size of thirty square meters.
• After settling everything, Maverick checked the time. It was almost eight o'clock.
• Without taking a break, he hailed a cab and made his way to the stadium.
• Two days later, on Saturday night, a top-tier singer Joshua Lane would hold a concert here. This would be Joshua's first concert since his debut.
• For reasons unknown, the organizers only started selling tickets two days before the concert was due to begin, which was at ten this morning.
• Of course, offline ticket sales were secondary. The primary channel for selling tickets was online.
• The organizers were not worried at all about ticket sales being affected due to the rushed time frame.
• Joshua's immense popularity was beyond doubt.
• But what nobody could anticipate was that five minutes later, a bombshell scandal involving Joshua would be exposed by the industry's top paparazzi team!