4. 1 million credits

Most of the day, Finn had done nothing but rest. His body felt heavy, as though he hadn't eaten in days, yet even starvation couldn't pull him from the comfort of his bed. Hunger gnawed at him, persistent and sharp, but it wasn't enough to override the lethargy weighing down his limbs.

His apartment was spacious, sleek, and modern, everything one would expect in 2050. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the cityscape outside, but Finn rarely bothered to look. Instead, he stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind as empty as the white expanse above him. At 6:35 PM, after what felt like hours of staring at the glowing numbers on his clock, he finally dragged himself out of bed.

The first floor housed his bathroom, a minimalist space with glass walls and chrome fixtures. A long shower helped wash away some fatigue, though it did little for the weariness clinging to his thoughts. Once dressed, he left the apartment without much deliberation. Food sounded appealing, but so did silence, and restaurants offered both.

The streets buzzed with life. Children zipped around on flying bikes, their laughter echoing through the air. Neon signs flickered above storefronts, casting colorful hues onto the pavement below. It was a lively evening, full of energy and movement, but none of it reached Finn. He walked among the crowd like a shadow, unnoticed and uninterested. To him, the cheerful chaos was just noise, a backdrop to his solitary existence.

He didn't care which restaurant he chose. Any place would do, as long as it served food and allowed him to sit undisturbed. His stomach growled again, louder this time, but Finn ignored it. Even basic needs felt secondary when weighed against the monotony of his daily routine.

As he turned a corner, his eyes briefly met those of a child zooming past on a flying bike. The kid grinned, waving enthusiastically, but Finn simply looked away. Moments like these only reminded him why he preferred solitude. People were unpredictable, messy, and loud, all things he avoided at all costs.

Everything might seem normal from outside, but Finn knew better about the economic situation of the world. Earning was a battle everybody has to confront whether, one wants or not, mattered little. 

Anyway, he walked on for a few minutes until he saw a familiar restaurant called Sweet Dish. He went inside after Nexus confirmed that there were no danger at the moment. He sat in a corner of the restaurant. A waitress came to him, "what would you like to order, sir?"

"One cold coffee and one hot coffee." said Finn flatly.

"Do you need anything else, sir?" At this point the waitress fell somewhat awkward seeing Finn's very stern expression. She was taken aback,

"Did I ask?" said Finn. The waitress was taken aback by his sudden, unpredictable question, unsure how to respond.

"Ah….no, sir." Finn replied coldly, "then bring me what I ordered without wasting my time."

She hurriedly said, "sure, sir." and left.

Finn kept on staring outside from the window, his blue eyes shining like a star. People drifted past the window, mostly the very young or the very old, as if life's middle chapters were too busy to pause here. An elderly man shuffled by, his steps slow and deliberate, while a child skipped just behind him, feet barely touching the ground. Faces flickered between joy and fatigue, each one carrying a story he'd never know.

After a few minutes, the same waitress came to deliver the coffee, this time she didn't utter a single word. She put the coffee gracefully on the table, bowed a little and left. 

Finn grabbed the cold coffee first and sipped a little, then he did the same with the hot coffee. It was odd indeed, it was clear by the waitress's reaction from a little far away. Her lips twitching after witnessing the scene.

"The waitress is observing you." said Nexus.

"Ignore." Finn replied inwardly.

Then Finn gestured from his index finger for the waitress to come. She came immediately but did not say anything at all. She just stood in front of him, like a statue. 

"Bring me, bread with extra cheese." Said Finn. She bowed again and said, "sure, sir." and left.

At that moment, the glass door of the restaurant exploded inward with a deafening Bang! Shards sprayed across the floor like jagged rain. Only a handful of patrons were seated inside, their meals interrupted as panic erupted in an instant. Chairs scraped against the tiled floor, screams pierced the air, and bodies scrambled toward exits without a second thought.

A girl was hurled through the shattered doorway, her body skidding across the debris-littered ground before coming to a stop near one of the overturned tables. Blood trickled from a gash on her forehead, but she didn't move, whether unconscious or worse, it wasn't clear.

Outside, chaos reigned. Cars collided into each other with metallic crunches, horns blared incessantly, and traffic snarled into a gridlock within seconds. The once-bustling street had transformed into a war zone, all because of whatever or whoever had targeted the girl.

Finn remained seated at his table, unfazed by the surrounding commotion. His gaze lingered on the girl for only a fraction of a second before shifting outward, scanning the wreckage beyond the broken entrance. He could already hear shouts and footsteps approaching from outside.

Three people wearing black suits and black glasses entered the restaurant. The waitress and the other staffs were hiding in the kitchen. One of the three people or agent looked at Finn and was shocked as he was the only one sitting at the restaurant, unfazed. He ignored Finn and focused on the girl. 

"There's no way to run now, is there?" said one of them smirking, a gun type object was in his hand. "We don't want to hurt you, lady." Said another one.

"Go to hell." Shouted the girl with all her energy.

"Ah…don't make this difficult bitch," Screamed the agent who was smirking, "I would have killed you, if not for the orders to bring you alive!"

The girl was gasping for breath, it seemed she already used a lot of energy at this point. Blood trickled from her forehead, weaving a thin, dark path down the bridge of her nose. It pooled at the corner of her eye, blurring her vision in a crimson haze. She dragged the back of her hand across her face, smearing the warmth across her cheek, a frantic attempt to clear her sight. 

She looked around her, she noticed someone sitting at the corner of the restaurant, sipping something. At this point, it was clear that she does not have enough energy to fight back. He was the only hope, she could think of. With a very weak voice, she said, "help me."

The three agent simultaneously looked at Finn, as if waiting for his response.

"Not interested." Said Finn with a deep voice which echoed throughout the restaurant.

The three agent started laughing as if they heard the best joke of their life! The girl clenched her teeth, unable to see any way to get out of the situation, with great pain and frustration, she shouted with all her might, 

"I will pay you 1 million credits!"