Leo lay flat on his back on his rickety bed, the dull ceiling of his room a silent witness to his anxiety. His heart felt like it was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. Not from the residual adrenaline of last night's fight, but from the anticipation of funds that could be the key to freedom or a one-way ticket to hell. His cheap phone, a relic from 2015, was gripped tightly in his hand, displaying the loading screen of the mobile banking app.
Ping! The long-awaited notification finally sounded.
With breath held tight in his lungs, Leo forced his eyes to focus on the screen. The number appeared.
Rp 134,000,000,- (One Hundred Thirty-Four Million Rupiah)
Leo blinked. He rubbed his eyes. The number didn't change.
"One hundred thirty-four million?" he murmured softly, relief mixing with unexpected disappointment. He quickly converted it in his head. "At the current exchange rate (around Rp 14,200 per USD)... that's only about... $9,400 - $9,500 USD?" He decided to use $9,500 for his calculations.
He remembered the amount of Liana's family debt mentioned last night. The number was huge and terrifying. Around Rp 987,000,000,- (roughly $70,000 USD).
"Damn it," Leo hissed, sitting bolt upright in bed. "The funds I got aren't even enough to fully cover Liana's debt. That bastard boss is either really stingy or deliberately testing my seriousness with minimal capital."
His mind raced, trying to process the implications. "Okay, so... I have $9,500. Liana's debt is $70,000. Total immediate fund requirement..." He paused. The loan wasn't for Liana's debt directly, it was his loan based on his insane promise. The debt structure was different now.
He grabbed his notebook and pen, his hand moving quickly to calculate.
Total principal debt he now owed the organization = $70,000 (Liana's original debt, which they expected to eventually collect or leverage) + $9,500 (Leo's new loan) = $79,500.
The amount to be repaid in 3 years = $79,500 x 3 = $238,500 USD.
"Two hundred thirty-eight thousand, five hundred dollars..." he whispered. (Around Rp 3.38 Billion, rounded to Rp 3.4 Billion for the story). "From a starting capital of nine thousand five hundred dollars?"
A cold chill ran down his spine. This was no longer a crazy gamble with potentially massive profits cushioning him. This was an almost impossible mission with zero margin for error. If the previous scenario offered a huge safety net, now... he had to multiply his capital by approximately 25 times just to break even on the debt repayment.
"HELL NO. HELL NO!" He scrubbed his face roughly. The pressure felt immensely heavier.
But despair wasn't an option. He was 'The Raven'. He HAD survived worse situations than this.
He booted up his old laptop, opening the historical Bitcoin price charts. His eyes scanned the data with renewed intensity. The current price, around $240 USD per BTC. The potential peak in late 2017, around $19,000 USD.
"Okay, recalculate," he muttered his tone tense. "Capital $9,500 USD. Average buy price $250 USD. That means I can get... only about 38 BTC."
The number felt terrifyingly small compared to the previous scenario. Just 38 digital coins had to save his life and Liana's.
He calculated the potential profit using the 7000% increase (70x multiplier), the conservative figure he'd used earlier.
Potential value of 38 BTC at peak = 38 BTC * ($250 * 70) = 38 * $17,500 = $665,000 USD.
(Alternatively: $9,500 initial capital * 70 = $665,000 USD)
(Around Rp 9.4 Billion).
Leo stared at the calculation result. His breathing eased slightly, but there was no euphoria.
"Six hundred sixty-five thousand dollars," he repeated. "Enough to pay the $238,500 debt... with about $426,500 (Rp 6 Billion) left over for me... wow damn... I'm scared..."
It was still life-changing money, of course. Far more than any normal teenager would ever possess. Enough to start a new life, ensure Liana's safety, to never return to that dark world.
But the margin was much tighter, and the risk felt enormous. There was no room for major mistakes. The timing of selling had to be precise. Asset security had to be perfect.
"Okay," Leo said to himself, clenching his fists. "This is harder. But it's still doable. Very doable." Determination flooded him again, pushing aside the lingering doubt and fear.
He rose from the bed, the mental switch from panic to operational focus happening in an instant. The basic plan remained unchanged, only now the stakes felt far more personal, more urgent.
Thoughts of Liana surfaced again. Her family's nearly one-billion-rupiah debt... and the starting capital he'd received because of his (insane) negotiation to save her. The irony wasn't lost on him. A complex sense of gratitude welled up again.
He grabbed his phone again. His fingers hovered over Liana's contact before pressing call.
The phone rang. Once. Twice.
"Hello?" Liana's voice sounded cautious, no longer sleepy like his earlier imagined call.
"Liana," Leo said, trying to keep his voice steady this time, though a slight tremor remained.
"Yes, Leo? What is it?" Her tone was gentle.
Leo took a breath. Okay, different approach. "Nothing. I... I just wanted to... say thank you and... LOVE YOU."
A moment of silence. "EH... HUH? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT..... THANKS FOR WHAT???" Liana's voice sounded utterly confused, maybe slightly flustered.
"That's all. See you at school."
Leo hung up, feeling slightly foolish but also relieved to have said something, even if it made no logical sense and probably just confused her more.
He looked back at his computer screen, the BTC chart looking both promising and terrifying. The pressure was real. The target was clear. Rp 3.4 Billion in three years.
"Alright, Raven," he whispered to himself. "Time to hunt."
The mission began. With smaller capital, higher risk, but just as much resolve.