After his unprecedented login to Quanta, Ash returned to his old computer to connect to the stock market. As he stared at the trading charts, he couldn't help but sigh heavily. "I guess today the market is going to take a dive," he thought, the image of a red candle and a market reversal firmly etched in his mind. Time seemed to slip away.
'Let's go all in,' he decided after a careful analysis, opting for a long-side trade, hoping for a market upswing that would yield a handsome return.
'Ash, have your lunch,' his mother's voice called from the other end of the room.
He set a mental threshold, planning to exit the trade if he incurred a loss exceeding 50%. Patently, he waited, having lunch and offering a silent prayer to the trading gods.
'Sell, sell, sell!' Ash panickedly offloaded all his stocks, his expression strangely blank.
Ash was a boy who struggled to show his emotions. At a glance, you couldn't tell if he was happy or sad. But now, an exuberant grin stretched across his face.
"Woo-hoo!" he shouted, his smile unwavering.
His mother and grandmother rushed into the room, concern etched across their faces.
"Are you alright, dear?" his mother asked, confusion in her eyes.
"Yeah, Mom, it's nothing major," Ash assured her with a gentle smile, his expression now smug.
Afterward, he intended to take a quick nap. Three hours later, he awoke with a sense that he had won big, but he hadn't yet checked his profits. He opened the app and was greeted by a jaw-dropping sight.
'92,320,000... damn!' he shouted, immediately calling for his father.
Tired from a day's work, his father stormed into the room, ready to scold his unruly child. Ash handed him the phone.
"Can you tell me how much money this is?" Ash inquired, aware it was a substantial sum.
His father, shocked by the amount, meticulously counted before responding, "It's nearly 900 crores, around 9 billion."
Both of them, stunned and exhilarated, shared a moment of silence. They had never witnessed such an extraordinary amount of money in their lives.
After careful calculations and setting aside 100 crores for expenses, Ash invested the remaining funds into his business through his trusted friend, Sarvesh. Sarvesh, a long-time friend since middle school, had a deep mutual understanding with Ash. Their businesses had been teetering on the brink of profitability, and with this infusion of capital, success seemed imminent.
As exhaustion from the day's activities began to settle in, Ash contemplated turning in for the night. But then, a strange message flashed on his lock screen.
"Order placed successfully, to be delivered in the next 10 minutes via drone. Please collect by sharing the barcode..."