The second class of senior year science students at Wellington Academy.
The homeroom teacher, Ms. Yang, stood at the front of the classroom, scanning the room with her eyes. "There are only two weeks left before the monthly exams. Everyone needs to work hard during this time," she said.
"Ring—" The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day.
Ms. Yang waved her hand lightly. "Alright, school's over. Please be careful on your way home."
"Goodbye, Mr. Yang"
The students began packing up their heavy review materials, their faces showing signs of exhaustion.
Evan stared blankly at his empty desk, lost in thought.
Before coming to Wellington Academy, he had never bought any study materials—never once.
Seeing the piles of test papers, exercises, and workbooks in front of everyone made him feel out of place, as though he had stepped into the wrong scene.
"Evan, what are you daydreaming about?"
Romy who had just slung her bag over her shoulder, turned around and saw Evan deep in thought. "It's after school, are you not leaving?"
"I'm leaving now."
Evan replied absentmindedly, then glanced at Nia, who was standing beside Romy.
At that moment, Nia was looking back at Evan. She smiled gently, her voice soft as she said, "See you tomorrow, Evan."
"See you tomorrow."
The girl's smile made Evan's heart skip a beat.
It felt like a dream...
Outside the gates of Wellington Academy.
A black Audi was parked by the roadside. Romy's father, Mr. Luo, was sitting in the car, his eyes fixed on the school gates.
When he spotted Evan, he quickly got out of the car and waved. "Evan, over here!"
"Uncle, thank you for coming."
Seeing that the car was parked between two locust trees, Evan realized Mr. Luo had been waiting outside the school all afternoon. He felt a warm wave of gratitude.
Mr. Luo's expression flickered slightly, then he smiled. "You're too polite, Evan. We're family!" The last part of the sentence was emphasized.
Evan smiled faintly.
The car started, and as they drove, Mr. Luo spoke. "Evan, I found a place for you near the school. It's a nice area, and the price isn't too high. I'll take you to see it. If you don't like it, we can find something else."
"Thanks, Uncle."
Evan nodded lightly. "As long as it's livable."
Housing in the capital city, especially near the school, couldn't possibly be cheap. He knew that well.
This was just an excuse Mr. Luo was using, likely to avoid putting any pressure on him.
Baiyu Garden -This was an upscale neighborhood, only about ten minutes' walk from Wellington Academy. As a result, the rent here had skyrocketed.
Building 3, Unit 1, Room 606.
Mr. Luo handed Evan a set of keys and introduced, "Evan, the apartment is just over sixty square meters, with two bedrooms, a living room, and a small study. It's not huge, but it's nice."
"Uncle, it's already great."
Evan looked around. The apartment was beautifully decorated, with all the necessary appliances, and even the bedding was new. Mr. Luo's attention to detail was remarkable.
"I've already paid for the rent and the property fees."
Mr. Luo took Evan's backpack and continued, "I've also bought some daily necessities for you. If there's anything else you need, feel free to get it yourself." He then pulled out a bank card and handed it to Evan. "This card has ten thousand yuan in it. When it's almost gone, don't hesitate to ask me for more, okay?"
"Uncle, can I ask you for something?"
Evan stared at the bank card, lost in thought. Something suddenly came to mind.
Mr. Luo smiled. "Don't be shy with me, Evan!"
Evan's lips moved slightly. "Uncle, how much cash do you have on hand right now?"
Mr. Luo was surprised by the question. He paused for a moment before answering, "Well, I've got about two million in cash at the moment. But cash flow is tight due to some inventory issues."
"That's enough."
Evan spoke before Mr. Luo could process what he had said.
Mr. Luo blinked. "Evan, why do you need to know that?"
Evan smiled faintly and replied, "Uncle, I want to borrow two million from you."
Mr. Luo froze. After a moment, he burst out laughing. "What did you say? You want to borrow money? If you need more, just ask. Don't beat around the bush. When I head back to Linhai, I'll transfer you ten thousand." He thought Evan was just asking for a little more money than what he had already given him.
Evan shook his head. "Uncle, I think you misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?"
"Yes."
Evan poured two cups of water, gesturing to the sofa. "Uncle, let's sit down and talk."
"Alright."
After accepting the water, Mr. Luo smiled, though his expression was a bit complicated. He hid it well, though.
As they both sat down, Evan spoke. "Uncle, I want to borrow two million from you."
"Poof!"
Mr. Luo, caught off guard, spit out the water he had just sipped. Evan had anticipated this and quickly shielded himself with his bag.
"What did you just say?"
Mr. Luo stood up in shock, his mind buzzing. Two million? Evan wanted to borrow that much?
He recalled what he had just said earlier—"Don't be shy with me!" But this wasn't the same thing. It was a huge sum of money. Besides, Evan was just a high school senior—why would he need so much?
"Uncle, I'm not in trouble," Evan said, with a wry smile. "I want to borrow the money to invest in stocks."
"Stocks?"
Mr. Luo's voice shot up in disbelief. "What are you talking about? You're only seventeen! Stocks are too risky for someone your age!"
He immediately realized his tone had been harsh and quickly softened. "Evan, I'm just worried about you. There's too much risk involved in the stock market. Even I avoid it, and I've seen too many people lose everything by gambling on stocks."
"Your main task now should be studying hard, aiming for a good university. Understand?"
Evan nodded, smiling. "I know, Uncle. I understand what you're saying. But I can prove it to you."
"Prove it?"
Mr. Luo was confused. "How will you prove it?"
Evan grinned, raising the bank card in his hand. "Give me one week. I can turn the ten thousand yuan on this card into fifty thousand. And you'll be able to watch the entire process of buying and selling stocks."
"If I succeed, I'd like to borrow two million from you for one year."
Mr. Luo fell silent, looking down.
One week to turn ten thousand into fifty thousand? A 400% return?
Could that even be possible?
After a long pause, Mr. Luo finally raised his head. "What if you can't do it?"
Evan's expression remained confident. "If I can't do it, I'll never think about stocks again. I'll focus on my studies and let you and my mom decide my future university and major."
Evan stood up, speaking casually, "Of course, that won't happen!" His confidence was palpable but not arrogant.
"Deal!" Mr. Luo locked eyes with Evan. He couldn't quite understand the teenager sitting before him.
Well... he never really had understood him.
He shifted his tone, "However, I will have to inform your mother about this. She needs to approve before I lend you any money."
"Okay."
Evan smiled, his eyes deep with determination.
Could this bet be any clearer?
After dinner, Mr. Luo called his wife, Ye Xian, and told her everything that had happened that day. When she heard that their son had passed the rigorous admission tests at Wellington Academy, Ye Xian was thrilled.
But before she could celebrate, Mr. Luo mentioned the two million Evan wanted to borrow.
Ye Xian was shocked. "What? This is nonsense!"
"Calm down, dear," Mr. Luo quickly said. "It's like this—Evan and I made a bet..."