After the exam rankings were announced, the atmosphere in the classroom completely changed. Some students beamed with joy, their smiles wide as they celebrated their improved ranks.
While others slumped in their seats, their faces clouded with disappointment.
"Morning."
At the sound of the greeting, the entire class instantly turned their attention to the front.
The tension in the air, already thick from the exam results, grew heavier with the arrival of the notoriously strict math teacher.
To make matters worse, it was no secret that his mood had been sour these past few days.
Yet, there were always a few unlucky students who failed to read the room, and they paid the price. Without hesitation, the teacher assigned them a set of problems as difficult as university entrance exam questions.
Even so, the class remained polite, responding in unison"Good morning"
Arthur had a unique way of explaining things, making even the most complicated concepts easy to understand.
However, he had one flaw, he would randomly call on students to answer questions. The unpredictability left many on edge, make their nerves stretched thin.
As Arthur continued his lecture, his gaze occasionally drifted to Karel, who was completely focused on his notebook. Those small hands moved quickly, scribbling notes with quiet determination.
"How Cute."
The thought barely formed before Arthur's eyes landed on a man inching closer to his boyfriend staring, blatantly staring.
His expression hardened in an instant.
In the far corner of the classroom, Daniel remained attentive, absorbing every word of the lesson. Yet, every so often, his eyes flickered to the right, to the seat near the window where Karel sat.
From his angle, he could see the sharp line of Karel's jaw, the way his tousled hair framed his face like a stray cat: wild and untamed.
The corner of Daniel's lips curled up slightly, but a quiet sigh slipped from him. He knew his place. Someone like him had no right to stand beside Karel.
Maybe, for the rest of his life, all he could do was watch from a distance.
It was the first time he had ever fallen in love, and he had no idea what to do about it, especially since the person he loved was another man.
"Daniel Ashford."
The sudden call of his name made him jolt upright.
At the front of the room, his math teacher stood motionless, his face unreadable yet somehow terrifying.
A few students held their breath. Even though they weren't the ones being called, they instinctively lowered their heads, as if hoping to avoid attention.
"I've noticed you're not paying attention. Repeat what I just said"
Realizing his mistake, Daniel shot to his feet, quickly muttering an apology before frantically scanning his notebook.
But his eyes widened.
The pages in front of him weren't filled with formulas: instead, they were covered in sketches of Karel's face.
His heart nearly stopped.
Without hesitation, he slammed the notebook shut, forcing himself to stand and start reciting the material. He didn't miss a single detail.
Even though he hadn't been paying attention during class, he had studied the PowerPoint slides the night before.
"You may sit down. Don't let it happen again."
o0o
Karel stared nervously at the laptop screen in front of him.
He had never once stepped into the world of stock trading, neither in his past life nor in this one.
His eyes flicked across the numbers and fluctuating graphs that filled the display.
The little he knew came from a business course his father had paid for, and even then, he had only been studying for a month.
Still, one thing was clear in his mind: which companies would rise amidst the crisis and which ones would fall.
In six months, a pandemic would hit the world, including this country.
According to the novel's plot, the outbreak would bring everything to a standstill. People would be required to wear masks, practice social distancing, and stay home.
Entire industries, tourism, aviation, and manufacturing, would collapse under the weight of lockdown policies.
Yet, amidst the chaos, some companies would thrive: tech giants, pharmaceutical corporations, and online service providers.
Karel scoffed inwardly.
It was obvious the pandemic subplot had been written solely to make the female lead shine.
Seeing the rising death toll, Alison's compassionate heart would be moved. Despite still being a student, she wouldn't sit idly by while people suffered.
She would launch a donation drive, raising funds to help those affected.
She would even auction off her luxury belongings to increase the amount collected.
But Karel remembered the truth behind those items.
The designer handbags, the jewelry, the watches, everything Alison put up for auction had originally been gifts from the original owner of this body.
In the novel's storyline, Karel had given them away recklessly, desperately hoping to win Alison's heart.
Her so-called "heroic" actions, of course, caught the attention of the second male lead—Maximilian.
Maximilian, the CEO of Lichoin Technology, a corporate giant that controlled vast sectors of the global economy, found himself impressed by Alison's actions.
In the novel, Maximilian was portrayed as meticulous and ruthlessly decisive, a man not easily swayed by anyone except the female lead.
Despite the crisis, his company stood firm.
Maximilian had secured his position as Lichoin Technology's CEO after years of brutal competition, fending off every legitimate heir and illegitimate child within the Lichoin family.
Yet, despite its power and history, Lichoin Technology was doomed.
In just five years, a financial collapse would send the company spiraling into bankruptcy. Eventually, it would be acquired by the male lead's family.
Karel frowned. How the hell does a corporate titan like Lichoin Technology get obliterated by some twenty-something-year-old guy?
"Shit. My family's company is gonna go bankrupt too!" he blurted out in panic.
Calm down, Karel. Breathe.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to think rationally.
With a pen in hand, he started jotting down his next move.
One name came to mind: Ashford Pharm.
A pharmaceutical company that would soon develop the cure for the pandemic.
Even with all her wealth, Alison had struggled to find a trustworthy pharmaceutical firm to donate to until Karel stepped in to save the day.
The original Karel hadn't just poured his entire savings into the cause, donating a massive sum, he had also brought in valuable data.
His father's subordinates had compiled extensive reports on pharmaceutical companies currently in the race to produce the life-saving drug.
And Karel knew exactly how to use that information to his advantage.
Hearing that, Alison was overjoyed and immediately began planning to purchase as much medicine as possible from Ashford Pharm.
After the pandemic ended, Peter Ashford, the founder of Ashford Pharm, was deeply moved by Dahlia's actions.
Thanks to his research, which had saved millions worldwide, Peter Ashford received an award from the Department of Science.
During his acceptance speech, he made sure to mention Alison, who had distributed the medicine for free to the public.
This brought Alison immense popularity. Reporters flocked to interview her, and her gentle, benevolent image boosted her father's company, positioning it as a crucial bridge for a presidential candidate's campaign.
Karel let out a sigh, making a mental note to gather more information about Ashford Pharm the next day.
He also reminded himself to invest heavily in companies producing masks and oxygen supplies.
Tapping his pen against the table, he frowned in concentration. "What else?"
"Ah...funds!" he muttered, lightly smacking his forehead with his pen.
He was starting to panic. Where the hell was he supposed to get enough money to invest?
With his allowance was generous, he had already begun investing in stocks from MIRAC, LoL. Corp, and VIRE Technology.
Reaching for the safe beside him, he pulled out his bank book.
The moment he saw his account balance, his mouth dropped open in shock.
"Holy shit! Even if I worked at a hospital for decades, I'd never be able to save up this much money."
But if it concerns investment, of course, this amount of money is far from enough.
Where the hell was he supposed to find the rest of the money?
o0o