On the server side, Diana's efficiency was very high, and she'd already secured a partnership with AWS. With the funds in place, all the procedures went smoothly.
In the office, some newly hired employees heard the veteran staff whispering, "Is the boss skipping class today? How did he have time to come over?" At that moment, they all showed expressions of disbelief and shock—the boss was actually a freshman who had just enrolled?!
Ethan originally wanted to invite Diana to dinner, but she politely declined.
The main reason was that there had been too many things to handle these past few days. Even her daughter Ashley had been at school for two days now and she hadn't seen her, so there was nothing she could do.
Ethan felt a bit guilty; she had truly worked hard during this time.
He was thinking about finding time to take her to see the apartment as soon as possible. For now, she was staying at a hotel near the company, which was relatively convenient, but it ultimately wasn't a long-term solution.
After making a round at the company and confirming that everything was progressing step by step, Ethan drove back to school.
He originally wanted to hand the car back to Alex directly, but Alex said boldly, "Mr. Miller, you drive it first! I've basically been living at the company these past few days, and when I get home, I just sleep. I'm leaving my car there anyway! It's more convenient for you to drive!"
Ethan could tell that Alex had truly poured all his energy into the project, and this fighting spirit moved him.
A little after four in the afternoon, Ethan returned to dorm 208.
"Yo! The son is back?" Marcus poked his head out of bed and greeted him teasingly.
Ethan laughed and cursed back, "Get lost, you unfilial son! Dad's got something important to discuss with you."
Marcus looked suspicious: "What 'serious business' do you have with me?"
Ethan didn't respond, just pulled out the cigarettes he'd just bought from his pocket and skillfully passed them around.
Sure enough, all three dorm members took one without exception—the proportion of smokers was exactly the same as in his previous life, all "veterans" trained in high school.
Kevin, tired from gaming, was now sprawled on the bean bag chair he'd brought, browsing through some questionable website on the computer screen.
As soon as Ethan finished handing out cigarettes, Kevin enthusiastically (and shamelessly) turned the monitor toward him: "Ethan, come on! Wanna appreciate it together? Just updated!"
Ethan glanced casually at the screen; the quality was questionable, and the actress's "professional skills" were several levels below certain well-known performers from later years.
He waved his hand disdainfully: "You can study on your own. I prefer combining theory with practice, got it?"
"Damn! No taste!" Kevin cursed, turned the screen back in frustration, lit a cigarette, and continued his "academic research."
Maybe because he'd caught a chill last night and had a stuffy nose, only one nostril could blow out the smoke smoothly, while the other nostril occasionally emitted a bit of white vapor symbolically. From the side, it looked quite comical.
Ethan grabbed Marcus, who was about to come over for an 'academic exchange' with Kevin: "Stop looking! Come out with Dad!"
Marcus was dragged down the corridor, completely confused: "Damn it... what exactly are you trying to do?"
Ethan got straight to the point: "Did you open a brokerage account?"
Marcus was taken aback: "Huh? You... how do you know?" He felt a bit guilty, but with a hint of pride added, "Yeah, I did. Just started, and I'm getting ready to show off my skills and make a killing in the capital markets!"
Ethan was a bit speechless: "Why are you making such a big deal out of it? Don't just buy random stuff."
Marcus's eyes lit up. He leaned in and lowered his voice: "Son, do you... have insider information?" He thought Ethan had some special connections.
"First, tell me how much 'ammunition' you've prepared."
"Probably... ten thousand bucks! Summer earnings, plus birthday money." Marcus confessed honestly, and the numbers matched Ethan's memories from his previous life.
Ethan had long anticipated that he wouldn't be able to stop him from entering the market, so he could only take a roundabout approach: "If you don't buy something, you'll probably be itching to get in anyway. How about this—I'll contribute a share too. I'll put in twenty thousand, so we'll have thirty thousand in principal. But you have to discuss with me which stocks to buy. If we make money, we'll split it fifty-fifty."
Ethan couldn't stop him from buying stocks, but he could use this method to help him make some money. When the time was right, he could take out his $10,000 principal, keep the earnings in Marcus's account, and let him try buying on his own. After he lost, the lesson would be the most effective.
This not only served as a warning to be extremely cautious when handling stocks, but also helped protect his $10,000 principal.
Marcus was even more confused: "What? You put in more than me, and you only get half the profits? This... isn't that unscientific? Are you out of your mind?"
Ethan retorted, "Are you sure you can make money? Don't end up losing even your underwear."
"Uh!"
Marcus was momentarily speechless, then stiffened his neck. "Of course I can! I've been studying it for a long time! My goal is to become the next Warren Buffett!"
Ethan rubbed his forehead, finally finding the root cause of his previous life's losses—this mysterious confidence was simply deadly! The stock market was a place that devoured people without leaving a single bone.
Then he continued, "Not sure if you can make money, yet you still want to play with me? Are you stupid, son?"
Ethan ignored him: "Just consider it Dad supporting your 'great' financial dream. It's settled then! If you ever see a 'potential stock' and want to buy it, come to me for money!"
After saying that, he turned and went back to the dorm.
Leaving Marcus looking utterly bewildered.
Back at the dorm, he saw Ryan and Jake from the neighboring dorm who had also slipped in at some point. They were now sitting in front of Kevin's computer screen. The three of them had their heads together, focused on "academic exchanges"—clearly attracted by Kevin's newly updated "study materials."
Ethan thought about organizing a class dinner tonight and inviting Mr. Hayes out as well.
Ethan took out the cigarette pack he'd opened and handed cigarettes to Jake and Ryan.
Then he took out an unopened pack from his desk and tossed it directly to Ryan, whose eyes were glued to the screen while smoking: "Ryan, take this and pass it out to the guys in the dorm next door! And pass on a message for me."
Ryan fumbled to catch the pack, still not fully recovered from the study materials: "Huh? What's up, man?"
Ethan raised his voice a bit, making sure everyone in the dorm heard clearly: "Tell them! If you want to take a shower, hurry up and don't dawdle! Tonight, our class has a group activity—going out for BBQ and drinks! It's on me!"
"Damn! Ethan's awesome!" Jake was the first to jump up and cheer.
Ethan's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "By the way, tell them I'm planning to invite the girls from our class too! First time dining with the girls in class, so get your shit together! Dress up if you need to, and spray cologne if you should. It's your first appearance, so when it's time to show off your charm, don't hold back!"
"Boom...!" This statement was like dropping a depth charge into Dorm 208 and its extended "academic exchange circle"!
In the dorm, Marcus, Derek, along with Kevin who was obsessed with 'studying,' and next door, Ryan and Jake—all five pairs of eyes instantly lit up with astonishing intensity!
It was as if they'd been injected with a powerful stimulant.
There are 120 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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