Chapter 2 When it rains, it pours

In the bustling mall filled with extravagance, among the crowd adorned in luxurious attire, a high school student in uniform hastened through, appearing out of place in this environment.

“Why would a student not study hard and instead squander their parents’ hard-earned money?” People’s gazes toward him were full of disdain.

The high school student paid no attention to the sharp glances thrown his way and went straight into the restroom.

Ten minutes later, a sharp-dressed and stern “young man” emerged from the restroom, unrecognizable as the high school student from before. This time, the passersby couldn’t help but glance toward him, and many girls were captivated by his chilling and charismatic aura, like that of frost and snow.

The high school student’s name was Tyler, and he was eighteen years old. Tonight, he was not here to spend money but rather to earn it, to make money that could save his life.

Despite the scrutiny of those around him, Tyler remained unfazed and strode confidently through the side door of the luxurious store called “Humour Noir.” The moment he entered, he put on a professional and friendly smile, concealing his sharp edges and emanating a gentle warmth that was a far cry from his previous self.

Due to the brand’s positioning, most of the staff at “Humour Noir” were female, aside from part-time employee Tyler. He greeted everyone warmly, and the saleswomen all lit up upon seeing him, beaming with joy.

However, beneath the calm surface, dark currents were surging.

Only Tyler knew that among the four senior saleswomen on duty tonight, two had hinted at wanting to date him, one had directly confessed, and another had even kissed his cheek when he wasn’t paying attention. In this complex workplace environment, the slightest mistake could result in a bloodbath.

“Tyler, I heard you’re really bad at certain subjects. Is there any subject you don’t understand? Do you want the big sisters to teach you after work~?”

“Faye, Tyler has to go to school tomorrow morning. Besides, it’s already eleven o’clock. Did you watch a Japanese movie about home tutors and want to try it out~?”

“Wow, I didn’t expect Faye to be a carnivore~!”

“W-what home tutors? Nia, May, I have no idea what you’re talking about with your love action movies!”

When there were no customers around, the saleswomen loved to tease Tyler, and it would often escalate into playful banter with hidden knives.

Tyler remained steadfast in the midst of the turmoil, abiding by the principle of not speaking unless necessary, knowing that the crisis would resolve itself once customers arrived.

Before long, the customers arrived one after another. In this luxury store where even paper clips could sell for exorbitant prices, customers bought small gifts worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars to boost Tyler’s performance, as casually as having a cup of coffee.

Indeed, “impressive work performance” was the real reason why Tyler was popular among his colleagues. There seemed to be an inexplicable “magic” about him that made female customers unable to forget him.

For the staff, Tyler’s part-time status didn’t affect their bonus rankings, and his presence raised the bonus benchmark for the store. Moreover, he was easy on the eyes, truly an angel sent from heaven.

**

After finishing work, some of the girls invited Tyler to have a late night snack while others offered to drive him home. However, Tyler knew the art of tactful refusal well, understanding that only by remaining single could he avoid trouble. So he politely declined and went straight home.

In addition to playing it safe, Tyler had another reason to return home tonight: the opportunity to “get rich quick overnight” was waiting for him there.

By the time Tyler arrived home, it was already half past eleven and the house was empty. His mother had been working extra shifts at a nearby supermarket for the past two months and wouldn’t be back until after 2 AM.

As for his father…he was still in the hospital waiting for surgery, pending payment.

Indeed, both Tyler’s after-school job and his mother’s extra work were all aimed at raising money for his father’s surgery. Despite selling everything they could and borrowing money from anyone who would lend it, their family was still five thousand dollars short of the operation cost.

Five thousand dollars may not be a huge amount in today’s society, but it was a number that could break the backs of Tyler’s family, especially since they had already exhausted all their resources.

Through the joint efforts of mother and son over the past two months, there was still a shortfall of three thousand dollars in the surgery fund. But tonight, Tyler had the chance to make up the remaining three thousand dollars in one fell swoop.

Two weeks ago, a wealthy lady who often came to check on Tyler’s performance unintentionally revealed to him insider information that “a certain Nasdaq-listed company would be acquired at a substantial premium after closing on a certain day.” Tyler immediately searched for related information after work, but there was no news online.

This meant that the lady did not give him any old and worn-out information, but rather a “real insider information” that could be of value.

After thorough study and calculation, Tyler confirmed that he could use a combination of financial instruments with a leverage of up to fifty times on the US stock market. This meant that if the stock of the company was assumed to rise by 10%, Tyler only needed to invest $6,000 to earn nearly $30,000.

However, if the news was false, or if Tyler’s timing of buying and selling was incorrect, the $6,000 investment would most likely be lost.

Tyler knew that his father’s health could not wait much longer. If he succeeded tonight, the surgery could be performed three months earlier. But if he failed, Tyler would have to find another way to make up for the $6,000 shortfall, whether it was selling blood or selling his kidney, he had to do it.

After careful consideration, Tyler decided to take the risk without telling his family. After more than a week of preparation, he was ready for everything and was waiting for the date the wealthy lady had mentioned – tonight.

With no time to eat dinner, Tyler opened his computer and logged into his account, constantly checking the stock price on his phone while waiting for the page to load. There was no movement yet.

Normally, the acquisition announcement would not be made until after the market closed, but there were no impenetrable walls in the world. Tyler believed that there would be some activity during the trading hours today at the latest, unless the wealthy lady’s information was false.

At this moment, on the computer screen, the buy and sell seats of the stock market were as quiet as if it had already closed. Tyler remained calm and patient. This stock had been ignored for a long time due to its low trading volume, which was why he was able to buy positions in advance without being liquidated even with a leverage of fifty times.

As time passed by second by second, the night was as still as the deep sea, and Tyler, like a statue, sat motionless in front of his computer. He forgot about his fatigue and hunger, patiently waiting for that moment to arrive.

At one o’clock in the morning, with only three hours left until closing, a long-standing sell order of one hundred shares on the trading platform suddenly got executed. Tyler’s eyes widened as he felt an electric shock, and he quickly put his hands on the keyboard and mouse, entering a state of complete concentration.

For other stocks, a one hundred share buy or sell order was a common occurrence, but in this low-volume stock, it was quite rare. Tyler’s intuition told him that the “movement” he had been waiting for was about to happen.

Indeed, within a few seconds, more sell orders of fifty shares, one hundred shares, and even higher prices were instantly executed. Subsequently, buy orders of five hundred shares and one thousand shares began flooding the buyer’s position, hoping to grab some cheap chips.

However, this was not the stage where one could easily buy in. One buy order after another, with prices higher than the previous one, was being placed.

In just a few blinks of an eye, all the sell orders on the trading platform were swept away! The stock price correspondingly soared, increasing by 6.6% in no time!

Before tonight, Tyler had simulated dozens of times how he would respond and operate when an opportunity like this arose. But when everything actually happened, this kind of indescribable tension made his heartbeat uncontrollably accelerate.

Time passed second by second, and the stock price continued to skyrocket!

7.1%!

8.4%!

9.6%!

Then, the increase finally reached the 10% Tyler had been waiting for!

Should he sell now? Or wait a little longer?

According to his earlier calculations, Tyler should have placed a sell order before the increase reached 10%. Selling now was actually too late, but Tyler’s hand holding the mouse showed no signs of moving. He even closed his eyes and began to ponder at this critical juncture!

After a quick analysis, Tyler believed that tonight’s increase was highly likely to be more than 10%. However, in just a few seconds he spent thinking, the increase had already retreated from 10% to 8.3%, and it continued to retreat mercilessly, slapping him in the face!

Should he not sell now? Should he continue to wait? Waiting longer might even result in him losing the 8% increase!

Tyler stared at the screen, choosing to continue waiting.

After a long dozen seconds, the increase had retreated to only 6%. Tyler remained calm and continued to watch every transaction. Suddenly, a new wave of large funds poured in, and the stock price surged again. In just a few seconds, breaking through several resistance levels, the increase soared to 10% once again!

Tyler still did not make a move, continuing to calmly watch every transaction.

15%!

20%!!

25%!!!

As soon as Tyler’s mouse started moving, the screen showed a staggering 29.3% increase!

What does a 29.3% increase mean? It means that Tyler’s unrealized profit has now reached nearly 90,000 US dollars! Far exceeding the funding gap for his father’s surgery!!!

Tyler smiled. Deviating from the planned trading strategy is a cardinal sin, but tonight, he won the bet!𝑂𝒱𝗅xt.𝑐𝓞𝓜

This time, Tyler did not wait any longer. He resolutely sold all his positions and made a profit of 90,000 dollars overnight with a capital of 6,000 dollars, making a whopping fourteen times profit!

After securing his profits, Tyler’s mood was surprisingly calm. Even when he saw the stock price soar to trigger a trading halt at 30%, he remained steadfast.

“Phew…”

Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. He exited the program, closed his phone, and now this stock has nothing to do with him even if it rises to the sky. He came to earn his father’s surgery fees, and now he has done it, and done it better than expected.

That’s enough.

Now, at the thought that his father will soon undergo surgery, Tyler felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He stood up, stretched lazily, and heard his joints crackle. Then, without warning, his body suddenly stiffened and he couldn’t move…

(What’s happening to me…?!)

Tyler felt as if countless needles were wandering in his blood vessels. The throbbing pain made him unable to move, but it was already too late. A piercing pain suddenly exploded in his chest! Tyler’s body was out of control, and he fell straight to the floor.

With a loud “bang!” Tyler’s head hit the floor heavily, and blood flowed everywhere.