Chapter 7

New York, Manhattan.

"Sir, you're back." The nanny respectfully took the briefcase and greeted him. Seeing the dark expression on her male master's face, she cautiously walked into the kitchen and quietly said to a beautiful mixed-race woman with distinct Chinese features, who was tall and had delicate features, "Madam, Sir's face looks very bad, and his mood seems very poor."

"Hmm? What happened again?" Li Wanqing put down the kitchen knife, washed her hands, and her beautiful eyes flashed with confusion. She frowned and walked into the living room, just in time to see her husband with a dark face, a cigarette in his hand.

"What's going on? Didn't we agree not to bring work stress home?"

"What's going on? What else could it be, if not for your precious son!" Austen Smith angrily stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, quickly waving his hand in the lingering smoke. He knew his wife detested the smell of cigarettes.

"Andy? What's wrong with Andy? I just called him, and he's fine!" Li Wanqing watched the smoke dissipate, picked up the ashtray from the table with a frown, and prepared to put it on the balcony. Hearing that her husband was angry because of their son, she asked in confusion.

"Hmph, of course he wouldn't tell you. He mortgaged the villa and the copyright, borrowed 6 million dollars from the bank, and put it all into the stock market! This brat, he's really too bold." Austen snorted coldly, seeing his wife's face turn pale, he quickly went to support her and helped her sit on the sofa.

"What? This... this... how can the child do this! He doesn't know anything about stocks. No, I have to call and ask clearly!" She then picked up the phone from the nearby table and pressed the speed dial button for 1.

The phone connected, and Li Wanqing anxiously said, "Son, how can you mortgage the property and buy stocks? What's going on?"

Andy, who received the call, immediately realized that his parents had found out about the situation. He explained helplessly, "Mom, don't worry, let me explain slowly..."

An hour later, Andy hung up the phone and slumped on the sofa, feeling troubled. It was really a hassle, but fortunately, he was in America, and he was already an adult, so he could freely manage his own assets. Even if his parents were unhappy, they could only accept his decision helplessly.

If this were in China, he would have been beaten to a pulp long ago!

Li Wanqing put down the phone, her hands nervously rubbing back and forth. This was over 8 million dollars. Even though their family was very wealthy, they couldn't accept the risk of losing such a large sum of money.

"Hmph, I told you not to let him go to Los Angeles. Now, he's completely out of control. When he was applying to universities, you insisted on supporting him to apply to USC. Now, he's on leave from USC and hasn't even attended. He just hangs around all day. Look at those tabloid reports; it's a disgrace to the Smith family!"

Austen angrily paced back and forth in the living room, muttering incessantly, his voice growing louder.

"Bang!"

"Enough! Are you done yet!" Li Wanqing, who had gradually calmed down from her initial panic, heard her husband's complaints and accusations, her eyebrows furrowed, and she slapped the coffee table, huffing.

Austen, like a duck with its neck pinched, his face turned red, and the words on the tip of his tongue were forcibly suppressed. A strand of his meticulously styled hair fluttered in front of his forehead, and he stood awkwardly in the living room, looking at his wife cautiously.

Seeing her husband's appearance, she couldn't help but laugh, giving him a disapproving glance, "Actually, there's nothing to worry about. I just thought about what our son analyzed, and it does make sense. You've seen Steve Jobs, even though he's a bit annoying, he's a genius. It makes sense for our son to be bullish on Apple's stock!"

"Hmph, what does he know?" Seeing his wife's tiger-like smile, his anxious heart calmed down. He rolled his eyes, sat next to his wife, and coldly snorted.

Li Wanqing raised her hand and playfully slapped her husband, then stood up from the sofa and walked to the dining room, saying, "You're so capable. Well, there's no point in talking about it now. He's grown up and has his own ideas, which is normal. Besides, what if his analysis is correct? Even if the stock falls, it can still be a long-term investment! Let's eat..."

In the evening, after a bath, Andy, wearing his pajamas, lay on the sofa in the movie theater, yawning, watching the 007 movie on the screen. He still felt that his current life was like a dream, so unreal, filled with confusion and passion.

He turned off the projector, took a glass from the wine cabinet, and poured a full glass of ice wine. He didn't care about wine culture; he just wanted the refreshing feeling to make him feel truly alive.

In the morning, in the music room.

The morning sunlight shone on the white grand piano, casting a warm glow. The beautiful melody of "Für Elise" filled the room, and Andy had fully integrated all the memories and skills of the two individuals. Playing the piano was now effortless.

After finishing the piece, Andy licked his slightly dry lips, closed the piano lid, and walked into the kitchen, picking up the prepared sandwich and eating it in large bites. After drinking a large glass of milk, he tidied up the table, stretched his limbs, and looked at the clean, bright, and luxurious house, a smile involuntarily forming on his lips. He loved his current affluent life.

I wonder if the fatso has found a nanny and a personal trainer! Walking into the gym, Andy looked at the various fitness equipment, feeling a bit at a loss. Without a professional trainer, using the equipment haphazardly with his current recovering body could easily lead to injury.

After running, he took a shower and lay lazily on the sofa, laughing to himself. This morning shower was a habit from the previous Andy. As a Chinese person, he had no habit of showering in the morning, which was one of the peculiar habits that Americans couldn't understand about Chinese people, like taking off shoes when entering a house, not drinking iced water, and only washing feet at night without taking a bath.

Now, as an American, Andy was gradually changing. He didn't want to be seen as a freak. He could have a personality, but not be too different, as that would make him an outsider.

Don't underestimate these habits. To integrate into a new environment, one must start by respecting the new culture and becoming part of the mainstream society. Being different is a foolish act that only leads to disgust and rejection.

Checking the time, the stock market was about to open. Andy brewed a cup of coffee and walked into the study to turn on the computer.

"50.6 dollars, still falling! Well, no matter, I'll buy at this price!"

Andy saw that Apple's stock price was still slightly falling, paused for a moment, and then started placing buy orders. He didn't understand technical analysis; he just knew it would rise.

Of course, Andy wasn't foolish enough to invest all 8 million at once. He would gradually buy the lowest-priced sell orders. The rapid tapping of the keyboard, his hands moving swiftly, didn't stop for a moment. The 8 million dollars went in without much impact, but it left him quite exhausted.

"Alright, just need to wait patiently and sell next year!" He looked at the stock account interface again, feeling a bit excited, then closed the webpage, feeling a sense of relief.

Now, he just needed to focus on writing novels, then publish them to earn money and buy more stocks. He lit a cigarette, took a sip of coffee, opened the novel document, and reviewed the content he had written last time. Closing his eyes for a moment, he continued to type.

In two more days, the first story, "Sleeping Beauty," would be completed. The second story would be "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "The Huntsman: Winter's War." After finishing these two stories, they should be ready for publication, compiled into the first volume of "Dark Fairy Tales." He just didn't know how the market would react, and it would depend on the publisher's promotional efforts.

Andy inwardly sneered. The publisher he had signed with was very unhappy that he hadn't produced any work for a long time. Their client representative had been sarcastic and mocking to his agent. Just wait, it was only a contract for one book. If the first volume sells well, he would settle accounts with them.

If he didn't care, they might think he was easy to bully. As a Chinese person, Andy, being a tech geek, naturally had no enemies. However, he and the American Andy shared a common trait: they both had a bit of a grudge. While they didn't seek revenge for every slight, they didn't mind giving a good kick to those who made them unhappy if they had the chance and the ability.

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