Chapter 4

Ren hung up the video call with ComiXStream's CEO, a satisfied smirk playing across his lips. He had totally outmaneuvered those big-shot publishers, forcing them to agree to his terms. That sweet $10,000 payment was sent to his account, plus he'd be getting 50% of the profits from Thunderstrike's crazy success.

*Ding!*

Ren's eyes lit up as they saw the notification, and they couldn't contain their joy. "Finally... I've made my first $10,000!" Ren exclaimed, unable to believe. He had never had the opportunity to make $1,000 in his previous timeline, let alone $10,000, so this was an incredibly joyful moment for them.

But his moment of triumph was interrupted by a loud banging at the front door. Ren's brow furrowed as he heard his dad's slurred voice from the living room.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

The sound of the door being unlatched, and then a booming voice that Ren recognized as their grumpy landlord, Mr. Zimmer. "Where's my money, Riley? The rent was due three days ago, and I'm done with the excuses!"

Ren's blood ran cold at the landlord's angry tone. He quietly cracked open his bedroom door to listen.

"I’m sorry, I don't have it yet, but I promise you I will get it," his dad said in a wheedling voice. "It's just been a rough time, you know how it is. But I swear I'll get it , just give me a little more time!"

"Don't give me that crap!" Zimmer snapped. "I want $2,500 for this month's rent plus last month's late fees, and I want it by tomorrow morning or I'm slapping you with an eviction notice!"

Ren heard a loud thump, like the landlord had punched the wall.

“I have to do this soon"  He grimaced, remembering how this had all played out before - the constant struggle to pay rent, the threat of eviction, the whole family sinking deeper into poverty.

But not this time. With the money from his Thunderstrike deal, Ren had the power to fix this. That $10,000 upfront payment would cover the rent for months, with plenty left over. All he had to do was wait for the deposit to clear, then swoop in and save the day.

Nodding with determination, Ren crept back to his desk and started drafting an email to calmly explain the incoming payment. Just a few more hours of keeping cool, and he could use his success to get his family on solid ground.

Ren's fingers hesitated over the "send" icon as doubts crept into the fringes of his mind. The $10,000 royalty would cover this rent crisis, sure. But it was a mere drop in the bucket compared to his skyrocketing ambitions of repaying all of his parents' accumulated debts in one fell swoop.

"I need to do more than just put out this one fire," Ren said to himself, furrowing his brow. "I need to set my family up for real, lasting financial security."

An idea began forming, one his Forged get-rich-quick schemes and stock speculation ploys Ren fruitlessly chased in his previous life.

What if this time around, with his reincarnated intellect and insight into future financial trajectories, he could successfully corner the stock market?

"That $10,000 is my ticket to true wealth," Ren muttered.

"I can turn it into a fortune, enough to pay off every last one of Mom and Dad's debts."

Abandoning the half-finished email, Ren rapidly navigated to an online stock trading platform and began the account setup process.

"This is my chance," he said, fingers flying across the keyboard

Within minutes, Ren's account was activated and cleared for trading. He log jammed in funds from the $10,000 payment.

"Time to put my plan into action," Ren said, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "This time, I'm going to get it right."

Ren's fingers danced across the keyboard as he executed a flurry of trades, his mind racing with the wealth of knowledge from his previous life.

"Okay, first up - A****n," he muttered, rapidly buying up 25,000 shares. "I know their stock is going to split big-time in a few years, I can't miss that boat again."

Next, he turned his attention to Ford's electric vehicle push. "125 call options ought to do it. By 2025, this is going to send the stock through the roof."

Ren's lips curled into a determined grin as he continued placing trades, drawing on his recollections of future market trends and corporate fortunes. Short positions on fossil fuel companies, aggressive bets on up-and-coming tech darlings - each move fueled by his intimate understanding of the decades to come.

"This is it," he breathed, watching the numbers in his trading account skyrocketed.

Hour after hour, Ren remained glued to the screen, his focus even as the sky outside his window gradually lightened. Sweat beaded on his brow, but he refused to let up, driven by the singular goal of amassing wealth beyond his wildest dreams.

When his initial $10,000 had swelled to over $50,000, Ren felt a surge of exhilaration.

"This is just the beginning," he murmured, doubling down on his positions.

He activated higher-risk, higher-reward strategies, leveraging his trades with margin accounts and options contracts. The numbers in his trading account spun like a slot machine, each refresh revealing an ever-growing balance.

Finally, as the first golden rays of dawn crept over the horizon, Ren sat back in his chair, staring at the figure displayed on his screen: $142,389.62.

"Unbelievable," he whispered, a disbelieving laugh escaping his lips. "I did it. I actually did it."

Ren knew that any moment now, his parents would wake up to face another day of struggle and despair. And Zimmer, the building's landlord, would soon be pounding on their door with eviction notices in his hand.

But not this time. Not ever again.