Chapter 8: Shenanigans
As Angel returns home from work, her usual brisk stride carries a tired slump. She drops her bag at the door with a heavy sigh, her eyes meeting Jason's with a mix of exhaustion and relief. "Please tell me you have something stupid planned for tonight," she pleads, kicking off her shoes and collapsing onto the sofa.
Jason, who has been setting up the living room for their evening, turns with a grin. "Stupid and scary," he announces, waving a DVD case in the air. "Found this gem in the discount bin. It's supposed to be one of the worst horror movies of the century."
Angel's groan is half-hearted, her curiosity piqued despite her feigned dismay. "Perfect. I need to shout at something other than customers and managers," she quips, shifting to make room for Jason next to her.
The movie, an egregiously bad horror flick titled "Curse of the Swamp Creature," is notorious for its terrible effects, worse acting, and a plot so thin it could be mistaken for vapor. But that is exactly what they need—a film so devoid of merit it demands nothing from its viewers but derisive laughter and disbelief.
As they settle in, Jason pops some popcorn and grabs a couple of beers from the fridge, setting the stage for their movie night. The opening credits roll, filled with cheesy gothic fonts and a soundtrack that seems to be trying too hard to evoke suspense.
Angel snickers at a particularly dramatic line of dialogue, her laughter infectious. "Oh my god, did he really just say that? What does that even mean?" she cackles, throwing a popcorn kernel at the screen.
Jason joins in, his earlier tensions unwinding. "I think the scriptwriter was the swamp creature," he jokes, earning a playful shove from Angel.
As the movie stumbles from one ridiculous scene to another, their commentary becomes the real entertainment. They craft elaborate backstories for the nonsensical characters, speculate on the absurd twists, and make bets on who will be the next to fall prey to the swamp creature's curse.
Halfway through the film, as the protagonist wanders into a poorly disguised rubber swamp, Angel leans her head against Jason's shoulder. "Thanks for this," she murmurs, her voice softening. "It's nice... forgetting the world for a bit."
Jason wraps an arm around her, pulling her close. "Anytime," he replies, his gaze lingering on her face illuminated by the flickering light of the TV. In that moment, the weight of his secrets feels heavier, shadowed by the simplicity of their shared laughter.
The movie ends with a predictably underwhelming climax, drawing a final round of jeers and chuckles. As the credits roll, they sit in a comfortable silence, the room filled with a sense of cozy normalcy that both of them seldom feel in their daily lives.
"Same time next week?" Jason asks, half-joking but hopeful. Angel looks up, a genuine smile playing on her lips.
"Absolutely. Maybe something even worse, if that's possible. You're on popcorn duty again, though."
Soon enough, Angel dozed off to sleep in the recesses of the night, and Jason sat there staring at nothing. Slowly realizing, even if he doesn't want to, he loves Angel.
He genuinly cares for her, which is what pushed him to want to get away from her. He knows she's a distraction, and a weakness, a person he doesn't want to hurt.
So he instead vows one thing.
To protect her too, to never let her die, and to not die himself as to not hurt her.
===
Jason begins the very next day by reviewing the global financial news, searching for market trends and economic indicators that might influence his trading decisions. His focus is not only on stocks but also on commodities and currencies, recognizing the potential for high returns across these diverse markets.
He starts with a detailed analysis of the tech sector, which has been showing signs of volatility. Companies like Cirrus Logic and MicroVision are on his radar due to their innovative approaches to consumer technology, which could lead to significant stock price movements based on upcoming product announcements.
For commodities, Jason looks at gold and oil. Gold has been steadily increasing in value as investors look for safe havens amidst geopolitical uncertainties. Oil, however, presents a more complex picture due to fluctuating demands and shifting supply chains.
Jason decides to take a conservative approach with gold, planning to buy on any slight dips, and a more speculative stance on oil, using futures to capitalize on expected price swings.
In the currency market, Jason's attention is on the USD/EUR pair. Recent economic reports from Europe suggest a potential weakening of the Euro against the Dollar, prompting him to consider shorting EUR in forex trades.
Jason's trading setup is efficient, with each screen displaying real-time data feeds, analytical tools, and automated trading systems that he has coded himself. He places his trades carefully, balancing between risk and reward.
9:30 AM: The stock market opens, and Jason immediately executes buy orders for Cirrus Logic, anticipating an uptick from their latest gadget release.
10:15 AM: He observes a slight dip in gold prices and buys several futures contracts, betting on a rebound by the end of the week.
11:00 AM: Jason enters a position in oil futures, speculating that upcoming industry reports will show a decrease in reserves, driving prices up.
As the day progresses, Jason keeps a vigilant eye on market movements. He uses custom-built algorithms to alert him of significant changes, ensuring that he can react swiftly to secure profits or cut losses.
1:00 PM: The Euro starts to slide, and Jason's short positions begin to show profit. He decides to hold, expecting further movement.
2:30 PM: Cirrus Logic's stock spikes after a favorable review of their new product goes viral. Jason sells half his shares to lock in gains, keeping the rest riding on continued upward momentum.
3:45 PM: Oil prices start to climb faster than anticipated. Jason closes his positions, securing a better-than-expected profit on his speculative bet.
Eventually he ends the day with 4,200$ in profits, bringing his total profits since the day he found himself in this reality to 235,700$. Which is constantly growing.
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Hope you enjoyed. Do all that Webnovel stuff, y'know, power stones, library, comment and leave a review.
Completely forgot I was supposed to update again lmao.
Cya bitches.