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21.1% Gargoyle Supremacy / Chapter 22: My Parents’ Financial Management Skill Is Terrible

Kapitel 22: My Parents’ Financial Management Skill Is Terrible

Chapter 22 - My Parents' Financial Management Skill Is Terrible

A week flew by quickly. Carn was stuck alone in a small studio room while his parents stayed in a separate residence. For the entire week, his only activity was watching TV.

At 5 AM on the eighth day, Carn was jolted awake by loud noises outside. He peeked through his window and saw military personnel going through their morning workout routines. 

Having become accustomed to the rigid schedule of life within the military installation, Carn found himself unable to sleep past 5 AM. Moving instinctively, he grabbed the TV remote and switched to a news channel, then glanced at the digital clock next to his bed.

It was December 10th, 2019.

Carn sat on his bed, deep in thought, trying to recall memories from his life as a human before his gargoyle transmigration. 

On the surface, the world seemed calm, but he knew COVID-19 had already begun to spread in Wuhan, China. At that point, news outlets hadn't reported anything related to the outbreak or the virus as it wasn't yet seen as relevant to the U.S.

Carn wondered if COVID might exist in this world. If so, he figured it might be wise to start stocking up on supplies like masks, alcohol, oxygen tanks, and other essentials. 

He also considered the spike in hate crimes, which targeted Asian communities in the months that followed, realizing he should prepare for similar tensions.

His mind began to wander with ideas. He imagined investing in medical companies that would soon be producing COVID-19 vaccines. 

However, unfamiliar with the financial world, he wasn't sure where to start. Not wanting to lose the inspiration, Carn grabbed a chair, sat down with a pen and paper, and began jotting down his thoughts.

A few minutes later, he finished organizing his short-term life plan for the coming months and quietly reviewed the points in his mind.

December Goals

- Borrow cash from parents or get paid?

- Adapt to the new school and stay low-profile.

- Stock some sanitary, food, water, and medical masks.

- Verify on the Internet about COVID

January Goals

- If a COVID event happens, stock more items. Otherwise, consume or use the stocked items. 

- Get a smartphone with the ECD salary?

- Accumulate Aether (Not priority)

February Goals

- Investment in pharma companies? Need consultants in finance. 

- In case of COVID, stock some oxygen tanks for his parents, just in case?

As Carn became absorbed in planning for future events, he momentarily forgot about Aether. 

Noticing he hadn't prioritized Aether or rift exploration, he crumpled up his paper and tossed it in the bin. Scratching the back of his head, he leaned back and turned his gaze to the TV, trying to get some inspiration.

The news droned on with the usual weather reports, crime stories, Hollywood gossip, and conspiracy theories, which bored him.

Carn picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, hoping to find a good movie or drama. His finger slipped, pressing the wrong button, and the TV menu popped up. 

Since it was a smart TV with access to internet apps and in-house Wi-Fi, Carn saw an opportunity to check something different.

Changing his mind, he opened a media app and scrolled through UTube, looking for uncensored news and unbiased political channels. His search stopped on a video thumbnail showing a supernatural scene.

A dimensional crack appeared in Wuhan, China. A narrator's voice played over the looping footage.

[Today, authorities have placed Wuhan Market under strict quarantine following the emergence of a mysterious dimensional crack spreading across the area. Witnesses report sightings of a strange green gas seeping from the fissures overnight, and a local market stall owner was admitted to a nearby hospital just yesterday. Despite growing concerns, government officials have yet to issue an official statement on the situation.]

Carn raised an eyebrow, surprised by the altered version of the Wuhan virus.

"A dimension crack instead of a virus?"

He explored further, searching for the keywords 'Wuhan Rift' and 'Wuhan Dimensional Crack'. Over a thousand results emerged, showing videos taken by citizens' phones. 

It was worse than the silent virus. The green gas, which came out at night, looked similar to a certain gas that Carn knew. They were not Aether haze or pure Aether in the air but the miasma of rotten beings—Undead beings.

Carn tossed the remote and lay on the bed, tilting his head in amusement. 

'Not epidemic but a zombie apocalypse? Well, that's new. Didn't the heroes purge the lich king and his minions? Are they coming from somewhere else?'

He paused to think. A minute later, Carn jumped up from his bed and rushed to the desk. He picked a new paper and started jotting down his idea.

'If it's the undead miasma, everything changes. I need to collect more Aether ASAP! I also need Holy Power to deal with liches and those… abominations.'

Carn redrafted his future goals from scratch, getting ready for the upcoming zombie apocalypse or the invasion of undead legions.

As he considered the implications, Carn's thoughts drifted to Rosa. He wondered if he could revisit her and bring her out before things took a darker turn.

December 11th, 2020, Noon

A knock alerted Carn from his trance. He closed the TV and rushed to the door. Peeking through the peephole, Carn found his parents and Eric waiting outside with their luggage. 

Han yelled, "Carn, pack your luggage. We're moving to our new house!"

Carn opened the door and asked them, "We're moving today?"

"Yeah, get your stuff ready in 10 minutes."

Carn nodded and closed the door. In a hurry, he shoved all his belongings into his suitcase and packed leftover sodas in the fridge into a plastic bag. Then, he rushed out to meet Han at the parking lot. 

Arriving at the parking lot, Carn found his family loading their belongings in a luxurious black van with a three-point star logo. As it was a spacious transport, his mother's three giant suitcases fit in easily. 

Carn walked around the vehicle and dropped the suitcase for his father. He whistled. 

"A Mercedes? How much is this? Is this a rental car or your friend's car?"

Han raised an eyebrow, "I thought kids your age are more interested in sports cars."

Carn paused to think. In his previous world, he sometimes dreamed about a truck, an SUV, or a spacious transport to carry supplies and his subordinates in a skirmish. The desire for social status was no longer in his mind. 

"Well, it seems useful," Carn muttered while he peeked at the back, checking the interior. 

Han smirked, "It's our family car now."

As soon as Carn heard that, he flinched, "You bought it using my signing bonus, I assume."

Both Han and Wong widely grinned without saying anything. Carn tilted his head and rolled his eyes in response. He also declared, "As you got this with my money, I get to drive this around whenever I want, alright?"

"You don't have to worry about that. We bought not one, but TWO! We got these cheap! Usually, these cost $42,000, but thanks to a military discount, we snagged them for $35,000 each!"

"#@$%!!"

Carn's eyes widened as he tried to hold back a curse. He couldn't believe his dad had dropped $70,000 on two luxury vans, especially when one would have sufficed.

"I thought the pay was next month?" Carn glared at Han, wondering how he got the money so fast.

Again, Han read Carn's expression and chuckled, "Of course, credit cards exist for a reason, kid."

Carn sighed, resigning himself to his family's materialistic tendencies. He took a mental note not to involve them in any of his future financial planning.


next chapter

Kapitel 23: My Warm Family Does Not Need Shortcuts

Chapter 23 - My Warm Family Does Not Need Shortcuts

The family packed everything and hit the road. They arrived at their new house after an hour of journey. The neighborhood was a mixed zone, consisting of small PAX stores, restaurants, and regular houses. The size of buildings varied, but most were taller than two stories to save space. 

The new home was a three-story concrete building, different from the orthodox one-story houses in suburban areas or residential zones outside of military installments. 

When they arrived, they found a car hauler truck waiting for them. The driver and a man in a car bran uniform approached them, handing a sealed package of documents to Han. 

Han widely grinned and accepted the parcel. He knew that they were his car insurance and registration documents. 

Carn got out of the van and looked behind the hauler truck. An identical luxurious van, wrapping in red bows, was being lowered to the street. He assumed that it was the second car that Han had bought. 

Wong got out of the van and saw the second vehicle as well. She smirked and explained, "That one is mine. This thing is your father's."

"I can tell." Carn sighed deeply. 

Wong noticed how disappointed Carn was. She leaned over and whispered in an American accent, revealing a secret, "The second one's under my name. I'll transfer it to your name when you graduate, alright? And don't worry, I'll make sure your father doesn't touch your signing bonus. He will cover the credit card payments himself. As for your money, I'll set up a trust fund and give it back to you when you're 18."

Carn looked back at his mother, who winked and slapped his back with a loud thud. Then, she resumed her stoic demeanor, pretending that the conversation never happened. 

Understanding what his mother had planned for him, Carn inwardly chuckled. He was proud of having such a loving and understanding mother.

But, his mother's next words made him feel the pressure of having traditional Asian parents. 

"I expect a 4.0 GPA until graduation. If I see anything less than A or AVERAGE, your money goes straight to my pocket, lah!"

"…"

.

.

Meanwhile, Jack and his father, Darius, had been escorted to a military base where Han had previously taken Carn for a basic scan. However, since Darius wasn't a government agent, the staff led them to an interrogation room first.

A lieutenant in a black uniform sat across the table, scowling as he flipped through Jack's blood test result papers. With a sigh, he tossed the file on the table and stared at Darius, who was standing behind his son. 

The officer shook his head in disapproval.

"You're disqualified. We can't issue an early explorer license for your kid, even with you as a guarantor. Pack up, and we'll arrange transport back. Come back when your son is 18 and shows some REAL capabilities."

Darius was enraged, "What?! Disqualified? My son's mana concentration is over 1%! That alone proves his talent! Do you think there's anyone his age with that much mana?!"

The lieutenant didn't flinch. His icy eyes glared into Darius' eyes, "Stimulants and artificially spiked mana cells don't count as natural talent, sir. Don't insult our intelligence."

Darius kept snarling. "You have no idea who you're talking to! I'll be reporting this to your superior, and I'll see to it until you're dishonorably discharged, you hear me?"

The lieutenant was unimpressed. He chuckled, mocking Darius with his amused expression. 

This wasn't his first time dealing with entitled parents trying to artificially boost their kids' mana levels. This situation was the same as an athlete using an illegal substance in a competition. Thus, he showed no concern. 

"Yeah, good luck with that," he sneered, jabbing a finger at Darius's chest. "If you think you're clever for dropping a million on a commercial mana potion and feeding it to your kid, let me break it to you. WE. KNOW. We are the ones distributing those potions. Of course, we know the effects. When a civilian takes it, the mana concentration will increase by a percent or two temporarily. They're meant as emergency supplements for real explorers in the field. Money doesn't make you an explorer. Talent does. Your son's test results are invalid."

The lieutenant slammed his fist on the table, locking eyes with Jack, who had turned pale. With a final glare, he collected the file, turned away, stormed out, and slammed the door behind him in frustration. 

Seething with rage, Darius clenched his jaw and pulled out his EYE-Phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he pressed the name of his company's CEO—Speedwagon.

*DRRRR*

*CLICK*

The person answered the call instantly.

"What is it?" The person "Speedwagon" seemed annoyed. 

Darius grumbled into the phone and purposely enabled the speaker option, allowing the voice to be audible for others, "Boss, I'm at Georgia Base. The ECD rejected my son. I thought you had my back on this!"

Speedwagon shouted, "Who told you to apply directly to the ECD? I said to take him through the military or Marine Corps. Do you want your kid under the Stone Judge's thumb or those Nazi-wannabe black uniforms? He'd be a statue before he ever gets his license!"

Realizing his mistake, Darius swallowed and softened his voice. "Th-Then… what should I do, boss?"

"Reapply him to the Army or Marines. Let him stay there for five years, and don't renew the contract. Once the contract is over, they'll keep him tethered for five more. If he behaves properly, he'll get his license and be free to join a private explorer company."

Speedwagon referred to a five-year training course for specialists, consisting of 18 months of physical training, 18 months of mana applications, and two years of practical field training. 

As for the tether, it was a GPS ankle bracelet worn by non-contracted specialists and prisoners on parole. These equipment monitored the targets, enforcing and ensuring good behavior after discharge. 

Those with a mana concentration over 2%, however, faced a different fate as they would be assigned as Class-D or Class-E personnel in ECD facilities because their existences were considered too risky for society.

Jack overheard the exchange, his face turning pale. "T-Ten years in total? I don't want to join the Army! What about being an explorer? I thought I could get the license in a month or two!"

Hearing Jack's whining, Speedwagon screamed through the phone, "There is no shortcut, you spoiled brat! Get your sorry ass in line and go through the training like your father and I did!"

Furious, Speedwagon ended the call, leaving Darius and Jack stunned. 

Jack immediately turned to his father and repeatedly shook his head, complaining, "I'm not wasting ten years doing this. I want my Explorer license! I want my freedom!"

Darius sighed and attempted to console Jack, "This is complicated, Jack. If your mana's under 2%, we'll never get their attention or their help. But if it's over 2%, sure, you will get special treatment, but you would be stuck working for the government for life. Spending ten years flying under the radar may be our only way."

Jack's face reddened with frustration. Disappointed in his father, he stormed out of the room. 

Darius sighed deeply, glancing at the CCTV cameras. The red lights glared back at him like red pointers from sniper rifles, threatening him that everything he had done was being recorded and watched. 

Knowing that lingering here would only add to his troubles, he followed his son out of the facility.


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