"Ahahaha!" Laughter echoed through the room, and all eyes turned to Mohan.
"Wh... Why are you guys staring at me? What did I do? I just laughed," Mohan said, confused. "Isn't it normal to laugh at jokes?"
"Ignore him," Sam commented calmly, standing up from his seat. Without waiting for more reactions, he took charge. "Uncle, Aunt, please take your seats."
"Alright," they both agreed and sat down.
Sam put down his fork and opened his right palm, and suddenly, four notebooks appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Everyone's eyes widened as they stood up abruptly, startled.
"Wha... What was that?" Mohan asked, disbelief in his voice.
"Please, sit down," Sam said with a calm smile, handing each of them a notebook. Without allowing more questions, he added, "Uncle, Aunt, Mohan, there are some important instructions written on the first page. Please read them carefully."
With a nod, they opened their notebooks and started reading.
As they scanned the pages, Sam sat quietly, highlighting key points in his own notebook, preparing for further discussion. The room was thick with anticipation.
"Sam?" Mohan's father finally broke the silence, his voice low and full of concern. "Is everything you wrote in here... really going to happen?"
Sam glanced at Mohan's family, his expression turned serious. "Uncle, I didn't want to show you all this, but yes. These things will happen in the future, and I want you all to be prepared for the mess that's coming."
Mohan's father gave a small wryly smile, grateful but still shaken. "Thanks for thinking about us, Sam." Mohan's mother nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sam. We appreciate it."
Shaking his head, Sam replied humbly, "Uncle, if you were in my place, you'd have done even better."
A brief chuckle filled the room, lifting the heavy atmosphere. Sam couldn't help but smile as the mood shifted from tense to lighter.
"Mohan," Mohan's father said, breaking the moment. "Put all the food in the kitchen and clean off the table."
Understanding the change in tone, Mohan nodded. "Sure," he replied, quickly getting to work.
Mohan's father stood up, his expression more serious now. "This isn't the right place to discuss something this important."
His wife nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sam, we need somewhere more private."
Sam agreed readily, standing as well. "You're right, Uncle. Let's move to my office."
...
In the office room, Sam and Mohan's parents sat down on the office chairs, a laptop placed in front of them.
"Uncle, Aunty, you can now search for any data and compare it with my notes," Sam suggested with a polite smile.
"Alright," Mohan's parents responded, nodding as they began a quick search on the laptop.
Sam opened his notebook, revealing the first page with three key points carefully written:
1. Game business: depreciate
2. Plot of Supernatural event: appreciate
3. Chances of new industry: emerge
Closing the laptop with a sigh, Mohan's father muttered, "If things really unfold as you described, the gaming industry is doomed. It will crash."
"Exactly. I never expected that such a promising company would face such a bleak future," Mohan's mother agreed, her tone heavy with concern.
Sam nodded gravely. "Yeah, it would be a complete disaster if we didn't know about this beforehand." Glancing at Mohan's parents, he added, "Now that we do, I'm going to sell the company."
"But is this really true?" Mohan's father asked, still in disbelief.
"Yeah, Sam, can the world really change so drastically in just a month?" Mohan's mother echoed her husband's doubt.
"Uncle, Aunty, do you really think I would joke about something like this?" Sam replied, and with a flick of his hand, the notebook disappeared from his palm. "Still think it's just a hallucination?"
Faced with the undeniable reality, Mohan's parents had no choice but to accept the bitter truth, even though they struggled to fully comprehend it.
Noticing the tension in their faces, the furrowed brows, Sam sympathized with their dilemma. "Uncle, Aunty, I understand this is hard to swallow. It might take a couple of days, but you'll gradually come to terms with it."
"W-What do you mean?" they both asked, eyes wide in shock.
Sam gave a reassuring smile. "It took me time to accept it too. But look at me now, standing here, confident."
Seeing his resolve, Mohan's father managed a grin. "Don't underestimate us old folks, Sam."
Sam chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it, Uncle."
Mohan's mother, still processing everything, let out a soft laugh, covering her face with her hand.
"Alright, Uncle, let's get down to business." Sam sat down, and the others followed. "You own 20% of the gaming company, and I'm ready to sell it. Do you have any better ideas?"
Mohan's father's expression grew serious as he considered the situation. "Why sell it outright? Why not leverage it for real estate?"
Sam's eyes lit up. "You mean… sell the company and invest in real estate?"
"Exactly," Mohan's father nodded.
But Sam's excitement quickly faded. "It's a good idea, Uncle, but it clashes with my current plan."
"Your plan?" Mohan's father raised an eyebrow, and Mohan's mother leaned in, intrigued.
"Yeah. You've seen the plot from that supernatural series—Appreciate?" Sam asked.
Mohan's father nodded. "You mean… you want to buy that land?"
"Yes," Sam confirmed. But Mohan's mother immediately objected.
"No, that's dangerous," she said, worry creeping into her voice.
"Sam, we have no idea what lies there. It's better to be safe than sorry," Mohan's father added.
Sam felt touched by their concern but remained firm. "Uncle, Aunty, I appreciate you worrying about me, but I think you're underestimating me."
Mohan's parents exchanged a glance, then relented, putting forth a condition. "Alright, we'll support you, but you must take Mohan with you, and you have to call us if anything—anything at all—goes wrong."
Sam rose from his seat, hugging both of them. "Thank you, Uncle, Aunty."
As he sat back down, a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, by the way, should I go ahead and sell the gaming company now?"