June 30, 1991.

  Things at the pany were proceeding at their usual pace, except for the scheduled release of Shaman King, the pany's fifth major series, which was beginning to take shape in the Luics theaters. There was Yu Yu Hakusho/Ghost Files, Sm Dunk, Evangelion, Samurai X, and Shaman King. This provided enough ics for years of sales because as sales increased, people reehese series to others, who in turn reehem, and so on.

  Although the sales of Evangelion ics were not very high, it had a group of devoted followers who purchased the volumes, but this only made the ic's sales acceptable. However, it was clear in the pany that it was an important series; only the whining of Raimon, who read Evangelion ics, could give you an idea of how good the story was.

  Terry Brooks was anizing and reviewing Billy's polished drawings, still inspired by the top-notch work the young man had delivered. His drawings were masterpieces that Terry collected aed for publication. He felt like Da Vinci's assistant, gently ing the specks of dirt that fell onto his master's great works.

  At the same time, Billy was hastily writing os of paper, adjusting the many pages of his uping series to submit.

  Meanwhile, Anne received good news from the pany. The Samurai Jack game had sold a total of 634,239 copies in the first month in the Uates. Sales calcutions in other tries varied depending on the region but selling 600,000 copies si was released a month ago was a resounding success. The profits were around five million dolrs, which was a satisfying total gain for . Each game cost 49.99, and this round pertage trao 5% for the sole, 17% for Billy Carson, who was the project leader, 40% for retailers, and the rest for the game's producers.

  This news could only reassure Anne. An additional ine was cause for celebration and could be used for iments, such as in Pixar and the animatiohat Billy wanted for the ing years. Iing in an animation team was not a simple task, but with Pixar's help and some periodic acquisitions, Anne didn't see it as impossible for Billy to make the movie he desired for 1993.

  -Billy, we have good news. So far, Samurai Jack game sales are a plete success. By the end of the year, it's expected that two million copies will have been sold in the Uates alone, - Anne said, ecstatic. Both Thomas and Anne highly valued Billy's artistic vision to the point where any work done by the young man was sidered a masterpiece.

  -Great, that only be good for us, - Billy said, pleased.

  -Of course, it is. I've already inquired about the sales figures for all our series. The advertising we did for was a total success. People are associating Samurai Jack with the pany. I've received several orders for the Samurai Jack series, but we don't have the exaformation, - Anne said, notig that Billy wasn't raising his head despite hearing her words.

  -What are you doing? - Anne asked.-- I'm writing a book. I have some ideas in my head. For now, I'll write the book without drawings. A thousand-page odyssey, - Billy said.

  -I'll hire a scribe to transcribe it month, - Anne replied, making a note of the obligations arising from the multiple projects the owner was uaki and right.

  -By the way, we've already reached out to the animator you specifically requested. He's just a newer in the industry, and I still don't uand why you want to hire him, - Anne said.

  Billy had called six animators, and among them was oh a six-year career in the industry without many notable achievements, essentially a novi every way.

  -Because he has worked with major TV works and is currently unemployed. Joe Murray will be an integral part of our animation team; he has ambitions we harness. We just o vince him to join our pany under a work trad create his animated series. He also help with the Hercules movie. We need a team of five animators, all with some experience or enough talent to support him. I'll take care of the rest, - Billy expined.

  -We've already sent out the call to CalArts, and Joe Murray will be here at the pany on July 3rd. Some young talents are w on animation shorts or indepely. With John Lasseter's tacts, everythi smoothly, - Anne added.

  Talent recruitment was actively underway for aerested in joining Lux ics. The goal was to create a 2D digital movie, but more importantly, to y the foundation for the many television series that would be part of their future animation el.

  The first step was to secure John Murray, who would be creating "The Modern Life of Rocko" and, if possible, participating in many other animation shorts. The recruitment was even more challenging. Although he had briefly met the man at Hanna-Barbera Studios, Genndy Tartakovsky was one of the sought-after talents. However, he had not yet respoo Lux ics' call.

  -When will they release the money? - Billy asked.

  -I still have no idea. These panies be quite demanding when it es to releasing funds. Warner keeps ign us. We send them a letter every month about the payment, as per the tract, they'll default on January 1, 1992. So, it all depends on the ing months. I've requested sales reports from Hasbro and Warner, and we've calcuted the likelihood of Warner's payout. Your father reviewed the tract, and there are some loopholes. Now we just have to see how hohey are with us. For now, the payout value is 19.4 million and ting. Everything earhis year will be paid out in 1993, - Anne expined.

  -Wow, that would be like a gift from heaven. With that, we wouldn't have to gamble even a bit more, - Billy said.

  -I've told you befambling isn't good, - Anne said.

  On Juh, the Red Bulls secured their fifth victainst the Los Angeles Lakers, and the 1991 tour ended just as Billy had arrahe bet of 250,000 against tors for the championship title and 100,000 against twelve bettors for Michael Jordan's MVP title was just a way to earra money. 2,950,000 was enough to provide the pany with funds to i in more stocks and to finish the third floor to make way for the animation studio.

  -Well, I've won enough moo i in the animation studio, buy some more stocks, and run the advertising campaign for ID Software, - Billy said, pleased with his achievements.

  With the new ating achievements of Raimon, it became easier and more beneficial for the pany to address the issue of taxes on donations. So, with a few sidered iments, the margin was signifitly reduced.

  -Well, now that you know the statistics, I'll leave you to your writing. Tomorrow is your st ating css, Raimon promised to help you with the new forms, - Anne said.

  -Of course, the st css, although I don't think it's necessary. After all, I'm going to business school now, - Billy replied.

  After all, he would be starting uy in a month.

  -It's the st one, and yoing, no excuses. Raimon was a tutor at the uy; his knowledge will be useful to you, - Anne said, leaving the office to attend to some errands.

  Billy simply nodded and got back to finishing the chapter about Bran Stark climbing the walls of Winterfell with his dire wolf Summer howling in the night. Then he is pushed out of a tower by Jaime Lano ceal the dark secret he shares with his sister, the queen.

  The office was adorned with posters and various images. The ic book library tained all the volumes the pany had released up to that point, along with a few volumes from other panies Billy had collected over time. Of course, it also held all the ics he had mao acquire about Captain Atom, a ic he had purchased from Charlton ics, which was currently in the works for a remake, reimagining the story.

  The chapter was about the iic character Tyrion Lannister and his hungover awakening in the barn after a party celebrating the arrival of the king. With a kick from his nephew, who held a particur grudge against him, as per the words of his mother and his petunt nature. Tyrion was one of the few who treated him harshly a boundaries.

  As soon as he fihe chapter and was about to start the one, Raimoered cheerfully, holding a oer bottle of Coca-Co.

  -Billy, it's time for your st ating css. Don't worry; my csses are fun, - Raimon said as he came in and picked up some ics, cheg if there were any he could borrow. After all, Billy wouldn't mind if he took one.

  "You 't take my ics," Billy said, aware of Raimon's habit of borrowing his ics, watg as Raimon checked each bookshelf, pausing at some in particur.

  -Me? Incapable? - Raimon feigned ignorance, sitting in the chair o Billy and pulling out a blue book with the Stanford Uy logo on it, titled "General Ating."

  -- e o's put your accusations aside for now. I'll give you your final ating css. I'll focus on teag you the general principles and their applications in the field. The most important thing is that you uand nine basic principles and three exceptional principles that are the erstone of ating. Of course, this css will be taught iail in your ating csses, but I was lucky enough to be a tutor. Let's start by noting the first principle, 'going ,'-Raimon said, jotting everything down on a sheet of paper. He had very fine puter-like handwriting with meticulous lettering.

  -Each principle is a form of business tration, and the forms are evaluated as the pany ahey are basid the following are about the amount realized, sistency, servatism, prudence, insistency, historical cost, stocks, and iory. -

  -Well, that sounds easy, - Billy said.

  -It is and it isn't. It's easy if you see all the principles behind ating. Once you uand the procedures, you grasp everythier. Moreover, after examining all the ating criteria, such as regutions, and if you mao uand the system, the rest is straightforward, - Raimon expined.

  -Is that how you handle my iments? - Billy asked.

  -Of course, we follow some principles. But it's irely the same, - Raimon replied.

  -How do you handle donations? - Billy inquired.

  -Well, we adjust our iments as much as we . In this world, you bet on anything, but it's only easy if you know how to i. Sometimes we adjust iments based on non-payment or payment, project growth for a pany—the sky's the limit. We're in the most powerful position; we own the market, - Raimon said.

  -How would you bet against the me system? - Billy asked.

  -Well, for now, I don't have many ideas, but one way would be to short-sell the assets. The idea is to buy me assets in such a way that if me prices drop, you make money from the fall. In other words, you sell assets you don't own, like a loan for something you don't have, hoping to buy them cheaper iure. If the value of the assets falls, you make a profit by buying them at a lower prid returning them to the lenders, - Raimon expined.

  -Wow, and could you bet against a try? - Billy asked.

  -Do you want to bet against a try? - Raimon asked, a bit more serious than usual.

  -Well, it's just an idea. How would you bet against a try? - Billy asked, being a bit more serious himself.

  -Put options, buying a futures tract that gives you the right but not the obligation to sell the shares. But if you have a specific price set iure from your call option, even if the market price drops. If the stocks fall signifitly, the value of the put options increases, resulting in more profits for you, - Raimon expined, scratg his head. - Or you short-sell it and leverage it with debt. If you lose, you lose double the money you used to buy, but if you win, you double your winnings without iing money, - Raimon tinued, pting the many things one could do with short selling.

  -Raimo's bet against the Soviet Union. I believe the Soviet Union won't make it past this year, 1991. What do you think about making a short sale for 1992? - Billy suggested.

  -What are you talking about? Betting against a try? I think I o sit down! - Raimon excimed, taking a sip of his Coca-Co.

  -What do you think, Raimon? What's the maximum short-selling timeframe we do? - Billy inquired.

  -Well, I think it's plicated because of the i rates; you have to pay them. I'd reend at least three weeks, extending the payment deadlio the month,- Raimon replied.

  -Okay, in December, we'll bet against the Soviet Union, with leverage. What do you think about betting two million dolrs? - Billy proposed.

  -You do it, but let's say the loss could be around 34 or even more. You're betting against a try; they'll ask for colteral, - Raimon warned.

  -How much money do we have in stocks? - Billy asked.

  -Do you want to bet on stocks? Well, we have 12 million dolrs spread across stocks. If we add another 10 million, I think they'd accept the short sale for the i payment, - Raimon expined.

  -We've got it. We'll bet against the Soviet Union. Two million dolrs leveraged, or four million, yes, four million. We'll bet all my shares, and well, beyond that, I think it would be too risky, - Billy decided.

  Raimon could only hyperventite, almost in a state of disbelief. Betting four million with leverage on a short sale of a future asset.

  -You're insane, - Raimon said.

  -It's a secret between you and me, - Billy replied.

  He saw Raimon swallowing hard. It's better not to break Billy's trust. He'll o do something. He needs gummy bears. Lots of gummy bears to calm his ay, Raimon thought.

  Billy's debts were only six million dolrs for now, but that was just for the moment.

  ...