Chapter 8: First Day Back
September 6, 2000
San Francisco
The first day after summer vacation was always chaotic.
Students flooded the hallways of Grove High School, lockers slammed loudly, and conversations filled every corner of the building. Some students were excited to see their friends again, while others were already complaining about homework.
For Anshul, it was just another normal morning.
He walked through the crowded hallway calmly, carrying only a small notebook and a few textbooks. Compared to many other students who looked half-asleep, he appeared completely relaxed.
Because his real focus wasn't school.
It was the market.
But even he knew he couldn't spend every moment staring at stock charts.
"Ryan!"
A familiar voice called from behind.
He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
Mia Thermopolis.
She ran down the hallway toward him, nearly dropping the stack of books she was holding.
"You're walking too fast," she complained.
"You're walking too slow," he replied.
"That's rude."
"That's accurate."
She adjusted the books in her arms and looked at him carefully.
"You didn't answer any of my messages yesterday."
"I was busy."
"With stocks again?"
"Yes."
"You are such a nerd."
"That's a strong opinion."
"It's a correct opinion."
---
Inside the classroom, students were already taking their seats.
Mia sat next to him like she always did.
She leaned slightly closer and whispered quietly.
"You still owe me a date."
"I do?"
"You promised during summer."
"I don't remember that."
"You absolutely did."
"That sounds like something you invented."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Don't test me."
He smiled faintly.
"Fine. Dinner this weekend."
"Good."
She looked extremely satisfied with that answer.
---
The teacher entered the classroom and began explaining the schedule for the semester.
While most students struggled to stay focused, Anshul quickly finished reviewing the syllabus and began writing something in his notebook.
Mia glanced at the page.
It wasn't class notes.
It was a list of company names.
Amazon
Apple
Intel
NVIDIA
She poked his arm.
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Thinking about money during class."
"That's an unfair accusation."
"You literally wrote 'Amazon' during math class."
"That's diversification."
She shook her head.
"You're hopeless."
---
After school ended, students began leaving the building in large groups.
Mia waited near the front gate for Anshul.
"You took forever."
"I had to talk to the debate club teacher."
"You're still joining?"
"Maybe."
"You always say maybe."
"That keeps my options open."
She sighed.
"You're impossible."
They began walking toward their neighborhood together.
The cool autumn air had replaced the warm summer breeze, and fallen leaves were scattered along the sidewalk.
For a few minutes they walked quietly.
Then Mia spoke again.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"You're definitely going to become rich someday."
"That's a bold prediction."
"No, it's obvious."
"Why?"
"Because nobody our age thinks like you do."
He glanced at her.
"And what do I think like?"
"Like someone who already knows the future."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Maybe I just pay attention."
---
Later that night, the familiar sound of the modem filled his room again.
The market page loaded slowly.
NASDAQ Composite
3,870.14
The crash earlier that year had shaken the technology sector, but strong companies were beginning to stabilize.
He opened his trading account.
Portfolio Status — September 6, 2000
Amazon (AMZN)
Shares: 3,000
Purchase Price: $32.40
Current Price: $35.10
Value: $105,300
Apple (AAPL)
Shares: 2,000
Purchase Price: $25.10
Current Price: $27.20
Value: $54,400
NVIDIA (NVDA)
Shares: 2,000
Purchase Price: $12.60
Current Price: $13.40
Value: $26,800
Remaining Cash
$164,500
Total Portfolio Value
$350,000+
The numbers were slowly climbing.
But Anshul knew something important.
This was only the beginning.
The next few years would completely transform the technology industry.
New companies would appear.
Entire industries would emerge.
And if his plan worked…
He intended to stand right in the middle of that transformation.