Chapter 675
Students at Aethelgard University generally managed well, even if they came from humble backgrounds.
A wide array of scholarships allowed the top performers to cover their living expenses without needing a part-time job.
Even those with average grades had the Aethelgard prestige on their side, guaranteeing them priority for tutoring gigs or other academic-related part-time work.
Still, undergraduates typically only made enough to survive and build a modest nest egg.
Which was why today’s spectacle was utterly mind-boggling!
Two freshmen had just thrown down fifty thousand dollars each without batting an eye.
Quentin Reed looked back and forth between Harvey Rivers and Mira Mercer. “Are you two absolutely sure about contributing fifty grand?
Once this money is out there, it’s gone for good. You won’t see a dime of it back p>
Fifty thousand dollars was equivalent to half a year’s salary for a typical white-collar
worker, easily covering four years of college living expenses.
Mira nodded at Quentin. “I gave you my word, and I intend to keep it p>
Harvey nodded in agreement and walked over to Mira.
He lowered his voice. “A lot of the upperclassmen are eyeing you with obvious interest. If I act as your shield, it’ll save you a ton of hassle p>
His brilliant idea of a “shield” was tricking everyone into thinking he and Mira were a couple.
Mira rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting just in time to catch Leah Monroe sneaking glances at Harvey. “Gee, thanks. Or maybe you’re just using me as a shield for yourself p>
Harvey was practically Aethelgard royalty—gorgeous, loaded, and trailed by a legion of admiring female students.
“Just a happy coincidence.
I have a proposition. Why don’t we just pretend to date p>
“Absolutely not p>
She wasn’t out of her mind. If Owen found out, he would definitely get the wrong idea.
“Speaking of your admirers, why not just pick one of the good ones and actually date her p>
“No rush. I’ll worry about that later.
What, are you worried I’ll die alone p>
He flashed a lopsided grin, locking eyes with Mira.
“Suit yourself p>
Just then, Quentin’s booming voice echoed across the room. “Alright! A massive thank you to our brilliant freshmen! Our Melvion City tycoons are unstoppable!” People from Melvion City were famously astute, having built their fortunes early on. Melvion City was renowned throughout Mavaria for its immense wealth, boasting just as many billionaires as Aethelgard.
While its total GDP couldn’t quite eclipse Aethelgard-the world-class epicenter of politics, economics, and culture-it was a phenomenally close second.
At that moment, Quentin was incredibly thankful he had convinced Mira and her friends to stay. They
had already injected a massive dose of adrenaline into the society.
Excitement buzzed through the room.
People were already whispering about who would snag the Live-Trading Challenge prize and how much they could win.
Others debated the heavy hitters in the room, analyzing their specific trading styles and strengths.
Wesley Langdon clearly looked overwhelmed.
As a second-year grad student, he was already swamped with his own research projects and an intense internship.
But someone had explicitly asked him to oversee today’s event, so he had no choice but to show up.
“Here’s an idea. Let’s just merge the two competitions into one, regardless of whether you use the designated models or not.
Basically, use them if you want to, skip them if you don’t. We’ll let the final profits do the talking.
The prize pool is currently at one
hundred and twenty thousand dollars. It be split among the top five performers: thirty-five thousand, thirty thousand, twenty thousand, ten thousand, and five thousand, respectively. sŵnovels
If anyone places while using the designated models, they’ll pocket an exclusive twenty-thousand-dollar bonus.
If multiple people place using the models, that twenty thousand will be split evenly among them on top of their base winnings p>
Mira and Harvey voiced their approval. “We agree with Wesley’s proposal p>
As the primary backer, Mira laid
down one condition. “This is an
internal society event, so there’s no
need to make it public. And you
absolutely must keep the source of the prize money anonymous p>
Wesley nodded. “Since we’re all on the same page, we’ll follow these rules.
There’s no limit on starting capital, and it doesn’t matter whose account you use, but
your portfolio must be completely empty starting out.
Every participant is required to post their daily trading logs in the group chat.