New Year’s Eve.

January 3, 1991.

After the substantial sales in December, Billy could finally breathe a sigh of relief. While the comic book season sold slightly less than projected, the money was enough to provide some relief. The process of securing a $6 million loan had been initiated, aligning with the company's interest. The $7 million debt could be settled in conjunction with all potential business ventures for the year.

With a bit more financial leeway, if these ventures succeeded, Lux Comics could reap the benefits and the much-needed freedom. Of course, there was a contingency plan in place, recognizing that investments don't always go as smoothly as hoped. Enter the bets.

Among them were the famous commercial bets with Las Vegas casinos for the 1991 championship in favor of the "Red Bulls," with a stake of $250,000 against 9 major bettors, and the bet on Michael Jordan as the tournament's best player, wagering $100,000 against 12 high rollers. These bets were sufficient to provide extra financial gains that could offset expenses in case the investments didn't pan out as perfectly as expected.

The casino involves bets among individuals with large sums of money, and all of them can participate until the bet is closed. Thomas initially gave a three-hour timeframe, which turned out to be a mistake. Within three hours, the odds had increased to 9 to 1 and 12 to 1 respectively. Now, he hopes that his son won't make the same mistake.

Raimon was reviewing statements from various companies for stock purchases. Billy, or Lux Animation, had invested a total of one million dollars in shares, representing the earnings accrued over these three months that could be allocated for investment. He was to make a direct purchase of a certain number of shares, prioritizing the more affordable options among all the available stocks.

-We'll see you in the afternoon, Raimon. Billy will arrive after school, and you can deliver a direct report, - Anne said, handing him the purchase authorizations.

-Very well, I'll do everything I can, - Raimon said, feeling somewhat dejected. The stock purchase process was quite bothersome, involving reviewing numbers repeatedly.

After about six hours of work...

Among the noteworthy purchases, he acquired shares in Home Depot, spending a total of $200,000. He invested $200,000 in Microsoft and bought $400,000 worth of General Electric shares at $14.94 each. Investments in electricity have proven to be a sound choice.

These companies have room for growth and are franchises that are still testing the waters. According to agreements with General Electric and France, there's potential for electricity systems to be upgraded. His subsequent purchases were in Cisco Systems and Oracle. These stocks were priced in cents, requiring only a few dollars to accumulate a good number of them. However, spending a million dollars in a day is a luxury only the wealthy can afford. Even the $70,000 he spent on both companies is a year's salary.

The direct purchase has been completed; now it's a matter of waiting for the necessary procedures. The open-market investment group allows for autonomous portfolio management without the need to respond directly to the companies. For an annual fee of $14.00, the advantages include lower commission costs to third parties. The intermediation chain involves the investment company directly, without agents in between. This service is commonly used by major buyers.

Raimon entered the Lux Animation factory as the evening approached.

-I've done everything you asked for. Here are the receipts for the stock purchases and the permissions you handed me this morning. Billy, you'll be pleased – I bought everything you requested. I hope they give me a raise. They're selling new Marvel stock figures – the limited-edition Thanos power gauntlet from the Avengers fight. I spent last month's salary on it, - Raimon said.

-What? -exclaimed Billy.

-That I spent last month's salary, - Raimon clarified.

-You mentioned something about the new Marvel releases and the Thanos gauntlet, - Billy said.

-Yeah, the new Avengers crossover. You won't believe it – supposedly, there are power stones scattered throughout the universe, and these stones could alter the fundamental aspects of the universe, - Raimon explained.

-That's not it. These are the special editions they're selling, - Billy clarified.

-Ah, I see. It's a new series with incredible production – they're offering new special items with seven intriguing designs. They come with different movement features, and there's a special gauntlet for personal use with the infinity gems, - Raimon explained.

-Since when did these special editions start? - Billy inquired.

-Well, they began releasing collector's editions in July, - Raimon said.

Raimon playfully imitated the cover photo of Thanos raising the gauntlet, resembling the purple Martian.

-It has begun, Anne. The sales of various Marvel franchises have started, - Billy announced.

-What are you talking about? - Raimon asked, puzzled by the tacit agreement between Billy and Anne.

-Our dear Billy here has the idea that Marvel is creating a comic bubble that will start rising until late 1992 and into mid-1993, - Anne explained.

-A bubble... I don't see anything unusual in the comic market, - Raimon said, giving Billy a strange look.

-Well, I share the same opinion, - Anne said, wearing a know-it-all expression. Despite surprising Billy, there's no doubt that she found no flaws in the research about a possible comic crisis. She even dug a little deeper, but no one gave her a definite confirmation about the so-called bubble.

-What's your basis? There are usually rules to detect bubbles, though the problem often lies in the invisibility of these factors, - Raimon said. -Of course, we don't have official Marvel data, but it's possible to start investigating whether such a bubble might burst. Even if there's a bubble, Marvel's leadership won't want to expose a crisis. They'll keep it hidden as long as they can, making it sustainable to prevent a meltdown. -

-So, it's impossible to know if there's a crisis from a theoretical standpoint, - Billy noted.

-Exactly, at least years in advance. Maybe with some thorough study, you could catch wind of the problem a few months before it becomes evident. Are there any indicators in your explanation of the bubble? - Raimon asked.

Billy got up from his seat, somewhat puzzled. The theoretical explanations of economics make sense, but he can't claim to know the future.

-Intuition. The alerts become a bit clearer. I noticed it when our sales began to double since November of the previous year, - Billy said.

-That doesn't sound very reasonable, - Raimon responded.

-Raimon, what if Marvel's boss doesn't care if a real estate bubble bursts? What if this person wants to wait long enough for the bubble to burst? - Billy questioned.

-Then it would be detrimental for everyone," Raimon replied. "In that case, the company would go bankrupt, and it would affect the entire market unless there's something distinctive about it, - Raimon continued.

-Something distinctive? - Billy inquired.

-We're talking about comics; people buy them for the pleasure of reading, for entertainment. We would be affected by consequences like a national crisis, but in the world of comics, our product can still hold its ground, - Raimon explained.

-So even if the crisis lasts three years, it wouldn't impact us as much as a company, - Billy concluded.

-It doesn't matter. Nobody knows how the market interacts. But you did see some signs from last year that indicated the creation of this bubble, - Raimon said.

-You mean, from November two years ago, - Anne chimed in.

-Yes, exactly! Two years ago, the economic increase started rapidly. And since we're a new, unconsolidated player in the market, it's strange for the statistics to rise so quickly. I've also gathered some significant details from newspapers, and some of my thoughts are connected to it, - Billy added.

-Well, it sounds like paranoia to me. But go ahead, success is often what people lack the courage to see with common sense, - Raimon said, wrapping up the conversation as he was eager to make the most of his time. - If that's all, I need to head out. -

-Wait a moment, - Anne said.

-Miss Anne, do you need something else? - Raimon asked.

-Well, I saw your proposal on how to expand our franchises. I want you to give Billy a summary of your growth perspectives, - Anne explained.

-Ah, sure, that's simple, - Raimon replied, thinking they might be assigning him more work. - What we need to do with Toys and Comics is diversify our services. We could implement a small candy store that attracts kids, as well as advertise in children's entertainment centers. We could distribute our products in parks, cinemas, video stores, and schools while respecting the organizations involved. We've already introduced some candies, but the idea is to establish a proper candy store within the toy and comics shop. -

>>As for T-Box Burgers, the burger chain needs to capture market share from competitors. The burger market is more complex. There are places with good market flows that lack good burger joints, like the food court in San Francisco. However entering these markets is costly in the initial months. The product must build a customer base. I've tried the burgers, and they're delicious—much better than many franchises in San Francisco's food court. So, it takes time and space for people to get to know T-Box Burgers.

>>Therefore, strengthening the delivery services of both restaurants is a good idea that doesn't require too much money. It's something that can be initiated right now. With the financials from T-Box, we're in the green to improve the delivery system. Lastly, the burger cart, which is my last option, is still in the refining stages. In terms of location, I'm looking for a better food truck company. Los Angeles and San Francisco aren't as updated as New York, Chicago, and Houston, - Raimon explained.

-That's a good explanation. I accept it, - Billy said.

-Start the inquiries and arrangements for candy distributors tomorrow. I want the best candies in the store. And we'll talk to Jack Common about improving the delivery system, - Anne directed.

-Wait, Anne. Inquiries! There's Lucas and Mr. Cloud, - Raimon exclaimed.

Anne looked up with a serious and cold gaze.

-Well, talk to both. I want the best-selling candies in California to be available at the toy store next week. Get to work, Raimon, - Anne said.

Raimon hurriedly left the room, gesturing words as he ran back to his workspace.

-I see why he's afraid of you, - Billy commented.

-Hahaha, you know, - Anne replied, a wide smile on her face.

-As for you, you need to keep working on your comics. The Iron Giant, Doom, and Power Rangers series had decent sales, but they didn't reach the target of your main series. Neon Genesis Evangelion had low sales among the public; it hasn't covered the market's sales yet, - Anne informed.

-I understand. Keep them for now. I believe sales will pick up eventually, - Billy said.

-State-

Billy Carson:

[Drawing: 28.72

Literature: 26.12

Performance: 24.98

Points: 123]

[Art Supplies Store

Purchased:

Samurai Jack 15 points

Hellboy 22 points. 1993

Slam Dunk. 30 points 1990

Yu Yu Hakusho. 40 points. 1992

Dexter's Laboratory. 21 points 1994.

Rugrats: Adventures in Diapers 25 points.

Pinky and the Brain 15 points 1992.

Animatics 1992. 15 points

Johnny Bravo 15 points 1994

Rurouni Kenshin 25 points 1994.

Evangelion 20 points 1994.

Doom 15 points. 1993.

The Lion King has 30 points. 1991

Hercules. 15 points 1997

Shaman King. 20 points 1997.

The Iron Giant. 15 points.

Power Rangers. 20 points 1993.

Trigun 15 points 1995.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 15 points 1996.]

There have been a good number of points accumulated from the various comics and the Terminator movie. The wish fulfillment has improved significantly. All these points are being used to buy series; the regular point costs are quite high, and only the points from

[8. Turn a comic into a TV show. 180 points. To discover your next repressed wish, you must fulfill the first one.

9. Have your comics known throughout the United States. To discover your next repressed wish, you must fulfill the first one.

...]

His next wish includes something he never considered as a repressed desire: donating money, becoming a subject of donation, and creating a foundation might not be a bad idea for his future comic industry.

[12. Donate $1,000,000 to a charitable organization. 210 points.

To discover your next repressed wish, you must fulfill this one.]

...

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