August 31st marked Gerald Rich's stay at home. At the end of breakfast, he said to his son:
- Richie, we need to talk.
The man's tone boded ill. Richie braced himself for trouble. All the boy's good humor vanished in an instant. Sadly, he set his fork aside and went into the living room, where he settled into his traditional armchair by the fireplace. Gerald sat across from his son.
The man didn't beat around the bush and said:
- Son, I'm glad about your success in business, but remember what we talked about at the beginning of summer.
- Dad, I remember everything perfectly.
"Since you remember, we had an agreement that you would combine work with studies. And what do I see? Richie, you've thrown yourself headlong into business, never attended any school classes, and abandoned fencing."
"Dad, it's summer!" Richie was genuinely confused. "All the kids are on vacation at this time."
"Okay," Gerald said, his expression collected and serious. "You may have had a vacation, but this can't go on. You have to start studying tomorrow. I've already hired tutors. We're moving to the main estate today!"
- But...
Richie would have happily ignored his studies, since they offered him essentially nothing. And what he was doing had made him rich. He could have continued in business and earned huge sums of money without a high school diploma. But Rich Sr. had his own opinion on the matter. Richie knew perfectly well that he couldn't convince his father otherwise.
The boy sighed sadly and said:
- Okay. But I hope, Dad, when I finish school, you won't force me to study?
"No, Richie," Gerald shook his head slightly. "Once you finish school, you can do whatever you want. But I still hope you decide to get a higher education, maybe study management. It will be extremely useful for your business endeavors."
- Mmm... Perhaps, but I can't promise anything. Dad, before we leave for the estate, I need to give instructions on the investments.
"I understand everything, Richie. You have until lunch, then we're leaving."
"Before lunch?" Richard said thoughtfully. "I should be able to make it."
***
The first of September for the successful young businessman began like other children his age, that is, with school.
Richie had to return to his disgusting task. Who wants to waste time on useless studies when they could be turning over millions of dollars?
The transmigrator understood perfectly well that Gerald considered him a child, and even though he allowed himself some liberties, like any responsible parent, he wanted the best for his child. From his father's perspective, it would be better for Richie if he got an education. But in reality, the transmigrator, who had already received a higher education in his past life, needed school as much as a dog needs a fifth leg.
Yet Richie knew that without a high school diploma, he wouldn't be able to run a business properly. So he decided to take all the required exams as an external student as soon as possible.
Richie dug into the granite of science like a beaver into rotten wood. He buried himself in his first-grade high school textbooks without any prodding.
Richie studied literature day and night. Thanks to his excellent memory, the humanities came easily to him. His main challenges were English and history. He noticed some inaccuracies and discrepancies in historical events, which he attributed to his lack of diligence in school in his past life and his poor memory.
It took Richard only two months to pass his seventh-grade exams.
Apparently, he'd taken things too far. In addition to his schoolwork, he had to attend fencing again. He also had to devote time to his business. While it was limited, he had to delve into the details, studying exchange rates and stock exchange rates.
All this led to a logical outcome: stress accumulated more and more day by day, and fatigue fell on the shoulders of the child's body.