Three months flew by like a day. Even Christmas passed unnoticed for Richard, he was so busy.
The second-grade exams for high school went like clockwork; it couldn't have been any other way. However, due to the heavy workload, Richard spent a month longer than he would have spent studying the material from the seventh year of the school curriculum.
The boy decided to take a couple of weeks off before starting the next year's curriculum. He could afford a longer break, as he was already ahead of his schedule. Initially, he'd planned to cover the school curriculum in just a couple of classes. But this turned out even better.
The beginning of February was snowy. Looking out the window of young Rich's office, one could see a view of white expanses, highlighted by cleared paths and a smooth road stretching into the distance.
If Richie had been a normal kid, he'd have been rushing outside to build a snowman, go sledding, and generally enjoy winter fun in the fresh air. But the transmigrator shuddered at the thought of going outside. No, Richard would have been happier not to venture out into the frosty air at all, but to enjoy the warmth and comfort of the estate, which he was doing just fine.
Richard sat in the comfortable chair of his office, looking through the documents and photographs that Detective Potter had given him.
All the papers were sorted into small folders-each person had their own file. Richie set some folders aside on the corner of his desk, and others he tossed into the bottom drawer, as unproductive.
Once all the folders were sorted, Richard opened the newspaper to the stock quotes page.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the boy's office door, after which, without waiting for an answer, the door opened and Gerald entered the room.
Richard was initially surprised, as usually it was the servants who knocked on his door and never entered the room without permission. Only the valet allowed himself to enter the young master's bedroom without permission, and then only in the mornings to wake him. This allowed the boy, before he began using magic tricks as a disguise, to train his mutant abilities without any problems.
- Richie, hi, what interesting things are they writing?
The boy looked up at his father and answered automatically:
"Nestlé shares are at their peak, so it seems they're not worth buying. But Pepsi shares, in which I invested ten million pounds, are falling after peaking in December. But I think this is temporary. In April and May, before the annual financial results are announced, the share price will jump."
"Hmm..." Gerald let out a meaningful chuckle. "Lost a lot of money?"
Richie lowered the newspaper and said in surprise:
- What?! Ah! No, I haven't lost a penny. I bought Pepsi shares at $9.44, and now they're at $9.83. I'm up six hundred and forty thousand dollars right now. I'll be dumping them at the peak this summer.
"That's encouraging, as is your overall success," Gerald said, sitting down on the sofa near the table. "Richie, I've been keeping an eye on your progress and must say you're doing wonderfully. Bye! I hope it stays that way, but, son, you must understand that investing in stocks is unreliable. They're up today, but tomorrow they could fall, and you'll lose most of your capital. So, I was very pleased with how you started your business, and a little surprised when, instead of continuing to invest in the production of your goods, you switched to stocks."
"It's easier this way, Dad," Richard shrugged. "I can't do production and study at the same time. You remember well the summer when I had to travel all over the world to sign contracts with manufacturers and customers. Besides, the staples are out of stock. They're a hyped-up product that won't last long on the market. And to come up with something new and implement it, you need at least three or four months. Besides, it's better to produce something in your own factory than to outsource it."
"Okay, okay, I won't interfere in your affairs, as I promised," Gerald said, raising his hands as if surrendering. "But I know you've made a good living. Richie, now you need to make a name for yourself. Any self-respecting businessman should do charity work. It's good for their image. I suppose it wouldn't be difficult for you to donate a small amount."
"Hmm... Let's say," Richard said thoughtfully. "I have some spare cash. I think I could spend about fifty thousand dollars."
- Son, why do you deal in dollars and not pounds?
- Sorry, I'm just used to stock market reports, which are more convenient for dealing with dollars.
"And also, the annual Royal Charity Dinner is coming up again soon. But I'm covering the expenses there. Until then, Richard, it's best for you to establish yourself as a philanthropist."
- Okay... Do you have any specific proposals?
- For example, Richie, you can help orphans.
"Okay, no problem," Richard agreed.
In reality, the transmigrator wasn't particularly keen on spending his money, but he understood that it was common practice among the elite. If you're rich but not a philanthropist, you'll be looked upon askance. Furthermore, charity should provide a small tax deduction. The donation amount can be deducted from income as a tax benefit. If you make annual gifts for three years, you can deduct the amount spent on charity from your taxes in the fourth year.
For example, Gerald Rich spends at least £50,000 annually on charity. Firstly, this amount is not included in his income. Secondly, in the fourth year, he pays £150,000 less in taxes, meaning he gets a refund.
Richard knew this, so he decided to increase his gift to fifty thousand pounds. The main thing is to continue giving to charity for the next three years to recoup his donations.
"Richie, I'll make arrangements with a foundation that helps orphans. But for the first time, to ensure your efforts don't go unnoticed, you'll have to be proactive."
"I don't get it," Richard frowned. "Dad, what kind of activity? I give money to the foundation, and they spend it on specific needs. Isn't that right?"
"That's true, but, son, you must understand that if you simply give the money, no one will know about it. So you'll need to visit a couple of orphans and personally oversee the donations. Then the newspapers will write that young Lord Rich is involved in charity work, helping orphans. This will have a positive impact on both your reputation and that of our family."
- Am I going to visit the orphans alone?