Duncan's House.
Late at night.
The party had ended. Adam and Teddy helped Bob and Amy clean up the mess before heading to their respective rooms for the night.
Yet, Adam's mind kept replaying the conversation he had with Juno.
"Next week is prom. Do you have a date yet?"
Juno asked with a smile.
"No."
Adam looked at Juno in surprise, trying to decipher her intentions. Was she inviting him?
While it might be embarrassing for most high school boys to attend prom without a date, someone like Adam, known for his reputation, had no such concerns.
With graduation approaching and a new chapter of life ahead, Adam had no interest in starting a fleeting friendship, especially one entangled with ulterior motives.
His focus was solely on making money as quickly as possible. Inviting someone to prom was the last thing on his mind.
"Can you do me a favor?"
Juno glanced at Karen beside her, then smiled bitterly. "Can you ask Karen to be your prom date?"
"What?"
Adam couldn't believe his ears. "Did I hear that right? You want me to invite Karen?"
"Yes."
Juno hugged Karen gently and said with pity, "I want Karen to end high school on a normal note."
"Oh."
Adam looked at Karen, who stood quietly, seemingly detached from their conversation. His expression turned thoughtful. "Why me?"
"Do I have a better choice?"
Juno countered.
Adam nodded in realization. "It's just one dance, right?"
"Yes, just a dance."
Juno rolled her eyes at him. "What else were you planning to do?"
"Uh, well…"
Adam laughed awkwardly. "I don't mind. It depends on Karen, though."
"I'll do what Juno says."
Karen smiled brightly.
"You two are such good friends."
Adam chuckled dryly. While impressed by Karen's smile, he couldn't shake a sense of unease.
Karen's behavior felt off, even stranger than when she was with Jennifer. Adam couldn't help but believe Jennifer's previous claim that Karen had mental health issues.
"We'll always be best friends."
Karen touched a heart-shaped pendant on her neck with the letters "BFF" and smiled sweetly.
"Heh."
Adam forced a laugh and gave Juno a look. "Juno, can we talk alone?"
"Let's go outside."
Juno patted Karen's hand, whispered a few words to her, and followed Adam out to the front yard.
The neatly trimmed lawn stretched out before them, dotted with several large trees. A rope swing made from an old tire hung from one of the branches, swaying gently in the breeze.
"What's going on?"
Adam asked seriously.
Though Karen was undeniably attractive, he didn't dare get involved with her in her current state.
"You've noticed, haven't you?"
Juno sighed. "Karen's not doing well. I want her to interact with more people and experience normal things."
"Is it safe?"
Adam couldn't hold back his concern.
"Don't worry."
Juno smiled as if to say, "I told you so." "With me around, nothing will happen."
"Haha."
Adam laughed awkwardly. "We're friends, right? Helping each other is what friends do."
Juno had once asked why Adam was afraid of her, and he had always denied it. This was the first time in four years that he indirectly admitted it—he was indeed afraid of her.
"Yes, we're friends."
Juno looked Adam straight in the eye and said earnestly.
"Alright then."
Adam let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Whatever's going on with Karen—or with you—since you're asking, I'll help."
"Thanks."
Juno patted Adam on the shoulder and smiled meaningfully. "Trust me. One day, you won't regret this decision."
"…"
Adam's lips twitched. *What kind of ominous statement is that?*
—
By the time Adam snapped out of his thoughts, an hour had passed.
"Phew."
He exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "Why am I wasting time thinking about this? It's just one dance. That's all. Right now, the most important thing is to make money."
With that thought, Adam pulled a stack of paper from the drawer and placed it on the desk. Picking up a pen, he began spinning it absentmindedly.
During the drive back from New Jersey, he had thought a lot.
How could an ordinary person—or rather, a genius like him—make money quickly?
The answer was clear: being a genius didn't guarantee fast money. Otherwise, people wouldn't say that selling tea eggs could be more profitable than designing missiles.
As Lu Xun once said, the most profitable ventures are listed in the criminal code.
Naturally, Adam couldn't risk breaking the law. Anything that disrupted his plans could lead to an untimely end.
After much thought, the best way to make quick money was by leveraging his memories from his past life.
In a way, those memories were like glimpses of the future. At the very least, they held valuable insights into trends.
The problem was, it was 1992 now, while his memories were from 2020. A 28-year gap meant that the closer those memories were to 1992, the blurrier they became—practically nonexistent.
He had no capital to start a business, no technical skills to design and sell patents. If he wanted to use his "future memories" to make money, it had to be something low-cost, high-reward, and manageable in his spare time.
His main goal remained unchanged: studying medicine and pursuing the path of a great physician.
Was there such an opportunity?
Yes, there was.
Writing web novels.
Like many people, Adam had once dreamed of being a writer.
Back when web novels were booming in his past life, he had dabbled in writing but found it difficult. Web novels required talent and creativity, and Adam lacked both. His work had always been mediocre.
Still, he had studied many successful authors' works. Some were even popular abroad, earning significant acclaim.
He didn't expect to become a sensation. He just wanted to make some money to cover his living expenses.
This increased his chances of success.
The most legendary web novel he could think of was one about martial arts and adventure. Unfortunately, he hadn't read much of it, and the high word count made it impossible to replicate from memory.
Other famous novels were in a similar category.
However, there was one exception—a novel he had read in 2020 that became a global sensation.
After his memories sharpened when he became a genius, he could recall every detail of it with crystal clarity.
This novel was far better suited for his current needs than any other.
*This is the one.*
Adam picked up his pen and wrote down four words on the paper.