<h4>Chapter 26: Determination and Promise</h4>


    "Mom, I''m home," Michael announced as he stepped into the house, the sound of sizzling from the kitchen greeting him.


    Myra, busy over the stove, nced back and noticed the cardboard box in Michael''s hands. Her expression shifted from concentration to curiosity. "What is that?"


    "This?" Michael looked down at the box, its brand logo prominently disyed. "It''s aptop. I just bought it from Gilmore."


    "You bought aptop?!" Myra eximed. Michael was known for being practical and cautious with money. "How much did it cost?"


    "78,000 pesos, paid in cash," Michael replied with a casual shrug.


    Myra wiped her hands on her apron and stepped closer, her brows furrowed in worry.


    "78,000? But Michael, where did you get that kind of money? You haven''t even received your first sry from tutoring."


    "Ma, don''t worry," Michael assured her, sensing her growing anxiety. "I earned it through stock trading."


    "Stock trading?" Myra repeated, her face reflecting ack of familiarity with the concept.


    "Yes, stock trading," Michael exined, cing the box on the table and opening it to reveal the sleekptop inside. "I invest in stocks, buy low, sell high. It''s all legitimate, Ma."


    Myra peered into the box, her concern slowly giving way to a cautious admiration. "I know you''re smart, Michael, but this kind of thing... it''s not without risks, right?"


    Michael nodded, his expression serious. "It does have its risks, but I''ve been careful. I study the market trends and make informed decisions. It''s not a gamble, it''s calcted."


    Myra sighed, looking back at the stove. "Just be careful, Michael. I trust you, but this is a lot of money. We don''t have much to fall back on."


    "I know, Ma," Michael said, closing theptop''s box. "And that''s exactly why I''m doing this. Thisptop is more than just a purchase. It''s an investment in our future. It will help me with my stock trading, my studies, and eventually, my own business."


    Myra turned back to her cooking, a small smile ying on her lips. "You are such a hardworking man, it''s admirable and I''m very proud of you."


    Michael smiled warmly. "Thank you, mama. I promise. Once I''m rich, I''ll buy us a house so that we don''t have to pay monthly rent anymore, and then you are going to quit your job and give you a business where you only have to stay in the house, not do much exhausting work."


    Myra smiled, sensing the determination and seriousness in her son''s words. "Well, that sounds like a dream, Michael."


    "It''s not a dream ma...I''ll make it a reality, I swear to you."


    And then—just as they were having their wholesome moment, someone shouted from outside their home.


    "Hoy! Myra are you there?!"


    Michael flickered his gaze outside the window and saw thendlord.


    "How long are you going to keep avoiding me? Two months overdue on rent! Pay up, or I''ll have to kick you out!" thendlord barked.


    Myra''s smile faded, reced by a look of concern. She quickly wiped her hands and stepped towards the door, with Michael following close behind.


    "Mr. Santos, please, we''re trying our best. I''ll have the money soon," Myra pleaded.


    "Trying isn''t good enough! I have bills to pay too, you know," Mr. Santos retorted, his tone unyielding. "I can''t let you stay here for free. You have until the end of the week. If you can''t pay, you''ll have to leave."


    Michael stepped forward, his expression stern. "Mr. Santos. How much exactly do we owe for the two months?" Michael inquired, his tone respectful yet assertive.


    Mr. Santos paused, sizing Michael up before responding. "13,000 pesos. And I expect it soon."


    Michael nodded, pulling out his phone. He quickly opened his mobile banking app, ncing at his ount bnce. It read 47,000 pesos, enough to cover the rent and still leave a substantial amount for his other needs.


    "Mr. Santos, if you give me your bank ount details, I can transfer the money right now," Michael offered, looking directly at thendlord.


    Thendlord''s expression shifted from annoyance to surprise. "You can pay now? Really?"


    "Yes, I can. Just give me your ount details," Michael repeated, his fingers poised over his phone.


    Skeptically, Mr. Santos dictated his bank ount number. Michael quickly typed in the details and initiated the transfer. In moments, 13,000 pesos were sent from Michael''s ount to Mr. Santos''s.


    Mr. Santos, still doubtful, checked his banking app. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the notification of the deposit. "Well, I''ll be... It''s here. 13,000 pesos."


    He looked at Michael, his expression a mix of surprise and a hint of respect. "You had the money all along? Why wait until now to pay?"


    Michael met his gaze calmly. "We didn''t have it until now. I''ve just started earning from work. We''re not trying to evade payment, Mr. Santos. We''re just trying to get by."


    Mr. Santos harrumphed, his demeanor softening a bit. "Well, at least you''ve paid. Just make sure this doesn''t happen again. I can''t keep waiting for rent every month."


    "We understand, Mr. Santos. It won''t happen again," Michael assured him.


    With a final nod, Mr. Santos turned and left, leaving Michael and Myra in quiet relief. Michael put away his phone and turned to his mother, who wore a small, grateful smile.


    "Thank you, Michael," she said softly, tears starting to escape from the corner of her eyes.


    If there is one thing Michael was weak at, is to see his mother''s tears streaming down her face. He stepped forward and gently hugged her. "It''s okay, Ma. I told you, we''ll manage."


    Myra, embracing her son, managed a shakyugh through her tears. "You''re growing up too fast, taking on so much responsibility."


    Michael pulled back, looking into his mother''s eyes. "Someone has to, Ma. And I don''t want you to worry about money anymore. I''ll take care of it."


    Myra nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I know you will, Michael. You''ve always been strong. Just... don''t push yourself too hard."


    "I won''t, Ma," Michael reassured her, offering aforting smile. "Now, let''s finish lunch. I have a lot of work to do with my newptop. And don''t worry about the rent. I''ll make sure we''re always ahead."


    As they returned to the kitchen, the mood lightened. Michael helped Myra set the table, and they sat down to a simple but warm meal.


    After lunch, Michael retreated to his room to set up his newptop. He was determined to make the most of this investment, knowing that it was a key tool in realizing his goals.


    Suddenly—there was a notification chime in his system.


    [Finish the thesis you have outlined and submit it to an academic journal.]


    [Rewards: One spin in the Wheel of Fortune, 20,000 System Points, 2x Neuroenhancer Pill (24 hours duration.)]


    "How convenient," Michael murmured. He opened his shop tab and browsed for the neuroenhancer pill. There, he tapped the 24-hour duration that cost 10,000 System Points. The only way for him toplete this task within a day is through a pill.


    So without hesitation, he confirmed the purchase, leaving him with a 20,050 bnce, and then got to work on ten papers.


    He focused intensely, immersing himself in research and writing. The topics ranged from AI applications in renewable energy to advancements in sr panel technology. Each paper required meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding ofplex concepts.


    Michael worked continuously, only taking short breaks for snacks and meals. His mother, Myra, asionally checked on him, offering food and coffee, but mostly, she let him work uninterrupted,


    As the hours passed, Michael maintained his pace. He carefully crafted each argument, analyzed data, and refined his conclusions. The challenge of writing ten substantial and schrly papers in a day was immense, but he wasmitted to seeing it through. @@novelbin@@


    By 4 am, Michaelpleted thest of his papers. He reviewed each one briefly, ensuring there were no major errors, and then submitted them to the academic journal. The task had been grueling, but he had managed to finish it within the deadline.


    Exhausted but satisfied, he leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of aplishment. The system notification confirmed thepletion of his task and the rewards he had earned. Despite his fatigue, Michael felt a surge of pride and relief.


    He shut down hisptop and prepared to rest for three hours because now it''s time to start earning money to fundraise his business from stock and possibly gambling.


    But before that, he checked his mastery stats.


    [Mastery]


    Physics: Level 4


    1210/1500 points


    Chemistry: Level 0


    0/100


    Biology: Level 0


    0/100


    Mathematics: Level 4


    1400/1500


    Astronomy: Level 0


    0/100


    Meteorology: Level 4


    1450/1500


    Oceanography: Level 0


    0/100


    Environmental Science: Level 4


    1300/1500


    Geology: Level 0


    0/100


    Computer Science: Level 4


    1200/1500


    ]


    [Current System Points: 40,050.]


    A smile spread across his lips. Maybe it''s time to focus on other core sciences as well. But money first and then read books about those core sciences during school or in his free time.