What does it mean to make a million in just half a year? If we put this in the context of Ethan Jones's previous life, it wouldn't even be considered remarkable—it would be downright insignificant.
In that era, having only a hundred thousand in assets meant barely surviving, a million meant being broke, and only those with tens of millions could get a decent blind date. To truly be considered "somebody," you needed assets in the hundreds of millions.
But in this era…One million dollars was a huge deal!
Think about it: the world's first Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, commissioned this very year, cost only a few "small targets," nothing like the astronomical billions of later times. Even the Los Angeles Lakers, next door in the City of Angels, were valued in the mere tens of millions. Ten years earlier, in September 1965, Jack Cook had bought the team for just five hundred thousand dollars. So when Ethan Jones walked out of Atari, he couldn't stop grinning.
From a long-term perspective, Snake Game would never bring him as much income as the MOS 6502 or Apple would. But that wasn't the point. The biggest advantage of video games was that they brought in enormous amounts of cash in a very short time.
And with real money in hand, Ethan Jones suddenly had countless possibilities before him.
He went home first to share the good news with Linda, and then rushed straight to San Jose to buy a car.
In fact, when he had received his first dividend, Ethan had already wanted to change cars—he hated driving that secondhand Chevrolet. But back then, he couldn't be sure of continued income, and Thomas's endless social obligations had kept him running around, forcing him to postpone the idea. Later, the launch of the MOS 6502 and Steve Jobs's plea for help left Ethan too busy to think about optional luxuries like a new car.
But now… With a second round of dividends about to arrive, how could he hold back any longer?
Of course he had to buy one! After wandering around San Jose, Ethan Jones finally stopped in front of a dealership.
Inside the showroom sat a bright red two-seater sports car, its streamlined body low at the front and high at the rear.
Its headlights were raised circles. Looking at the car head-on, it almost didn't feel like a car at all—but like a frog staring at you with wide, curious eyes.
That look intrigued Ethan. After stepping out of his Chevrolet and asking about the model, the name the salesman gave him made him freeze for a moment. "Dino? What brand is that?" Ethan asked in confusion.
The salesman answered smoothly, "Sir, Dino is a sub-brand of the Italian manufacturer Ferrari. It was founded by Enzo Ferrari in memory of his late eldest son, Dino. The car you're looking at now is the Dino 246 GTS, a convertible sports car equipped with a 2.4-liter V6 engine producing 240 horsepower, an independent suspension system, and a vacuum booster…"
"So it's a Ferrari?" Ethan raised his brows. "I've never heard of it."
In his previous life, Ethan had never had the money to play with cars. His limited knowledge, which mentioned only names like the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918, and McLaren P1. The specs the salesman rattled off meant nothing to him.
Still, there was one thing he did understand: the car in front of him was "environmentally friendly." Because it had a V6 engine—not a V8. In America, where large V8s were the standard, this thing couldn't possibly be labeled "eco-friendly"… unless, of course, you used special logic.
"How much does this car cost?" Ethan asked, clearly interested.
"Sir, the base price is $14,950."
"I'll take it. How do I pay?"
"Do you have a BankAmericard, sir?"
"No."
"Then we can accompany you to the bank and you can transfer the money directly."
The "BankAmericard" the salesman mentioned was, in fact, the predecessor of what would one day be called VISA.
Credit cards themselves had already been around for some time. In 1950, Diners Club introduced the first one in the U.S.—a small paper card that could only be used in restaurants, and which required the full balance to be repaid monthly.
By 1958, American Express launched the first plastic credit card, which could be used at multiple merchants and allowed installment payments. This was the beginning of revolving credit.
By 1966, Bank of America had expanded its service nationwide, and the BankAmericard became the first credit card accepted across the entire U.S. Ten years later—in 1976—it would be officially rebranded as VISA, entering the stage of history as the world's leading payment card institution.
Since Ethan had already studied this piece of financial history in school, he wasn't surprised when the salesman mentioned credit card payments. But one thing did puzzle him. "You don't accept checks?" he asked.
The question made the salesman pause, then he chuckled.
"Sir, you can thank Frank Abagnale for that. I heard he was paroled just last year, right? We used to accept checks, but until that gentleman settles down with a legitimate job and stable finances, it's… difficult for us to keep taking them. Please understand."
"Okay, I get it." Ethan laughed.
Because in his mind flashed a movie—Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. The character played by DiCaprio was based on none other than Frank Abagnale.
Since he didn't have a credit card, Ethan followed the salesman to the bank and completed the transfer. When the salesman returned with the receipt in hand, the brand-new Dino 246 GTS officially became Ethan's.
After getting the car, Ethan's first impulse was obvious—go out and show off.
He zoomed into San Francisco, revving the engine outside Frank's store. When Frank came rushing out, startled, Ethan grinned, slipped the gear in, and drove off. "Eh! I'm not letting you see it!"
Then he snuck to Jobs's house, revving in neutral again. When Jobs stepped out, eyes shining with envy, and reached out to touch it, Ethan darted away once more. "Eh! You can't touch it!"
Finally, he rolled up to Thomas's orchard, gunning the engine loudly in front of him. But this time…Thomas yanked him out of the driver's seat by the collar, plopped himself in, and stroked the brand-new steering wheel with wide eyes. "Oh! Fxxk! How much did this set you back?"
"Tax included, almost seventeen grand."
"Sxxt! Seventeen thousand for this car? Why don't they just rob you?"
"Because it's a Dino!" Ethan slapped the door proudly. "It's a Ferrari sub-brand!"
Ethan expected Thomas to scold him for blowing so much money—but the moment he heard "Ferrari," Thomas's face lit up. He jammed the ignition, stomped the gas, and tore off in a flash.
Ethan froze, staring at the empty driveway. "WTF?! Thomas, what the hell are you doing?!"
But Thomas's excited voice was already fading in the distance:
"Lend me this car, just for a ride! I'll show it off to an old friend!"
"…"
Ethan never imagined his brand-new car would be stolen the same day he bought it.
Since Thomas showed no sign of coming back, Ethan had no choice but to climb into the old Ford pickup Thomas had abandoned and try to head home. But when he turned the ignition—
"Fuck! He didn't even leave the keys!" Ethan slammed the steering wheel in frustration, then trudged into the orchard lounge to call home.
"Hello Linda? Yeah, it's me. Thomas stranded me at the orchard—can you come pick me up? What? Why didn't I drive back myself? Oh! Because my car was robbed by him! Yes! The new car! A convertible! He swore he'd just take it for a spin!"
"Hello? Linda? …Hello?!" The line went dead.
"Oh, dxxm it!" Ethan cursed.
Just as he sat sulking, a familiar babababa roared outside.
When he looked up, there it was—that sexy red sports car had come back.
Thomas, sitting in the car, saw Ethan's confused expression and shouted: "Why don't you come over? You really think I'd steal your car? I just had some fun, drove to the intersection, and came right back! This car is amazing—I'll give it back now~"