📖 Chapter 5 – The Market of Dreams
The faint smell of incense lingered in the small room as morning sunlight filtered through the broken window pane. Arjun stretched, washed quickly, and packed his old schoolbag.
"Arjun, eat your paratha first!" his mother called.
"I'll eat on the way, Ma," he replied, grabbing the wrapped food. "I need to finish something at the café."
Ramesh frowned. "Café? Again with computers? Don't waste your time. Those places are filled with good-for-nothing boys playing games."
Arjun smiled lightly. "Papa, sometimes to change fate, you need to look where others don't."
Ramesh sighed, muttering under his breath, but didn't stop him.
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The Internet Café
The café was a cramped room near the bus stand. Rows of outdated computers sat in dusty cubicles, each humming loudly. The air was thick with sweat, tobacco, and the smell of cheap chai.
Teenagers yelled at screens, playing Counter-Strike. A few college students were frantically typing assignments. The café owner, a fat man with betel-stained teeth, glanced up.
"Arjun! Again? You've been coming every day. Hourly rate, same as always."
Arjun handed him a â‚ą20 note without hesitation and slipped into a corner seat.
The moment the computer flickered to life, Arjun's eyes sharpened.
> [Nanochip Optimization Active]
Memory recall: Global Market Trends 1998–2005]
Highlight: Post Dot-Com Crash Opportunities]
He quickly logged in. On one side of the screen, he opened freelance portals—offering website building, debugging, and even article writing. On the other side, he opened financial forums and market reports.
His fingers danced across the keyboard.
In the US, tech companies just collapsed. Investors are running scared. But the survivors… Amazon, eBay, Google—they'll rise like phoenixes. And India's IT industry will ride this wave, becoming the world's outsourcing hub.
The Nanochip pulsed.
> Prediction: Infosys stock to triple within 3 years. Reliance preparing entry into telecom (high potential). Global giants Amazon & Google will dominate e-commerce & search within 5–10 years.]
Arjun leaned back, exhaling slowly. To any ordinary boy, these were just names. To him, they were the keys to unimaginable wealth.
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First Breakthrough
"Excuse me, can you help me?" A nervous college student tapped his shoulder. "My project… it keeps crashing."
Arjun glanced at the screen. Within seconds, he spotted the error. "You missed a semicolon."
The student blinked. "That's it?"
"Yes." Arjun smiled faintly.
The boy flushed red, embarrassed. "I've been stuck for two days… Thank you!"
Arjun shook his head. People struggle for days with what I can solve in seconds. This is my edge.
Returning to his screen, he noticed a new freelance posting from a US client:
"Build a small e-commerce site – Budget $50 (₹2,400)."
Arjun's eyes gleamed.
With the Nanochip's guidance, he finished it in four hours. The client's reply came instantly:
Client: "Amazing work! You delivered in hours what I expected in weeks. Are you available for long-term projects?"
The payment hit his account—₹2,400. Almost equal to a month's wages for his father.
Arjun clenched his fists under the desk. This is it. The start of my capital. From here, the world market is mine.
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Back Home
That evening, Arjun placed fresh vegetables and milk on the kitchen counter. His mother froze. "Arjun… where is this coming from?"
"Ma, it's honest work," he reassured. "Computer work for foreigners. They pay in dollars. Don't worry."
His father looked up sharply. "Dollars? Don't talk big. Do you think money falls from the sky? Even rich men in this town don't see dollars."
Arjun smiled softly. "Maybe not yet, Papa. But soon, you'll see."
Little Ananya tugged at his sleeve. "Bhaiya, you're like those movie heroes who always bring home gifts!"
Arjun lifted her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "No, Anu. Movie heroes fight villains. Your brother… will fight poverty."
The Nanochip buzzed:
> [Funds Updated: â‚ą4,700. Mission Progress: 9.4%]
[New Hint: Explore Indian Stock Market – Next Step Required]
Arjun's gaze turned toward the dark night outside.
Small money was good for survival. But if he wanted to truly change his family's destiny, he needed to move into the market of dreams—the stock market.
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🔥 End of Chapter 5 Cliffhanger