[Owen POV]
When I got home after meeting David, Elena and the others were still studying with the tutor. The class proceeded well into 9 pm, yet none of the kids looked sleepy.
Except me, I wanted to sleep. But Elena saw me and dragged me to sit in to listen to the lecture.
"Did you really go and speak to the director?" She asked.
I nodded and said, "Why? Is that weird?"
She turned to me and said, "Don't you remember? You said that you were only working in the Sixth Sense movie because George and Jessica begged you too."
I was slightly taken aback by her words.
"I guess you're right."
Maybe I really enjoyed acting. I was seeking out new projects to take part in by myself, without an agent pushing me for the role.
The female college student– Darcy suddenly called out to us, "You two. Stop talking. You're disturbing the class."
"Sorry," Elena said meekly, quickly refocusing on the board, looking embarrassed.
I didn't react much since I was the one paying her fee.
"Now, let's get back to our history of the President of the United States. It's 1981, Ronald Reagan—"
I heard the name and sighed.
"Ronald Reagan lost the election, and Dr. Dominic Valor became the first president of the U.S. with a doctorate in economics."
"What?" I blurted, sitting straighter.
My predecessor's memories – the top student in New Jersey who scored 1600 on his SAT– came flooding in and to my shock, it was true.
Reagan never happened here. Valor did. My predecessor just never cared about it since it was the norm instead of a tangent.
'Who is this guy?'
I looked at the photo in the textbook– a man with sharp features and a prideful, almost smug expression. He walked with a cane and had a thick mustache.
Darcy continued matter-of-factly. "At first, Valor was painted as a tyrant. He shut down opposition quickly, sometimes brutally. People bought into the propaganda at first, but then he started showing the truth."
She scrawled bullet points across the chalkboard.
"He exposed what the CIA was doing in African-American communities—flooding them with drugs, using them as pawns. He showed how the government was oppressing its own citizens."
"That shocked the nation. For a time, the country teetered on the edge of chaos, but Valor seized control and punished everyone involved in the conspiracy."
The class broke into impressed murmurs. On the board she wrote in big letters: ECONOMIC REFORM.
"This was everything. His biggest move was changing America's money. Instead of relying on the old U.S. dollar, he introduced the North American United Currency to be the international currency."
"At first, critics said it would destabilize the economy. But it shielded us from inflation and foreign shocks. Suddenly, America was more stable than Europe or Asia. Economists still call it one of the boldest reforms in modern history."
I leaned back, feeling a bit queasy. "Is this guy a time-traveller too?" I muttered.
"Second was tax reform." She underlined the words three times, almost giddy.
"Back then, in states like California, combined state and federal taxes could eat up nearly half of a worker's paycheck. Even someone earning under twenty thousand a year could lose almost fifty percent. It was very taxing for everyone."
"That's what's so weird about the tax here," I muttered.
I remembered the original California. There was double taxation, state and federal tax. There's also sales tax when you buy things, huge property tax when you own a house, even random fees on utilities and gas. It felt like the government took money at every turn.
Elena frowned. "So even after paying income tax, people still had to pay more just to live?"
"Exactly," the tutor said, nodding. "But Valor changed that. After his reform, once you paid your income tax, that was it. No sales tax when you bought food or clothes. No endless layers of hidden fees."
"Property tax was reduced to the bare minimum, just enough to fund local services. Even the IRS needed to tell people what they owed instead of them having to figure it out themselves."
Some students even smiled in awe even though they didn't really understand much. But if you were the head of the household who lived in America before 1981, these reforms were like a breath of fresh air.
"So families finally got to keep what they earned," the tutor went on. "A worker earning twenty thousand a year could actually take home nearly that amount, then spend it freely without being taxed again every time they bought groceries. That stability created the middle-class boom."
He went after the rich people instead, the very opposite of Reagan.
"So Valor introduced a fair bracket system. Poor families kept most of their wages, while the wealthy still paid their share. For the first time, people felt the system worked for them."
She turned and wrote another word on the board– STABILITY.
"Then came corporate reform. Valor passed laws stopping corporations from buying up homes and land. That kept neighborhoods in the hands of families, not investment giants."
'So he basically stopped BlackRock before it could even happen. Well, they can still target other countries,' I thought grimly.
The tutor's chalk squeaked as she wrote another heading on the board: INDUSTRY.
"In the 1970s, there was a huge upheaval about car safety and emission laws that made a lot of factories in the U.S. shut down. Many companies couldn't keep up, so they moved overseas where it was cheaper."
She tapped the board with the chalk. "But when Valor stabilized the currency, manufacturing costs dropped. The North American Currency gave factories predictability — no more wild inflation swings. That made it cheaper to rebuild here at home. Companies could follow international guidelines and still turn a profit."
The class buzzed with approval.
"Factories reopened. Steel, cars, electronics — industries we thought were lost forever came back. Jobs returned to American cities. Working-class families who had been crushed in the seventies found new life in the nineties."
"He didn't just fix the money, he fixed the backbone in this country." She added.
"And lastly," she said, "his social reforms. Valor decriminalized drug use. Instead of throwing addicts in prison, he sent them to treatment. He funded new psychiatric wards and launched universal healthcare. For the first time, mental health was treated as a medical issue, not a crime."
She dropped the chalk and faced us. "So yes, Dr. Valor was ruthless toward his enemies. But he rebuilt America: fair taxes, stable currency, corporate limits, universal healthcare, and mental health reform. That's why historians still call him both a tyrant and one of the greatest presidents of all time."
She kept going, her tone almost reverent. I skimmed his biography instead. It said he'd been in a coma for three months before starting his campaign.
People claimed he woke up… different.
'Pride Incarnation? I'm not sure…'
The thought chilled me. Did a demon actually govern the country better than Reagan ever would have? Maybe even better than any president could?
Or was he really just a human who has a lot of love for the people and the country.
Valor's shadow stretched far. Both Bush and Clinton publicly called him their mentor. That meant he wasn't just a figure of the past. He was still here—pulling strings, working in the dark.
'This is scaring me a little.' I looked at the smug man in the photo again and shuddered.
"I hope I will never have to cross paths with him." I prayed.
"Okay, we're done with the formal lesson. Now, we're going to move on with the pop culture lesson!" Darcy clapped alone, enthusiastic about the subject.
"We're going to start where we left off in 1995– Drew Barrymore dancing on David Letterman's desk for his birthday, and also flashed her titties at him."
I was really focused for this next lesson.
"Are there videos of it?" Micheal asked.
…
Two more of my future sect members broke through foundation level 3, and I awakened their esper abilities for them.
Bayani, an introverted 16-year-old Filipino boy who had been trafficked into the country, awakened the esper ability of sound control. His name, Bayani, meant "Hero" in his language.
He had short hair, wore headphones all the time, and almost always listened to his Walkman. He could control sound in a two-meter radius, whether to increase or quieten the volume. He could also emit sound waves with a scream, though it was too weak to even destroy a vase.
The other awakener was a native Australian, a Koori aboriginal named Djalu, whose name meant "Lightning" in his language.
However, he didn't have any lightning-related abilities. Instead, his ability was restorative. He could fix simple cracks and remove rust from a pot. Both of them had tier 2 abilities, with the potential to evolve further.
Bayani wanted to try out his power immediately, while Djalu looked a bit confused about how to use his power.
"We'll test them one by one," I said.
Was there a time limit for restoration, or would it be permanent? Could he restore things he didn't fully understand—like a misaligned bone, a chipped tooth, cataract-filled cornea, or even remove tattoos?
Surprisingly, he could do all of that, though he needed some understanding of how the object worked.
Boone, a 15-year-old Egyptian boy whose leg had been broken while trying to escape traffickers, finally had his bone restored and could walk normally again. Djalu also removed tattoos and scars from prostituted women, erasing traces left by the Nighthawk gang.
We were still testing the limits of their powers. Bayani discovered he could create a five-meter-wide sound barrier, perfect for private conversations.
"I can also influence sounds in other things." He said suddenly.
…
July 10th
Five weeks after The Sixth Sense premiered in cinemas, I had finally broken through to the peak of the spirit realm and was halfway toward creating my own core.
Elena was at the final level of the foundation stage, and Michael was at the fourth. A chasm separated our realms, so it would take some time for Elena to cross.
The movie had already earned $300 million worldwide, and I'd received the first two weeks' checks—$15 million for week one and $35 million for week two. I split it with the production company using a simple formula: total revenue after distribution costs times 0.225.
0.225T (T=Total)
This came from 0.75 after the distribution split and 0.3 after the venture capital took 70%. Recouping $20 million first, we split the remaining $30 million with the production company, giving George a solid $6.75 million profit.
For me, the $28 million investment had turned into $38.75 million—a $10 million profit in just a few months. And the checks would keep coming throughout the theater run.
I poured that profit into marketing for Swingers, which had completed reshoots and was entering pre-production, aiming for a mid-September release.
'Jack Kennedy' was swamped. Elena, disguised as me, was meeting the talents I invested in. She had already met Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting, and Wes Craven for Scream.
Wes Craven's production company was already one week into shooting, but Good Will Hunting was different. The two actor-writers had chosen Gus Van Sant as director because they admired his work.
By sheer luck, Gus was a good friend of Robin Williams, who had worked with him before. Robin read the script, loved it, and agreed to a $5 million salary with a 10% backend—proof that passion projects sometimes trump money.
Unfortunately, we couldn't secure a piece of My Best Friend's Wedding, leaving an extra $15 million in my account.
Adding on the 28 million I have recouped, 5 million I have as a backup, and now the 15 million, I have 48 million dollars in the venture capital fund right now to move for my next investment.
"If you're thinking long term, Marvel is selling some of its characters to get out of bankruptcy right now," Claire advised as I came to visit the office as Elena has a test today.
She added, "Superheroes are a niche market right now, but who knows what's going to happen in the future."
I leaned back and considered it.
"What characters can I still buy right now?" I asked, a little interested.
She gave me a list, but there's only a few unknown characters left. New Line Cinema had swopped up Blade and Ghost Rider.
Sony has Spiderman.
21st Century Fox has X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil.
Lastly, Universal had acquired Hulk.
I wanted to buy Iron Man and the Avengers original cast, but Marvel wasn't selling those anymore.
The only thing I knew from the list was Moon Knight, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Werewolf by Night.
Claire also explained that I would only get the TV/Film adaptation rights for these characters, not the full rights, so I wasn't interested in them anymore.
But if I could buy the entire studio outright one day, I would make sure to buy it before Disney.
"If you aren't interested in these superheroes, maybe you want to invest in a tv series?" Claire asked.
TV would take a shorter time to regain the budget compared to film. It depends on the negotiation with the network who's picking up the tv show and the pilot episode audience reaction.
"I will think about it." I replied non-chalantly.
Since I have to listen to pitches from the showrunners for the tv show creation, I would do it when I have some free time.
"And there's also book adaptation rights." She added.
I listened intently to her explanations yet she thought I was unmoved.
'Maybe I can buy Harry Potter? If J.K Rowling is here in this universe. Game of Thrones books also dropped in this era, right? What is it called again?' I thought secretly.
"What about animated movies?" I asked her. "Can I invest in animated movies?"
She smiled wryly and said, "Unless you build your own animation studio, it will be hard for you to just invest in an animated movie."
"I see."
Claire was quietly waiting for my next words, her foot tapping slightly.
With 50 million in our budget, she was anxious to find the next big thing and prove herself worthy of the CEO position.
"Do you have something to say?" I asked, noticing her worried expression.
"Yes," she sighed, relief bursting out as I finally asked for her opinion.
"About our VHS factory. We have nothing to enter the market right now. Unless we make some straight-to-video movies, the factory will sit idle for about four months. It's a huge money waster if we don't use it."
She added, "If you think doing straight-to-video movies will dilute our brand, you're kind of right. So my suggestion is that we create a separate company for the straight-to-VHS releases."
"Wait. Did the company go idle for 2 months after I bought it?" I looked at Claire in shock.
"No. We still have some catalogues from ThunderCow. We haven't rebranded the distribution yet since most of the movies are B-tier horror movies."
"That made sense." I nodded slightly, agreeing with Claire's decisions.
"We don't have to make the movies ourselves, right? We can acquire the distribution rights from others." I said, suddenly remembering something.
"What about movies from Japan?" I asked her. I remembered the 90s were the time anime began entering the North American market, but I didn't remember which movies it was.
"Japan?" Claire was confused. "If you're thinking of Studio Ghibli stuff, they already signed with Disney for distribution in North America. There's no way we can get those."
I leaned back and tapped my finger on the table. "Not Ghibli. I mean the other stuff. Do we have a catalogue of the films and tv shows from there?"
Claire called up the acquisition department and they brought a stack of research papers into my office.
I grinned as I spotted a familiar name on the list. "This one. The anime—Akira. We'll have to dub it in English before distribution, but I want it."
There was also a Dragon Ball movie still playing in Japanese cinemas, so I told Claire to negotiate for that distribution too.
Neon Genesis Evangelion, Pokémon, Digimon, Princess Mononoke—I told Claire to get everything we could.
I gave her ten million for the VHS distribution company before leaving for my other job.
Sometimes living a double life was exhausting, but it was the most beneficial method for me right now. The Kennedy name was helping 4CLOVER a lot.
David had also become much scarier in his role as our legal shield, which made people believe we had a giant law firm behind us.
"Here. Five buckets of fried chicken." Michael arrived with five buckets of KFC, each with ten pieces. They cost ten dollars a bucket.
My snakes morphed from the ring into their real forms and devoured two buckets each, while I ate one bucket myself.
"Most importantly, here." David handed me a gallon of milk. "You need to drink if you want to grow."
I frowned, but I took the milk and downed it in one breath.
He drove me to a parking lot in Burbank where the crew was waiting. It was the production team of The Man Who Tried, with Payne and Chbosky.
They were using a JOI production crew for the movie, so I recognized everyone there.
Steve Carell had been cast as the dad after three rounds of auditions, which made Payne and Chbosky trust my eye for talent even more.
They couldn't get Brittany Murphy, since she was taking care of her sick mother, but they did manage to sign Sarah M. Gellar for the role of my girlfriend.
"Where is she?" Payne looked around the lot when he saw me arrive, eager to introduce us.
My attention shifted to Sarah, who was standing near the street, her hand pressed against a wire fence as she stared at the opposite side of the lot.
My eyes widened slightly when I turned to follow her gaze—and saw another Sarah standing there.
(If you like the story, help me with reviewing the story and giving me power stones.)