"Hahahahahaha!!"
When Daphne heard that Snoopy's reason for declaring for the NBA draft this year was to make money to help his billionaire father through an "economic crisis," she burst out laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
"So, are you regretting declaring for the draft now?" she teased mercilessly. "Or are you worried that in the end, your 'bankrupt father' will have to help you pay off the $34.87 million loan you took out?"
Snoopy shot her an annoyed look. "I don't need my dad to pay off that loan. That's an insult to the Anderson School of Business—and to your father too. I studied economics, remember? I can easily invest that money into a hedge fund and make it back."
Daphne immediately followed up, grinning: "And then, one week later, you'll be calling your dad, crying, 'Daddy, what do I do? My money's all gone!'"
She burst out laughing again. A college dropout who studied game theory talking about playing the hedge fund market—it was just too funny.
Snoopy felt completely defeated. There was no having a serious conversation with her.
He turned away, frustrated.
The situation was complicated: his father, hadn't actually been in financial trouble—but if he pulled out $10 million or more to fill Snoopy's self-made debt hole, then his cash flow really would be at risk.
His father wanted to sell a piece of land to help. Snoopy refused, no matter what.
Finally, Snoopy puffed out his chest and declared, "Dad, Mom, I'm a grown man now. A little problem like this won't stop me. Watch me turn these twenty million dollars into a billion-dollar fortune!"
His tone was bold and heroic.
Dad clapped his hands and laughed loudly. "That's my boy! Go for it! Don't be afraid of failure—even if you lose it all, I'll back you up! A real man conquers the world with courage!"
Later, in his room, Snoopy's confidence vanished. He called Daphne over to discuss ideas—but when she heard the whole story, she could barely stop laughing long enough to breathe.
"Listen, Miss Daphne," Snoopy said irritably. "I called you here to help me think, not to deliver a comedy roast."
Snoopy's tone was firm. "I need to find an investment outside real estate—something completely different."
"Hmm…" Daphne frowned, thinking hard. Then she said uncertainly, "What about the Internet? Before Goldman Sachs, I worked on a research team studying a social media company called Facebook. We were debating whether to invest. Their valuation's already in the tens of billions. Your twenty million would be… less than 0.2%."
Facebook?
Mark Zuckerberg?
Snoopy's mind flashed with an image of a geeky guy and fragments of half-remembered facts—something about him becoming a tech billionaire who ruled social media.
"Alright. I'll invest all of it in him."
Daphne froze. "You're… serious? You don't even want to see their financials? Or hear their business plan? Or meet the founder?"
"Why bother?" Snoopy frowned, convinced by that inexplicable intuition in his mind. "Just help me trade twenty million dollars for 0.2% of Facebook. Simple."
Daphne stared at him, speechless. Rich second-generation kids really don't think before acting.
"Fine," she said finally. "If you insist, I'll try to handle it. I can even help with the negotiations. Facebook's been having some issues lately—lots of investors are doubting their future. So maybe, maybe, I can get you 0.25% instead. I was a Goldman Sachs employee, after all."
Snoopy's eyes lit up. "Perfect!" He clapped his hands in satisfaction and left to hang out with his parents.
Daphne watched him go and sighed. These rich heirs are unbelievable. Impulsive investments like this almost always end in total loss.
…
Over the next three days, Snoopy spent his time sightseeing with his parents, enjoying the warmth of home.
Meanwhile, Daphne kept busy contacting domestic sponsors on Snoopy's behalf. Although few deals were finalized, she maintained strong relationships with potential partners—hoping those networks would help with future player endorsements.
After all, the more connections, the more opportunities.
Three days later, Snoopy and Daphne boarded their flight back to L.A.
By then, the NBA playoffs were in full swing. The official Orlando pre-draft training camp was about to begin, and the NBA Draft Lottery—where teams' futures are decided—was just around the corner.