Chapter 10 – The Fish and the Golden Coin Turtle
Only two days remained before the pre-public exams. Yaswanth sat at his study desk, but instead of focusing on books, his eyes wandered to his phone screen.
His bank balance blinked at him: ₹16,80,000.
That was after subtracting Flemming's share of ₹11,20,000.
He leaned back, exhaling deeply. From a broke student to having lakhs in my account… Life really has changed.
Just then, his eyes shifted to the glass bowl on the table. Inside, two shimmering Arowana fish swam gracefully. He remembered the shopkeeper saying even a small fry pair sold for ₹600, while a full-grown mature Arowana could reach as high as ₹90,000.
His jaw nearly dropped. So, these little ones could one day be worth lakhs if I breed them properly!
Without wasting time, he closed his eyes and thought of the aqua farm. A familiar pull tugged at his consciousness, and when he opened his eyes, he was standing before a wide, crystal-clear pool inside his Space Aqua Farm.
Carefully, Yaswanth released the two Arowana into the water. They darted away happily, tails shimmering under the farm's artificial sunlight. Smiling, he exited the farm and returned to his room.
That evening, Yaswanth decided to revisit the bustling market where he had bought the fish earlier. Over the last few weeks, he had planted many medicinal plants in different acres of his space farm. By now, he had multiple varieties, each producing around 500 kilograms per harvest. Time to time, he sold them to Ananya, who had grown close to him and even started treating him like a younger brother.
She often complained, "If I paid you everything at once, the bank would notice suspicious transfers of fifty to sixty lakhs!" So instead, she arranged to settle payments at the end of every month. The business was thriving, and she herself had received a big promotion thanks to their deals.
Thinking about that, Yaswanth wandered through the market until he reached the familiar aqua shop. Rows of colorful fish tanks glittered under bright lights. Just as he was about to leave, something unusual caught his eyes.
A Golden Coin Turtle 🐢, its shell gleaming faintly under the light.
"Boss, is that turtle for sale?" Yaswanth asked.
The shopkeeper scratched his head. "It belonged to my friend. He wanted to sell it off. Rare species… not cheap."
"How much?"
"₹80,000."
Yaswanth didn't even hesitate. "I'll take it."
After making the payment, he carefully carried the turtle home.
At once, he called Flemming.
"Bro, come over. I want to show you something."
Within half an hour, Flemming arrived, a game controller still in his hand. "What now, Yash? You bought more weird stuff?"
Yaswanth just grinned. "Follow me."
Together, they entered the Space Farm. Even though Flemming had visited before, he still stood in awe, gazing at the vast fields of lush medicinal plants stretching across acres. When Yaswanth guided him to the aqua pool, Flemming's jaw dropped.
Two sleek Arowanas swam by — one already about 13 inches long, the other smaller but just as healthy.
"Wait a second!" Flemming pointed. "Weren't these the same ones in your bowl just a few days ago?"
Yaswanth nodded calmly. "Yeah. The farm's growth boost works here too."
Flemming clutched his head. "Bro, do you even realize what these are worth? My dad's birthday is coming up… Can I have one as a gift for him? He loves rare pets."
Yaswanth chuckled. "Of course. We'll gift one together."
Relieved, Flemming agreed, his excitement matching Yaswanth's. They then released the Golden Coin Turtle into its own clean habitat, where it swam happily.
With everything settled, Yaswanth stretched his arms. "That's enough for today. Tomorrow's Sunday. Let's plan properly then."
Flemming smirked. "You're right. But Yash… with all this, we're sitting on an empire already."
Yaswanth smiled faintly, watching the fish shimmer in the water