Andrei Stevens POV
Spring 1975
The envelope from Penguin was thicker this time. It no longer contained just a single, flimsy sales report, but a sheaf of papers with columns of numbers that told a story of quiet, gathering strength. I spread the documents on the heavy oak desk in my father's study, the morning light filtering through the leaded windows. Lionel the Cat and the Case of the Missing Whiskers was into its third printing. Riddle of the Clock Tower had debuted strongly, outselling the first book's initial run. The royalty statement, made out to the discreetly named "Lioncrest Holdings," showed a figure that made my breath catch: £4,217.
To my former archivist self, it was a modest annual salary. To a six-year-old in 1975, it was a fortune. To the strategic mind watching the System's [Capital Generation] metric finally flicker from 'Projected' to 'Active,' it was the first true seed capital.
The success wasn't explosive; it was precisely what the Library data had suggested was optimal for a series—a durable, growing baseline. Penguin was already inquiring about manuscripts for books three and four. The demand in the 9-15 age bracket was real, and Lionel was filling a niche of gentle, puzzle-driven mystery that parents approved of and children actually finished.
That evening, after dinner, I requested a family meeting. The setting was familiar now, our council of five in the study. Dad and Mum sat together on the sofa, a united front of calm authority. Damien, now nine, fidgeted with restless energy, while Daphne, four, curled against Mum's side, half-listening, half-dreaming.
"I received the royalty statement for Lionel," I began, placing the summary page on the coffee table. "It's... significant."
Dad picked it up, his eyebrows rising slightly as he read the bottom line. A slow, proud smile spread across his face. "Well done, son. Truly. You've built something."
"You've earned this, Andrei," Mum added, her voice warm but carrying that analytical edge. "The question is, what is your intent for the capital? Reinvestment in the series is one path. Personal savings another. Or, as we've discussed, an investment fund."
This was the moment. "The investment fund," I said firmly. "The capital is meant to be a tool. But..." I paused, looking at my siblings. "I don't want this to just be my project. We're a family. If we're building foundations for the future, we should all have a stake. If you want one."
I turned to Damien. "You've asked about the business, about ships and mines. What if you had a small fund of your own to learn with? You could follow Father's work, or look at something else that interests you—sports equipment companies, maybe?"
Damien's fidgeting stopped, his eyes widening with a sudden, fierce focus. "My own money to invest? Like... a real junior executive?" The concept of stewardship ignited in him instantly, transforming restless energy into targeted ambition.
"And Daphne," I said, though she was young, I believed in including her. "We could start a fund for you, too. It would grow quietly until you're old enough to decide what you love. Maybe it'll be for horses, or art, or starting your own business." At the mention of horses, her head lifted, a spark of interest in her drowsy eyes.
Dad leaned forward, interlacing his fingers. "This is a serious proposal, Andrei. You're suggesting pooling family resources into a structured vehicle for all three of you."
"Not pooling," I clarified. "Separate, but parallel. Lionel's royalties seed my fund. You and Mother could choose to provide equivalent seed capital for Damien and Daphne, if you agree with the principle. We learn, we report, we discuss our choices as a family. It's practical education." The idea had come from the Library's data on legacy planning and the psychological value of early financial agency.
Mum's gaze was sharp, assessing the educational ROI. "It teaches responsibility, concrete mathematics, and long-term thinking. I find the merit in it." She looked at Dad. "It aligns with our philosophy. We provide the platform; they learn to build upon it."
Dad nodded slowly, a plan solidifying. "Very well. We'll establish three separate, discretionary trust accounts. Andrei's will be funded by his royalties. We will allocate an equivalent sum to seed accounts for Damien and Daphne." He looked at his eldest son. "Damien, you will present your first investment thesis to me in six months. No major moves without discussion. Understood?"
"Understood, sir!" Damien said, sitting up straight, already mentally cataloguing shipping trade journals.
"Andrei," Dad continued, "your fund is yours to direct, with our oversight. What is your first target?"
The System interface glowed, overlaying a timeline of coming inflection points I'd indexed. "Observation," I said. "The capital needs to grow safely first. Short-term government bonds. Then, in the next 18-24 months, I'll be looking at specific opportunities in... new consumer technologies." I avoided naming names. "Companies that have moved past the garage phase and are proving there's a real market. The goal is to be a supportive investor, not a speculator."
It was the "Sound Investor" doctrine, taking its first breath.
Later, as dusk settled, I stood in the nursery-turned-study that was increasingly my operations room. The System displayed a new summary.
[ SYSTEM: STATUS UPDATE ]
[ Primary Asset: Lionel the Cat Series - STATUS: GENERATING RECURRING REVENUE ]
[ Capital Fund I: ACTIVE. Balance: £4,217. ]
[ Directive: Capital Preservation & Growth. ]
[ New Parameter Added: Sibling Parallel Development - Active. ]
[ Long-Term Asset Acquisition Horizon: Sports Franchise - Viability Assessment ONGOING. ]
The numbers were satisfying, but the human outcome was more so. I hadn't just started a business; I had, in a small way, helped frame the family's future. Damien was engaged on a new, intellectual level. Daphne was included. The wealth wasn't a secret to be hoarded, but a tool to be understood and wielded together.
The path forward was clear. Write the next Lionel book. Let the capital simmer safely. Watch the technological horizon with a librarian's patience. And nurture this new, collaborative dynamic within the fortress of our family.
The game was no longer solitary. I had just recruited my first two junior partners.
A/N
The three sibling funds are established. Damien is fired up to prove himself. The capital is waiting. The question now is: what specific, real-world company will catch Andrei's eye first as he scans the horizon in 1976-77, and how will he convince his parents to let a seven-year-old place the bet?)