The stock market crash worsened as time went on, with each passing moment bringing further decline.
After fifteen minutes of continuous descent, there was a brief pause before the market, like a resurrected force, began to rise again.
In a matter of minutes, everything reverted back to its previous state prior to the fall, and astonishingly, the market even surged higher than its pre-crash levels.
.....
George let out a sigh of relief when he noticed his watch displaying that 15 minutes had passed. As the stock market began to stabilize, it became evident that their plan had borne fruit and was now reaching its final steps for a successful conclusion.
With a satisfied smile on his face, Aubrey exclaimed, "It's finally over!'"
"Yes, Father," George said with a sense of satisfaction. "Now all that's left is to calculate the losses we inflicted upon them and the gains we secured." He couldn't help but feel pleased that his meticulou
{The Morgans, being the ones who came up with the plan, meant that they possessed the knowledge to prepare the most efficient means of maximizing profits. Despite benefiting from their actions, just like them, our main source of profit did not originate from their tactics.} Nova paused, allowing Aron time to digest the information she had shared.After taking a moment to process the information, he raised his head and asked with curiosity, "So, how did we manage to make profits in a way that outsmarted the Morgans?" His expression showed genuine interest.{When we finally had the complete plan from the black sites, I leveraged my computing power to simulate their strategy. Through conducting multiple simulations with different parameters, I was able to uncover something that had eluded them.} Nova paused, building suspense, prompting Aron to ask, "What did you discover?" He played along with her act.{blue-chip stocks} Nova responded with a single word.A
"What?" Rina exclaimed in disbelief upon hearing the staggering amount she had earned from the crash. Her surprise was evident in her tone as she sought confirmation. "Are you sure?" she asked, still struggling to grasp the magnitude of her earnings. Ava, maintaining her composure, responded calmly, {Yes, that's what Mother sent me,} she replied, displaying the impressive figure on the screen, leaving no room for doubt. As Rina's eyes remained fixed on the screen, her appreciation and gratitude towards Aron swelled within her. It was his ingenuity and efforts that had made this incredible feat possible. Overwhelmed by these thoughts, she reached for the phone he had given her during their first meeting and dialed his number, wanting to express her gratefulness. After a brief period of ringing, Aron picked up the call and greeted, "Hello." "Hello, Aron. How are you?" Rina asked, trying to maintain her composure despite the excitement bubbling within her, having been left thrilled
[Sorry for uploading the wrong chapter yesterday. I have solved it but It's still in review]"Find all of those who had substantial gains during the crash and bring the list to me. I want to find out if it is either luck or if they knew about our plans ahead of time" George gave the order to the presenter when he realized that their gains were not up to their expectations."But sir, if they were privy to our plan, they would have likely employed a similar strategy of using multiple accounts for their trades. Consequently, it will be an arduous and time-consuming task to identify them, if we can even find the evidence at all," the presenter replied, unafraid to provide his rationale, fully aware that if he simply accepted the task and failed, he would face severe consequences."I am not concerned about the duration required to locate them. Their actions resulted in our anticipated gains of over a trillion being diminished to a mere 700 billion, with more than 300 billion being taken aw
Two weeks later."Do we really have to go?" Lilungulu asked his father as he got into their car."Yes, we must. If His Excellency Adolf doesn't witness sufficient attendance at the event, our lives will become even more challenging," January, Lilungulu's father replied as he ignited the car's engine and departed from the garage, commencing their journey.As their car traversed the streets of Edenia, the capital city of Eden, they observed the glistening roads that had been diligently cleaned throughout the preceding week in preparation for that day."They have completely eradicated any remnants of destruction and littering that resulted from the protests following the arrests," Lilungulu said."This time, I had hoped that the protests would continue until their release, or perhaps His Excellency would postpone the festivities for another week, but the serenity and cleanliness of the streets convey a different message, thanks to their presence," January said, pointing towards the soldi
Aron, who was watching the parade from within a real-world synchronized time bubble in the universal simulation said, "If you were unaware of the military's inherent weakness, you would assume they were of world-class caliber."{All those weapons originate from Adolf's private forces' warehouse, and they will be promptly reclaimed and returned to them. As for the cars appearing brand new, their impeccable condition can be attributed to a skillful paint job.} Nova, as always sitting near Aron, answered immediately.Observing the situation, Aron asked, "Is everything proceeding according to plan?"Nova reported, {Yes, everything is in place. And with a majority of the private forces' weapons in the hands of the soldiers participating in the parade, dealing with the private forces will be easier than anticipated. At the moment we are simply waiting for the first shot to be fired before I issue the order to everyone, signaling them to make their move.}As the
"Testing, one, two, three," exclaimed a soldier gripping a microphone inside a truck brimming with speakers, completely disregarding the perilous circumstances surrounding him. His sole focus remained on ensuring the seamless operation of the system.A glance at the surroundings would reveal a staggering sight: over four thousand soldiers encircled the headquarters of the dictator's private forces, locked in a tense standoff with the ill-equipped private forces.The majority of their state-of-the-art technological equipment was loaned to the soldiers for the parade, aiming to demonstrate to the world their possession of cutting-edge weaponry.As a result, they found themselves outgunned by the military they were constantly compared to and believed to surpass.Caught completely off guard, they remained oblivious to the fact that Adolf had been attacked. Unbeknownst to them, Nova intercepted the communication intended for their awareness, providing Adolf with a false sense of security b
"WhaAaT ArE yOu Doing?" Adolf asked, his voice trembling with panic. The fear in his voice was palpable as he questioned the intentions of the generals."Someone has ordered us to keep a close watch on you until their plans are complete, after which they will personally visit to have a talk with you," General Ethan responded, a sinister smile forming on his face."Who is that person?" Adolf inquired, his mind racing to determine if he had unknowingly angered a powerful individual. "You will find out when you meet him, so sit down or I'll make you," Nathan threatened Adolf, his tone laced with authority. "Shit," Adolf muttered, his body trembling as he reluctantly took a seat. He realized that regardless of what had done, he was in for a long and troubling night....….Eden.Gradually, one after another, governmental buildings and other strategic locations fell into the hands of the protestors, while in the capital city, the military continued to assert control.As the night unfolded
Two hours later.At the stroke of midnight, everything came to a sudden halt. As the new day dawned, the restless citizens, who had been in a state of chaos, found themselves compelled to pause as every news channel began airing the same broadcast.While this captured the attention of those who had their televisions on, the remaining citizens were intrigued by the simultaneous message they received.As they unlocked their phones, they were greeted with a headline reading "Presidential Announcement" along with a link to the broadcast.As a result, the entire nation fell into a temporary hush, as curiosity enveloped everyone regarding what Adolf was about to reveal. Would he issue threats, compelling them to return home, or would he offer concessions and pledge to alter the country's policies? The anticipation hung in the air, leaving the populace on edge, awaiting the impending announcement.Adolf took his place at the podium, adorned with his
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra