The clock on the wall ticked past midnight. The glossy conference table reflected only one figure now—Lin Chen.
Alone.
Everyone else had left hours ago—some in quiet smugness, others with veiled warnings. They thought it was over for him. That the investment pitch, the core data set, and the influential backers had all been swept out from under his feet. After all, who could stand against the financial syndicates when they decided to isolate you?
But Lin Chen wasn't just anyone. He had the Salvator System.
The polished surface of his terminal glowed faintly as the system interface opened in his retina view.
[System Notification] Mission Status: CriticalObjective: Salvage Project "HyperLoop Future"Time Left: 11 hours 58 minutesResources Available: 1,350,000 CoinsNew Function Unlocked: [Market Forecasting: Lv.1], [Temporary Computational Overdrive]Recommendation: Immediate Activation
He leaned back slightly, hands folded. "You wanted to bury me with this project," he murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice, "but all you've done is gift me your weakest flank."
With a silent command, he activated both features.
[Temporary Computational Overdrive Activated][Forecast Model Generating Predictive Market Paths...]
The flood of information was immediate—terrifying to any ordinary man. Graphs, data trends, correlations, social sentiment, and corporate manipulation patterns surged into his augmented reality overlay like a tsunami. But Lin Chen remained still.
Because now, his brain could handle all of it.
His memory capacity and real-time analytical skills were currently multiplied by a factor of twenty. His heartbeat steadied. Breathing evened. The sensation was akin to surfing across lightning—a blur of insight and action.
The Problem: The HyperLoop project had attracted several prominent venture capital firms, but recent leaks suggested internal instability—possibly planted to scare away investors. These syndicates, led by the Changlong Consortium, planned to short the project, sabotage its image, then buy back equity at liquidation prices. A classic pump and dump.
The Opportunity: If Lin Chen could not only stabilize but inflate market confidence within the next twelve hours, the short would fail, their losses would spiral, and his stake—now at 17%—would explode in value.
He had one chance.
03:20 AM
Lin Chen's fingers danced across his custom terminal. He wasn't alone in this—he had data spiders running advanced scans, social bots prepping public narratives, and legal monitors analyzing the fine print of shareholder agreements.
[System Task]: Upload Psychological Profile of Key Syndicate PlayersProgress: 82%...
He needed to predict not just numbers—but people.
That's where the Emotion Perception Module came in.
He recalled snippets of conversation, public footage, behavioral tells of the people in that meeting—especially Mr. Zhao, the Changlong representative.
"You don't look like you belong here, Mr. Lin.""Youthful ambition is a fire—but fires can be put out."
Zhao had a bluffing tick: he overpronounced hard consonants when lying. Lin Chen remembered the microexpression exactly—his left eye twitched, barely half a second.
[Analyzing... Bluffing Confirmed. Psychological Confidence Score: 71% bluffing range.]
So Zhao wasn't all in. He still feared retaliation. That was leverage.
04:40 AM – Deep Web Market Analytics Hub
Lin Chen bought access to a private AI sentiment analyzer. With system coins, of course. This tool could trace the shadow campaigns behind trending news and evaluate their artificial manipulation levels.
It confirmed his hunch—Changlong had seeded dozens of media outlets with negative buzz.
Solution?
He launched a counter-campaign, disguised as user-generated optimism based on "independent research." In minutes, dozens of fabricated investor success stories, bullish charts, and memes highlighting HyperLoop's upcoming tech conference began flooding forums.
[System Update: Public Market Sentiment: +12%][Remaining Coins: 1,065,000]
The tide began to turn.
But it wasn't enough.
06:00 AM – Legal Ambush Prep
He scanned the board member contracts.
There was a clause buried under a web of legalese: if the CEO's vote was overturned by a 2/3 emergency quorum—triggered by instability warnings—a rapid vote of no confidence could be initiated.
Zhao's plan.
But what if… Lin Chen triggered the clause first?
He filed the necessary motion with two board members—anonymously incentivized with a 3-day stock option payout at double price—using system-assisted social engineering.
They signed the motion.
Zhao would walk into a boardroom coup expecting to execute one—only to find himself the target.
[New Objective Unlocked: Strategic Sabotage Defense]Reward: Hidden Title — "Financial Architect"Progress: 61%
08:30 AM – On-Camera Pitch
The online investor summit went live. Lin Chen was one of the key speakers—originally scheduled to be overshadowed. But due to his legal filing, the two top speakers from Changlong had their accounts flagged.
They couldn't attend.
So the stage was his.
He stepped into the live broadcast room, tie sharp, shirt perfectly pressed, eyes steeled with quiet fire.
He opened with numbers—but layered it with vision.
He didn't just talk valuation—he talked legacy.
"HyperLoop is more than tech. It's a global infrastructure shift. And that shift doesn't bow to rumors. It answers to delivery."
Then he dropped the bombshell.
"I personally raised my stake from 8% to 17% last night. Because I believe in this."
The room, the chat feed, and the stock tickers exploded.
[System Notification: Market Confidence Spike +37%][Mission Timer: 3 hours 12 minutes remaining][Coins Earned: +720,000][Passive Bonus: +1 Luck]Hidden Effect: Zhao's Short Position Triggers Auto-Loss at Next Market Opening
10:45 AM – Pre-Market Surge
By now, HyperLoop was trending across financial subreddits, TwitterX, and local Chinese business news. Journalists reached out for interviews.
Lin Chen gave none.
He simply posted a single line on his official investor profile:
"Dead men can't short. Watch the sunrise."
11:59 AM – One Minute to Market Opening
Zhao was on the other side of the glass now, watching from the VIP balcony, face pale. His phone kept ringing—legal team, PR, damage control. His fund had overexposed its position, betting against HyperLoop.
The market opened.
BOOM.
HyperLoop stock surged 43% in the first fifteen seconds.
[System Notification: Mission Complete][Coins Earned: +2,200,000][New Module Unlocked: Economic Warfare: Lv.1][Title Gained: "Financial Architect"][Perk Acquired: Market Intuition +2]
The room erupted in shouts—cheers, cursing, disbelief. But Lin Chen simply stood, adjusted his jacket, and walked away from the terminal.
Another battle won.
Another war yet to come.
As he stepped into the corridor, he found her waiting.
Li Chu.
Eyes dark, arms folded. Watching.
"So you're the type who wins alone," she said softly.
He didn't answer immediately. Then, a smile.
"Not alone. Just ahead."