After a brief moment of contemplation, Ethan made his choice.
He invested $70,000 into XOR Group.
The company was the same EV firm—crippled by the market, battered by short sellers, yet still holding technology far ahead of its time. The investment alone, however, would never be enough. Ethan knew this well.
Money could start momentum.
But direction required action.
Which was why he reached for the phone.
XOR's founder and owner—Matthew—was someone Ethan knew intimately from a previous incarnation. Former business partners. Trusted allies. He even remembered Matthew's contact number by heart.
Without hesitation, Ethan asked his secretary to connect him.
Five minutes later, the call rang through to Ethan's office landline.
—
"Hello?" A weary voice answered. "This is Matthew. Do I know you? My secretary said you represent a firm called Neo Trading Group and that you had… good news?"
Ethan spoke calmly. "Sir, you may not know us, but we have researched XOR Group extensively. Your company has immense potential."
On the other end, silence.
Matthew had been under relentless pressure—his shares shorted endlessly, his firm pushed closer to collapse every day. To him, this call felt like air to a drowning man.
"I've already invested $70,000 into XOR," Ethan continued. "And I'm prepared to invest far more—if you're willing to work with me."
Matthew sighed. "It won't work. The market is crushing us."
"That's not the market," Ethan said. "It's targeted pressure. A major investor tied to oil and petroleum interests is actively shorting XOR. Your EV technology threatens his empire."
Matthew hesitated. "I suspected that much… but perhaps my timing is wrong. Maybe EVs are still too early."
"No," Ethan replied immediately. "Your timing is perfect. The problem is that oil and gas still control the narrative—and they won't let you go quietly."
Matthew laughed bitterly. "Even so, seventy thousand dollars won't save a multi‑million‑dollar company."
"This is only the beginning," Ethan said. "I can inject few million dollars over time. But buying shares alone won't be enough."
"…Then what do you suggest?"
"First, we shift perception. Inform the local press about the investment and future funding. Second—I want you to invest alongside me."
Matthew went silent.
Ethan already knew the reason. Matthew had planned to exit—sell his remaining shares once the market stabilized, secure his family's future, and take care of the seventy families still depending on him. Love alone didn't pay salaries.
"I can't invest right now," Matthew admitted. "But if the market responds positively, I will."
Ethan nodded—even if Matthew couldn't see it.
"Then sell to me," he said. "I'll buy your shares above market price."
Matthew froze. "Above market?"
"You still control 40%. Your partner Gabriel holds 15%. I want 35% in total. I'll pay 10% above the current market value."
"That's… generous."
"There's more," Ethan added. "I want you to stay. Fully committed. XOR will be yours to lead."
Matthew hesitated. "Our valuation is fifteen million dollars. Thirty‑five percent would cost you $5.25 million. With the 10% premium, $5.8 million $ round figure."
"I agree," Ethan said. "With conditions."
Payment would be split—initial commitment now, the rest in four weeks. Failure would trigger a $200,000 penalty. Legally binding.
Matthew exhaled slowly. "Send me the contract."
—
That same day, Ethan issued instructions.
Legal drafts. Technical proposals. A recovery blueprint.
By the next morning, everything was in Matthew's hands.
The contract ensured Matthew would remain CEO for ten years—a condition that made him genuinely smile. XOR was his life's work. Watching it live on mattered more than the money.
After consulting Gabriel, both agreed.
The agreement was signed.
$30,000 was transferred immediately under Neo Trading Group.
—
Ethan leaned back and checked his system.
" System Panel "
Host Name: Ethan Brown
Age: 11 years, 5 months
System: RO2
Experience Points: 855,590
Total Cash Balance:$39,000
" Attributes " Strength: 91 Speed: 135 Endurance: 220 IQ: 148 Faith: 80 / 100 Aura Control: 12 / 100
Ethan stared at the number.
$39,000.
A sharp sting tugged at his chest—but only briefly.
He still had his office.
His assets.
And the future—slowly bending once more.
This was only the opening move.
The next day, Matthew and Gabriel acted swiftly.
They reached out to the media, announcing fresh funding and a major upcoming contract. After months of silence, XOR finally had good news—and the market listened.
Following Ethan's guidance, XOR republished its technical journal. Complex jargon was replaced with clear, consumer‑friendly language. Instead of exotic alloys, the focus was on durability, low corrosion, and long lifespan. Mileage took center stage: 300 miles on a single charge, at a fraction of petrol or diesel costs.
Days later, another announcement followed.
XOR was launching a luxury EV line.
While the vehicle architecture remained largely unchanged, the interiors were upgraded—central consoles, CD/ DVD players, rear seats entertainment screens, premium seating, dual colored interior, dash cam, features once where only for brands like Mercedes and BMW were now entering the EV space.
Each announcement was carefully timed. One wave of good news followed another.
The oil magnate fought back with negative press, but he couldn't drown out the momentum. As the market continued recovering from the dot‑com crash, XOR's valuation surged along with it.
By week's end, XOR's market cap was up 40%.
Ethan then checked Aegis.
Instead of the expected fivefold rise, the stock had climbed sixfold. His $300,000 investment was now worth $1.8 million.
He withdrew $1 million, leaving $800,000 invested, and immediately transferred the funds to Matthew under Neo Trading Group.
Moments later, confirmation arrived.
Initial payment received.
The plan was working.
Ethan still had a major payment ahead.
$4.77 million—the remaining amount owed to Matthew and Gabriel for their shares in XOR. They were firmly on his side now, optimistic and cooperative. Still, the contract was clear: failure to pay meant an immediate $200,000 penalty.
That, however, was never going to happen.
Ethan already knew how to recover the money.
He withdrew $200,000 from his remaining Aegis investment and moved without hesitation. His target wasn't XOR this time—but the oil and gas trading firm that had been aggressively shorting it.
The same enemy. The same weakness.
Ethan activated 50× leverage and opened a massive short position.
He knew the timing perfectly. Between 12:00 and 12:30 PM, the oil tycoon—Gordi—would be distracted by a family emergency, just long enough to miss a critical market movement. Ethan had exploited this exact window in a previous reincarnation.
History didn't disappoint.
Within thirty minutes, the stock plunged.
Ethan's $200,000 exploded into $1.1 million.
The moment his target was reached, he exited the market entirely—clean, silent, and untraceable.
At 1:00 PM, Gordi returned to his terminal.
And froze.
In the span of an hour, his company's shares had dropped 21%.
It wasn't enough to cripple him—but it was enough to shock him. He knew someone had shorted him hard, through multiple channels, with perfect timing. Yet no matter how deep he searched, there was nothing to find.
The attacker had vanished.
As if the move had been made by someone who could see the future—and knew exactly when to strike.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
The funds were secured. He immediately wired 1 million $ more to XOR group through official channels.
And the game continued.