The Kensington Grand Hotel's meeting room had a certain gravitas to it—a blend of old-world elegance and modern sleekness. I took in the rich mahogany table and the city skyline just beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. A fitting place for the moves we were about to make.
The door swung open, and in walked Jaken and Tabaguchi. Jaken sauntered in first, his signature grin already in place, looking like he owned the room. Tabaguchi followed, his usual quiet demeanor masking the sharp edge he always carried with him.
Jaken's eyes scanned the room, zeroing in on me. "You've really leveled up, Dio. Thought you'd be hiding out in a tech cave, not some fancy-ass hotel."
I stood, extending a hand to both of them. "Gotta keep things interesting. Besides, couldn't have you two thinking I've gone soft." I nodded toward Kai and the others seated around the table. "Jaken, Tabaguchi—meet the team. Childhood friends," I added with a grin, "and my personal bodyguards, when they're not making trouble."
Jaken winked at the group. "Bodyguard's a fancy word for babysitter. But yeah, we've known each other since back when Dio could barely reach the top shelf."
Tabaguchi, ever the man of few words, gave a small nod, but his eyes were alert, already sizing up everyone in the room.
Kai, sitting to my right, was the first to introduce himself. He leaned forward, calm and composed as always. "Kai. Head of operations here." His tone was measured, but there was no mistaking the authority behind it. "I make sure everything runs smoothly—markets, strategies, people."
"Basically, he's the mastermind," I chimed in, smirking. "Keeps me from blowing all the money."
Kai didn't crack a smile, but his eyes flickered with amusement.
Marcus, lounging casually in his chair, was next. "Marcus," he said, offering a laid-back nod to Jaken and Tabaguchi. "Investor relations, negotiations… smooth talker, whatever you want to call it." He grinned. "I'm the guy who makes sure we don't piss off the wrong people."
"Impressive," Jaken quipped, leaning back in his chair. "Sounds like you'd be a good drinking buddy."
Marcus shot him a wink. "Bet on it."
David adjusted his glasses, his analytical gaze flickering between Jaken and Tabaguchi. "David," he said, voice clipped but confident. "Numbers guy. Data, analysis, forecasting. I make sure we don't just win—we win smart."
Jaken raised an eyebrow. "Smart's good. Smart keeps you alive."
Finally, Taylor spoke, her voice light but with an unmistakable edge. "Taylor," she said, flipping her blonde hair back casually. "Trends and research. I spot what's coming before it hits. Let's just say I make sure we're always ahead of the curve."
Jaken gave a low whistle. "You really have put together quite the squad," he said, turning back to me. "I'm almost impressed."
"Almost?" I echoed, grinning. "Give it time."
Tabaguchi, who had remained silent, leaned slightly forward. "And today?" he asked, his tone steady. "What's the plan?"
I turned to Kai, who had already been watching the monitors, charts flickering in his gaze. The room fell quiet for a moment as the weight of the day settled over us.
"Kai," I said, leaning back in my chair, "today, we're going big."
Kai's eyes met mine, unwavering. "Big it is," he replied, no hesitation, the same calm certainty in his voice that I had come to trust.
Jaken cracked his knuckles, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Now we're talking. Let's see what all this hype is about."
Taylor, Marcus, and David all exchanged knowing glances, the same fire in their eyes. We weren't just here to make a dent—we were here to dominate.
I shrugged off my blazer, tossing it onto the back of a chair as I stood up. The air in the room seemed to shift, a surge of energy crackling as all eyes turned toward me. I smirked, looking at Kai, Marcus, David, and Taylor.
"Let's get the party started," I said, my voice carrying the weight of what was coming. Then, I glanced over at Evelyn, who had been silently taking it all in from the corner of the room. "But first, Evelyn," I added, with a grin, "kick Jaken and Tabaguchi out. And after that, I need you to assist Kai with the paperwork."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed as she adjusted her glasses with a sharp motion. She shot Jaken and Tabaguchi a cold, almost deadly look. Her stance was poised, professional, but her expression practically said it all.
Jaken raised an eyebrow, grinning wide. "Kicked out already? And here I thought we'd at least get to see some fireworks."
Tabaguchi, unflinching under Evelyn's icy gaze, threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine," he muttered, standing up with a slow stretch. "Stop eating us up with your eyes, Evelyn. We'll be outside if you need anything."
Evelyn didn't respond, just gave them both a dismissive look as she crossed the room. They exchanged a knowing glance before heading for the door, Jaken nudging Tabaguchi with a chuckle as they left.
Once the door clicked shut behind them, I turned back to the team, the room now charged with anticipation.
"Now," I said, locking eyes with Kai, "let's make some waves."
The room was electric, the hum of computer screens and the rapid tapping of keyboards filling the air. Everyone was locked in, eyes darting between charts and the flashing numbers of the market. The stakes were high, but the energy made it feel like a game of strategy rather than just a day at work. We had started with 3.6 million kroner, and by the end of this, we needed to come out on top.
Kai was at the helm, moving like a conductor orchestrating a symphony of data. His voice broke through the tension, sharp and clear.
"Alright, news just dropped—TechGen just announced a new product. They're shooting up, but the hype won't last long. Marcus, what's the fair value gap looking like?"
Marcus's eyes flickered across his screen, a slight smirk pulling at his lips. "Gap's wide open, about 3.5% under fair value. Perfect for a quick in and out. We can hit it on the rise, but I don't see it holding for long."
Kai nodded. "Buy in at 1.2 million, ride it up 10%—no more. We'll short the bounce after it spikes."
Evelyn, already poised to execute, chimed in. "Shares are at 385 kroner each. We're moving fast. Go?"
"Go," Kai snapped, the click of keys immediately following. Marcus leaned back, eyes flicking between his chart and the market.
David, hunched over his laptop, was already tracking another lead. "We've got a press release from GreenCell Energy. Government contracts just secured, and shares are lagging behind fair value. 6% gap. They're ripe."
"How much liquidity are we talking?" I asked, my pulse quickening.
David didn't hesitate. "We can push 1.4 million kroner, shares at 92 kroner each. Fair value will close fast, but we need to move now."
Kai glanced at me, and I nodded. "Let's go heavy on that. We can capitalize on the momentum and close by midday before it corrects. Marcus, keep an eye on the volume."
"Already on it," Marcus replied, fingers flying over his keyboard. "Volume's picking up, but we're still under the radar. This thing's about to pop."
The market was like a battlefield, every piece of news an opening salvo, every decision a strike. Taylor was furiously scanning for the next opportunity, her voice cutting through the controlled chaos.
"Look, LuxAir's earnings just dropped, and they missed expectations by a mile. Panic sell-off incoming," she said, her voice laced with urgency. "Fair value's completely out of whack. We short at 450 kroner, shares are already dropping 7%. If we get in now, we can ride the wave down."
Kai's eyes locked onto the screen, assessing. "Alright, Evelyn, hit it with 800K. Short it to 375 kroner, that's our exit. Don't hold past that."
"Executing," Evelyn said, hands steady as she placed the order.
Minutes stretched into hours, each trade hitting fast and hard. The room felt like a war zone, every screen flashing like gunfire as stocks soared and crashed. There was no room for hesitation, no time to second-guess.
Marcus grinned as the TechGen spike hit its peak. "We're up 12% already. Closing now."
"Good," Kai said, cool as ever. "Now short it before the correction hits."
As TechGen's stock stumbled, Evelyn's voice broke through again. "We're up 8% on GreenCell. Closing?"
Kai paused, then gave a sharp nod. "Close. Take the profit before the market catches on."
Click. Click. The market moves were executed like clockwork, each decision a calculated risk, but each one precise.
By midday, the adrenaline in the room had reached its peak, but we weren't done yet. The LuxAir short had gained even more momentum than we'd expected. Marcus was practically bouncing in his seat.
"450 to 360 kroner in less than two hours. We're up 25% on the short. Closing?"
Kai didn't even look up. "Close it. We're done with that one."
I glanced at the screens as the numbers rolled in, our initial 3.6 million kroner had ballooned to something more. The gains were stacking, and everyone could feel it.
David's fingers raced across his keyboard, pulling up the final figures. His face broke into a grin. "We're sitting at 10.5 million kroner after closing everything out."
The room went silent for a brief moment as everyone took in what had just happened. We'd taken calculated risks, hit every window of opportunity with precision, and now we had nearly tripled our initial balance in one day.
Kai finally leaned back, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "Not a bad day's work."
Marcus let out a low whistle. "10.5 million… and we were only getting started."
Evelyn pushed her glasses up with a small smirk. "Seems like the market doesn't stand a chance when we're all working together."
The tension broke, replaced by quiet murmurs of disbelief and excitement. We had battled the market and won—big. But even as the day's success settled over us, I knew this was just the beginning.
Kai glanced at the clock, then back at the team. "Tomorrow, we aim higher."
The room was still buzzing with energy, but I could see it in their eyes—we were already thinking ahead to the next day, the next fight.
Dio Stat's Info:
Lvl: 16
Skill Count: 3 (Key selling point analyze) (Analyze) (Global Monitoring System)
Strength:35
Agility:24
Intelligence:31
Endurance:21
Charm:25
Dio influence, power & riches:
Money - 10.5 Million Kroner
Associates - 11
Assets - 0
Digital Asset - 250 BTC
Goons - 10
Cars - 1
Guards - 2
Employers -53
Companies- 1