Chapter 34: Mastering the Oil Market
As Quinn sat comfortably in his apartment, Nexus's voice broke the silence, filling the room with its characteristic calmness.
"Host, we shouldn't include outsiders in the island project now that we have a way," Nexus said, a subtle undertone of caution present in its voice.
Quinn looked up, somewhat puzzled. He had been thinking about securing additional funding from outside investors, knowing that building an entire island required far more than the liquid capital he had available. His empire was vast, yes, but he was aware that more resources were needed to bring his vision to life. "What do you mean by that?" Quinn asked.
"You have more than $4 billion now, but even that is a drop in the ocean compared to what's needed for such a monumental project," Nexus explained. "Including outsiders might lead to unnecessary complications. They could try to exert influence or control over the project. And frankly, $4 billion is nothing in the grand scheme."
Quinn's brow furrowed. He had thought that $4 billion was enough to at least kickstart the island development and get it moving. But Nexus was right. To build an entire island city with state-of-the-art infrastructure, he needed far more. And with outside investors came the risk of them wanting to have a say in how things were run. That was something Quinn couldn't afford to let happen. He needed complete control.
"So, what the heck should we do?" Quinn asked after thinking it over for a few moments.
Nexus responded promptly, as if it had already calculated the answer. "The oil market has been relatively stable since the last crash. In fact, it has climbed back up and is now valued at over $3.5 trillion."
Quinn's mind immediately snapped to attention. He had been part of the disruption in the gold market, and that had yielded spectacular results. Nexus's next plan, no doubt, would aim for something even bigger.
"First, we drop the oil price for 20 minutes, giving the illusion that another crash is happening. Fools will panic and sell short, thinking they're about to make a fortune. While they're scrambling, we'll reverse the market and push it up steadily until your profit reaches 10 times your original investment."
Quinn leaned back, eyes narrowed in thought. "And then?"
"For just 30 minutes, we will allow the market to spiral slightly out of control. People will see the sudden rise and buy long, confident that they're going to make huge returns. Once they've committed, we will go short, pulling the price back down—just short of the original value before we started the manipulation. This way, we don't create a total collapse, just enough instability for our gains."
Quinn felt a thrill run through him as Nexus laid out the plan. He hadn't thought about using the oil market in this way, especially given its massive global impact. "How much will this net us?" he asked.
Nexus's voice was unwavering. "With the correct timing and minimal deviation in the market, you could have over $150 billion USD by the end of the operation."
Quinn's jaw dropped slightly. $150 billion in just a few hours? It seemed almost too good to be true. He sat in silence, stunned by the precision and boldness of Nexus's plan. Quinn knew he was talented when it came to making moves in the market, but even he would have never devised such a meticulous and calculated scheme. If he had tried to manipulate the market on his own, he might have gone too far, creating total chaos and instability. Nexus's approach, however, was cold and rational—no reckless risks, just a clean execution.
"Alright," Quinn said, finally breaking his silence. "Let's do it. Let's shake up the oil market."
Nexus responded immediately. "Executing the plan now."
Quinn watched the screen as Nexus initiated the first phase. The oil market, valued at over $3.5 trillion, began to show signs of a sudden dip. The price of oil began to plummet, first slowly, and then more rapidly. Quinn saw exactly what Nexus had predicted—panic. Traders around the world reacted swiftly, selling off their positions in fear that another crash was imminent.
Within the next 10 minutes, the market had dropped nearly 6%. The media was starting to catch wind of the situation, with news outlets reporting on the unexpected decline in oil prices. Experts were already beginning to speculate about what might have triggered this sudden drop. Some thought it was geopolitical instability, others blamed market manipulation, but no one knew for sure.
"Just a little longer," Nexus said, maintaining its calm demeanor. "We need the panic to hit a critical level."
Quinn's eyes stayed glued to the screen. As Nexus had planned, several large investors had begun selling short, hoping to capitalize on the supposed crash. More and more people were piling into the short positions, betting that oil would continue to fall. Quinn could almost feel their excitement—the thrill of thinking they were about to make a killing.
And then, with perfect timing, Nexus reversed the market.
The price of oil, which had been in freefall, suddenly began to rise. It started slowly at first, causing confusion among traders. Some believed it was just a small correction, but as the price continued to climb, panic shifted from the sellers to the buyers. Those who had shorted the market scrambled to cover their losses, and those who had stayed out of the market rushed to buy in, fearing they were about to miss out on the rally.
Quinn's investment began to balloon as oil prices surged upward. In just 20 minutes, the market had rebounded by nearly 10%. Nexus had timed everything perfectly, allowing Quinn's profits to grow exponentially as the price of oil rose. Quinn could see the greed in the market—traders were going long, trying to ride the wave of this sudden surge.
"Now," Nexus said, its voice as cold and calculated as ever.
Quinn gave the signal, and they began selling short once again. This time, the market fell even faster. The sudden downturn caught everyone off guard. Traders who had gone long were now frantically trying to offload their positions, but it was too late. Nexus had already locked in Quinn's profits, and as oil prices fell back down, Quinn watched his total profits climb to astronomical levels.
In less than two hours, it was over. The price of oil had settled just below its original value before the manipulation had begun. Quinn's total profit? A staggering $150 billion.
Quinn stared at the number on the screen, momentarily speechless. He had just made $150 billion in a matter of hours, and the global oil market hadn't even suffered significant long-term damage. Oil prices had returned to normal within two hours, and while some traders had been wiped out, the overall market remained intact.
Quinn leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. "Nexus, that was incredible," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I was programmed to ensure efficiency," Nexus replied, as though it were stating the obvious.
Quinn chuckled to himself. Efficiency was an understatement. Nexus's plan had been flawless. Not only had they avoided causing widespread panic in the market, but they had also managed to extract an obscene amount of profit in the process.
"Now we have the capital we need for the island," Quinn said, his voice brimming with confidence. "No more outsiders. This is our project now."
Nexus remained silent for a moment before responding. "Indeed, Host. We can now proceed without interference."
Quinn stood up from his chair, feeling a surge of power and control. The future was wide open, and with Nexus by his side, there was no limit to what he could achieve. The oil market, the island, the arms trade—everything was within his grasp.
"Let's keep going," Quinn said, his voice low but determined. "This is only the beginning."