Translation:
16:30.
Everything had settled.
No one could have imagined that in the final 8 minutes, a staggering 20.7 million short contracts appeared.
This was a game worth over 400 billion, and the value of the short contracts alone was several times the value of the national debt.
Such an absurd situation shouldn't have been possible.
What was even more critical was that these 20.7 million short contracts still hadn't managed to push the price down.
In the final 8 minutes, Lu's Group absorbed all of them.
Honestly, no one had anticipated Wanguo's reckless move.
Only Lu's Group seemed to have been prepared, almost as if they had foreseen this drama.
It was an epic battle.
No matter the outcome, this battle would be remembered by all.
"Smash…"
In Wanguo Securities, Manager Guan smashed his computer into pieces in frustration.
Lu's Group! Again, it was Lu's Group!
The very Lu's Group he had invited to cheer him on had turned into his final enemy.
It was over, completely over. Wanguo was finished—illegal trades combined with nearly 5 billion in losses.
Wanguo could no longer be saved.
Manager Guan's lips turned pale, trembling uncontrollably.
A securities empire had collapsed in one day.
He had seen it rise, hosted the guests, and now he was witnessing its fall.
His phone rang incessantly, but he ignored it.
At the same time, Lu Yiming stood up and stretched lazily.
"Li Assistant."
"Here."
"I'm afraid I'll need to trouble you. Head straight to the exchange."
Lu Yiming knew that even if he didn't go, the exchange would call him soon enough.
The lack of response was merely a delay—they were still processing everything.
The main culprit was Wanguo, and Lu's Group was secondary in this case.
The outcome was inevitable.
But at least, the result was favorable.
The price stabilized at 150.6 yuan.
The bulls were still in profit, and most retail investors had preserved their gains.
At least the tragedy of the previous life would not repeat.
That alone was enough.
"Young Master Lu, please rest assured, I take full responsibility for today's trades."
Li Li lowered her head, ready to shoulder the consequences.
The illegal trades, although a retaliatory strike, were still violations, and there was no excuse for that.
From the beginning, Li Li had been willing to take on the responsibility.
At least, she understood that Lu Yiming wasn't doing this for her, but for the countless innocent retail investors.
Moreover, she was being paid a high salary by Lu's Group to handle situations like this when they arose.
As she thought about it, Li Li took a deep breath.
At least her sacrifice would not be in vain.
"Responsibility?"
"Yes, Young Master Lu, please rest assured that all the decisions today came from my instructions and have nothing to do with you."
"You're overthinking."
"Young Master Lu?"
Li Li was surprised and looked up at Lu Yiming.
What did this statement mean?
"Lu's Group isn't at the point where you, a woman, need to take the fall."
Li Li's loyalty to Lu's Group hadn't gone unnoticed by Lu Yiming.
Whether in this life or the last, this was something that wouldn't change.
But this was too big. A person like Li Li, with no deep backing, simply couldn't bear the burden.
"Go to the exchange first. Regardless of the final penalties, we will take full responsibility. No negotiations. We are not the victims here. Remember, Lu's Group is willing to take all the responsibility."
"Young Master Lu, what if…"
"There's no 'what if.' Don't worry. In this situation, we'll choose the lesser of two evils. The exchange will make the right decision."
Lu Yiming patted Li Li on the shoulder.
This was a man's responsibility.
In some ways, the exchange should even be grateful to Lu's Group.
While everyone was still processing, Lu's Group had stepped in to protect the market. Of course, this couldn't be publicly acknowledged.
"I understand, Young Master Lu."
Li Li looked into Lu Yiming's eyes. At that moment, she even had the feeling of losing herself in them.
Once, she had seen him as a reckless young heir, but now… he had grown into this.
[Sin Value: 1,110,000]
The sin value rapidly decreased, as Lu Yiming saved countless families that were on the brink of destruction.
[Ding: First Glimpse of Brilliance (Completed)]
[Autonomous Task Completed (Rating in Progress)]
[Rating: 89 points (Perfect)]
[System Reward Being Disbursed]
Lu Yiming: (ˉ▽ˉ;)…
He hadn't expected a system reward.
But he hadn't even received a task, so why was there a system mission and reward?
What was going on with this system?
[As an open system, there are no fixed tasks. All missions await the host's initiative to discover.]
This…
He had heard of open-world games, but this was the first time he'd heard of an open system. He was definitely learning something new.
Wait, was he forgetting something?
What was it?
Su Rongrong!
Damn, how could he have forgotten about her?
Originally, Lu Yiming had planned to let Su Rongrong calm down before explaining things to her.
Lu Yiming was sure that someone was trying to frame him in this matter.
Moreover, he had already found a breakthrough.
But the problem was, since they had been honest with each other, and since he almost…
Lu Yiming wasn't a mind reader. Naturally, he couldn't understand Su Rongrong's thoughts.
However, as the only daughter of the Su family, the upbringing she had received was beyond his comprehension.
This matter had to be resolved.
"Young Master Lu, where are you going?"
"I've got something urgent to handle. You take care of the follow-up, and report progress as needed."
"Understood."
Lu Yiming drove his Ferrari at high speed back to the hotel.
"What? She's already gone?"
"Yes, Young Master. We couldn't stop her."
"How was her face when she left?"
"… not good."
"Speak plainly."
"Not good at all. Young Master, if there's anything our hotel can help with, feel free to ask."
She had left without a word. No crying, no tantrums, no dramatic scenes.
But then again, this was Su Rongrong—the apple of the Su family's eye.
Although she had hidden her identity during college, who was Su Rongrong?
The quieter it seemed, the more it signified a storm was coming.
Should he go explain things to Su Rongrong?
But the truth was, Lu Yiming didn't even believe his own words, so how could he expect Su Rongrong to believe him?
Could it be that this was unavoidable after all?
In this chapter, the stakes in the financial battle are raised even higher. Lu Yiming's strategic brilliance stabilizes the market, saving countless investors and ensuring that the tragedy of the previous world is averted. Despite the high-risk nature of the decisions made, Lu Yiming steps up to take responsibility for the outcome, ensuring that Li Li doesn't have to bear the blame. Meanwhile, Lu Yiming is also grappling with personal matters related to Su Rongrong, whose unexpected departure adds a new layer of complexity to his already hectic life. The open-ended nature of the system continues to unfold, and questions about its true purpose begin to surface.