<h4>Chapter 22: In the Inte Cafe</h4>
December 2nd, 2023.
Every morning was a simple routine for Michael. He''d follow the advice of the system, following the dietary ns and the exercise regimen. Even though the rewards are not recurring, meaning to say that the mission is repeating, he is not forgetting about his health.
As he brushed his teeth, he checked his phone and tapped the trading app. His 100,000 pesos in his brokerage ount just increased to another 15,000 pesos. A satisfied smile spread across his lips. He is earning faster by buying and selling stocks.
However, his expression sank as he remembered that he still needed to raise 10,000,000 pesos toplete his current mission. But what about the business n presentation to Catherine? Isn''t that one of the ways of getting money easily? To have a rich investor investing in you? Well, that may be right but it''s a mock-up presentation or pitch, whatever you call it. Therefore he is not guaranteed to get money from Catherine, or depending on her mother''s decision which will be made in one day.
After Michael finished brushing his teeth and checked his stocks, he dressed casually in a simple t-shirt and jeans. He nced at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his hair before leaving.
Michael walked down the bustling streets of the city. The sun was already high, casting a warm glow on the morning rush. He decided to head to a nearby inte café, a ce he frequented when he needed reliable inte and a quiet corner. @@novelbin@@
Upon reaching the café, Michael scanned the room. It was moderately crowded, with a mix of students and young professionals tapping away at their keyboards. He found a vacant PC at the far corner of the room, a spot that offered a bit of privacy.
It was Saturday so he didn''t have ss. Although some students have Saturday sses, he didn''t apply for one.
His goal for today is to check on the stock market, second is toe up with a thesis title for gathering mastery points, and then third is to finish all the requirements needed to file a patent for his sr panels and the machines that manufacture them.
He logged on to his ount and the lock screen disy disappeared. He still has two hours left on his ount. That''s not enough time so he stood from his seat and headed to the reception. At the reception, Michael topped up his inte café ount, adding a few more hours to ensure he had enough time toplete his tasks. After that, he returned to his seat.
First, he delved into the stock market, analyzing the trends and making a few strategic trades. His knack for picking the right stocks at the right time had been paying offtely, and today was no exception. However, as he was browsing the stocks, he noticed something.
Cryptocurrency has been on a hot trendtely, showing significant fluctuations that could be leveraged for substantial gains. Michael''s eyes narrowed as he scrolled through the charts and graphs. He knew trading cryptocurrency was riskier than stocks, but the potential rewards were also higher. But—there is still something off, that even he couldn''t exin to himself.
Finding a solution, he opened his system and browsed the System Shop. There, he found what he was looking for, a neuroenhancer pill. It''s quite expensive. A pill thatsts for 2 hours costs around 1,000 system points. The pill thatsts for 10 hours costs 4,500 system points. And the 24 hours 10,000 system points.
He checked his system points bnce. It was sitting at 32,050.
"I guess I can buy the two-hour pill," Michael said to himself before buying himself one pill. The pill was transferred to his inventory, however, he couldn''t get it out of thin air as there were people around. So he feigned picking out the pill from his pocket.
He consumed the pill and the tingling sensation in his brain was immediate and intense, a sign that the neuroenhancer pill was taking effect. Michael felt his focus sharpen, his thoughts crystalizing with a rity he had not experienced before. It was as if his brain was operating on a higher frequency.
With this enhanced cognitive state, Michael began meticulously analyzing the patterns emerging in the digital finance market. The first red g that caught his eye was the rampant spection in cryptocurrencies. Prices were skyrocketing, but it wasn''t driven by genuine adoption or technological advancements. It was pure spection, a bubble inting at an rming rate.
Next, he observed the technology vulnerabilities. Reports of minor blockchain breaches and system failures had started cropping up, dismissed by many as trivial. But to Michael, they were harbingers of a potential systemic copse.
Then there were the regtory rumblings. Governments around the world were grappling with how to regte digital currencies. The uncertainty created by potential regtory crackdowns was a ticking time bomb, ready to unleash chaos in the market.
Michael also noticed the overextension of major techpanies. Many had hastily pivoted to incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrencies into their business models. Their stock prices were soaring, not because of solid business performance, but due to crypto-rted hype. This misalignment between true value and market valuation was a ssic sign of a market out of touch with reality.
The final piece of the puzzle was the behavior of the investors themselves. The market was awash with new, inexperienced traders, lured by the promise of quick riches. Their investment strategiescked depth, driven by fear of missing out rather than sound financial principles.
Michael connected these dots with startling rity. He saw a digital financial ecosystem teetering on the brink of copse, inted by spection, vulnerable technology, regtory uncertainty, corporate overreach, and inexperienced investors.
In short, just like the housing market crash in 2008, there''d be a digital meltdown in a year or two or three!
His heart raced in excitement. "Time to short the crypto market," Michael whispered to himself, a n forming in his mind.
He knew that short-selling cryptocurrencies directly could be challenging due to their vtile nature and theplexities of the market. So, he decided to look for other ways to capitalize on the impending crash.
Michael turned his attention topanies heavily invested in digital assets and blockchain technology. Many of thesepanies'' stock prices were inted due to the crypto craze. He beganpiling a list of thesepanies, nning to short-sell their stocks.
Next, he considered buying put options. These options would allow him to sell thesepanies'' stocks at a predetermined price before a set date. If their stock values plummeted, he could sell them at a much higher price than the market value, reaping substantial profits.
He also thought about investing in inverse ETFs that would gain value if the crypto market or tech sector indices fell. This was a safer, more diversified approach, providing a hedge against his riskier moves.
Another part of his strategy involved moving a portion of his portfolio into traditional safe-haven assets like gold and government bonds, which typically retained or increased their value during market turmoils.
Finally, Michael pondered over the possibility of using Credit Default Swaps (CDS) against corporate bonds ofpanies heavily invested in digital finance. However, he was aware of theplexity and high risk associated with CDS.
As he mapped out his strategy, he realized the ethical implications of what he was about to do. He was not just betting on a market crash; he was positioning himself to profit from a situation that could potentially harm millions of investors, especially the inexperienced ones who had jumped on the crypto bandwagon without fully understanding the risks.
But in the financial world, foreknowledge was power, and Michael was determined to use his insights to protect his investments and perhaps even emerge wealthier from the uing crisis.
However, to do that..., he''ll need a lot of capital! A lot of capital means a lot of profits when the crypto market crashes.
"Guess I''ll have to consider doing gambling, for real."