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Chapter 188: Black October Part 6
"Ivan has recently started dating a new girl. I've met her, and she's different from the previous ones. She's like a 'bookworm.' This time, I won't object."
An investor standing by the phone was speaking casually with his wife. "We should focus on our little sweetheart and ensure she doesn't turn into someone we wouldn't like..."
He continued talking about ordinary family matters in a gentle tone. His wife couldn't understand why her usually impatient husband, who was often annoyed with her and their two children, suddenly started caring about their lives and the family. But she felt it was a good thing.
Even God says that if someone realizes their past mistakes and starts correcting them, they are a good person. Being a bad person even for a minute is too long, but it's never too early to start being good.
After her husband finished, she told him she had prepared a sumptuous dinner with steak, chicken fillets, and some fruit, waiting for him.
The investor listened intently without interrupting. After exchanging farewells and hanging up the phone, he lit a cigarette and made his way towards the rooftop.
After a long walk through stairs and corridors, he emerged from the dark corridor into the bright rooftop of the EaseLink Exchange Building. The expansive view gave him a sense of euphoria.
For a moment, he didn't want to die.
Yes, he had come to jump.
But he quickly convinced himself otherwise. Lighting another cigarette, he walked towards the edge of the roof, muttering, "There's no turning back."
That simple statement extinguished any hope of continuing to live. As a financial investor, like many others, he was bold and loved taking risks.
Making money with his own money rarely exceeded the initial investment in a day; that was a threshold, a limit. But leveraging with borrowed money allowed him to make more in minutes than his entire capital.
Moreover, he was dealing with futures contracts, playing big. This was the wildest dream of all financial investors. Many people kept such thoughts buried, never acting on them, because they knew the risks. They couldn't predict if the outcome would be constructive or destructive.
But with six consecutive years of rising markets, every stock seemed to be going up, albeit some more than others. Apart from a few unlucky ones who bought declining or stagnant stocks, nearly everyone was making money.
When his friends used leverage to secure better returns, when all his friends leveraged to stand higher, he was tempted.
From ten times, to fifty times, to one hundred times, and now two hundred times in futures contracts, the growing momentum of the snowball effect was unstoppable and irreversible.
The market crash half a month ago had wiped out his efforts over the years. This time, it directly sentenced him to death.
He walked to the edge of the rooftop and sat down. Looking down, waves of dizziness made him feel nauseous, and there was also a fear of death creeping in.
He briefly reconsidered solving his problems without dying, but within a second, he told himself it was impossible.
Millions in debt were enough to crush him, his family, and his children for this lifetime and possibly for generations, as their creditors were banks.
The only way out was suicide, which could solve these problems.
The funds he borrowed from the bank were for financial investment, purely for his personal investments. His family didn't benefit from this money, so they wouldn't need to bear the consequences.
His lawyer would help them escape these issues. To ensure his wife and children knew what to do, he wrote a will, wrapped it in waterproof gloves, and placed it in his jacket pocket.
Now, with a cigarette in his mouth, he looked up at the sky. The blue sky seemed to have a magical power to purify the soul.
He lightly leaped forward, turning in mid-air. His eyes filled with longing as he gazed at the sky, feeling as if he would melt into the blue expanse.
Ten seconds later, a loud thud signaled the end of a life from this filthy, sinful world, shattering the fragile defenses of many people's hearts.
The three major exchanges and investors simultaneously learned of the event. The panic selling that had briefly halted due to the President's speech resumed, this time with evident intentional manipulation.
It was important to note that futures contracts could be used for both long and short positions.
Some institutions, openly or covertly, began shorting. Some investors quickly closed positions and switched sides, turning the disaster into a brutal plunder.
Under the pressure of multiple forces, the defenses crumbled.
Half an hour later, the Presidential Palace issued another official order to halt trading, and the three major exchanges complied, stopping public trading.
However, this couldn't stop after-hours trading. Even without visible price fluctuations on the boards, people were frantically selling, trading, and matching orders.
The entire street outside the exchanges went mad.
The next day, Tuesday, the last day of October, saw all stocks drop by at least thirty percent at the opening. Over twenty stocks were delisted for falling below the minimum holding price, marking the real start of the stock market crash.
In a second-floor café on the financial street, Lynch and Vera were briefly distracted by a corpse on the sidewalk across the street.
Vera quickly looked away, feeling uncomfortable. This was the fourth jump they had witnessed. The entire street had gone crazy.
They were the only customers in the café, making it feel like a private venue.
"I'm feeling unwell. I need some time..." Vera looked at the coffee and pastries in front of her, but her mind was on their investments with Gap.
They had invested heavily in stocks, putting their savings into the market. The sight outside made her feel choked with anxiety.
Gap had always handled their investments, and as the financial auditor of a public company, he had access to insider information.
He always told Vera how much money they had made, but he never mentioned whether they had leveraged anything. Vera felt she needed to clarify this. She excused herself, claiming she wasn't feeling well, when in fact she wanted to make a phone call.
Lynch nodded slightly, watching as Vera swiftly left, clutching her handbag. She moved so quickly that her shoes almost couldn't keep up, and it appeared her ankle was injured. Despite this, she didn't stop, determinedly pushing on until she disappeared from Lynch's sight.
Lynch sipped his coffee, observing the desperate people outside. Suddenly, something flashed past his eyes, followed by a loud thud. Under immense pressure, some blood even sprayed onto the glass of the second floor.
Thick blood slowly trickled down the glass. Lynch leaned over to see the sidewalk, spotting another twitching body.
His mood didn't change much. He understood that all those who jumped were essentially gamblers.
They had used bank loans, company funds, or leveraged hundreds of times of their capitals for investments.
Faced with the stock market crash, there was even no chance to force close positions.
They were gambling, betting on hundreds of times returns, and if they lost, it was just their life.
Before today, people might not have cared about ten or five bucks, but after today, even one buck would seem valuable.
Lynch needed a local to help him, and he immediately thought of Joegleman; he definitely had some friends in Bupayne.
Of course, Director Johnson could help too. Given the financial tsunami affecting everyone, it was clear he wouldn't be able to support two families simultaneously without assistance from Lynch.
Mutual help is the essence of friendship. There was no reason for Lynch to help him without reciprocation.
As he pondered, Vera returned from the restroom, looking more relaxed. Despite a slight wince with each step, she seemed better than before.
Gap had reassured her that their investments had no loans or leverage. Their savings were enough to support their investments, bringing Vera some relief.
Although the losses were significant, at least they wouldn't be burdened with lifelong debt.
They sat for a while, witnessing the street's brutal spectacle. Vera quickly adapted, becoming numb.
Because there were so many, during the approximately half-hour they sat together, they witnessed at least seven incidents of people jumping from buildings. The entire city was surrounded by sirens, and people were jumping from buildings everywhere.
"It's so tragic." Vera sighed emotionally.
Lynch nodded. "This is a man-made disaster..." Vera looked curious, but Lynch didn't elaborate. He shifted the conversation, noticing Vera's swollen ankle. "Compared to this, we have other matters that might be more important."
He left his chair, squatted down, and patted his thigh, smiling at Vera. "Let me see your ankle."
Instantly, Vera's face turned as red as if she had just downed a glass of strong liquor.
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