Chapter Five: Six Hundred Eighty Million Opens the Door

As security entered, Chen pulled a knife and pressed it to Su's throat. “I'm sorry,” he stammered. “They said my daughter dies tomorrow if Lin wins.” Gu spoke calmly from the screen. “The future always finds a price to charge.” Lin did not lunge. He slid the voting agreement toward Chen. “Sign your testimony. I will put one percent of Tomorrow Capital's profits into an irrevocable medical trust for your daughter. She must remain alive to receive it.” It was not comfort. It was an economic anchor, giving the girl's survival a new cause. The knife fell from Chen's hand. At the same instant, Torch's future price plunged from forty-nine to nine.