Chapter One: The Bankrupt Man Heard the Clock

Then a hurried woman whispered, “Too many requests. The server room is cold. Zone Three is empty, so why do they keep saying everything is normal?” The code for VaultCloud flashed. A young celebrity voice giggled from Chatter: “The trending page loves me. Seven digits—don't swipe away.” A taciturn man counted braking distance inside FarDrive, while a weary merchant complained about returns inside GridMall. Then all five repeated the same phrase. “Seventy-two. Zero zero. Zero zero.” Lu dropped the pen. The five companies made up forty-one percent of the Global Vanguard Tech Index. They had also been the pillars of Tidal One's supposedly neutral portfolio. “I need ten minutes,” he said.