Chapter Two: Everyone Expected It to Soar

Two hours later, Tang projected a network onto Lu's stained wall. Furnace Pool's reserve custodian, Blaze's largest market maker, and the ETF's off-exchange liquidity provider all led to an island shell called Shepherd Pipe Systems. It had no employees, yet paid Polaris quarterly “alternative-data licensing fees.” “Han Che?” Tang asked. “We only know they share a pipe.” Blaze crossed $80,000. Analysts shouted that $100,000 was merely the beginning. The boy in Lu's ear stopped screaming and breathed heavily. The silence felt worse. Lu built three layers: out-of-the-money Blaze puts expiring after the countdown; a VaultCloud put spread; and a small Vanguard Tech ETF call position to hedge continued euphoria.