Chapter Three: The First Fortune Was Not a Gamble

Lu had slept two hours in two days; two fingers occasionally went numb. Risk existed outside an account too. Eleven hours before zero, Xu arrived with bad news. Furnace had shown a bank statement proving $1.2 billion in reserves: $500 million from Polaris and $700 million from an industry fund created by the five tech giants. The voices erupted. “That's my blood, not a gift!” Luminary roared. “They made me approve an invoice that doesn't exist,” VaultCloud cried. “Borrowed for seventy-two hours—just long enough for a photograph,” Chatter laughed shakily. “A photograph,” Lu repeated. “When did the money arrive?” Tang checked public filings.