Chapter Three: The First Fortune Was Not a Gamble

Zero. The repo system recalled $700 million. Furnace's dashboard still showed 103 percent reserves, while its on-chain wallet transferred assets away. Arbitrage bots saw the discrepancy and redeemed together. The stablecoin fell through ninety-five, eighty-eight, and seventy-four cents. Blaze did not fall. It exploded upward to $112,000 as shorts were liquidated, their forced purchases pouring gasoline on the rally. Lu's remaining puts approached zero. “We were wrong,” Tang whispered. “The gap was right. The path was wrong.” Lu watched the risk sheet. “No adding.” Every piece of evidence tempted him to stake his remaining cash, but the wrong path could kill a correct conclusion.