Chapter One: Zero in Ten Minutes

Ten minutes before the wedding march, Shen Yao's phone vibrated three times. He ignored the first. Afternoon light fractured into gold beneath the glass dome of the Cloudcrest Hotel as guests took their seats beside an aisle of white roses. Lin Wanxing waited behind a gauze curtain. The black-silver ring she had made for him flashed on his hand. “More reliable than your models,” she had said. “At least it doesn't pretend to understand the human heart.” The second vibration came from Obsidian Capital's risk line: NAV DEVIATION, 7.8%. Shen frowned. Obsidian managed 104 billion yuan across twenty-seven markets. No single market closure should move the portfolio two percent in a minute. The third alert read 31%.