Zhou You crouched beside the campfire, stroking the rifle in his arms as he stared blankly at the dancing flames.

Beyond the fire stretched an endless forest swallowed by darkness. When he looked up, there were no stars—only a pitch-black abyss.

Tonight, the top brass of the four major conglomerates had been plunged into a bloodbath. A terrifying killer was taking the lives of their shareholders one after another.

Some died in their own homes, some at parties, and some even on the way to the airport. The news spread fast. In the panic, everyone was running for their lives. As the head of Zhenyou Group, Zhou You realized he was in an extremely dangerous position.

He didn’t head for the airport. Instead, he ditched all his communication devices, took his valuables and some basic camping gear, and hurried off to hide deep in the mountains.

To avoid giving away his location, he hadn’t told anyone where he was going.

The only ones with him were his two curvy, fair-skinned, beautiful wives. They weren’t used to physical activity, and after walking most of the way with Zhou You, they both started complaining and couldn’t go any farther. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou You decided to make camp.

He hadn’t brought the two high-maintenance burdens along because he couldn’t bear to leave them behind. He just wanted a little old-fashioned entertainment in a place without internet—and when the time came, he could abandon them without hesitation.

They had enough food to survive in the wilderness for a week. On top of that, Zhou You’s backpack was stuffed with cash, gold, and expensive jewelry. He planned to wait out the danger here, then decide whether to flee overseas.

These were the escape funds Zhou You had set aside for himself years ago. Relations between Zhenyou Group and Organization K had been worsening, and he’d dreamed more than once of being forced out of power. Setting aside a fortune to take abroad had seemed like the sensible choice. He just hadn’t expected to face something even more dangerous than that.

“There’s a mole on the inside…” The firelight stung Zhou You’s eyes. Frowning tensely, he kicked some dirt into the fire, softening its glow a little. He already knew of Yin Ya’s death. With Yin Ya dead, Myanmar’s political and economic landscape was bound to change dramatically—and the fallout for the four major conglomerates would be disastrous. Their ownership structures might change, or they might even go bankrupt outright.

The two women sat at the tent entrance, apparently oblivious to Zhou You’s troubled expression as they rested and quietly complained to each other. They knew Zhou You enjoyed camping and hunting, but they found it a little strange that he’d brought only the two of them this time. They assumed he was just trying to make things more romantic. They complained, but didn’t take it to heart.

Still unable to figure out who the “mole” was, Zhou You sighed again. He set the kettle over the fire, planning to have some hot noodles and then go to sleep.

Then a startlingly out-of-place voice came from beside him. “I have come for you.”

Zhou You instinctively reached for his gun, only to find his hand empty. He turned—and saw the rifle in the hands of a blood-soaked girl.

That was fast!

Zhou You had already read up on evil spirits. He recognized at once that this was the monster that had killed Yin Ya, and a chill ran down his spine.

It’s here to kill me!

His two wives noticed the commotion too. One of them stood up.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!!”

The bullets tore through the trees, and leaves fluttered down like snowflakes. The woman screamed in fright, her legs giving way as she collapsed to the ground.

Gussy tossed the gun aside, took the pack off her back, and shook it out. One bloodied head after another tumbled out, rolling to a stop at Zhou You’s feet.

A closer look revealed that they were all people he knew. Zhou You’s heart leaped into his throat. He didn’t dare speak—or even breathe too loudly. He stared blankly at Gussy, feeling like he could die at any moment.

But Gussy didn’t actually leave Zhou You’s heart in his throat. Instead, she spoke:

“Mortal, Zhou You. You may call me the Flame Sovereign.”

When people faced death, even the most over-the-top words sounded like a death sentence. Zhou You felt cold all over.

“Zhou You, do you know why these powerful figures met such an end?” Gussy asked languidly.

He could only shake his head frantically.

“Because they chose the wrong side and committed vile acts without a shred of humanity. This is the punishment they deserve!”

“I…”

“Still, you’re not exactly a dog of Organization K. I’ll give you one chance to make amends.”

A glimmer of hope stirred in Zhou You’s heart. “W-what do you want?”

Gussy handed him a sheet of paper covered in writing. Zhou You took it carefully, unfolded it, and read by the firelight.

He’d read barely a third of it when his vision went dark. That glimmer of hope in his heart turned to resentment and fear.

【Equity Restructuring and Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement

Party A: The Flame Sovereign herself

Party B: Zhenyou Group

1.1 Cash Payment Obligation: As compensation to Party A for its prior intervention, Party B shall, within three calendar days of this Agreement taking effect, make a single, full payment of $250,000,000 by bank wire transfer to an account designated by Party A.

1.2 Personnel Disposition Rights: If Party B fails to pay the full amount within the time limit above, Party A shall have the right to immediately eliminate Party B’s senior management. Party B may not object on the grounds that “the value of its assets exceeds its debts.”

2.1 Separation and Integration: Within thirty calendar days of this Agreement taking effect, Party B agrees to carry out a comprehensive legal and financial integration of its existing businesses.

2.2 Equity Allocation: Upon completion of the integration above, Party B shall transfer to Party A equity in the core operating entities and holding companies under the new structure, ensuring that Party A holds a total of forty-nine percent (49%) of the equity in the integrated Party B group.

3.1 Veto Rights: …

3.2 Strategic Guidance Rights: …

…】

The pages that followed were filled with oppressive clauses on liability for breach, confidentiality, and bans on public statements. Zhou You’s head spun as he read.

The cash payment had been set at a delicate figure—as if they knew exactly how much it would take to empty his coffers. But the other terms…

“Could you give us more time? Organization K won’t agree to this.” Zhou You put on a pitiful look and tried to bargain.

“Not a single word of the terms above can be changed.”

“How is that any different from killing me?”

Gussy smiled. “There’s a world of difference. I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead. Those tortures… Someone in your position should know them well.”

“I can’t make decisions on behalf of the four major conglomerates.”

“Hee-hee. Then they’ll disappear.”

Zhou You fell silent, at a loss for what to do.

“You get one chance to decide. You can try to run, but wherever you go, I can find you with ease. Just like I did now.”

“Call the police! Honey, get your private security to catch it! The gun!!”

Zhou You’s youngest wife saw Gussy drop the rifle and thought her chance had come. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Zhou You suddenly sprang up and slapped the woman with all his strength. “You useless fool! Is that any way to speak to my client?”

As the woman sobbed, Zhou You agreed to Gussy’s terms.

……

The four major conglomerates couldn’t keep the news from everyone. Shares in all sorts of businesses under their control plummeted at once, panicking countless shareholders and sending them rushing to sell.

Many opportunists thought they saw a chance to short the market. They borrowed shares, waiting for the right time to buy them back. But two days later, they were dumbfounded: the stocks had only just started falling when they bounced right back. Some tried to close their positions, only to find they couldn’t buy enough shares.

They’d clearly been set up!

As cries of despair filled the air, negative reviews started flooding the comment sections of futures and stock-trading apps.

“What a garbage game. It charges me every time I open it!”

“Can I get a refund for a minor? My kid didn’t know what he was doing and dumped 200,000 into it.”

“I’m still a student. I accidentally put my student aid money into this. Can I get it back? (sad)”

There may even have been some high-flying acts in places no one knew about.

The chives who’d jumped into the market were wiped out, but the ones who’d been watching gained confidence and started buying the dip. For a while, stock prices recovered a little.

In truth, the four major conglomerates’ top brass were quite skilled at manipulating the stock market. With options in one hand and control of the available float in the other, they worked together to drive prices back up and fleece another wave of speculators. That was how it should have gone.

They never could’ve imagined a monster would come for them directly and wipe out the dozen or so most influential figures inside their groups in a single night!

Right after that, funds worth several billion dollars poured in as all kinds of cryptocurrency. Then every industry under the four major conglomerates plunged again.

There were clear-eyed people inside the groups, too. Many had witnessed Yin Ya’s death with their own eyes. They knew the four major conglomerates were finished, and saw that a market crash was inevitable. So they turned around and took aim at their own companies. If they were going to die, they might as well carve a pound of flesh from their own corpses. This only sped up the crash.

The 400 million in principal borrowed from Bharata and the four major conglomerates was converted into various cryptocurrencies and used to short the market at an average of 2.5x leverage, earning a net profit of around 200 million. Unfortunately, Xu Fang couldn’t leverage without limit. He had no credit backing that would let him run up a debt with a futures broker, and he had no reputation in the market. The leverage he did get was only because the capital-trading platforms saw the four major conglomerates’ dire situation and decided the risk was manageable.

“I’m going to invest this money and the profits that follow in you. We’re still just getting started. I’m sure people will eventually come offering money on their own.”

Xu Fang said this in the group chat.

Far away in the United States, Owen was startled when he saw the message.

“What!? How much?”

“Four hundred million to start. We’ll increase it gradually after that.”

Owen could hardly believe his eyes. His expression was already twisted with excitement.

In the face of power, capital was child’s play. And if the author flipped the table, even power became a joke. That was what Owen thought at that moment.

If someone funded him with ten million to devote himself to the cause of peace, he’d be willing to become their godson. But Xu Fang had put up 400 million in one go and said he’d add more later. Owen wouldn’t just become his son—he’d gladly be his sex slave too!

“Hahaha, Boss Xu, I’m ready! Where do we start? Huaguo?”

“Huaguo doesn’t fully trust me yet. They’re still hostile toward the author, so I’ve decided to choose… Bharata as our first stop.”

Bharata? An unexpected choice.

Owen thought it over. Although he doubted the character of the Indians, Bharata didn’t seem to have blacklisted the author. If they agreed to work with the author, then it made sense for the cause of peace to begin there.

“No problem. I’ll talk to the Indian higher-ups… Also, I know a few author friends. Can I bring them into the group?”

“Have them come see me for an interview. If they pass, they’re in.”

“Only people who pass Xu Fang’s interview will be allowed to join. But first, I need to make sure they’re trustworthy,” Owen thought.