The restaurant Victor Liang chose was not the kind of place Ethan had ever entered before.
Private rooftop dining.
Glass walls overlooking the city skyline.
Soft piano music drifting through the air.
Everything about it whispered one thing:
Power.
Ethan adjusted his jacket as he stepped out of the elevator. A hostess greeted him immediately and led him to a secluded table near the edge of the rooftop.
Victor Liang was already there.
He stood as Ethan approached.
Tall. Impeccably dressed. Calm smile. The kind of presence that filled a room without trying.
"Ethan Carter," Victor said warmly, extending his hand. "Finally."
His handshake was firm. Controlled.
Not aggressive.
Not weak.
Perfectly measured.
"Mr. Liang," Ethan replied.
"Please," Victor smiled. "Call me Victor."
They sat.
Wine was poured. Ethan didn't touch it.
Victor noticed—but didn't comment.
Instead, he leaned back slightly, studying Ethan like an interesting puzzle.
"You're younger than I expected," Victor said casually.
"I get that a lot."
"And yet," Victor continued, "you made one of the most precise trades I've seen this year."
Ethan kept his expression neutral.
"I got lucky."
Victor chuckled softly.
"No," he said. "You didn't."
Silence stretched between them.
City lights flickered below like stars fallen to earth.
Victor folded his hands together.
"Helios was a calculated move. Early. Confident. Large position. No panic during the drop."
Ethan's pulse slowed deliberately.
"You were watching?"
Victor's smile widened just slightly.
"I watch opportunity."
A waiter placed two plates on the table. Neither man looked at the food.
Victor leaned forward.
"I won't waste your time. I believe you have extraordinary instincts."
He paused.
"Instincts that could build something much larger than stock trades."
Ethan remained silent.
Victor's voice softened, persuasive.
"I want to fund you."
There it was.
Clean. Direct.
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
"Fund what?"
"A technology company," Victor replied immediately. "Your company."
Ethan's mind raced.
Future message: Do not trust Victor Liang.
Victor continued smoothly.
"The world is on the brink of transformation. AI, energy, infrastructure. Most people are reactive."
He tapped the table lightly.
"I prefer to build before the shift."
"And you think I can do that?" Ethan asked.
Victor held his gaze.
"I think you already are."
Another calculated pause.
"I'm offering you fifty million dollars in seed funding."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Fifty million.
Not a loan.
Not an acquisition.
Seed funding.
"You retain operational control," Victor continued. "I take equity. Strategic oversight. Nothing more."
It was the kind of deal most founders would kill for.
Power.
Capital.
Freedom.
Ethan's fingers tightened slightly under the table.
Future Ethan's voice echoed in his memory.
You accepted.
Do not trust him.
Victor studied him carefully.
"You're hesitating," he observed.
"Shouldn't I?" Ethan replied calmly.
Victor smiled again.
"That's why I like you."
The billionaire leaned back.
"Let me be transparent. I don't invest in random talent. I invest in leverage."
Ethan didn't react outwardly.
"But I believe," Victor continued, "that you and I could reshape the next decade."
Reshape the next decade.
Ten years.
The world burns.
Ethan felt the invisible threads connecting everything tightening around him.
"Why me?" Ethan asked quietly.
Victor's eyes sharpened.
"Because you move before the market moves."
A beat.
"And because you aren't afraid."
That last line lingered in the air.
The meeting ended without a decision.
Victor didn't push.
He stood and adjusted his cufflinks.
"Think about it," he said smoothly. "Opportunities like this don't wait."
As Ethan turned to leave, Victor added one final sentence.
"And Ethan…"
Ethan paused.
"I don't enjoy competition."
The words were delivered with a smile.
But they didn't feel friendly.
That night, Ethan sat alone in his apartment.
The city felt different now.
Louder.
Heavier.
Fifty million dollars.
A launchpad into power.
Or a trap.
He placed the future phone on his desk.
For hours, nothing happened.
Midnight passed.
1:00 AM.
2:13 AM.
The phone vibrated.
Not softly.
Violently.
Ethan grabbed it instantly.
The screen flickered more aggressively than ever before.
Static lines cut through the display.
Then text forced its way onto the screen.
Broken at first.
Then stabilizing.
Critical memory fragment recovered.
Ethan leaned closer.
Victor Liang is a convergence point.
His heartbeat accelerated.
He caused the collapse.
The words seemed to freeze the air in the room.
Ethan stopped breathing for a moment.
What collapse? he typed quickly.
The screen glitched.
Darkened.
Then brightened again.
Global systems failure.
Financial infrastructure destabilization.
Supply chain breakdown.
The text distorted briefly.
Event begins within ten years.
Ethan's chest tightened.
Ten years.
The warning from Chapter 1.
You only have 10 years before everything burns.
His hands trembled slightly.
How? he typed.
The reply came slower now.
As if fighting against disappearance.
Through consolidation.
Through control.
Through us.
Ethan's mind reeled.
Us?
The next message appeared.
You helped him.
Ethan felt ice flood his veins.
You built the technology he needed.
The letters flickered.
You trusted him.
Then—
He caused the collapse.
The screen dimmed suddenly.
The signal weakening.
One final message appeared.
Do not partner with Victor Liang.
The future phone powered off completely.
No flicker.
No standby light.
Nothing.
Dead.
Ethan stared at the blank screen.
Silence consumed the room.
His normal phone rang.
The sudden sound made him flinch.
Caller ID lit up the dark apartment.
Victor Liang
Ethan stared at the name.
His heart pounded slowly now.
Controlled.
Measured.
On the future phone, the final words still echoed in his mind.
He caused the collapse.
The ringing continued.
Persistent.
Patient.
Ethan didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Just stared at the glowing screen.
And Victor Liang was calling him again.
"If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more of Naruto's journey, don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Your support helps me write faster and continue bringing you more epic chapters. Thank you for your support!"