Even the most aggressive capital predators hesitated to enter the market during the chaos.
Normally, large investment groups thrived during moments like this, moving quickly to exploit falling prices and secure enormous profits. But this time, the situation was different. No one could identify the mastermind behind the sudden turmoil in the stock market, and no one could predict when the market would finally reach its bottom.
Without that information, any move carried enormous risk.
Even the most experienced investors felt their scalps go numb as they watched the strange patterns unfolding in the market. The selling waves appeared in fragmented segments, scattered across different sectors and time frames in ways that seemed almost impossible to predict.
Behind it all was Svija.
Its multi-layered execution plan created confusion at every stage, making the market look like a battlefield filled with traps. By the time other investors tried to react, the situation had already shifted again.
Because of that, Ethan Cole's money moved through the market almost uncontested.
In the early stages of the plan, he had deliberately taken losses by dumping large volumes of stock. But when the market finally collapsed into panic, he moved in again with massive capital and quietly bought everything back at the bottom.
By the end of the operation, not only had he achieved his objective, but his overall financial power had grown even stronger.
During the crisis, the United States government had not remained idle.
On the contrary, federal agencies poured enormous amounts of money into emergency stabilization efforts, attempting to support the falling companies and restore confidence in the market.
But the difference between the two sides was enormous.
One side had carefully planned the entire operation and executed it with perfect timing.
The other side was reacting blindly.
Under those circumstances, even billions of dollars in government intervention had little effect.
The entire operation lasted less than a week.
Within six or seven days, Ethan had already achieved everything he intended.
The freedoms built into the American financial system had given him a massive loophole to exploit. Whenever government officials or corporate representatives tried to contact him, their messages were simply pushed aside.
Warnings were ignored.
Threats meant nothing.
At Ethan's level of wealth and influence, the law itself had lost its ability to restrain him. For now, he still had the patience to play this game with the people in power.
But if that patience ever ran out, the consequences for the country would be catastrophic.
Because of that, many influential figures quietly came to the same conclusion.
Ethan Cole could not be forced.
If they pushed him too far, the stock market itself might never recover.
One morning, Svija delivered the final report.
"Sir," the system said calmly, "this operation consumed a total of one hundred and thirty-two point nine billion dollars in capital."
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair as he listened.
"We have successfully acquired controlling stakes in seven companies ranked within the top fifty by market capitalization. In the remaining thirteen companies, our shareholdings have also increased significantly."
The report continued.
"In addition, we now possess equity positions in more than twenty other corporations. Based on current projections, these assets are expected to generate more than two hundred billion dollars in capital gains over the next three months."
Ethan nodded slowly.
The results were even better than he had anticipated.
Over the past several days, numerous high-ranking officials in the United States government—including the president himself—had attempted to contact him.
Some had issued subtle warnings.
Others had tried persuasion.
Ethan's response had been simple.
He told them that everything he was doing fell completely within the boundaries of the law. If anyone disagreed with that interpretation, they were welcome to confront him directly.
Whether the dispute happened inside the legal system or outside it, Ethan made one thing clear.
He was fully capable of handling either option.
Of course, that didn't mean no one had tried to stop him.
At one point during the middle phase of the operation, several intelligence agencies and special operations teams secretly prepared plans to capture him.
But before those teams could even begin their mission, hundreds of operatives from multiple departments vanished without a trace.
The disappearance shocked everyone involved.
No one could explain how it had happened.
But the message was obvious.
Ethan Cole possessed a terrifying level of hidden power.
His actions clearly threatened national security. Everyone in government circles understood that he was responsible for the financial chaos, yet without concrete evidence, no one could legally act against him.
At the same time, another development was quietly unfolding across the country.
The Superman Initiative had begun.
The first sixty operatives from the Dark Division had already been deployed throughout the United States. They were scattered across major cities, with at least one operative assigned to every second-tier city or larger.
Each of them operated under a new identity.
Wearing combat suits designed by Svija, these individuals began appearing in public as mysterious figures fighting crime.
Within only a few days, several of them had already become headline news.
Figures with names like Shadow Man, King Kong, Power King, Regenerator, and Swift appeared across television broadcasts and internet media. The names themselves had been created by Svija, and they quickly captured the public's imagination.
But these so-called heroes were very different from traditional superheroes.
Following Ethan's instructions, they didn't behave like noble vigilantes who captured criminals and handed them over to the police.
They executed them.
Every criminal they targeted was eliminated on the spot, often with brutal efficiency.
With Svija assisting them, each operative had access to detailed information about their targets. The system could instantly investigate criminal records, uncover hidden crimes, and verify guilt before action was taken.
After each execution, the operatives would publicly release a list of the criminal's offenses.
At the bottom of every list was a single word.
God.
It didn't take long for people to realize that these individuals were clearly part of some larger organization. Rumors about a mysterious group connected to "God" began circulating among both intelligence agencies and ordinary civilians.
Ethan had never attempted to hide the truth completely.
Many of the clues pointed directly toward him.
As a result, senior officials within the United States government quickly realized what was happening. Ethan had created an entire network of crime-fighting operatives—people who acted like heroes but openly violated the law.
Worse still, every one of them appeared to possess powerful mutant abilities.
The situation made everyone extremely uneasy.
Just the day before, Ethan had received a call from the one-eyed director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury.
During the conversation, Fury delivered a vague but unmistakable warning. As a gesture of appreciation for Ethan's earlier information about Hydra infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury also shared a piece of intelligence.
"The government is planning to establish a special task force," Fury explained. "A mutant response unit designed to deal with escalating conflicts involving mutants."
There was a pause before he continued.
"And to be honest, you're a major reason why that decision is being made."
His voice grew more serious.
"What you've been doing has pushed things too far. The evidence is starting to point directly at you, and if this continues, the response won't be subtle."
He spoke the final sentence clearly.
"If you don't stop, what comes next will be destruction."
Ethan listened quietly.
Then he smiled.
"Thanks for the warning," he said calmly. "But none of that concerns me."
He paused briefly.
"To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to that day."
As Ethan himself had said, he truly meant it.
If he ever ended up standing completely opposite the United States government, then at last he would be free to unleash everything he had been holding back.
.....
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