Golden Eye Tycoon: Rise of the Billionaire Trader-Chapter 72: Diversity

Jake drove back to his old apartment to pick up a few necessities. The return to his old apartment felt like stepping back in time, even though he’d only been gone for hours.

Jake moved through the cramped space with a strange sense of detachment, tossing a few essential changes of clothes, his specialized charging cables, and his favorite worn-out hoodie into a duffel bag. ’really should by new clothes soon. Guess I’ll take Cath or Aliya to go shopping with.’

He stood by the door for a moment, looking at the dent in the wall from when he’d moved his desk in, and the slightly stained carpet. It had been his fortress when he had nothing, but as he clicked the lock and headed for the elevator, he knew he was leaving the ’student’ version of Jake Rivers behind for good.

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The Zenith was different at night. As Jake stepped into the penthouse, the ambient lighting triggered automatically, casting a soft, golden glow over the white oak and marble. The sound of the terrace waterfall was a constant, rhythmic hum that made the massive space feel less like a museum and more like a sanctuary.

He wandered through the rooms, his footsteps echoing slightly. He ran a hand over the cold stone of the kitchen island, then moved to the master suite. The bed was massive, draped in silk linens that felt like cool water against his skin. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the flickering lights of Gaborone.

’I used to look up at these towers and wonder who lived in them,’ he thought, his reflection ghosting against the glass. ’Now, I’m the one looking down. But it’s quiet up here. Almost too quiet.’

His phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was a video call from Catharine. Her face lit up the screen, her hair slightly damp as if she’d just showered. "Hey, stranger. How is the new palace treating you?"

"It’s... big," Jake admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I’m currently exploring the east wing. I might need a map to find the kitchen again. How was your day? You sounded like you had news."

Catharine beamed, leaning closer to her camera. "I do! I got the call this afternoon. They want me to start the internship this coming Monday. They said they’ve just taken on a massive urban redevelopment project and they’re completely reallocating their senior staff to it. Apparently, the smaller departments are drowning and need all the help they can get. It’s a bit intimidating, but I’m so ready to start."

"Monday? That’s incredible, Cath. I told you they’d be lucky to have you," Jake said, feeling a genuine surge of pride for her. "You’re going to run that place in six months. And listen, now that I’m officially settled into the Zenith, you know the door is always open. You can visit whenever you want. We have five bedrooms to, you know, ’explore’ together."

He let a teasing smirk play on his lips. On the other end of the line, he imagined a crimson flush creep up her neck and settle in her cheeks. She looked away from the phone as if Jake could see her, biting her lip to hide a smile. "Jake! You would love that, wouldn’t you? Always the charmer. But maybe... maybe I’ll take you up on that tour soon. Just to see the waterfall, of course."

They talked for another hour, the conversation flowing effortlessly until their eyes grew heavy. When Jake finally drifted off, it was to the sound of falling water and the distant hum of the city.

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Friday morning arrived with the sharp, persistent chime of his 06:00 alarm. Jake groaned, rolling over and staring at the high ceiling. His body felt heavy, a reminder of the lackluster workout from the day before. He forced himself upright and dropped to the floor, gritting his teeth as he pushed through a set of lunges and squats.

’This floor is too expensive to be sweating on without a mat,’ he thought, his muscles protesting every movement. ’I need to call Alice. I’ll have her find a contractor to convert the smaller guest suite into a proper gym. Full rack, heavy plates, the works. I can’t keep doing this on the hardwood.’

After a steaming shower that cleared the cobwebs from his brain, he retreated to his new home office. He hadn’t moved his multi-monitor setup yet, so he sat at the expansive mahogany desk with just his high-spec laptop. The lack of screens felt restrictive, but the cushion in his account gave him a different kind of confidence. With over 11 million VM in play, he wasn’t trading for survival anymore; he was trading for dominance.

He opened the charts, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a recurring pattern in the EUR/USD pair. Using his ability, the noise of the market faded, leaving only the clear, golden path of the price action. He tripled his usual lot size, feeling the adrenaline spike as the numbers flickered. For sixty minutes, he was the ghost in the machine, entries and exits executed with surgical precision. When the hour ended and his vision returned to normal, he leaned back, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

Session Profit: 7,615,976 VM.

He stared at the total. It was more than some people earned in ten lifetimes, made in the span of an hour. But even as the high of the win surged through him, a cold prickle of anxiety followed. ’How long does this last?’ he wondered. ’If the ’gift’ vanishes tomorrow, am I still a trader, or am I just a guy who got lucky?’

At 09:30, his intercom buzzed. "Mr. Rivers? Security at the gate. There’s a flatbed delivery from Audi for you."

"Let them up," Jake said, his heart skipping a beat. "They’re mine."

He headed down to the subterranean garage, which felt like a cathedral of polished concrete. The delivery team was already unloading the shadows. Two Mythos Black beasts—the R8 V10 and the RS 6—slid off the ramps like predators entering a new territory. Jake signed the digital paperwork, his hand steady even as the delivery driver looked around the 8-car garage with wide eyes.

Once they left, Jake stood alone in the center of the space. He looked at his reliable, dusty A4 parked in the corner, then at the sharp, aggressive lines of the R8 and the muscular stance of the RS 6. Three cars, and five empty stalls.

’A garage like this shouldn’t have empty spaces,’ he mused, the collector’s itch starting to tingle. ’I’ll fill these up soon. Something Italian, maybe something British. A car for every mood of the market.’

He pulled out his phone and dialed Alice. She picked up on the second ring, her voice breathless. "Jake! Is this about the start date? I’ve already started looking into those financial terms as you mentioned."

"Actually, Alice, I have a project for the house," Jake said, walking back toward the elevator. "I need one of the rooms converted into a private gym. High-end equipment, specialized flooring. Can you look into some luxury contractors for me?"

There was a brief pause. "Oh! Well, Jake, I can certainly do that, but you know the Zenith has a full VIP wellness center on the third floor? It’s only for residents. They have Olympic-grade equipment and on-call personal trainers. It might be worth checking out before you start knocking down walls."

Jake paused, his hand on the elevator button. "I didn’t know that. I’ll take a look. If it’s not private enough, we’ll go with the home build. And Alice? Don’t worry, I’ll call you later today about the job details. I’m still clearing my desk."

After hanging up, Jake headed back to the penthouse. He walked past the gym bag he’d packed, his mind elsewhere. The gym could wait. He had a different kind of training to do. He sat back down at his desk, but he didn’t open the gold charts. He opened the stock market.

He knew his Gold prediction was a cheat code, but he was terrified of becoming dependent on it. He needed to know he could survive on raw skill. He decided to take 3 million VM and diversify it into three stocks over the weekend, relying purely on his own research.

First, he pulled up GuardianEye (GEYE). Since Marcus was already moving on the private partnership, the public stock was bound to react once the expansion was announced. It was an inside-track play, but a solid one.

Second, he looked at Lithium Dynamics (LTD). With the global shift toward EVs, The Republic of Veyra’s untapped mineral wealth was becoming a hotbed for speculation. The charts showed a steady accumulation phase that smelled like a breakout.

Finally, he looked at Meridian Group (MER) It was a contrarian play. Everyone was selling because of the scandal, but Jake knew from the board meeting that a major asset—the hotel—was about to be liquidated. If the market realized the Group was clearing debt, there would be a sharp, short-term recovery. ’Let’s wait on this one for now.’

’Three million. My own eyes. No magic.’

He executed the trades accordingly with his notes, feeling a different kind of tension. This wasn’t the guaranteed win of his Gold ability; this was a gamble on his own intellect.

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