I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 66: Let’s Go For It

The early morning sun cast its golden glow over Bonifacio Global City, reflecting off the glass skyscrapers that housed some of the most powerful companies in the country. Inside Sentinel Systems' headquarters, Matthew sat at his desk, sipping his black coffee as he reviewed the financial reports on his laptop.

His phone buzzed. Daniel Reyes. Right on time.

"Morning," Matthew greeted as he picked up the call.

"Morning?" Daniel scoffed. "More like a damn headache. I spent the last few hours reviewing your request. You really want to move hundreds of millions of dollars into market shorts and stock positions? Matt, this isn't just high-stakes investing—this is full-blown financial warfare."

Matthew smiled slightly. "I wouldn't have called you if I wasn't sure about this."

There was a pause before Daniel let out a sharp exhale. "Alright, then let's talk about the risks. Because if this blows up in our faces, we'll be in deep trouble."

Matthew leaned back in his chair. "Go on."

"First," Daniel started, "we're dealing with investor money. You have control, but that doesn't mean you can throw billions into risky bets without consequences. If this fails, our institutional investors will come after you with everything they have. Not just lawsuits—they'll demand audits, board takeovers, even regulatory intervention. It could cripple Sentinel Systems before it even reaches its peak."

Matthew listened intently, fingers tapping on the desk.

"Second," Daniel continued, "this kind of trading could raise red flags. If we suddenly short major industries right before a crash, people will ask questions. The SEC, global regulators, even hedge funds we're working with—they will notice. Worst-case scenario? Market manipulation accusations. And once that happens, every financial watchdog will start poking around."

Matthew smirked, but his tone remained calm. "We're not manipulating anything. We're just making smart bets before the rest of the world catches on."

Daniel sighed. "That's exactly what a criminal would say."

Matthew chuckled. "Anything else?"

"Yeah." Daniel's voice grew sharper. "You're making enemies. If we take short positions on airlines, oil, and hospitality—big players lose money. These aren't small businesses, Matt. These are multi-billion-dollar industries. If Sentinel suddenly positions itself against them, expect pushback. They'll fight back, politically and legally."

Matthew took a slow sip of his coffee, unfazed. "Noted."

There was silence for a few moments before Daniel asked the big question.

"What makes you so sure, Matt? I mean—this isn't just a normal market play. You're 100% certain that this will happen. How? What do you know that I don't?"

Matthew exhaled. "Because it's all predictable."

Daniel frowned. "Predictable?"

Matthew leaned forward. "The signs are already there, Daniel. If you look at global reports, you'll see unusual respiratory illnesses being recorded in China. Nobody's paying attention to it yet. But by December, cases will rise. Governments will ignore it at first, then panic once it's too late. By March, the world shuts down. Businesses will collapse. The market will crash."

Daniel was quiet for a long moment. "...You really believe that?"

"Not just believe it," Matthew said firmly. "I know it."

Daniel let out a slow breath. "Matt, this is insane. A global shutdown? Businesses collapsing overnight? That's—unprecedented. Even if some kind of virus spreads, are you really telling me the world will just stop functioning?"

Matthew's expression remained unreadable. "Yes."

Daniel groaned. "You understand how crazy that sounds, right? No one would shut down the entire economy for a virus. That's suicidal."

Matthew smirked. "Yet that's exactly what will happen."

Daniel rubbed his temples on the other end of the call. "Fine. Let's say you're right. Let's say this virus becomes a global problem. How do you know exactly which stocks will collapse and which will skyrocket?"

Matthew didn't hesitate. "History repeats itself. In every crisis, fear controls the market. Industries that rely on travel, tourism, and oil will crash because people won't leave their homes. Meanwhile, tech, e-commerce, and pharmaceuticals will boom because demand for remote services and medicine will surge. It's simple cause and effect."

Daniel exhaled sharply. "Jesus… This is either the greatest bet in history or the fastest way to destroy everything we've built."

"It's not a bet, Daniel," Matthew said coldly. "It's a certainty."

Silence.

Then, Daniel spoke again, more cautiously. "Even if I still think this is insane… I know you, Matt. You don't make decisions lightly. You wouldn't risk this much unless you truly believed it."

Matthew smirked. "Exactly."

Daniel let out another long sigh. "Alright. If we're doing this, we need to be careful. No sudden moves. We'll spread out investments across different hedge funds, stagger transactions over weeks, and stay under the radar. If we short too aggressively, we'll attract attention."

Matthew nodded. "That's why I have you, Daniel."

Daniel snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get me arrested, alright?"

Matthew chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Daniel hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "One last thing. If this does happen—if this pandemic really unfolds the way you say—what's your endgame, Matt? Are you just trying to make money, or… something more?"

Matthew's smile faded slightly. He looked out the window, the city spread out before him, oblivious to what was coming.

"Money is just the beginning," he murmured.

Daniel was quiet for a beat before letting out a dry laugh. "Yeah. That's what I was afraid of."

Matthew ended the call and immediately began executing his plan.

Thirty minutes later.

had just closed his laptop when his phone buzzed on the desk. Angel Therese Sue.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders before answering. "Angel, what's the update?"

"Good morning, Mr. Borja," Angel's smooth, composed voice came through the line. "I have urgent news regarding Sentinel's corporate partnerships. You might want to sit down for this."

Matthew smirked. "I'm already sitting. What's happening?"

"NVIDIA, Google, and other major tech firms have officially decided to move forward with their investments in Sentinel Systems," Angel reported efficiently. "We're looking at a combined capital injection of approximately $3.2 billion."

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Matthew's fingers drummed against his desk. "Break it down."

"NVIDIA is investing $750 million for priority access to Sentinel's next-gen AI security framework. Google is committing $1.1 billion to fully integrate Sentinel's cybersecurity architecture into their cloud services. And Amazon? They've decided to increase their stake—adding another $900 million to their existing agreement."

Matthew's eyes gleamed. This was bigger than anticipated.

"And the rest?"

"Intel and Samsung are negotiating a combined $450 million deal," Angel continued. "They're interested in embedding Sentinel's encryption technology into their next-generation processors and semiconductor security systems."

Matthew let out a slow breath, his smirk deepening.

"That's $3.2 billion in partnerships," he murmured.

"Yes, sir," Angel confirmed. "I've already scheduled meetings with their executive teams. They want to finalize everything within the quarter."

Matthew chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Perfect.

"You're efficient, Angel."

"That's what you hired me for, Mr. Borja," she said smoothly.

Matthew's eyes flickered toward the city skyline. His moves in the stock market were a gamble, but Sentinel Systems? That was a certainty.

"Good work. Let's wrap this up before the end of the quarter."

"Yes, sir," Angel replied before ending the call.