Volume 3: The Rise to Power
Summary: Armed with undeniable evidence, Jack exposes Richard's crimes to the regulatory authorities, sending shockwaves through Wall Street.
The morning sun bathed Manhattan's skyscrapers in a golden glow, casting dazzling reflections that usually signaled another day filled with opportunity and fortune. But today, the light felt cold—almost mocking—as if it bore witness to a crumbling empire.
Copies of The Wall Street Journal, rushed to offices across the financial district, spread like wildfire. The aroma of coffee and rustling pages couldn't mask the stunned expressions on readers' faces. The front-page headline struck like lightning across Wall Street's once-stable skyline:
"Richard Group Plunged Into Financial Scandal – SEC Launches Full Investigation!"
The accompanying photo was of Richard Clayton—once a smiling titan of finance—now a symbol of corruption.
Jack Chen stood in a modest office located in a nondescript building in Lower Manhattan, overlooking the bustling streets below. This cramped, sparsely furnished space had become his first base of operations—a hidden command center built from the dark wealth he'd accumulated in the underworld. From here, he could feel the pulse of Wall Street—and see the panic spreading through the Richard Group.
Kevin Miller, his college roommate and trusted ally, stared intently at three computer monitors. Data streams and charts flickered rapidly across the screens as he tracked the stock market like a bloodhound on a trail.
"Jack! It's crashing! Richard Group's stock has plummeted past its historical low—down over twenty-five percent! It's in free fall! Phones are ringing off the hook, analysts are calling it the end of the 'Clayton Era.' Wall Street is in total chaos!" Kevin's voice was hoarse with excitement. He pushed up his glasses, barely able to contain himself.
Jack remained calm, his deep-set eyes betraying no emotion, as if he had foreseen this all along. "This is just the beginning. The real show is about to start."
He had deliberately leaked details of the warehouse shootout to sensationalist media outlets hungry for scandal. Combined with the already brewing financial revelations, the story exploded like a volcanic eruption. The Richard Group was already teetering on collapse, and the SEC's involvement was the final blow.
"The media front has completely collapsed," Kevin continued, his voice trembling slightly with exhilaration. "Every major news site is running negative stories nonstop. All their previous attempts to suppress the truth have failed. The reports Richard buried before are resurfacing like sharks smelling blood in the water—embezzlement, insider trading, money laundering… you name it!"
Jack nodded slowly, stepping toward the floor-to-ceiling window. His gaze stretched beyond the towering skyline to the distant silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. He knew Richard Clayton must be in a state of complete desperation. Years of effort, a carefully constructed financial empire—everything was now crumbling before his eyes.
"There's more," Kevin said, his tone turning serious. "Richard isn't giving up. He's pulling every string he can find, trying to stop the investigation. He's reached out to several high-ranking politicians, hoping they'll pressure the SEC."
A cold smirk played on Jack's lips, his eyes flashing with contempt. "The more he fights, the more he proves his guilt—and the faster his downfall." He turned back to face Kevin, his gaze sharp and commanding. "Contact Isabella. Tell her to monitor Richard's every move—especially his political connections. We need to gather evidence of every crime he's committed. Those well-dressed politicians? They're the real cancer."
Since escaping Richard's grasp, Isabella Rossi had joined Jack's mission without hesitation. Using the network of contacts she had cultivated over years on Wall Street, she provided critical intelligence. Her hatred for Richard ran even deeper than Jack had imagined.
"Understood," Kevin replied quickly.
Jack turned again, his back to Kevin, his voice low and unwavering. "Also, notify our acquisition team. Increase our buying pressure on Richard Group shares. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—we need to control as much equity as possible. Victory begins with ownership."
He would personally drag Richard Clayton from heaven into hell, crush him underfoot, and strip him of everything. He would make the once-mighty financial shark taste the same despair, pain, and humiliation that had been forced upon him.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious top-floor office of Clayton Tower—the heart of Wall Street—Richard Clayton raged like a wounded beast. The color had drained from his once-flushed face, leaving it ghostly pale. Sunlight poured through the windows behind him, but it could not penetrate the darkness consuming his soul.
He gripped the phone tightly, knuckles white, veins bulging. His voice rasped like sandpaper. "What the hell did you do?! I told you to suppress those reports! Why is every media outlet attacking me now?! Why did the SEC get involved so suddenly?! You're all useless pieces of trash!!"
On the other end of the line, his secretary stammered nervously. "Mr. Clayton… we've done everything we could… but this time, the situation has spiraled out of control… and the SEC seems determined to investigate… we… we can't do anything anymore…"
"Get out! All of you, GET OUT!!" Richard screamed, hurling the phone against the wall. The thousand-dollar device shattered into pieces, scattering across the marble floor.
He felt like a trapped animal, cornered and helpless, thrashing wildly in a cage. Decades of hard work, an empire built on ruthless ambition—everything was disintegrating before his eyes. He couldn't accept it. He refused to believe it!
"Jack… Chen! It's you! You're behind this!" Richard growled through clenched teeth, eyes burning with hatred and fury. He trembled uncontrollably, as if Death itself had tightened its grip around his throat.
How could someone he once treated like dirt, a man he had crushed beneath his heel, rise so quickly to wield such power? How had he done it? Where had he found the funding? And how had he managed to rewrite the rules of Wall Street?
He grabbed another phone from his desk and dialed a secret number. His voice was cold and venomous, like a serpent's whisper. "Yes. It's me. I need a favor. No matter what it takes, I want Jack Chen erased from this world. Permanently. Do you understand?!"
What he didn't know was that every call, every movement, even every breath he took was being monitored by Jack and Isabella. He was a hunted animal—cornered, exposed, and doomed. His end was drawing near.
As Richard fought desperately to cling to his crumbling empire, Wall Street trembled under the weight of unprecedented upheaval. The Richard Group scandal was like a bomb dropped into the ocean—its explosion sent shockwaves across the entire financial world. Firms distanced themselves in fear, investors came forward with accusations, and the group's reputation plummeted. Its stock value collapsed, dragging the company to the brink of bankruptcy.
Jack watched the green numbers flicker across his screen, a cold smile curling on his lips. He was close—closer than ever to ultimate victory. Richard Clayton would pay dearly for every crime he had committed.
He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Isabella Rossi's number. His voice was calm, yet unshakable.
"Isabella, it's time to close the net. Let's bring all the rats hiding in the shadows into the light."
The financial storm sweeping Wall Street was far from over. And at its very center stood Jack Chen—master of the chaos, architect of vengeance. With his intellect and courage, he would reclaim what was stolen from him and force every betrayer to pay the ultimate price.
A new era was coming.