Invasion of the United States

On the fourth day of the stock market crash, Zhou Qingfeng was still holed up in Old Lady Grey's countryside villa, like a refuge from the world ravaged by a storm.

Apart from driving to the nearby supermarket to bring back enough food for half a month, he barely moved, like a hibernating bear, deliberately distancing himself from the chaos outside.

Because outside was too chaotic, the situation was changing too fast, extremely turbulent, and entirely unpredictable.

In four days, the two major indices on Wall Street had triggered circuit breakers twice, with the indices fluctuating like the final struggles of a dying person, and the plunging curves were as steep as cracks on a cliff edge.

On social media, retail investors were like trapped beasts, desperately emitting shrill howls.

Someone posted a screenshot of a zeroed-out account, with the red "-98%" number on the screen like a sharp knife piercing the heart.

Someone uploaded a video, the shaky camera sweeping across Wall Street, with shredded reports and flattened coffee cups scattered on the ground.

Suits and ties squatted by the roadside, hands cradling their heads, their eyes vacant as if they had lost their souls.

Someone screamed hysterically into the camera in a live-stream: "This is robbery, this is the end, our assets have been completely looted!"

In the background, on this person's computer screen, the K-line graph plummeted like a falling meteor, drawing a terrifying red line.

At the same time, news websites' headlines were updating faster than anyone:

"Global Stock Market Bloodbath: More Than Ten Trillion Dollars Evaporate," "Hedge Fund Giants Bankrupt and Liquidated," "Federal Reserve Emergency Meeting Yields No Results, Investor Confidence at Rock Bottom."

With each refresh, hundreds of curses and cries appeared in the comments section, some predicted a "replay of 1929," while others outright declared that "civilization is doomed."

TV anchors facing the cameras feigned calm, "the *** Bank has suspended withdrawals, please remain calm... do not panic... financial experts say..."

On the fourth day, market pessimism reached its peak.

The two major indices had dropped by over thirty percent, and just when everyone thought the apocalypse had arrived, the tide suddenly turned.

Under the urging of the White House and Congress, the United States Ministry of Finance urgently issued a special two trillion dollar bond.

The United States could not lose its financial supremacy, the 'Blondie' in the White House could not tolerate a continued stock market decline.

The Federal Reserve activated the "nuclear-powered printing machine" to buy up the bonds, with US Dollars flooding the market, forcibly propping up the teetering stock market.

The various financial institutions that had lost their shorts were already hungry and thirsty, scrambling to exchange their stocks for the Ministry of Finance's US Dollars.

Stock trading's red lines suddenly turned green, like an electrocardiogram being shocked back from the brink of death, the jumping numbers making one dizzy.

By the end of the fourth day, the Dow Jones had surged over a thousand points, the NASDAQ soared by 10% as if on steroids, and the S&P 500's curve rocketed straight through the clouds.

Global financial markets reacted, with Europe's DAX and Asia's Nikkei 225 following the US stocks in a wild chase like a herd of startled wild horses.

The retail investors, who had been weeping and wailing in live streams just moments ago, now collectively celebrated, with some posting account screenshots and others shouting "miracle market rescue."

News headlines turned from "Rivers of Blood" to "Miraculous Rebound" in seconds, with fanatical praise: "MAGA! Long live the Federal Reserve!"

It was as if a financial apocalypse film had been forcibly rewritten into a redemption plot.

Amid the pile of 'big news', the announcement that 'Dongda' was resuming commercial flights but requiring a fourteen-day isolation for incoming travelers was completely drowned out.

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In this chaotic celebration, unable to go to 'Dongda', Jeff Connally called Zhou Qingfeng, sounding as pleased as a gambler who had won big: Your support at MV^LEMP^YR keeps the series going.

"Victor, I've got two pieces of news for you. Which do you want to hear first, the good or the bad?"

Zhou Qingfeng replied coldly, "Let's hear the good news first."

Jeff's tone was as buoyant as a wanderer returning full from a casino: "The good news is, I guessed that the Ministry of Finance would step in to rescue the market.

On the day of the crash, I shorted the market with Pioneer Holdings' funds, making a bloody fortune.

Then I camped out for insider information, building up positions for three days straight, ready to switch to long. With today's market surge, guess what?"

He paused for effect, pride leaking through his voice, "As the chairman of Pioneer Holdings, I solemnly inform our esteemed investor.

Victor, your personal bank assets have surged by another 30%, more than when you won the lottery. Now you have more than 1.35 billion dollars in your account."

Zhou Qingfeng glanced at the fund report on his phone, the dense numbers dancing like notes on a music sheet, too numerous to count at a glance.

The more money you spend, the more it grows.

Jeff's voice continued nagging in his ear, "This wave of turbulence isn't over yet, but staying in the stock market is too risky. I suggest cashing out while the market's going crazy. What do you think?"

"Okay," Zhou Qingfeng responded.

Jeff chuckled softly and continued, "Now for the 'bad news'—with so much money in your hands, what do you plan to do with it?

Leaving it in the bank is a shame, the interest is too low. The funds need to move, otherwise they're just a bunch of dead numbers."

Zhou Qingfeng felt nothing towards this, and after a moment of silence, he slow-burned, "Buy gold, real gold.

The stock market is that crazy, gold will certainly rise. Also, I need some US dollar cash, about a hundred thousand, have someone send it to me."

On the other end, Jeff Connally was sitting in a Miami conference room, with the boundless city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Ah... this fits perfectly with my thoughts. The chaos isn't over yet, gold is the best hedge asset, the price is sure to soar.