The Next Thread

The morning sun broke through Neo-Shanghai's haze, casting long shadows across the city's restless sprawl. Jun Xi stood by his shattered window, the cool air brushing his face, his dark eyes glinting with a quiet thrill. 36,752 Union Coins. That's where he'd landed after last night's mission reward—20,000 UN plus the Advanced Coding Skill—stacked on his EclipseCoin haul and interest. Four days in, and he'd turned 1,500 UN into a fortune that could choke his old life dead. His lips curved into a faint, deliberate smirk. The mission was done, but this was no finish line—just a launchpad.

He stepped to the counter, pouring instant coffee into his chipped mug, the steam curling up as he sipped. 36,752 UN at 5% was 1,837 UN daily—real money now, not crumbs. But trading had gotten him here, and he wasn't slowing down. With 36,000 to play, a 50% spike could net 54,000 by nightfall; a 100% would push 72,000. The system's reward had juiced him up, and the new coding skill buzzed in his skull—algorithms, frameworks, optimizations snapping into focus like he'd been born with them. "System," he said, his voice calm but sharp, "what's next?"

"Mission complete. Funds: 36,752 UN. New mission: Turn 36,752 UN into 100,000 UN in 7 days. Reward: 50,000 UN + Business Strategy Knowledge. Begin?"

Jun Xi's smirk widened. "Seven days to triple it? Alright, let's weave something bigger." He liked the escalation—each step bolder, the system pushing him like a partner with teeth. He pulled up the crypto exchange, scrolling with intent. EclipseCoin was still hot—0.48 UN, up 20% overnight—but he needed a fresh vein. His eyes landed on NovaBit: 0.60 UN per coin, up 35% in 10 hours, forums buzzing with talk of a corporate buy-in. High risk, high ceiling—his territory.

He leaned against the wall, the damp chill biting through his jacket, and ran the numbers. 36,000 UN would buy 60,000 NovaBits. A 50% jump would net 54,000 UN; a 100% would hit 72,000. "Let's thread the needle," he muttered, tapping in the order—36,000 UN, leaving 752 UN as a buffer. The transaction cleared, 60,000 coins his now. "Spin the web," he said, pocketing the phone.

He couldn't sit still—not with this much riding—so he grabbed his jacket and headed out. The street pulsed: vendors hawked steamed buns, a kid zipped by on a hoverboard, drones hummed above. Jun Xi aimed for TechFix, his pace steady, Lina's sharp smirk from last night replaying in his head. She'd seen the 15,955 UN, bought into the 10% split, and tossed in bot ideas. Today, he'd pull her deeper—her tech, his cash, a net tightening around something real.

The shop's sign buzzed as he stepped in, the air thick with solder and static. Lina was at the counter, tweaking the new PC's internals, her dark hair tied back, her jumpsuit smudged. She glanced up, her sharp eyes flicking over him. "Morning, money man," she said, setting her tools down. "PC's ready—tuned for trading, AI, whatever you throw at it. How'd last night go?"

Jun Xi grinned, leaning on the counter and flashing his phone: 36,752 UN. "Mission's done—16,000 turned into 36,000 overnight. NovaBit's my play today—36,000 in. Should hit 70,000 if it pops."

Her eyebrows shot up, but she kept her cool. "36,000? You're a machine. What's the next thread?"

He straightened, his tone smooth but firm. "We're weaving a web—tech and cash, starting now. I've got 36,000 rolling, new coding skills to burn. You said bots—let's build one. Trading algo, fast and smart. You tune the hardware, I code the brains. 10% of profits, like we said."

She crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. "A bot, huh? I can rig the system—low latency, high throughput. You're serious about scaling fast, aren't you?"

"Dead serious," he said, his grin turning flirty. "I don't play small, Lina. You keep the gears spinning, I'll make us rich. Dinner tonight—9 PM, Jade Noodle. Bring bot specs, I'll bring cash."

She smirked, leaning closer. "You're relentless. Alright—9 PM. I'll spec it out. Don't blow it all before then."

"Never," he shot back, holding her gaze. "See you there." He left with a nod, her eyes on his back, and stepped into the street with a quiet buzz building.

By 2 PM, NovaBit hit 0.90 UN—a 50% jump. His 60,000 coins were worth 54,000 UN. He let it ride, checking at 5 PM: 1.22 UN. A 103% spike. 73,200 UN. He sold, the funds landing at 72,468 UN after fees. A low laugh slipped out, his pulse steady despite the rush. "Thread's tight," he murmured, pocketing the phone. Midnight would add 3,623 UN, pushing him to 76,091—over 75% to the new goal in one day.

He cleaned up at home—black shirt, fresh jeans—and hit Jade Noodle by 8:50 PM. Lina walked in at 9 sharp, jacket over a dark sweater, her tablet in hand. She slid into the seat, her eyes locking on his. "Cash?" she said, pouring tea.

He slid his phone over: 72,468 UN. "Told you—70,000 and change. We're rolling."

She stared, her cool cracking for a moment. "You're unreal," she said, handing it back. "Alright, bot specs." She tapped the tablet, pulling up a blueprint. "Low-latency trading algo—scans markets, predicts spikes, auto-trades. PC's rigged for it. I'll need a day to sync it. You code the logic?"

"Done by tomorrow," he said, sipping tea, his grin sharp. "Advanced skills kicked in—I can write it blind. We'll test it, split the haul. You in all the way?"

She paused, then nodded. "All the way. Let's weave this net tight."

"To the web," he said, raising his tea, his tone flirty but firm.

"To not getting tangled," she replied, clinking her cup.

Midnight chimed as he walked home, the system pinging: "Funds: 76,091 UN." He smirked into the night. The next thread was set—Lina, the bot, the cash. The net was tightening, and he was the spider at its heart.