Past Life Returner - Chapter 332

Chapter 332
I finished my tasks in London, assuming that China would struggle. Then, my next destination was a tranquil hotel in Virginia. Preparations were underway for a club meeting set to take place in two days.

There were bound to be protestors every time a club meeting was held. They still thought of us as the Bilderberg Club and shouted that they were not our slaves. However, this year’s conference would be carried out in silence. I didn’t see a single picket and then I passed through the security door.

News about my arrival spread throughout the hotel, but there were only a few who could directly face me. Mick was one of them. Although he wasn’t an official member of the club, he was responsible for security during the meeting. He called the Awakened ‘cats’ and oversaw item warehouses and military enterprises.

There was a familiar face next to Mick. He was a former member of Cat Food Warehouse and had been promoted to the point where he was able to secure one of the thirty seats among the Awakened. He also considered himself a resident of the Savior’s city.

Mason followed Mick into the room.

“I see you, Odin[1].”

I asked Mason after hearing about the hotel security situation from Mick, “The King of Hell’s whereabouts is unknown. Do you know anything about it?”

Mason responded quickly, “He said there was something he hadn’t finished in the Stage of Advent.”

He was referring to those who shouldn’t have come back home.

I had many directives for Mick and Mason as there were programs that needed to be developed based on the various items stored at the Cat Food Warehouse and the association. These programs included a registration system, insignia, and item market.

After I provided them with a rough explanation, I gave him a contact number.

「 Carl & Jane Law and Accounting Office 」

“Send someone useful. They will prepare the rest.”

***

Even with just a slight increase in Sense, I could hear the passionate voices of the club members. This was due to the occurrence of unpredictable events that happened between the meetings that were held between 2017 and 2018. The Day of Advent, the return of the Awakened and a sign of an economic boom were examples.

There were still two more days before the meeting began, but most of the members were already there, and their faces were filled with happiness. It was natural because they were sucking up the shares that I had finally begun to release.

Yesterday, the global stock market began to rise as if it was on fire. The political magazines, including the Guardian, played a part in the market’s enthusiasm and fueled the market’s excitement. When the media encouraged the public to buy stocks, it was an attempt to lure ants so that capital forces could shake off the damage and reemerge into the world.

However, there was a chance for those who believed the media this time. People were anxious as they were unable to purchase stocks, but if they did invest after being swayed by the media’s claims, they would deeply regret it.

Yesterday, the New York Stock Exchange alone rose six percent and the average increase in the world, excluding China, also approached six percent. Starting today, the global stock market wouldn’t stop as if it was racing through an autobahn.

People would turn a blind eye to the harm caused by the economic sanctions against China, and instead sing a song of hope for a new era, similar to the optimism during the dotcom bubble. The only difference is that the subject had changed from the Internet to the greatness of mankind.

I browsed through online news and clicked on an article that caught my attention.

「 Even Iran Has Turned Their Back on China

In a bold move, Iran has shut down their oil pipeline despite warnings from their largest customer, China. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) has redirected its oil tanker back to its home port.

Sources reveal that nine out of the seventeen tankers transporting crude oil from Iran to China are operated by China, and Iran has reportedly resorted to armed conflict in an attempt to prevent them from operating.

The United States has denounced China’s detention of the Awakened as a reckless provocation against human peace, in defiance of the World Awakened Association’s guidelines. Moreover, they have praised the commitment of the three largest oil-producing countries within OPEC to maintaining peace among humanity.

However, as Iran has lost their biggest customer… 」

└ Iran can’t do much. Wouldn’t China be enough to be a loner?

└ China has been too confident until now. They have grown enough to fight for supremacy with us, but their one mistake in detaining the Awakened, who prevented the world’s destruction, has stopped them from escaping the same situation as Iraq.

└ You guys shouldn’t be here commenting on this right now. Have you bought stocks yet? It will go crazy this time.

└ The impact of these unprecedented sanctions on unemployment levels and the extent to which the national growth rate will decline remains uncertain. Despite the obvious unfavorable factors lying in front of us, buying stocks now only fills the stomach of financial giants, including Jonathan Investment Finance Group. The upswing is temporary. The whole world will soon realize how much they have relied on China.

└ Stupid. Jonathan Investment Finance Group is a hero. Shut up!

There were only five comments as most of the attention was concentrated on the articles mentioning the stock market boom.

Click.

「 The Party has Begun… Congratulations on the Great Boom!

Global financial markets, excluding China, have screamed joyfully. The events started when stocks from the Big Four (Jonathan Investment Finance Group, Gillian Investment Finance Group, Telestar Investment, and Gold and Silver Investment) flowed into the market.

Brian Kim, the Chief Financial Officer of Jonathan Investment Finance Group, stated, “We have recognized the strained market trend since the Day of Advent.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management at AP Morgan said, “I extend my praise to all the market defenders, including the Jonathan Group. The World Awakened Association wasn’t the only entity that saved the world. We were able to maintain civilization, thanks to those who protected the market.” He also announced that all companies that were previously criticized will be acknowledged for their worth from now on.

However, some are concerned about the situation. Critics address that the United States-led economic sanctions against China will bring a shock to the world like the Day of Advent.

Nevertheless, the global stock market soared by six percent, and the total market capitalization of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ alone increased by four hundred billion dollars as of yesterday.

The current surge in the market, while significant, pales in comparison to the estimated fifty trillion dollars that was lost worldwide during the Day of Advent. Nevertheless, despite facing the unfavorable impact of economic sanctions against China, the financial investment industry views the current state of the market as a celebratory milestone marking the onset of a global stock market boom…」

└ I knew it. I shouldn’t have listened to my wife. She said there’s no such thing as Awakened. Then did the alien monsters jump out of the shit? Ugh.

└ No one can expect when and where this rally will end.

└ I can hear AP Morgan’s sigh of relief. They will love it.

└ The Jonathan Group and those who defended the market are true heroes. Superman does exist. On the other hand, it’s a shame that I couldn’t join their heroics. It was a chance to become a hero and a billionaire.

└ It’s not too late! Let’s get on the board! If you hesitate, then you won’t get that chance ever again.

└ When you all realize when to buy and sell, you guys are already too late. If you have no idea, then close your eyes and buy it! I’m serious. Trust me.

└ Cheers to mankind, the World Awakened Association, and the Jonathan Group! Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!

└ I guarantee you that if you miss this opportunity, then you won’t be able to close your eyes in peace even if you die. This moment will linger in your mind.

The internet was flooded with articles similar to that one, and the number of views on them surpassed even those on topics like the Awakened and monsters. People didn’t stop commenting on them. This was a clear indication of the current market trend, and I wanted to tell them to stop typing and put all their assets into stocks. All in!

***

When I woke up, the global stock market was still racing. This occurred not only in the countries where the stock market was still open, but also there were others who were predicting the next day’s surge in the futures market.

The figures and symbols displayed on my tablet PC may not mean anything to some individuals, but those knowledgeable in finance would perceive China’s distress through it. It was not just an outcry, but rather a lamentation caused by confusion and decline.

I didn’t leave China alone until now because I liked them. Instead, I knew that their expansion was beneficial to the entire world. Until the Day of Advent, I channeled all my strength towards counteracting the fear that overshadowed it. However, it had come to an end. It was time for China to move within my order.

On the day before the club conference, I detected the presence of an uninvited guest around noon. Since Mason appeared unaware of this unexpected visitor, I knew that the intruder was using an item to conceal herself.

She wasn’t one of the formidable Awakened, so it was my first time seeing her. She didn’t even know I was watching her, so she was calmly walking down the hallway, looking for something. She was seeking me, the owner of the club.

Meanwhile, the agent patrolling the hallway could only see me, so when he asked if I needed anything, the girl quickly turned her head toward me. I wondered what her first impression was of me. What was certain was that she didn’t recognize me. If she did, then she would be shivering like the Russian guy I had met at the salon.

She fixed her gaze on me for a while, and it appeared as if she had concluded that I wasn’t an Awakened. This was understandable as I had deactivated all my stats except for Sense.

She soon turned her head away from me and entered the room where the agent’s eyes were out of reach. It was a room assigned to the President of the United States. Also, the pleasant voice of the U.S. President was coming out of that door.

There were five members, including the president and representatives of traditional American families. One of the members was previously a board director at Jonathan Group but had since become the President of the U.S. Reserve Bank. The heads of the families and bank governors warmly welcomed the president into their ranks, and any tension that was previously present was no longer there.

The girl infiltrated there. Based on that, I knew that it was an A-class item, but her item wasn’t of high quality. Instead, she had probably used an insignia as well. Although this insignia wasn’t valued during the Stage of Advent, its significance couldn’t be disregarded as there were vast quantities of it around the world. Therefore, it was supposed to be under the control of the association. That was a work in progress along with the registration of the Awakened.

I followed the girl and stepped a foot into the room. It was the U.S. President’s first time seeing me, but the existing members of the association were already familiar with me. They all saluted me in unison and mentioned my code name ‘Odin,’ which was commonly used in the club and association.

Then, the girl realized she had walked into a dangerous situation, but it was too late. Ugh, I hadn’t cleaned all of the blood out of the sword…

[You have used Indra’s Sword.]

The room was dyed in blue light from the flashing bolts of lightning. The girl screamed, but everyone in the room, the members from a nearby room who rushed in after hearing the scream, and the security personnel all watched as she was quickly reduced into a pile of ashes.

1. The author must be a big fan of Avatar haha. ?