“Warning: Temporal disturbance level 97/100. Most recent violation: three minutes ago, shorted ‘Ruihong Technology’ with 500x leverage, earning $24 million. User ‘Lu Chen,’ please note that your account (meaning this timeline) risks being forcibly terminated for abusing the ‘information gap cheat.’” I looked at the red warning that had popped up automatically in my mind, designed like some cheap mobile game notification, and curled my lip. “Yeah, yeah, got it. I'll do it again next time.” I closed the pop-up while repeating the words in my head. With that $24 million in hand, Yuqing's spot in the CAR-T therapy clinical trial was secured. Worth it. My phone lit up with a text from an unknown number. It was cryptic and to the point: “‘Zhengping Co.,’ 4.2 yuan. Don't buy.” I stared at the message, then at the order I'd already placed in my trading app, set to buy “Zhengping Co.” as soon as the market opened. The price was exactly 4.2 yuan. “Tsk.” I tossed my phone aside. “This lousy signal from the future is worse than the subway. It can't even get a full sentence out.” Outside the window, the city's neon lights continued to shimmer. But I was the only one who knew that, beneath the tranquil night sky, my “account” was just three more “brilliant moves” away from being shut down. And my first “violation” was about to begin.
