The Last Second of 1999

The last thing Chen Mo saw before he died was the green daily candlestick on his computer screen.

It was 11:57 p.m. on December 31, 2023. Most of the office buildings in Shenzhen's Nanshan Science and Technology Park had gone dark, but the floor where he worked was still lit. The central air conditioning had shut off, and the air reeked of sour coffee grounds mixed with instant noodle seasoning. His desk was by the window. The dual monitors cast a ghastly white glow. On the right screen was Nvidia's (NVDA) candlestick chart: on the last trading day of 2023, the stock price closed at $495, up another 240% from when he had bought in at the start of the year.

On the left screen was an unfinished annual review presentation titled "AIGC Business Line: 2023 Review and 2024 Plans." The cursor blinked after the word "Plans," like a heartbeat urging his eyes onward.