2024-12-07 21:07:08The first cock crow woke Barry up.
He groggily lifted his head, blinking against the light coming from his laptop. Barry was startled his laptop was still on. The time was 5.am. Expecting to see a modest gain or a loss, Barry peered into the laptop screen. “Let's look at how much I've earned today.” Suddenly, Barry froze as he saw his account balance. $375 TRILLION! Barry staggered back away from the laptop as if it had suddenly turned into a cobra. He backed himself against the wall, his heart pounding wildly against his ribs, but not for once, did his eyes left the numbers on the screen: $375 trillion. “I don't believe it,” he muttered, his breathing laboured. “This is a dream. It has to be a dream.” Barry pinched his arm, hard and twice. The pain he got told him he was wide awake, and this wasn't some dream. He slowly approached the laptop, his legs wobbling. When he was close enough, he peered at his account. The balance ticked up again: $375,010,420,000,000.00 Barry gasped in shock. “How the hell is this possible? The numbers–they're still climbing.” Another second passed. $375,020,840,000,000.00. Barry's jaws dropped as he realized every second was adding $10.42 billion to his account. Barry dropped to his knees, feverishly opening the trading charts. The market was still chaotic and disastrous to trade, but somehow Barry's trades had skyrocketed beyond logic. Barry scrolled through transaction logs, trying to understand how this had happened. None of it made any sense to him. “This can't be possible. The system had probably glitched. That's the only plausible answer.” Barry's mind raced. Could this really be a demo account? What if it wasn't? Barry needed to be sure whether the money was real or not. There was only one bank Barry could trust, and that was the Phoenix Bank. The Phoenix Bank was the only bank in the world that can offer protection to trillions of dollars. It was now 5:30.am and the Phoenix Bank would be open by 7:00.am. If there was any bank in the world that could confirm the account and understand what was happening to him, it was the Phoenix Bank. Barry hurriedly shut down the laptop and rushed to the bathroom. His hurried preparation caused noises around the apartment, waking Snow from her sleep. “Big Brother?” She called sleepily from her bed. “What's the commotion about?” “Nothing, Snow,” Barry said, forcing a smile as he entered her room. “Go back to sleep. I'll be going out for a bit.” “Eh?” Snow exclaimed, checking her bedside clock. “It's five o'clock in the morning.” “I'll be back soon, I promise,” Barry kissed her on the forehead. “Just stay indoors and don't go anywhere until I return. Got it?” Snow stared worriedly at Barry as he rushed out with her laptop. She had never seen him look so anxious. “What the hell happened to Big brother?” She asked herself. * * * * Barry was standing in front of the massive gates of the Phoenix Bank feeling anxious. Unlike other banks, Phoenix bank was a very exclusive bank with branches in just 30 countries in the world. Each country had just one bank delegated to the capital state. North Hills, being a capital state, happens to be lucky to get one Phoenix bank built. By 8.am., Barry was ushered by a sharply dressed Blondie receptionist into the lobby. She had a bright smile on her face and was warm and nice to him, despite his shabby clothes. Phoenix Bank had a reputation for treating every customer with respect and honour, irrespective of status or wealth. “Good morning, sir,” the receptionist welcomed him. “You're our first customer today. How can I assist you?” Barry looked around him nervously. “I need to discuss something privately. It's Forex related. Do you have a Forex guru or something?” The smiling receptionist nodded. “But of course, please come with me. Right this way.” Barry loved it how she didn't dismiss him because of his shabby clothes. These guys were the best. He was led to a set of golden elevators, which whisked them upward to the executive floor. When the doors opened, Barry found himself in a large, furnished office. A man in a perfectly tailored navy suit stood up to greet him, a bright smile on his face, as if Barry were the most important person in the world. “Good morning, Mr…?” the man inquired, extending his hand. Barry shook his hand firmly. “Barry, just Barry is fine.” “I'm Jeremy Austin, senior Forex analyst and wealth manager for the Phoenix Bank,” the man said, gesturing to an expensive leather chair across his desk. “Please, seat. Is it too early for a cup of coffee?” “No I'm good,” Barry sat down, placing Snow's laptop on the desk. “I have a problem. My forex trading account has been acting up crazy after I traded last night. It's freaking me out.” Jeremy returned to his chair. “Let me take a look, Mr. Barry.” Barry didn't hesitate. He opened the laptop, logged into his account, and spun the screen around, so Jeremy could see it. “At first, I thought I was trading on a demo account but after I woke up, I'm not so sure,” Barry said, leaning forward. “Could you confirm the account for me?” “Sure, give me a second,” Jeremy examined the screen closely. At first, he was startled when he saw Barry's balance. He had never seen such an amount on a Forex account. $10.42 billion topped just then, the next second, the account balance was topped by another $10.42 billion. Jeremy blinked twice. “Wha–what just happened?” The next second, another $10.42 billion was earned. Barry watched as Jeremy's eyes widened so wide they threatened to fall off his eye sockets. “In my entire career, I've never seen anything like this before,” Jeremy exclaimed. “Numbers like this aren't supposed to exist in a Forex trading account.” Barry placed both hands on the table, leaning closer. “I suspect it might be a glitch or something. Is it a demo account?” Jeremy shook his head. “You're wrong, Barry. These are neither a glitch nor a demo account. These trades, these profits—they're real and legitimate. There's no way the system could produce errors like this.” Barry felt a cold sensation washing over him. If what Jeremy was saying was true, that could only mean one thing. Barry had been trading on a real Forex trading account. It wasn't a demo account after all. His earnings were as real as his trades. Jeremy reached out and pulled out his phone. He dialed some numbers and spoke as the line connected. “Get me the Global Operations Executive on the line immediately. I need her here in person. Now!” Jeremy turned to regard Barry as he ended the call. “This is beyond me, Barry. We'll need to verify everything down to the last cent.” Barry's stomach tightened. “Who is coming?” “The granddaughter of the late chairman of Phoenix bank, Veronica Phoenix,” Jeremy revealed.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Master of the supreme life-force art
Barry stood at the edge of the trench, the heat from the coals warping the air before him. He looked down at his bare feet, then at the long path of hot coals. He swallowed a lump down his throat. "I can do this," he said, steadying his breath. "I know I can do this."He lifted his right foot and placed it squarely onto the bed of embers.A searing, immediate pain exploded from his sole. It felt like molten metal eating away on his skin. He gasped and jerked his entire leg back as if pulled by a string. He stumbled backward, staring at the red blistering skin on the bottom of his foot. A cold wave of doubt flooded him. This was madness. He wasn't built for this. The fire would consume his flesh. Unfortunately for Barry, Wei offered him no sympathy.“Again,” Wei snapped.Barry's jaw clenched as he tried to push the doubt aside. He stepped forward again, this time forcing his foot down and attempting to walk on the coals.The result was worse than before. The burn was just as fi
The second and third training
Barry was immediately prompted to the next stage of his training. The next day after he had struck down the tree with his fist, Wei brought Barry toward the eastern ridge of the island. There, a narrow mountain path spiraled upward like a scar carved into the stone. At its base lay stacks of thick wooden logs.Each log was cut from ironwood trees that were dense and brutally heavy.“You have passed the first training,” Wei said calmly. “Now comes your endurance training.”He gestured again. “You will carry logs from the base of the hill to the summit. One at a time. There are five hundred logs lying in wait for you. Ensure you clear them all.”Barry studied the hill closely.The slope was very steep and uneven. Even seasoned disciples struggled to carry a single log halfway up before collapsing.But he nodded all the same. “I understand. I'll do it.”That very night, Barry lifted the first log onto his shoulders.The weight slammed into him like a mountain. His knees bent instantly,
No one laughed
From that day forward, Barry trained like a man possessed.Dawn no longer mattered to him. Even nightfall no longer existed. From his perspective, the world shrank until there was only him and the tree.He punched. Again. And again. And again.His fists kept slamming into the bark until his hands bled. He'd wrap his hands when the skin split open to stop the bleeding. When the cloth soaked through with blood, he tore more from his robe. When there was nothing left to tear, he used leaves and vines.But Barry never stopped.Before he knew it, he began to forget his meals. Sleep became an afterthought. His body screamed for rest, but Barry ignored it stubbornly. His mind was centered on one purpose—falling the tree with his fist. That was all that mattered to him.Meanwhile, Han and his followers never missed a chance to mock him. Every evening, as they returned from structured training, they passed by Barry’s spot simply to take shots at him. “He’s still punching that thing?”“Look
Han
The sun crawled slowly across the sky as Barry stood before the next thick tree.Again. And again. And again.His fist slammed into the bark, sending a dull thud through the forest. Pain exploded up his arm, vibrating into his bones. He hissed sharply through clenched teeth but did not stop.By midmorning, his knuckles were raw. By noon, blood stained the bark where he struck it. The tree, however, stood unmoved.Barry staggered back, breathing hard, sweat soaking through his white robe. He leaned against a rock, lowering himself to the ground.So this is how they break you, he thought.He drank water, wrapped his hands in cloth torn from his sleeves, and sat quietly for a few minutes, eyes closed, regulating his breath.Then he stood up.And returned to punching.Soon, time lost meaning to Barry. The sound of fists against bark blended with the rustling wind. When his arms trembled too badly to continue, he rested. When the pain dulled into a deep, burning ache, he stood again.Th
limits
The next morning, Barry was ripped out of sleep by a thunderous gong.BOOOONG—!The sound rolled across the island like a living thing, vibrating through stone, bone, and blood.Barry groaned softly and sat upright, rubbing his face with both hands.The room he had been given was barely larger than a storage cell. A low mattress lay directly on the stone floor. Beside it were three plain white robes folded neatly and a pair of worn sandals identical to those worn by the other disciples.There was no luxury nor special treatment for him. He was treated equally with the others.Barry had no problem with this. He was used to discipline and humility.Exhaled, he swung his legs off the mattress, and stood to his feet.The time was 4:00 a.m when he woke up. It was far earlier than his usual morning alarm.Without wasting time, he changed quickly, tied his robe, splashed cold water over his face, and stepped outside.The temple grounds were already alive.Rows of disciples moved in silence,
The clansmen
A heavy silence followed after Wei’s proclamation. For a long, awkward moment, no one said anything. Then everyone burst into laughter, shattering the silence like glass. Some clansmen covered their mouths as they laughed openly. Others shook their heads, smirking as if they had just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable.“Him?!” a burly man with a shaved head and crossed arms barked, his voice thick with scorn. “Grandmaster, have the years clouded your vision? He’s an outsider! A soft city-dweller!”Another, younger man with a sharp face stepped forward, his smirk cruel. “Look at his clothes! His hands! He’s never known real labor, let alone the discipline of the Supreme Life-Force!""Absolutely. This is an insult to every disciple who has bled and sweated here for decades!"The laughter grew, mingled with angry muttering. "Grandmaster," an elder with a long scar across his cheek said gravely, "you trained us from childhood. We have shed blood and bone for this art. And yet yo
You may also like
An Understated Dominance
Marina Vittori11.4M viewsFrom Darkness to Light: Darwin's Rise
Magical Inspirations74.9K viewsSon-in-law: The Billionaire's Reign
Deliaha Shine108.2K viewsThe Ex-Billionaire Husband
Sunny Zylven80.0K viewsA LONER
OZOMATA289 viewsLust Leveling
Red Hood392 viewsBecoming Tyler Kramer: The Hidden Billionaire Boss’ Revenge
Yin U.959 viewsTHE SECRET BEHIND THE NERDY MAN
Wednesday Adaire357 views