[Are you in the office right now?]

“Yes, I am, but...”

[Stay right there!]

Twenty minutes later.

Stark burst through the office door.

The man who should’ve been in California showed up in New York.

Sure, he probably had other important business here, but the fact that he rushed over like this made it easy to guess how angry he was.

On the tablet in his hand was the email I had sent.

Then came the explosion of rage from his mouth.

“You’re saying that the only thing holding up my company is ‘hope’ and a ‘hashtag’? What about the rocket? Are you saying the rocket just randomly floated around in space and thought, ‘Hey, maybe I’ll return to Earth today’ and came back on its own?”

Stark usually pretended to be a laid-back and humorous CEO, but the truth was, he was a sensitive soul who could lose sleep over a few negative comments.

There was only one thing I had to do in moments like this.

Add fuel to the fire.

“Did you happen to read this part? The line that goes, ‘The door to dreams is wide open, but the door to reality remains shut.’”

“What? That nonsense was in there too?”

I handed him the tablet and kindly pointed out the passage in question.

It was a clever satire referencing a sensor defect in one of the vehicles Stark had released in the past.

Stark’s face turned red after reading it.

“They haven’t even started yet, so why am I the one getting all this crap thrown at me?!”

“Well, because your name alone is enough to shake the market.”

As of January 2016, Stark was still a figure of absolute trust.

And rightly so—he was the one who had breathed new life into the electric vehicle market, which everyone had declared dead.

Opening a new market is something only legendary entrepreneurs can do.

And Stark had pulled it off not once, but twice.

Lately, he had even dragged the aerospace industry into the private sector.

At this peak of belief that anything Stark touched would turn to gold,

People everywhere were eager to see his next move.

Even without a specific product or business plan, investors were lining up to throw money at him.

That’s why Atlas moved quickly.

To control the narrative before Stark could formally declare an AI war.

But then—

Stark suddenly snapped his head toward me and gave me a piercing look.

“So, why did you have to send this to me?”

Distrust was clearly written in his eyes.

“I told you multiple times I wasn’t ready, but you kept pushing... and now you’re forwarding behind-the-back gossip too?”

It was obvious he had flown over just for this.

To interrogate my intentions.

Of course, I wasn’t the least bit flustered.

If I hadn’t expected a reaction after making such a blatant provocation, that would’ve been strange.

In these situations, it’s better to stand your ground.

“I sent it because I believed it was important information you had every right to know. This memo wasn’t written just to mock you. It’s a strategic move to shift incentives and guide the flow of capital through the ‘invisible hand.’ In fact...”

I turned on the monitor on the desk and spun it toward him.

On the dark blue-tinted screen, rows of numbers scrolled rapidly.

“This is what they call a dark pool. A hidden route for processing large trades. Since yesterday, Big Tech AI stocks like Gooble have been getting bought up far more than usual.”

In other words, after that memo spread—

The market's money was actually moving in the direction Atlas wanted.

And yet, even after hearing this, Stark’s face didn’t show the slightest bit of concern.

“Doesn’t matter. People who only follow others’ opinions are the first to flip when the wind changes.”

“That’s true. But this time, the real intent behind the basket stock isn’t ‘riding the wave.’ It’s ‘exclusion.’”

“Exclusion?”

“The market tends to react more to fear than to confidence. Especially when a similar stock is left out on its own... the effect is even greater.”

People pay more attention to bad news.

“For example, let’s say you’re grocery shopping and someone next to you says, ‘Juice is great,’ and urges you to fill your basket with juice. But when you reach for it, they suddenly say, ‘All juice is fine—except apple juice.’ What would you do then? Would you still insist on apple juice? Or would you just pick another kind altogether?”

“......”

“That’s what Atlas is saying right now. ‘AI is a good investment sector, but stay away from the startups.’ In other words, a direct hit on you—someone who’s still categorized as a startup.”

I looked him straight in the eyes and gave a serious warning.

“This ‘internal memo’ is just the beginning. Right now, it’s only being whispered to a few close investors, but soon it’ll spread through news outlets and media and become the dominant narrative. The market will soon chant in unison: ‘Big Tech is the only safe bet in AI.’”

Then I raised a finger.

“A week is all it takes. Before the tide turns. That’s why I’m telling you this. If you’re planning to launch something, you need to strike first.”

However—

“No thanks.”

Stark answered in a tone that made it sound like he’d been waiting to say that.

“I act on my timing. I hate dancing to someone else’s tune.”

When I gave him a stunned look, he read my expression and smiled with satisfaction.

“Well then, I’ve got another appointment.”

He walked off with long strides, looking almost relieved.

Yeah.

That bastard showed up here fully expecting me to urge him to hurry, just so he could reject it to my face.

But—

“I knew it.”

There’s always guys like that.

The kind who ignore good advice until they get smacked in the face with consequences.

Not that I expected Stark to take my advice gracefully in the first place.

I turned my gaze to the chessboard on the desk.

“In the end, he’s forced me to move this piece again.”

Normally, the pieces would be moved in turns, but it didn’t matter.

This too was within my expectations.

“If the white knight refuses to move, I’ll just push the black one forward.”

***

Getting Atlas to act was simple.

Because I already knew his weakness.

Argentina Eyes Economic Growth with Expanded Infrastructure Investment......Debt Issues Remain a Persistent Obstacle

Through the Delphi Institute, I poked at Argentina again.

This time, I added a touch of instability.

And just as I predicted, he responded.

Sensing a threat to his own bowl of rice, Atlas began poisoning mine—the AI bowl.

Atlas immediately appeared on a broadcast to issue a warning about AI.

[AI is clearly a promising long-term technology, but right now, expectations are running ahead of reality. This whole ‘gain market share now, profits later’ approach is eerily similar to the dot-com bubble.]

[Of course, I’m not denying the future of the technology itself. The internet did eventually change the world. But along the way, many companies flaunted vague visions, and countless investors lost money.]

He used the dot-com bubble comparison to plant the seed of doubt, then began narrowing the target.

[This cycle is even riskier than the dot-com era. Today, founders themselves are the brand. More value is placed on narrative than on technology, on character over profit.]

[That’s why we need to revisit the lessons of the dot-com bubble. The survivors were those with real revenue models and healthy cash flow. Not flashy visions, but solid systems and infrastructure. This time won’t be any different.]

It sounded like expert advice on the surface, but his real aim was elsewhere.

[Depending on investor discernment, AI could be the next great revolution—or just another bubble. The key to avoiding the bubble is rational investing. First off, be wary of founders who frame themselves as saviors. And if they keep recycling TED talks, online polls, and salvation stories in place of actual products, revenue, and business plans? Best to stay cautious.]

He was subtly chipping away at Stark’s credibility.

But why target Stark instead of me?

Because I’m harder to attack.

I’ve never publicly announced any AI investment plans.

The whole “AI war” scenario I’ve promoted was more of a backroom conversation with select people.

The only semi-official activities I’ve done are investing in Next AI and the Moonshot Project—

And hitting those would clearly backfire.

Next AI is a nonprofit, and Moonshot is more of a support system encouraging people to “take on bold challenges without fear of failure.”

So really, they’re closer to donations than investments.

Just because I want to do a bit of philanthropy with my own money, people start nitpicking with “It’s risky,” “There’s no profit,” and “It’s unlikely to succeed.”

But that kind of criticism will only backfire.

That’s why attacking me directly is difficult.

So from the perspective of the macro faction targeting the “AI war scenario” I proposed, they had no choice but to make Stark their target.

After all, one of the scenario’s key points is “Stark’s entry into AI.”

Anyway. There’s no way Stark was happy about being the one taking the hit in my place.

I quietly took out my smartphone and opened his social media account.

Just minutes earlier, I had subtly leaked the info that Atlas would appear on a broadcast...

There was a 99.9% chance he’d seen it.

Sure enough.

There were already multiple posts.

—Did all these macro fund managers earn PhDs in machine learning overnight?

—They were playing with Excel, and suddenly evolved into AI experts.

Stark was someone who cared deeply about his public image.

That leaked “internal memo” from a while back could’ve been brushed off as just a passing rumor, but...

This time was different.

Atlas had gone on national television and used him as the punchline for a joke.

No way Stark would just let that slide.

—Truth everyone needs to know: That “famous” macro fund expert? He cried and ran away when retail investors were raking it in over in China.

—The Atlas of Greek mythology carried the world on his back.

The modern-day Atlas can’t even carry his own portfolio.

But Atlas didn’t just sit back after getting roasted on social media.

What followed was a full-on back-and-forth diss battle.

Stark would fire off a provocative post on social media, then Atlas would calmly counter it the next day on air.

—The future is AI, but only Big Tech is allowed in? Startups are “too risky,” so they’re banned? What’s next—AI innovation licenses?

[If irresponsible individuals try to handle dangerous materials, proper oversight is inevitable. Innovation without guardrails is just a recipe for disaster.]

—People who don’t know how to build roads are always obsessed with guardrails. While the real builders are paving paths, the inept ones gather in boardrooms to argue about the guardrail color.

[Our job isn’t to lay roads as fast as possible. It’s to build routes that get us to the destination safely. Blazing five paths in random directions without a map isn’t “innovation.”]

– Someone teach this guy what multitasking means. “Focus on one thing” is just a lazy person’s excuse.

[All roads may lead to Rome, but not every business needs to lead to the same CEO. The line between versatility and distraction is thinner than you think.]

What’s the most entertaining thing in the world? Watching a fire.

Second most entertaining? Watching a fight.

Two high-profile figures were publicly throwing shade at each other on official platforms— of course the media jumped all over it.

This Stark–Atlas clash represents a stark divide between founder-led innovation and institution-led growth validation. Depending on which side the market leans toward, the entire paradigm of AI investment could be reshaped.

And since a celebrity like Stark was involved, public interest was through the roof.

On social media, people were consuming the conflict like it was a binge-worthy drama.

– Atlas: “If you want to build roads, you need permits first.”

Stark: (posting Latin quotes while laying bricks)

—Atlas is low-key hilarious. Feels like he’s doing stand-up on CNBC.

—These AI debates are starting to feel like two divorced philosophy PhDs fighting over their egos.

— “Old Money” vs “Loud Money” — the clash of the century.

—But is Stark actually going into AI? Stark special move: says “Please don’t” → 9999% chance he’ll do it anyway.

The heart of the debate was: “Who will lead the future of AI?”

But ironically, Stark hadn’t even officially entered the AI industry yet.

At this point, everyone was wondering— Would he boldly ignore Atlas’s warnings and take the leap?

And...

There’s no way Stark, who had always loved the spotlight, would miss such a golden opportunity.

A few days later—

Stark officially launches ‘Open Frame’! Will he conquer AI after space?

Stark had finally launched his AI company.

Standing at the press conference podium, he declared in a determined tone:

[AI isn’t just a technology—it’s power. And if that power ends up monopolized in closed rooms by a handful of people punching calculators, there’s no hope for humanity.]

[You say AI is dangerous, so it should be controlled safely by big corporations? I believe the exact opposite. Because it is dangerous, it needs more eyes on it, more hands building it together.]

He then clearly defined the identity of his company.

[That’s why we’re choosing the path of open source. We will share our technology with as many people as possible and build the future collaboratively.]

[We’ll fight against Big Tech, which hides behind high monopoly walls and writes doomsday code in secret. Instead, we’ll create a company driven by democratic ideals—open source, where everyone can have a voice.]

He repeated the phrase “open source” like a sacred chant, and finished with one last declaration.

[This is a battle of values. Do we lock AI behind elite walls, or do we bring it to the public square? We are now standing at that crossroads.]

Watching the news, I smiled slightly.

“Perfect.”

Everything was unfolding exactly the way I intended. I had borrowed the blueprint for this AI war from the Cold War.

And what’s the first stage of a Cold War?

Splitting the world ideologically.

Stark had fulfilled that role flawlessly.

Big Tech vs. Startups.

Closed vs. Open.

Monopoly vs. Open Source.

With such clear dividing lines drawn and each side claiming its position, phase One was complete.

Now it’s time to move to the next phase.

What’s Phase Two...?

What I want is a game of chicken.

Both sides racing madly, trying to gain even a step ahead.

If everyone’s already at the starting line— there’s only one thing left to do.

Fire the starting gun.