CHAPTER 38: GLOBAL JADE CONVENTION

The scent of burnt rubber still hung in the air.

Obsidian sat proudly, it’s hood still warm from the race. Its grey finish gleamed with an almost predatory elegance, the curves catching the light of the day like a panther mid growl.

Zack paced around the car with his hands on his head, grinning like a kid who just saw Santa jump a dirt bike.

"Bro, did you see that? You smoked him!" Zack laughed, running a hand down the side of the car like it was a supermodel. "I swear this baby just made the airstrip her runway!"

Maximus stood a little apart, arms crossed, expression calm but satisfied. His gaze, swept across the machine — his machine. Obsidian had delivered. Smooth, powerful, ruthless.

"She did well," he said coolly, his eyes still on the car.

Bzzt.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out casually, the screen lighting up with a notification information. One glance was all it took for his entire demeanor to shift.

Zack caught it immediately.

"Hey," he said with a squint, stepping closer. "What’s that look? You just went ’cool victor’ to ’I’ve seen a ghost’ in three seconds flat".

Maximus didn’t answer at first. He just stared at the message, jaw slightly clenched. Then, with a slow exhale, he muttered, "it’s from Valerie Sawyer."

Zack raised an eyebrow, "The Valerie Sawyer?" He said, voice rising. "Heiress to the Sawyer family fortune? Rich girl? Business prodigy? Social Media ghost but somehow still a ten outta ten?! That Valerie Sawyer?!"

Maximus nodded, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "Yeah... she’s still a human being Zack, she’s not a god!"

Zack lost it. He spun in a circle, hands in the air. "Bro, what the hell! That’s you IN! She probably saw the race online. She probably tracked your license plate fell in love and now wants to see you in this beast so she can climb in and..."

Maximus cut him off with a deadpan stare. "She sent me a business proposal."

Zack froze mid-rant, frowning. "A... What?"

"A business proposal," Maximus repeated. He started walking towards the car, unlocking it with a subtle tap. "She asked me to prepare for something big. We’re leaving the strip."

Zack jogged after him, eyebrows knitted. "Wait, wait, wait... Business? No flirting? No nothing like ’let’s get dinner and ruin eachother emotionally?"

Maximus slid into the driver’s seat. "Not everyone thinks like you, Zack".

"Clearly," Zack muttered, opening the passenger door and hopping in. "But damn, I gotta know, what kind of proposal does a Sawyer send to an upcoming investor like you..."

Maximus fired up the engine and Obsidian purred back to life, low and hungry.

"I’ll explain on the way."

Zack grinned, leaning back into the seat. "This day just keep getting better."

»»»«««

The hum was soft, and the private jet’s engines echoed in the cabin as Maximus Prime brewed inside.

It had only been two days since the purchase of his new car and the message of a business proposal by Valerie Sawyer.

He was aboard on one of the Sawyer Group private jet, soaring thousands of feet above the clouds.

It’s destination— Xhina.

The country’s capital was hosting one of the largest business conference in the Eastern Hemisphere known as The Global Jade Convention, an event known for its showcase in precious stone and rare antique worthy items. An event that required the attendance of the Sawyer Conglomerate itself.

And he was attending... as a newly recruited junior analyst, he was still poised on his goal that is to know and learn as much as he could about the Antique sector so as he could build a business from it and add to his empire.

He was given this opportunity unofficially.

Officially? He was a ghost.

No announcement was made. No records published. Not even Valerie’s grandmother, the head of the Sawyer family knew about his involvement.

Ti-ring.

~Daily Test Time unlocked~

"Huh? Daily test time?..." Maximus repeated as he rose and sat properly in his chair.

~This panel is aimed at increasing host cognitive abilities by introducing a series of test and questions to complete. If successfully completed, XP points are being awarded~

Maximus took a breath of understanding.

The system was not going to let him off easy. Even though it had given him the means to be rich, it wanted to make sure that he knew how to maintain the wealth, even when it came in excess.

Ti-ring!

~Test Time!~

"Oh! We starting now... this should be easy"

~Question 1 Which term refers to the strategy of reducing risk by investing in diverse assets?~

Maximus exhaled. Easy . "Diversification..."

~Correct!~

He didn’t applaud himself and just quietly waited for the second question.

~Question 2 What term describes the theoretical price at which an option becomes profitable to exercise, factoring in the premium paid?~

Maximus hesitated.

Delta?

Theta?

He clicked his answer.

~Incorrect!~

The system flashed a rebuking red display.

~You must study hard. One must be good to be a top investor, but to be an Investment God, one must be perfect.~

’Okay, okay. I get it...’ Maximus replied while repositioning in his seat to get further comfortable. ’Next question.’

~Question 3... Correct!~

~Question 4... Correct!~

~Question 5... Correct!~

~Question 10... Correct!~

~Congratulations. You have passed the test with a 90% score~

~Grade A. Reward 5 XP points ~

It wasn’t much, but upon compound increment, it was sure to make a difference.

Maximus glanced at his watch, he had roughly five hours to arrive at his destination in the capital city of Xhina.

That was enough time to do exactly what the system advised him to do— Study hard. An Investment God doesn’t have to be good but Perfect!

He spent the next few hours reading books from online libraries and researching on the internet without taking any rest. Just to gain more knowledge about the art of Business.

And not to mention— The Global Jade Convention, he needed to educate himself properly with the goal of earning as much money as possible so as to add the domain to his empire.

Several hours later, Maximus finally set foot in Xhina’s busiest airport.

Dragging his luggage, he took a cab with Xiaxia Hotel set as his destination.

It took him a while to unpack his luggages in the hotel, but once he was done with the unpacking, he immediately continued his research on the topic concerning the Global Jade Convention.

As Maximus could only use the Eye Of Apollo a maximum of three times a day, he had to be discerning about which precious stone or antique to employ his power on during the convention.

Thus, in order to boost his success with this gamble, he urgently required knowledge of alternative methods in determining if an antique might be of potential value, and he needed to learn it quickly.

With a deliberate pace, Maximus scrolled through the pages of the internet and made earnest effort to absorb the knowledge within.

Despite having the Investment God System to assist him, he recognised that improving his own abilities and strength, rather than relying solely on the system, would be best for him in the long term.