Beginning June 22nd, Da Long Country began restricting shipments of high-energy storage batteries and hoarding strategic resources such as oil, metals, and minerals. On that very day, metal and mineral prices, intentionally suppressed by Country M, skyrocketed across global exchanges, driving frantic buying. Already high grain prices climbed even further, and the price of crude oil, which had seen a prolonged dip following the debut of high-energy batteries, began to rebound.

On June 28th, the price of gold hit an all-time high. On this same day, massive amounts of spot trading flooded gold markets worldwide, cashing out hundreds of tons of gold at premium prices. Over the following week, a total of 1,500 tons of gold were successfully liquidated at high prices, causing the recently elevated gold rate to crash back down.

Everyone assumed this was Country M covertly interfering. After all, Country M is a massive importer of energy and metal resources, making them the most affected by sustained high prices. Yet, nobody realized that the people of Country M were equally bewildered. However, the price drop was certainly the outcome they most desired.

Beginning in July, after a few days of stability, the gold market was suddenly hit by another influx of spot supply. This batch was enormous, driving selling prices to successive record lows, pushing the price of gold to its absolute nadir in just three days.

The people of Country M could no longer remain passive. High prices were unwelcome, but low prices were equally alarming. Gold, the primary symbol of national treasury reserves, if it dropped to the level of common metals, would cause severe chaos in the currency market, potentially leading to the collapse of the entire monetary system.

Thus, the economically developed nations, led by Country M, convened an emergency summit. Following the meeting, key allied nations quickly mobilized vast sums of capital to sweep the gold market, restoring prices to the levels seen in early June within two days. The immediate consequence, of course, was that the national treasuries of these countries were crammed full, their massive gold reserves suffocating them for the time being.

Simultaneously affected were strategic resources like minerals and crude oil. The stubbornly high prices dramatically increased procurement costs. Country M, acting in its national interest, used every political tool at its disposal to coerce exporting nations into voluntarily lowering prices for minerals and crude oil. Within days, the world market returned to its previous state.

For half a month, Taozi and I spent our days glued to our computer screens. The first warm-up skirmish not only saw the successful liquidation of our stored gold but also netted us a massive profit from betting against foreigners in the futures market. Furthermore, by liquidating nearly half a month's worth of hoarded strategic materials before July 9th, we reaped substantial rewards.

From this single engagement, my personal capital rapidly swelled to 180 billion US dollars. Admittedly, a portion of this came from the arms dealings profits secured by Zhu Da, coupled with the gains from the two gold sell-offs. My total current capital reached 400 billion US dollars. I was so elated I couldn't sleep at night. This was liquid cash, far superior to the immense real estate holdings of Pan-American Media, though still distant from the trillion-dollar assets of the Edward family.

On July 12th, the Second Giant Conference convened with great fanfare. The senior executives, who had initially carried themselves with such inflated airs, now had to regard me with newfound respect. Praise flowed endlessly, and even the attitudes of the two Mount Tai figures shifted, leaving me momentarily feeling rather buoyant.

Having tasted success, the attendees eagerly inquired about my next move. I stated, "Since we are engaged in a shadow war, we cannot involve the government directly; therefore, profit is our ultimate objective. When we profit, Country M naturally loses money, and when they lose money, they cannot continue to stir up trouble within our nation's financial structure. I believe everyone has seen gains over the past half-month. In the time ahead, I expect you all to cease holding back your strength. I guarantee that the greater the investment, the greater the return; without investment, there is no gain!"

A flush of embarrassment crossed some faces, coupled with a pang of regret. Everyone had initially approached the end-of-June action with a 'let's just try it' attitude, resulting in significantly reduced profits that they now keenly regretted missing out on, hence their eagerness for the next directive.

Xiao He and Fang Chaoyang were the happiest internally. Following their daughter's advice, they had committed every cent they possessed, doubling their funds in half a month. Xiao He had been dreaming lately of his great son-in-law.

Taking advantage of the effusive praise heaped upon his son-in-law, Xiao He quietly said to Fang Chaoyang, "Old Fang, it seems our son-in-law is quite capable. We should treat him to a meal soon to express our gratitude."

Fang Chaoyang countered, "Didn't you dislike him? How can you suddenly claim him as your son-in-law now? He has no lineage, no sect—just some upstart kid."

Xiao He sighed, "What matters most in a man is capability. Wealth accumulated at home can be spent down to nothing. This kind of entrepreneurial man is exactly what my Chuchu needs. Besides, can I really refuse him? You said yourself I'm about to be a grandfather; I can't just let my daughter remain unclear about her status with him."

Fang Chaoyang inwardly chuckled, but he ceased speaking, focusing intently on the person speaking on the stage.

Seeing that the mood of the assembly had been successfully ignited, I knew this was the moment to press the advantage. I announced, "Those who wish to make money should follow my lead. I won't force those who don't, but once you take the first step, I require everyone to remain tightly united and cooperate fully. Should you act independently of the organization, I won't promise you'll lose everything, but losing your enterprise will be the lightest consequence."

The crowd chorused, "Consultant Zhao, just tell us! We fully trust you this time. We will do exactly as you say. How could the candidate recommended by the Chairman and the Premier ever be wrong?"

I confirmed, "Very well. Starting tomorrow, everyone gets four days to prepare. You must swiftly divest all real estate and stocks held in Country M, liquidate those funds, and unanimously purchase US dollars and bonds issued by the Country M government. As before, you must report to me three times daily. No one is permitted to act outside the organization. Go, and may you all prosper."

On July 14th, Da Long Country merchants began aggressively selling various real estate holdings and stocks in Country M. These were completely snapped up by Arab merchants who had amassed fortunes over the past decade through oil. They were already desperate to offload excess dollars, so this sell-off caused no suspense—one side willing to sell, the other eager to buy.

The Da Long Country merchants raised nearly a trillion US dollars. On the evening of July 20th, several internationally manipulated financial institutions launched a full-scale assault, dumping 50 billion dollars and 30 billion in Country M government bonds that day alone. The international financial market instantly plunged into unprecedented chaos.

First, Country M government bonds plummeted without pause, followed by a sharp decline in the US dollar's exchange rate against all major currencies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wall Street dropped over 350 points in one day. When the US market closed at dawn, the foreign exchange markets in London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong were just opening, and the sound of selling dollars was everywhere. The Tokyo Exchange alone saw a staggering 150 billion dollars dumped in a single day.

The government of Country M formulated emergency measures that very day. They first demanded immediate intervention from their key allies. Consequently, Britain and Japan were forced to start acquiring massive amounts of dollars, adding to their already enormous dollar reserves. Vast sums of capital became tied up in gold and dollar reserves, throwing the allied economies into unprecedented disarray.

On July 22nd, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Country M held an emergency meeting and decided to lower interest rates by one percentage point and actively repurchase dollar bonds. All major conglomerates in the US, Japan, and the UK simultaneously propped up the market, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to surge back up by over 400 points in one day. As a result, a torrent of hot money poured into Country M, engulfing the covert sell-off by the Da Long Country merchants.

However, what Country M failed to anticipate was that the Da Long merchants had predicted on July 20th that Country M would prioritize saving the stock market to indirectly save the currency market. Thus, they purchased 300 billion dollars in stocks at the lowest point just before the close. On July 28th, as trading volume decreased, the Da Long merchants swiftly offloaded their holdings. That day, the Dow Jones index closed 400 points below its noon high, and the Da Long merchants secretly bought back shares right before the final bell.

Due to the violent fluctuations in the stock market, most investors adopted a wait-and-see approach, causing the influx of hot money to dwindle and the dollar to start falling again. On July 30th, the government of Country M decided to increase the required buyback ratio of shares for listed companies, allowing banks and funds to amortize stock investment losses over ten years, and hinting to listed companies to issue inflated earnings reports. The stock market surged again that day.

After several back-and-forth battles, Country M suffered immense losses. Finally, the government was forced to raise the overnight trading tax rate and severely punish the traders servicing this capital. Only then did this financial war draw to a close. Country M, accustomed to speculating on the currencies of other nations, experienced the pain of having its own currency manipulated for the first time.

Although the US dollar did not collapse during this financial war, Country M had to inflate its stock market to dangerous heights using its market-propping methods. The price-to-earnings ratios of certain stocks reached an astonishing 500 to 1. This compelled the Country M government to commit substantial resources to maintain market stability. However, the longer this bull market, entirely detached from fundamental economic realities, was sustained, the higher it climbed, and the more devastating its eventual crash would be, making recovery infinitely more difficult.

At this juncture, the Country M stock market relied entirely on the credit of the Country M government—a credit deeply ingrained in the minds of people worldwide. Everyone believed that as long as Country M did not suffer defeat in war, its government possessed the capability to maintain market stability.

What no one on Earth anticipated was that in the early hours of August 1st, the Pacific Fleet of the Country M military stationed in Hawaii was suddenly attacked by a swarm of unidentified submarines. The attackers deployed 20 large submarines of unknown specifications. They utilized terrifying dive depths to evade all anti-submarine reconnaissance, then suddenly surfaced, launching volleys of cluster missiles that instantly sank two US aircraft carriers, one cruiser, and three missile destroyers.

The submarines' targeting was exceptionally precise. From surfacing to missile launch completion and diving back into the deep sea, the entire operation took less than five minutes. By the time the Country M forces could react, the submarine group had vanished without a trace.

By daylight, news of Country M's military defeat spread globally. Photos of the sunken USS Indy and USS Eagle carriers circulated everywhere. Moreover, the Country M government confirmed the midnight attack by an unknown submarine formation, acknowledging severe losses to the Pacific Fleet. The President issued a declaration of final strike against terrorism, stating that should it be confirmed that a certain nation was covertly supporting the terrorists' actions, Country M would launch a nuclear strike to obliterate that nation's government.

Upon Country M's announcement of the Pacific Fleet's losses, the government of Da Long Country promptly sent a telegram of condolence, expressing strong support for Country M’s counter-terrorism path and hoping they would make a significant contribution to global counter-terrorism efforts.

The inexplicable loss of the Pacific Fleet triggered worldwide panic regarding the US dollar. Everyone believed that Country M’s dominance as the global maritime policeman had evaporated, and a new sea hegemon—a mysterious and unpredictable submarine force—had emerged. Holding Country M stocks and dollars at that point was equivalent to being a fool. People across the globe began frantically selling off Country M stocks and foreign exchange, regardless of price. The ensuing turbulence was so severe that Country M could no longer salvage the situation. It took several months, following the introduction of new military policies and the design of a new generation of super-submarines based on secretly acquired Mercury-class blueprints, before public confidence stabilized and the further collapse of the US dollar was halted.

However, even before the drastic fall of the dollar, governments worldwide had already decided to temporarily decouple their national currencies from the US dollar. Many countries announced the immediate cessation of all domestic USD transactions, stating that the resumption of the foreign exchange system would await the rebuilding of Country M's credibility.