Please don't question multi-week players

Chapter 451. Collapse (Three-in-One)

The newspaper article was quite simple; it basically stated that the Vulcan Church could no longer conceal the fact that the gods had fallen silent and had finally made it public.

They announced that they would no longer issue Divine Grace Coupons, and the previous Divine Grace Coupons would also be temporarily suspended from being redeemed for Divine Grace.

Thus, this protracted financial bubble was instantly burst with the release of this news—the price of the Divine Grace Coupon plummeted from tens of millions of gold coins to the price of printed paper within half an hour.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city, followed not by silence, but by a volcanic eruption of fury.

At first, it was sporadic, sharp curses that erupted from the stock exchange, pubs, and mansions.

Immediately afterwards, the crowd surged like a burst dam, flowing from all directions toward the Sacred Flame Avenue and toward the Papal Square, which had once been considered inviolable.

What they clutched tightly in their hands was no longer a divine favor certificate, but a colorful voucher that had become worthless.

Some people smashed them on the ground and stomped on them, while others set them on fire, letting the paper pieces with the sacred flame emblem turn into fluttering black butterflies and embers in the cold wind.

The crowd quickly coalesced into a surging tide of anger. Brickboards made of rough wood and cardboard were held high, scribbled with words in blood-red or charred black paint: "Liars!" "Give me back my wealth!" "Is the Vulcan dead?"

On some signs, the Pope's solemn portrait has been maliciously distorted—his head has been given comical horns, his scepter has been replaced with a money bag, and his benevolent smile has been changed into a greedy grin.

A single roar of "Go to the Vatican and demand an explanation!" can ignite a boiling response.

Order vanished completely within half an hour.

The sheriff attempted to form a human wall, but was quickly overwhelmed by the enraged crowd.

Someone threw a stone first, smashing the head of a small statue of Vulcan at the edge of the square. The sharp sound seemed to be a signal, and the suppressed violence was released instantly.

The roar of the flamethrowers drowned out the noise of the people, and the scorching flames licked at the flags, drapes and wooden doorways bearing the emblem of the Papacy.

The wand-wielder chanted spells of ignition, shattering, and impact, targeting streetlights, shop windows, and sculptures.

Flames and magical light intertwined, black smoke billowed, mingled with the shattering of glass, the groans of wood, and the frantic shouts of the crowd.

The once sacred and solemn Papal Square now trembles in fury and flames, as if purgatory has descended upon the earth.

Just as the streets descended into complete chaos, Jiang Jianxin had already gone against the flow of people, carrying the newspaper back to the relatively quiet hospital, and handed Summers his copy.

Most of the medical staff were unable to get timely information from the outside world and were confused and uneasy about the faint firelight and bustling voices coming from outside the window. So they gathered together and eagerly passed around the newspaper that Jiang Jianxin had helped bring back from Summers.

"The gods have fallen silent, and the divine grace certificates have become worthless..."

A voice read out the title, and the information spread rapidly among medical staff, then quietly seeped into the closed ward area through the nurses' casual conversations.

Patients admitted to Rose Medical are all wealthy and influential, belonging to prominent families at the top of the wealth pyramid, and are naturally deeply involved in this capital game that has just collapsed.

Previously, in order to boost the price of Divine Grace Coupons, Rose Group hired financial scholars to write books and promote the idea that faith in gods brings eternal prosperity. They also personally bought large quantities of the coupons to build market confidence.

These families knew that the Rose Group had a powerful financial backer, and after careful consideration, they decided that following in its footsteps was the wise thing to do.

So they spent huge sums of money to buy Divine Grace Coupons, and even when the price had soared to an absurdly high level, they continued to buy more, fearing they would miss out on the "Divine Grace Feast".

Unbeknownst to them, the Rose Group had already quietly sold off the Divine Grace Coupons it had acquired in the early stages, in batches, before the price peaked.

This financial drama, orchestrated by capital itself, has always had its ultimate goal in the vast wealth held by these prominent families.

Now, the curtain has fallen, revealing the cold trap beneath the magnificent stage built of wealth and faith.

The faint sounds of protest and destruction coming from outside the window seemed like a cruel irony.

The truth was laid bare under the sunlight and firelight, and no one could bear such disillusionment.

For a moment, the ward area was filled with uncontrollable sobs, cries of grief, and wailing.

Beside expensive medical equipment lies a face aged instantly; behind elegant curtains lies a figure slumped on the ground.

Countless once-illustrious families saw their assets evaporate, their faith crumble, and some even plunge into bankruptcy and despair at this moment.

Within the pristine white walls of Rose Medical, another silent yet equally utter collapse echoed.

Jiang Jianxin stood at the door of the ward, stunned by the sight before her.

In the hospital corridor, the sound of the rollers of the emergency bed mingled with the shouts of medical staff.

The sharp scraping of metal bed legs against the floor, the rapid rolling of rubber wheels, the chaotic footsteps, and the almost hoarse calls—all the sounds mingled together.

Almost every operating room was brightly lit, flashing red light that reflected the pink coats of the staff bustling about in the corridor.

"Quick! She's fainted here!"

"Blood pressure has dropped sharply, prepare a cardiac stimulant!"

"Third-floor patient with a brain hemorrhage, are there any empty beds? Get him to the emergency room first!"

"Fourth floor! Someone's collapsed outside the fourth-floor ward! Someone come here—"

Jiang Jianxin stared blankly at all of this.

Not far away, Summers' figure flashed past behind the operating room door; he didn't even have time to turn around.

It is said that five of his patients have fallen ill in succession, and at this moment he does not even have the chance to step out of that door.

The entire floor echoed with suppressed wails and cries.

Normally, the rooftop terrace would be hosting a lavish party with elegantly dressed women at this time, but it is now completely empty.

The entire aristocratic hospital was shrouded in an almost suffocating low pressure; the luxurious marble walls, crystal chandeliers, and velvet carpets in the lobby seemed to be covered with an invisible layer of dust.

Jiang Jianxin walked through the heavy silence, his footsteps very light. Then—

"boom--!"

A muffled thunderous roar came from afar, followed by a violent tremor that even made the ground beneath her feet tremble slightly.

She rushed to the window and pushed it open.

In the direction of the civilian area, the towering coal-fired power plant was spewing out terrifying columns of fire, with crimson flames swirling into a thick black mushroom cloud that shot into the sky.

The aftershocks of the explosion even shattered the windows of nearby buildings, and the crashing sound of the shattering could still be faintly heard from a distance.

【This is……】

Jiang Jianxin directly asked the truth in his mind.

The conflict escalated after someone detonated a fire at a coal-fired power plant, causing a boiler explosion.

Jiang Jianxin frowned and quickly flipped through the newspaper he had just read.

With a "whoosh," she turned to the back of the page that featured the news of the Divine Grace Coupons' sharp price drop.

A bolded headline jumped into view:

The Vatican announces increased policy support for its directly managed coal-fired power plants.

She calmly glanced at the report and quickly understood the cause of the explosion.

"The power plant in the civilian district... is directly under the jurisdiction of the Vatican. Someone destroyed the power plant as a form of protest against the Vatican?"

That's right.

She gripped the newspaper tightly, her fingertips feeling slightly cold.

The collapse of the Divine Grace Coupon, street riots, the collapse of the nobility, the power plant explosion... all of this happened too fast and too closely, like dominoes, once the first one fell, the rest were out of control.

The air seemed to be filled with the smell of gunpowder and some deeper, more subtle odor—

It smelled of scheming, manipulation, and deliberate ignition.

"Are there really protesters so crazy as to bomb a power plant?"

She spoke to herself in a low voice, as if questioning the unseen mastermind:
"Or is it that... someone is using the guise of 'protest' to deliberately push the conflict into an irreversible abyss through the most extreme means?"

Deep within my mind, the answer, truth, seemed to sigh softly, a hint of barely perceptible approval in its voice:

Your analytical skills are becoming increasingly sharp.

……

Rose Group Finance Department, Head's Office.

The air was filled with the bitter aroma of freshly ground coffee, mixed with the cool scent of paper and ink.

The financier, dressed in a well-tailored white suit and wearing his signature blank scarf mask, was lounging in a large, high-backed office chair.

She casually rested one hand on the armrest, while the other hand slowly stirred the coffee in her bone china cup.

"Ding...ding...ding..."

The silver spoon lightly touched the cup, producing a regular and crisp sound that was particularly clear in the overly quiet office.

Around her, several subordinates stood respectfully with their hands at their sides, awaiting a report.

"grown ups."

A subordinate stepped forward, speaking in a steady but slightly rapid voice:
"Rose Medical's headquarters in the Vulcan Domain just made an urgent call. A large number of patients in the hospital have expressed their inability to pay for the remaining medical expenses and are inquiring about how to proceed."

The stirring of the coffee paused slightly.

A very soft, almost laughing breath came from under the mask.

The financier looked up, and although his expression was not visible, the slight tilt of his head and the seemingly glint in his eyes behind the holes in his mask revealed a playful scrutiny.

"Unable to pay?"

Her voice, filtered through the mask, gained an even colder quality:

"The reason? Is it... bankruptcy?"

"The feedback from the other party was mainly that they were experiencing serious difficulties in cash flow."

The subordinates carefully chose their words.

"Oh."

A short, soft laugh.

The financier began stirring his coffee again, his movements slow and elegant.
"What's Summers' opinion?" "According to the general instructions from headquarters to Rose Healthcare, patients unable to pay should be 'refunded'. But the feedback from Rose Healthcare's management is..."

The subordinate paused, seemingly recalling the original words:
“Some patients are critically ill, and forcibly removing them directly could trigger humanitarian controversies and cause irreversible damage to the hospital’s reputation. They suggested that at least the patients’ conditions should be stabilized before demanding payment or taking further measures.”

"Summers..."

The financier shook her head. The silver spoon traced one last ripple in the cup before she gently lifted it and placed it on the edge of the plate with a crisp sound.

"He's still too kind."

She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the smooth table, her fingers interlaced, the scarecrow mask facing her subordinate who was reporting to her, and her fixed, wide smile now looked utterly ironic.

“Remember, we are first and foremost a capital group, and only secondarily a provider of healthcare services. Philanthropy? That has nothing to do with a god who controls wealth.”

Her voice was chilling:

"Since Rose Medical is unwilling, or afraid, to play the necessary villain..."

She lightly tapped the table with her fingertip, then turned her gaze to another senior accountant beside her, who had been silently waiting, holding a ledger.

"Then this role will be played by our finance department. After all, it is our duty to protect the interests of the group and clean up non-performing assets."

The accountant immediately stepped forward, bowed slightly, and indicated that everything was ready.

The financier leaned back in his chair, his posture becoming relaxed once more.

"To Dean Summers and all relevant departments at Rose Medical: The Finance Department 'deeply understands' and 'sympathizes' with the patient's current predicament and cannot bear to see their treatment interrupted due to financial problems, endangering their life. Therefore, we have launched a special 'Rose Medical Emergency Treatment Continuation Loan Program'."

She spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic:

"Patients can use this loan to continue their planned treatment. However, the conditions are as follows:"

First, you must provide full collateral in the form of real estate under your name—including but not limited to residences, land deeds, estates, etc. The valuation and procedures for the collateral will be handled immediately by our designated agency.

Second, this loan is specifically for paying subsequent medical expenses, but all expenses will be included in the financing and management costs on the original basis. The total repayment amount must be settled before the end of the treatment course, and... well, let's say a 50% profit on the principal.

After all, we bore the risks and the costs of tying up capital.

She paused briefly, seemingly admiring the ingenuity of the plan:

"Third, and most importantly: if the repayment is not made on time and in full, all collateral will be automatically seized by the Rose Group to offset the debt."

After giving her instructions, she picked up the cup of coffee, which had grown cold, but didn't drink it. Instead, she looked through the thin steam at the distorted reflection of her mask on the cup.

"Oh, right."

As if suddenly remembering something, she added, her voice almost overflowing with feigned concern:
"Remember to have the finance specialist personally visit each ward and explain this 'humane' loan program to each respected patient and their family with care and concern. Emphasize our 'goodwill' and 'responsibility'."

She finally raised the coffee cup under her mask, seemed to take a sip, and then put the cup down.

"after all……"

She concluded, her voice carrying the ease of having completed a satisfying piece of work:
"Our capital group has always been so understanding."

The office was silent except for the rustling of papers and the faint sound of pens scratching across the surface.

Several subordinates bowed their heads deeply and responded in unison:

"Yes, sir. We'll take care of it immediately."

The accountant accepted the order and left. Another accountant, dressed equally formally and holding a folder, quietly stepped forward, stopped three steps away from the desk, and bowed slightly.

"grown ups."

His voice was very low:

"The Vulcan Domain No. 3 Thermal Power Plant was successfully detonated a few minutes ago according to the predetermined plan. The images and energy readings transmitted from the site have confirmed that the explosion was caused by the internal gravity collapse device, which is completely consistent with the initial impact characteristics of an accident."

"The officer in charge of this operation, Chi Piao, is waiting outside for your further instructions."

A voice, devoid of emotion, came from beneath the mask:
"Clean and efficient. Let her go to the special contribution settlement office to collect her share, calculated at the highest coefficient."

"Yes."

The accountant bowed again, turned and walked away quickly without making a sound.

"pat..."

The office door was opened.

The person who walked in was wearing a thick mink coat, the fur gleaming luxuriously as he moved.

Her steps were unhurried, carrying the unspoken authority of someone long accustomed to a high position.

The eyes behind the scarecrow's mask suddenly lifted.

The financier in the white suit almost immediately rose from her high-backed chair, her movements respectful, and she nodded slightly, saying:

"President."

Jun Yunqi did not respond to the greeting; she went straight to the soft chair opposite the financier and sat down.

"I just came from the intelligence department."

"They told me that the third thermal power plant in Vulcan Domain, which supplied energy to half of the civilian area... was completely destroyed in today's riots by an explosion caused by protesters."

"So, I just happened to be passing by and came to ask."

Jun Yunqi walked to the chair and sat down, looking at the strategist in the white suit in front of him, and slowly spoke.

The person in front of me is the strategist of the entire Rose Group. The finance department she manages has the highest executive authority. Even the God of Wealth praises her highly, saying that she picked up a treasure from a garbage dump.

It's hard to imagine that when the financier first found him a few years ago, he was a crazy person with an incomparably beautiful face, like a legendary elf or a fairy descended to earth.

This face is a gift from God in industries like film and television and live streaming, but she has no interest in those things.

She is only obsessed with the flow of numbers, the game of capital, and the calculation of human nature.

She was determined to become a strategist and seize victory on the bloodless battlefield.

However, this stunning beauty became the most vicious curse on her path to power and cunning.

No one wanted to believe that such an appearance could contain such amazing talent.

The ridicule of her as a "pretty but incompetent" and a "pretty but useless strategist" spread across the internet. Everyone only stared at her face, and no one was willing to bother to listen to her strategies or look at her blueprints.

Her soul was trapped in that overly perfect body, and she drifted aimlessly for years amidst prejudice and neglect, full of ambition but with nowhere to realize it.

Until she met Jun Yunqi.

Jun Yunqi never cared about the appearance of her subordinates; she only had one standard: whether they could bring real profits to the group and the God of Wealth.

Therefore, she subjected this infamous strategist to several rounds of rigorous testing.

The results were shocking.

Those deductions and plans that were seen by outsiders as "decorative decorations," and their terrifyingly keen intuition about the financial crisis, blossomed with a dazzling brilliance amidst the cold numbers and pre-set predicaments.

Jun Yunqi is a true pragmatist.

She was decisive and efficient, making the decision immediately to include the financier in the core department—the finance department.

This stay lasted for several years.

For financiers, this is like a dragon entering the sea.

After years of stagnation and stagnation in the outside world, she rose to prominence as a "financier" in just three years, thanks to Jun Yunqi's unwavering trust and the support of the Rose Group's vast resources and intelligence network. She stood alongside renowned "prophet," "schemer," and "parallel strategist" as a top-tier advisor, orchestrating everything with great skill.

Jun Yunqi was to her a mentor who saw through the clouds and brought her to the light, a lord who gave her the battlefield and the blade, and a kindness that she would remember for a lifetime.

Therefore, when faced with the president's questions, the financier did not conceal anything or beat around the bush.

She answered frankly:

"Yes, President. I arranged the power plant matter."

The strategist in the white suit straightened his back slightly, as if stating an inevitable conclusion that had been deduced countless times:

"I plan to use this explosion to push the surface unrest toward irreversible structural collapse. The public's anger needs a focal point, the authority of the Vatican needs a major blow, and social order needs to be completely disrupted."

She paused slightly, as if considering her options:
"Because the god of fire has fallen silent."

"When there is no leader—"

Her voice was low, yet it carried a certainty of understanding the situation.

"Isn't this the perfect opportunity for His Majesty the God of Wealth to take over, and even completely... plunder the entire domain?"

Jun Yunqi understood what she meant; she saw the burning ambition in the financier's eyes.

This strategic genius, once cursed by his beauty and buried by prejudice for many years, had been lying dormant for too long and suppressed for too long.

Now that she has encountered such a great opportunity, how could she not want to take the lead and play a grand game that could overturn the world and reshape the order?

This is not just about plundering, but also about proving something.

This will prove to everyone who once mocked her as a "pretty face" or a "good-for-nothing."

This will prove to those judges who disqualified her from entering the strategist assembly solely because of her appearance.

This will prove to everyone who advised her to "stop acting" and "recognize that she is a waste."

She wanted this upheaval that affected the entire online community to become her grandest, most brutal, and most glorious battle for fame.

She will tread upon the ruins of the old order to establish herself as the undisputed top strategist, and to etch her name, upright and bloodstained, onto the table of power.

It was this almost obsessive ambition that sustained her through her darkest years, leading her to the Rose Group alone, and even to don the dull and strange scarecrow head that concealed her face for years.

All this patience and dormancy was for the sake of this moment—

She then manipulated the market and played with people's hearts with the most ruthless attitude, standing at the pinnacle of strategists under the name of "financier".

A tomorrow that will shake the entire world.