1: Transmigration

In a street corner of Newville, a few tough-looking youths surrounded a college sophomore. A tattooed guy with inked arms gazed at the college student and mockingly inquired, "If you still can't pay the money in two months, what do you think we should do?"

The college student, Alex, replied calmly, "Two months from now, if I still can't pay, I'll go with you, and you can do as you please." This debt wasn't his; it was the result of the previous owner's foolish actions.

Now, Alex had traveled through space and been reborn in this body. He was a world-renowned financial tycoon with the power to move mountains in the global capital market. He inherited not only the memories but also the consequences of the previous owner's actions, including this debt.

The social youths were taken aback by Alex's composed response, especially the tattooed leader. This was the third time he tried to collect the debt from Alex. The first two times, he was scared witless and begged for mercy. The current Alex was a completely different person.

Alex was exceptionally calm at the moment. He was used to grand scenes from his previous life, so the debt collection situation before him was inconsequential. His direct approach was the most effective way to handle it in the current circumstances.

In Alex's eyes, any problem that could be solved with money was no problem at all. Even though he was currently broke, he could quickly amass a substantial fortune through stock market maneuvers, thanks to his financial market expertise.

The previous owner was a college sophomore who dabbled in the stock market but was a typical "leek" - a small-time investor. He went all-in when the market was booming back in October when it reached 6,000 points, even resorting to high-interest loans. Now, it was July 2008, and the market had plummeted to less than 3,000 points with no sign of recovery. Many people had lost everything, and the previous owner was one of them.

The tattooed guy commented, "Impressive, it's been a while, and you've become quite bold. You're a tough one!" He admired Alex's composure but quickly added, "You owe 330,000 dollars in two months. If we don't see the money, you know what's coming."

In those days, 330,000 dollars was a significant sum. Alex replied, "Can I go now?" The tattooed man gestured to his companions, who stepped aside, and Alex walked away without a word.

About half an hour later, Alex didn't return to Newville University but went to an internet cafe near the school. He found a quiet corner and opened a computer, but since the cafe didn't have trading software, he had to download it himself. He didn't have a computer, and the school's internet speed was less than impressive.

Alex was pragmatic and adaptable, capable of going from frugality to extravagance and vice versa. He was rational and didn't mind the slow internet speed.

While waiting for the trading software to install, Alex contemplated another matter. After his rebirth, he found himself with a system called the "Social Prestige System." This system seemed to be genuine and not just a delusion.

A panel appeared before him, visible only to him. It was the interface of the Social Prestige System:

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[Social Prestige System]

[Bound to: Alex]

[Raising the social prestige of the bound individual will earn achievement points, which can be used to exchange for corresponding item cards.]

[Current Prestige Value: 0]

[Available Achievement Points: 0]

[The item shop is in a locked state, and unlocking it requires raising the prestige value to 1 or higher.]

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Alex mused to himself, "Raising social prestige, huh? Sounds interesting. I wonder what those item cards can do."

With a thought, the interface vanished. Raising social prestige or influence was no challenge for Alex. There were various ways to achieve this, such as making a fortune and becoming a super-rich tycoon, which would naturally increase his social prestige and influence.

Alex was a master in the financial market, making money wasn't a daunting task. After a while, the trading software was installed. Alex shifted his focus to clearing the debt he had inherited from the previous owner. It was a matter of urgency.

He had two months to repay 330,000 dollars, with around 250,000 of that being accumulated interest. It was a usurious loan, and the law wouldn't validate such high-interest rates. However, Alex had no intention of going the legal route. Directly paying the 330,000 dollars was the simplest and most efficient solution. It would also save him from unnecessary complications.

For Alex, any problem that could be solved with money was no problem at all. Even though he was currently broke, he knew he could quickly accumulate a substantial fortune through stock market maneuvers. The stock market was like an ATM for him, and he could make money whether it was a bear or bull market.

This self-confidence came from being a top financial master, and even without his memory and foresight advantages, he would still be profitable. Alex logged into the previous owner's stock trading account, which displayed a cumulative loss of -89.05% and a remaining balance of 8,700 dollars.

The loss curve on the account showed a continuous decline without a significant rebound. Alex shook his head as he assessed the situation. Considering the percentage loss and the remaining balance, the actual loss exceeded 70,000 dollars.

The previous owner was from a working-class family, and they couldn't have afforded to speculate in stocks. Currently, the minimum wage in most areas was not more than a thousand dollars, with many places having minimum wage standards around six to seven hundred dollars. 70,000 dollars was a substantial sum.

The previous owner was able to trade stocks with this money because, after accumulating heavy losses, they signed a drawer agreement with the lending party, pledging themselves as collateral to secure the high-interest loan. If the debt wasn't repaid, the lending party had the authority to send them to Southeast Asia.

Alex was relieved that there was still 8,700 dollars in the account. He sold all three stocks the previous owner had, totaling 8,650 dollars. Alex then began scanning the market for suitable stocks. The A-share market had dropped from over 6,000 points to less than 3,000 points in a year, causing widespread losses among retail investors.

As Alex searched for opportunities, a man sitting next to him, who appeared to be in his thirties, couldn't help but comment, "Young man, you're investing in stocks at such a young age?"

Alex turned and replied with a smile, "I've just started."

The man offered some friendly advice, "I can see you're a new investor. I suggest you quit while you're ahead. I started trading stocks around your age, and now, after ten years, I've returned to square one. The stock market is in a mess; you should save yourself while you can. I've never seen anything like it."

At 10:35 AM, Alex decided to go all-in with his $8,650 and bought ShineGold (ticker symbol: SHG). During that minute, ShineGold saw a total trade volume of $47,600, including Alex's entire position.

Alex smiled nonchalantly, "No worries, I'm just playing around."

The man next to him observed Alex's purchase and couldn't help but shake his head. He thought, "This guy is buying all-in on a stock like this; he's acting like a novice. He probably doesn't even understand the rules of the opening auction."

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