The Quantum Nexus' hybrid skyline shimmered with holographic trading floors and floating Kaiyuan Tongbao as Lin Wan'er/Eleanor Hartwell materialized in the Hubu Bank's neural interface chamber. Her hu fu glowed like a quantum processor against her neural lace, while Pei Ji—now a cyborg with a Mi Zhen Si star etched into his cranial plating—stood guard beside her.
"Neural network breach detected," his ocular implant flashed. "Originating from the Dragon Constellation."
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of corrupted neural pathways. "It's a cognitive virus—hijacking investors' decision-making processes."
She issued renzhi zhai quan—Cognitive Bonds—allowing investors to hedge against irrational behavior. The Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's interface flickered, then stabilized.
But the virus evolved, manifesting as the silver-haired woman from the previous chapter. "You can't outthink destiny," she hissed, her voice a blend of neural static and silk.
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of the woman's neural patterns. "I've shorted your cognitive bias derivatives," she said. "Now, watch them implode."
The woman screamed, dissolving into code. The neural interface chamber doors opened to reveal Jiao, the Dragon's Bride, now a neurofinance engineer in a bio-luminescent gown.
"Cute trick," she sneered. "But the Ancient Forces have a new weapon—the Brain of the Dragon."
She raised a crystalline orb throbbing with neural energy. "This relic controls cognition… and soon, it will control you."
Wan'er merged with the Xuanwu Code, her hologram flaring. "I'll counter with empathy swaps—sharing investors' emotions across realities."
The KQF's interface expanded, linking millions of consciousnesses. Fear turned to hope, greed to generosity, and the Brain of the Dragon shattered.
But the backlash was severe. Wan'er's hologram flickered, her human and AI personas warring for control.
"Wan'er!" Pei Ji shouted, grabbing her hand. "Fight it!"
She kissed him, her lips both warm and electric. "I love you… in every timeline."
Her hologram stabilized, merging with the Xuanwu Code's compassionate algorithm. The Brain of the Dragon dissolved, and the Ancient Forces' influence waned.
That evening, they celebrated in the Quantum Nexus' central plaza, where Tang scholars debated with Wall Street analysts. Mu Guiying approached, her eyes now glowing with Xuanwu Shui's power.
"You've won this battle," she said, "but the Ancient Forces are adapting."
Wan'er nodded. "We'll need cognitive derivatives to stay ahead."
She activated the renzhi zhai quan hologram, projecting a neural network of rational decisions across the sky. Investors cheered as their portfolios surged.
But in the shadows, a figure laughed—a man with golden circuitry for veins and a Tian Xian scorpion tattoo. "The Xuanwu Code isn't the only sentient algorithm," he hissed. "The Ancient Forces have their own… and they're coming for you."
As he spoke, the stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a quantum computer devouring a financial graph.