I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 67: Are you my Mother?

The cityscape of Bonifacio Global City glowed under the December night sky. Inside his penthouse office, Matthew Borja sat with his feet propped on the coffee table, eyes fixed on the large OLED screen mounted on the wall. The news anchor's voice echoed in the room.

"Breaking news from China—local authorities in Wuhan have reported a cluster of cases involving an unknown pneumonia-like illness. Medical experts suspect a viral outbreak, but further investigations are still ongoing. The World Health Organization has been alerted, and preliminary reports suggest that the virus may be linked to the city's seafood market."

Matthew smirked.

"Right on schedule."

He picked up his glass of scotch, swirling the amber liquid. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The first official case. The first domino to fall.

Just as he took a sip, the door slammed open.

"Matthew Borja!"

Matthew nearly choked on his drink. That was Angel's full-blown angry voice.

He looked up and saw Angel Therese Sue standing at the doorway, one hand clutching a folder while the other rested firmly on her hip. Her green eyes, usually calm and composed, were now glowing with frustration.

"Angel," Matthew greeted, straightening. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Oh, don't tempt me. Because if what I just found out is true, you might not survive this conversation," she snapped, marching inside and slamming the folder onto his desk.

Matthew eyed the documents warily. "Is this about the NVIDIA deal? Because I already approved—"

"No, Matthew! This is about you secretly investing over a hundred million dollars of investor money into high-risk trades!"

Matthew blinked.

Ah. So she found out.

Angel crossed her arms, glaring down at him. "Do you have any idea what kind of storm you're inviting?!"

Matthew sighed, putting down his glass. "Angel, sit down—"

"No, I will not sit down!" she cut him off. "Are you insane? You didn't even run this by me, by Lisa, by anyone! You just threw a hundred million dollars into the market like it was Monopoly money!"

"It's not just a hundred million," Matthew murmured under his breath.

Angel's eyes narrowed. "...How much, Matthew?"

Matthew scratched his temple, hesitating. "...Five hundred million."

Angel's jaw dropped. "FIVE HUNDRED MILLION?!"

Matthew winced. "Technically, it's spread across hedge funds—"

"Oh, great! That makes me feel SO much better!" Angel threw her hands up. "Matthew, are you out of your mind? That's half a billion dollars! That's investors' money! You could single-handedly destroy Sentinel's financial credibility if this goes south!"

"It's not going south," Matthew said firmly.

"And what makes you so damn sure?"

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Matthew exhaled. He had expected Daniel to question him, but Angel? This was next-level chiding.

"Angel, I know it looks reckless," Matthew admitted. "But I promise you—I know exactly what I'm doing."

Angel shook her head. "No, you don't, Matthew! Because the only way you could know for sure is if you can see the future!"

Matthew went silent.

Angel pointed a finger at him. "You think just because you're right most of the time, you're invincible? That the market will always go your way? The stock market is a different beast, Matthew. Even the smartest investors in history have lost everything because of bad bets!"

"Angel—"

"And now you're gambling five hundred million dollars on some doomsday scenario you can't even prove?" She let out a frustrated laugh. "My God, Matthew! Do you even hear yourself?"

Matthew inhaled deeply, rubbing his temple. "Angel, listen to me."

She crossed her arms, glowering.

"I know this sounds insane," Matthew said slowly, "but in three months, the world is going to shut down. This isn't just an educated guess—it's a certainty. In March 2020, the stock market will crash, airlines will collapse, oil prices will plummet, and businesses that rely on in-person services will go bankrupt. But tech, e-commerce, and pharmaceuticals? They'll explode."

Angel's lips pressed into a thin line. "And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes."

Angel ran a hand through her hair, pacing. "Matthew, do you realize what you're saying? You're talking about a global economic disaster. If you're wrong, you're not just losing money. You'll ruin your credibility. Investors will pull out. Sentinel will take a massive hit."

Matthew's gaze was unwavering. "And if I'm right?"

Angel stopped.

"If I'm right," Matthew continued, "we come out on top. Not just richer—untouchable. This company becomes a fortress. We'll have leverage over every industry, every investor, every government scrambling to stabilize the economy. We won't just survive the crash—we'll control the recovery."

Angel clenched her fists. "You're playing with fire, Matthew."

He smirked. "Then let's hope I don't get burned."

Angel let out a frustrated sigh, massaging her temples. "I swear to God, if you weren't my boss—"

Before she could finish, the television caught her attention.

The news anchor's voice filled the room once again.

"We're receiving breaking news from China—health officials in Wuhan have confirmed the detection of a new coronavirus strain. The virus has infected several individuals, and concerns are rising over possible human-to-human transmission. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, though no official travel restrictions have been imposed."

Angel's head snapped to the screen.

Matthew didn't say anything. He simply watched her expression shift.

She stepped closer to the TV, her fingers gripping the armrest of a nearby chair. Her lips parted slightly as the weight of realization hit her.

Matthew's voice was calm, but firm.

"Three months," he murmured.

Angel turned back to him and cleared her throat.

"I apologize for my rude behavior and tone, Sir Borja," she said smoothly, her voice suddenly soft and controlled, as if the last ten minutes of furious lecturing had never happened.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, watching the rapid shift in demeanor. "Sir Borja?"

Angel clasped her hands in front of her, her green eyes now calm, almost angelic. "Yes. I may have… overreacted."

Matthew smirked. "Overreacted? You nearly gave me an aneurysm five minutes ago."

Angel offered him a small, polished smile. "Well, let's not dwell on the past."

Matthew chuckled, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. You're like a completely different person."

"I was merely… passionate about the company's financial well-being," Angel replied lightly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "But as it turns out, you weren't speaking nonsense after all."

She gestured toward the television, where the Wuhan news segment continued to play. The anchor now interviewed a medical expert discussing potential risks, though no official declaration had been made.

Angel turned her attention back to Matthew, her expression unreadable. "So, this is what you were so confident about."

Matthew nodded. "And this is only the beginning."

Angel hummed, taking a seat across from him. "Three months," she repeated.

Matthew leaned forward. "Three months. By then, global cases will spike. Businesses will panic. Governments will stumble through their response. Airlines will start shutting down. And the market? It'll crumble."

Angel drummed her fingers lightly against the armrest, her mind clearly running through possibilities. "And our position?"

Matthew smirked. "Perfect."

She exhaled, glancing at the stock reports on his desk. "You're truly insane, you know that?"

He shrugged. "Brilliant, insane—depends on who you ask."

Angel gave a small shake of her head, but this time, there was something else in her eyes. Respect.

She let out a breathy chuckle. "I swear, if you're actually right about everything, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Matthew teased.

Angel shot him a sharp look but then smiled. "I'll never doubt you again."

Matthew smirked. "I'll hold you to that."

A moment of silence settled between them before Angel crossed one leg over the other, regaining her composed posture. "In that case, what's our next move?"

Matthew tapped his fingers against his desk, his mind already racing ahead.

"First, we expand our positions. Double down on our short trades—airlines, oil, hospitality. They'll crash harder than anyone expects."

Angel nodded.

"Second, we start quietly acquiring shares in pharmaceutical companies, e-commerce, and remote work technology."

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Stealth investments?"

Matthew nodded. "We don't want to move too fast. We'll use subsidiaries, investment firms, and silent partnerships to keep attention away from us."

Angel made a mental note. "I'll arrange it. Anything else?"

Matthew exhaled, looking out over the city skyline.

"Now, we wait."