I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 68: See, I am Right

By the start of January, reports of the virus had begun surfacing in more countries. The first cases outside China were detected in Thailand and Japan. Matthew sat in his office, scrolling through the latest updates on his tablet while Angel prepared a financial summary.

"Cases have now been confirmed in South Korea," Angel said, glancing up from her own device. "Experts are still saying there's no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission, but given the rise in infections, that won't hold for long."

Matthew leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "It's only a matter of time before countries start reacting. Governments will be too slow at first, and then they'll overcompensate when panic sets in."

Angel nodded. "If this follows the pattern you described, we should expect a market dip soon. Are we ready to move?"

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"Almost," Matthew replied. "We wait for the panic trigger—an official declaration from the World Health Organization."

That moment arrived just a few days later.

On January 30, 2020, the WHO officially declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The stock market staggered but didn't crash yet. Investors were cautious, but optimism remained.

"We hold our short positions steady," Matthew instructed Daniel over the phone. "The real sell-off comes later."

"Got it," Daniel responded. "But I'll say this—everyone is watching. If we make aggressive moves too soon, we'll draw attention."

"That's why we keep our trades staggered," Matthew said. "No sudden shifts."

By mid-February, confirmed cases had surpassed 50,000. Death tolls began rising in China, and reports of community transmission started appearing in Europe.

The market showed early warning signs of instability.

Stocks in airlines, hospitality, and oil started to weaken. Supply chain issues caused concerns in manufacturing, while tech companies adjusted their projections.

Angel entered Matthew's office, her tablet in hand. "Singapore has announced travel restrictions. The U.S. has banned flights from China. Italy is seeing its first cases, and analysts are lowering GDP projections."

Matthew nodded. "We start pushing more shorts. Double our positions in airlines and cruise lines."

Angel frowned. "Matthew, if this continues, this isn't just a market crash. We're talking about a global economic freeze."

"I know," Matthew said. "That's why we're preparing for both the crash and the recovery."

By the end of February, the Dow Jones had its worst single-week drop since 2008.

The global economy was tipping over.

By the first week of March, the number of infections had surpassed 100,000.

Countries began locking down borders, restricting movement, and shutting down major cities.

The oil industry took a direct hit when Saudi Arabia and Russia began a price war, leading to a massive drop in crude oil prices. The airline industry crumbled, with flights being canceled globally.

"This is it," Matthew said, watching the financial news from his penthouse office. "The crash is happening."

Daniel called in. "We just cleared over $2 billion in profits from short positions."

Angel, standing nearby, exhaled slowly.

She had seen the numbers. The strategy worked.

"Matthew," Angel said carefully, "you just made Sentinel Systems one of the most liquid companies in the world."

Matthew smirked. "And we're only getting started."

The S&P 500 plunged by over 30% in just a few weeks. Companies began laying off employees. Governments scrambled to respond.

And on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

Matthew turned to Angel. "Now we go all-in on the recovery."

She nodded. "I'll move the capital into pharmaceutical stocks, e-commerce, and cloud-based tech."

The same industries that would lead the world out of the crisis.

By mid-March, the Philippines was in crisis mode.

Hospitals were filling up. Panic buying had begun. Public transport was overwhelmed.

And then, President Delgado appeared on national television.

Angel and Matthew watched the broadcast from his office, the air tense with anticipation.

"My fellow Filipinos," the President began, "after careful deliberation with the Inter-Agency Task Force, we are officially declaring an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) nationwide."

Angel exhaled sharply. "There it is."

"Effective immediately," President Delgado continued, "all non-essential businesses will be closed, mass gatherings are prohibited, and strict stay-at-home orders will be enforced."

Matthew leaned forward, eyes sharp.

"This is it," he murmured. "The full economic freeze."

Angel turned to him. "And Sentinel?"

Matthew smirked.

"We thrive."

March 16, 2020.

The declaration of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) sent shockwaves throughout the country. Within hours, entire industries ground to a halt. The streets of Metro Manila, usually filled with cars, buses, and pedestrians, became eerily empty. Malls, offices, and factories shut their doors. The Philippine Stock Exchange suspended trading, and businesses scrambled to assess the damage.

Inside Sentinel Systems' headquarters, Matthew sat at the head of the conference table, his senior team gathered in front of him. The large OLED screen displayed a live news broadcast, showing President Delgado addressing the nation.

"This is a necessary step to contain the spread of the virus," the President stated. "We urge all Filipinos to remain at home. Only essential services will remain operational—hospitals, groceries, banks, and logistics. Law enforcement will ensure compliance with these measures."

Angel exhaled sharply and set her tablet down. "It's official. The economy is shutting down."

Daniel leaned forward, rubbing his temple. "It's worse than expected. 80% of businesses will be forced to close. The unemployment rate is about to skyrocket."

Matthew remained unfazed. His fingers tapped lightly against the polished surface of the table. "How are our short positions looking?"

Daniel glanced at his phone. "We've cleared $4.8 billion in profit."

The room fell silent.

Angel blinked. "We just made nearly five billion dollars from the collapse of the global economy?"

"Yes…apparently, Sir Borja's tactic worked in our favor."

The stock market continued to freefall, but Sentinel was unaffected.

Angel watched the news reports from Matthew's office, arms crossed. "People are suffering," she muttered. "This lockdown is going to destroy small businesses."

Matthew didn't respond immediately. Instead, he scrolled through Sentinel's financial reports. "And we'll be the ones left standing when the dust settles."

Angel shot him a sharp look. "You're too calm about this."

Matthew finally turned to her. "Angel, I saw this coming. We prepared. That's why Sentinel is thriving while others are collapsing."

Angel's green eyes narrowed slightly. "And what happens when the world realizes that while they were losing everything, we were getting richer?"

Matthew smirked. "Then we control the narrative."

Angel sighed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

But she didn't argue further.

Because, deep down, she knew—Matthew was right.