The first light of dawn cast a pale golden outline upon the windows of Wang Wei Ke's fortress, illuminating Li Trum's tall silhouette. He stood motionless as obsidian carved by master craftsmen, angles sharp yet depths unfathomable. The night's revelations had swept through his soul like a silent tempest, washing away two years of confusion and struggle, leaving behind clarity as pristine as freshly fallen snow.
Wang's voice emerged from the chamber's shadows, "You have returned. I presume you examined the scrolls."
Li Trum turned, his gaze intense as dragonfire, "I have. It strains belief that this represents the financial realm's true nature."
"No," Wang stepped gradually into the morning light, his features acquiring depth in the interplay of illumination and shadow, resembling an ancient keeper of secrets, "what you saw represents only what you can comprehend at present. Truth reveals itself in layers, much like the market itself."
The chamber carried the scent of aged sandalwood, simultaneously calming and portentous, as if reminding all who entered of the life-altering conversation about to unfold.
"I stand ready to learn," Li Trum's voice carried the quiet determination of a sworn sword accepting a life-debt, "whatever the cost."
Wang observed the younger man with careful assessment, a nearly imperceptible satisfaction flickering in his eyes. With the bearing of one who had weathered countless winters, he approached a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. His fingers traced along the spines of ancient tomes before halting at a leather-bound volume that appeared to have witnessed centuries.
"Before I begin your instruction," Wang remained facing the books, his voice carrying the weight of hard-earned wisdom, "I must confirm one matter. When you comprehend the market's essence, when you master the ability to manipulate its flows, what shall you do with such power?"
The question hung in the air like a Valyrian steel blade, waiting to open the door to destiny. Li Trum recognized this as no simple inquiry but a judgment of his very soul.
"Initially, it was vengeance," his voice emerged soft as a prayer in the Godswood, each word crystallizing two years of humiliation and suffering, "I wished to exact payment from those who mocked and abandoned me. I wanted to prove them wrong and myself right."
Wang turned, his brow furrowing like storm clouds gathering.
"But now," Li Trum continued, his gaze traversing beyond the window to Manhattan's distant skyline, "I desire more. I seek to understand this system, to master its principles, and then—" he paused, searching for precisely the right words, "to transcend it. Not merely for personal wealth, but to claim my rightful place in this grand contest."
The room fell into momentary silence. Wang's penetrating gaze seemed to illuminate every corner of Li Trum's inner landscape, searching for falsehood or hesitation. Finally, he offered a solemn nod.
"Honestly spoken," he declared, "Most would proclaim noble intentions—changing the realm, aiding the weak. You recognize your desires clearly, which marks a beginning."
Wang opened the ancient tome, revealing not expected text but a series of intricate charts and symbols, resembling some arcane wealth cipher passed through generations. His fingers caressed the pages with the reverence one might show a beloved heirloom.
"Finance, Li Trum, extends beyond numbers and charts. It reflects human emotion made manifest, the unconscious collective given form," Wang's voice descended into mysterious depths, "Master finance, and you master human nature. And human nature, from the Age of Heroes to our time, remains unchanging."
In this moment, Li Trum realized he stood at the threshold of a domain few would ever glimpse, a current flowing beneath the market's visible surface. He would no longer be the investor relying on public data and analyst reports, but an initiate into deeper knowledge systems, like a novice admitted to the Citadel's restricted archives.
"Your training begins with three disciplines," Wang closed the book with the ceremonial gravity of a master setting a disciple's path, "First comes technique—advanced quantitative models that capture market subtleties invisible to common eyes; next, information—how to acquire, filter, and utilize the critical data that moves markets; finally, and most crucial, psychology—understanding and predicting collective behavior patterns."
Li Trum nodded, each concept burning into his mind like a house sigil branded onto leather.
"But before we proceed," Wang's eyes suddenly sharpened like a blade catching sunlight, "you must confront a harsh truth: in this system, morality remains a luxury. If you seek true mastery of markets, prepare to make certain... necessary sacrifices."
Sunlight gradually filled the chamber, illuminating a photograph on Wang's desk—his younger self standing on Wall Street, eyes blazing with the same ambition now reflected in Li Trum's gaze. Beside the image lay a yellowed newspaper, its headline boldly declaring: "Black Monday."
Li Trum understood the photograph's significance—Wang had not merely foreseen that catastrophe but had reaped immense wealth from it. Finding opportunity in others' misfortune represented the "necessary sacrifice" he described.
"I am prepared," Li Trum's voice carried unwavering resolve, without a hint of reservation.
Wang nodded with satisfaction, "Then we begin. First lesson: how to identify a market ripe for harvest."
Outside, New York City had fully awakened, countless souls commencing their daily routines, utterly unaware that within this secluded hilltop fortress, a mentorship had formed that would eventually reshape the financial landscape. They could never suspect that this former retail investor would, in the not-distant future, transform the rules of the financial game itself through unprecedented means.
In the intersection of light and shadow, Li Trum's elongated silhouette cast upon the wall no longer resembled a bewildered failure but a financial titan in genesis. His eyes burned with curious flames—hunger for knowledge, thirst for power, and the complex emotions following the collapse of former beliefs—a mixture of pain and release, destruction and rebirth.