Kellan's handshake with Lady Lyra Volkov was brief, cool, and utterly dismissive on her part. She thinks I'm a peasant that got lucky. Fine. Let the system prove her wrong.
Before Kellan could speak further, a heavyset man, Vincent Rhodes, a commodity trader, interrupted them.
"This is the curiosity?" Rhodes scoffed. "Seraphina, this one smells like last week's wages."
[Optimal Insight (Level 1) Activated! Target: Vincent Rhodes. Optimal Action: Challenge his professional hubris publicly. Focus on his current largest trading position.]
"Mr. Rhodes, I hear you've been placing heavy bets on the Argentine Lithium Futures," Kellan said, his voice quiet.
"How the hell do you know that, kid?" Rhodes froze.
"I just see the Optimal Path, and your path, sir, is about to hit a dead end."
[Insight Level: Urgent Warning! Optimal Action: Bet against Rhodes. Predicted Market Shift: Catastrophic Collapse.]
Kellan turned to Seraphina. "I will bet my entire remaining working capital—the $1,500 I have free—on a short position against Rhodes's Lithium. If I lose, I walk out. If I win, you give me a direct line to your firm's unadvertised venture capital network."
Seraphina smiled, accepting the high-stakes bet. An hour later, a sudden news alert detailed an unexpected environmental moratorium on all lithium exports. Rhodes's massive profit evaporated.
Kellan glanced at his phone: + $185,000 USD. The atmosphere in the room changed entirely.
[Optimal Insight (Level 1) Activated! Target: Lady Lyra Volkov. Optimal Path: She can lead you to the next phase of the System's potential.]
Kellan turned to Lyra, ignoring Seraphina's congratulations. "Lady Volkov, I noticed something else tonight. Something about that stunning diamond necklace you are wearing."
Lyra instinctively touched the flawless, enormous diamond. Kellan pointed to a single, minuscule flaw near the setting. "It's exquisite. But the setting… it's slightly sub-optimal. That small mistake is draining a small percentage of its inherent energy."
Lyra froze, her breath catching. "How…?" Lyra whispered.