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Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Blackout
Liam scoffed as he leaned back in his chair, watching Dickson with mild amusement.
"Of course, I know about crypto," he said, shaking his head. "I just wasn’t familiar with the term ’trading’ like that."
Dickson rubbed his face in frustration before running a hand through his still-damp hair.
This guy...
Who the hell in big 2025 didn’t know what trading was?
Liam had always been a bit weird, but this was a whole new level of clueless.
Still, Dickson wasn’t surprised anymore.
With a sigh, he turned to his computer, closed the stupid countdown for Flora Je7nson’s album, and pulled up his search engine.
His fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in: "Quotex."
Liam watched curiously as Dickson created an account, filling in details and setting up everything at lightning speed.
Once it was done, Dickson leaned back and gestured toward the screen.
"Here."
Liam leaned forward, his deep blue eyes narrowing slightly.
What he saw immediately piqued his interest.
The screen was filled with fluctuating lines, candlestick bars, and signals shifting every second.
So this was what he meant by trading?
Liam had seen similar charts before, but he had never paid them much attention.
He had always assumed they were just some complicated, boring stuff meant for finance nerds.
But now that he was actually looking at it properly, he realized—
If he could make money just by predicting whether these signals would go up or down...
Then maybe, just maybe, this could be his golden ticket.
Dickson smirked as he watched Liam’s expression shift from curiosity to deep thought.
He turned around, walked to his shelf, and pulled out a thick, heavy book before slamming it down on the table with a thud.
Liam looked at the book, then back at Dickson.
"What’s this?"
Dickson crossed his arms.
"This is a trading guidebook. It teaches you everything about signals, movements, and how to predict them properly."
Liam furrowed his brows.
"The hell? Do I have to read all of this?"
The book was thick as hell.
Reading something this massive would take forever.
Dickson raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. You think people just wake up one day and become expert traders?"
Liam let out a deep sigh.
But before he could even think about complaining, something unexpected happened.
As Liam stared at the fluctuating signals on the screen, his system suddenly activated.
A small, transparent box popped up in his vision.
> [System Analysis: Trading Mode Activated]
Scanning Chart Patterns...
Predicting Signal Movements...
Accuracy: 80%
Liam’s brows raised slightly.
What the hell?
Was the system actually analyzing and predicting the movements of these candles?
A moment later, a precise signal appeared in his vision, indicating the next movement.
His lips parted slightly in surprise.
If this system was actually correct...
Then...
Did this mean he could print money out of thin air?!
Without thinking much, he turned to Dickson.
"Alright, let’s try this. Place an uptrade for a 30-second expiry at $100 with a 2x leverage."
Dickson paused.
He narrowed his eyes at Liam, suspicion flashing in his gaze.
"...Wait. How the hell do you suddenly know trading terms?"
Liam quickly cleared his throat.
"I—I learn fast."
Dickson rolled his eyes. "Bullshit."
Still, since this was a demo account, there was zero risk.
So, with a shrug, Dickson clicked the trading option at the exact time Liam instructed.
Liam’s prediction was that the signal would go up.
But the moment Dickson clicked—
The signal immediately dropped downward.
Dickson stared at the screen.
Then he turned to Liam with a blank face.
Then, all of a sudden—
"PFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He burst into loud laughter, slamming the desk.
"You dumbass! That was the worst prediction I’ve ever seen!"
Liam’s eye twitched.
Dickson wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Damn, bro. I knew this was your first time, but I didn’t think your luck was this horrible."
Liam frowned slightly.
Did the system just mess up?
That was... weird.
The system clearly said there was an 80% chance of success.
So even a 20% chance of failure could be this huge?
Liam was still deep in thought when—
Dickson suddenly stopped laughing.
Liam noticed the shift and turned to the screen.
His eyes widened.
The signal—
The same signal that had dropped moments ago—
Was suddenly rising.
It kept climbing higher and higher—
Until it shot past their trade mark just before the timer ran out.
The trade closed in profit.
Dickson’s lips parted as he stared at the screen in pure shock.
Liam, equally stunned, turned to Dickson.
Dickson quickly shook his head and smirked, trying to play it cool.
"Tch. Just luck."
Liam’s eye twitched again.
This guy.
First, he said his luck was terrible.
Now, he’s saying his luck is good?
The fuck is wrong with this dude’s head?
Dickson grabbed the thick book off the table and tossed it at Liam with zero hesitation.
"Take this."
Liam barely caught it before it smacked him in the face.
"What the hell, man?!" he complained.
"Study it when you get home. That dumb luck of yours won’t save you next time."
Liam rolled his eyes as he tucked the book under his arm.
His gaze shifted toward Dickson, who was suddenly rushing around the room, pulling open drawers, grabbing clothes, and getting dressed like a man on a mission. Liam raised a brow.
"What’s up with you?" he asked, watching as Dickson buttoned up a crisp black shirt.
Dickson grinned, spraying cologne all over himself before checking his reflection in the mirror.
"Yo, I finally got this hot chick to go on a date with me. I can’t mess this up, bro."
Liam almost burst out laughing on the spot.
"Wait, wait, let me see her picture."
Dickson smirked and pointed toward his bed.
"Right there."
Liam turned his head and froze.
There was a framed picture sitting neatly on the bedside table.
His eyes twitched.
He had been in the room for a while now, but his brain had completely skipped over it because—quite frankly—it wasn’t worth looking at.
Liam took slow, deliberate steps toward the framed image and finally got a good look at the girl.
Then he blinked.
And blinked again.
Then his face slowly twisted into an expression of pure confusion.
"...The fuck?" he muttered under his breath.
Then he turned back to Dickson with a deadpan expression.
"Hold up."
He pointed to the picture.
"You have her picture framed already?"
Dickson didn’t even hesitate.
"Obviously. She’s my queen."
Liam stared.
He rubbed his temples.
Then he sighed deeply before slowly whispering, "Simp."
Dickson ignored him.
Instead, he turned back to the mirror and fixed his collar, adjusting his hair slightly.
But Liam wasn’t done yet.
His gaze drifted back to the framed picture, then back to Dickson, then back to the picture again.
Then he squinted harder.
"...Bro."
Dickson paused.
Liam took a deep breath.
Then, with a completely deadpan voice, he asked, "How the hell is this a ’super hot girl’?"
Dickson’s brows furrowed.
"Bro, just because you’re dating a 100/10 girl doesn’t mean I have to. My queen is a 10."
Liam almost collapsed.
This idiot was beyond saving.
Dickson—completely unbothered—finished dressing up, grabbed his phone, and headed for the door.
"I’m heading out."
He turned back to Liam and gestured toward the room.
"Close the door before you leave."
Liam, however, wasn’t staying a second longer.
Without another word, he slipped out of the room, walking alongside Dickson as they made their way outside.
The moment they stepped out of the house, Dickson took a deep breath and turned to Liam with determination in his eyes.
"Wish me luck, bro."
Liam rolled his eyes.
"You’re beyond saving."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
He needed to get home fast.
This trading thing was too interesting to ignore.
If he could make money anonymously, it would be the perfect solution.
No risk. No exposure. No one getting suspicious.
As he walked, his mind drifted back to the very first time he awakened his system.
The words flashed through his mind like a vivid memory.
[Lust System Awakened.]
Liam exhaled slowly.
"Tch. Fuck ’Lust System.’"
His lips curled into a mischievous smirk.
"This is clearly a goddamn money cheat."
---
The moment Liam reached home, he immediately sensed that something wasn’t right.
For starters, the entire house was too quiet.
There was no soft hum of the refrigerator, no subtle flicker of standby lights from the electronics, and most importantly—when he instinctively flicked the light switch by the door—nothing happened.
His brows furrowed.
He flicked it again.
Still nothing.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered under his breath.
His gaze swept across the darkened house, and that’s when it hit him.
There was no electricity.
Liam exhaled sharply.
Just what kind of bullshit timing was this?
His mind was buzzing with excitement from what he had learned about trading. He was ready to sit down, turn on his computer, and start practicing—but now he couldn’t even do the bare minimum.
Suppressing his frustration, he grabbed his phone and switched on the flashlight before heading toward the electrical panel.
As he approached, a strange burnt smell hit his nose.
His eyes narrowed.
The moment he opened the panel, his stomach sank.
Some of the components inside had exploded.
A few wires were burnt and melted, and there was even black soot smeared across the edges of the panel.
Liam let out a slow, controlled exhale.
Then he whispered, "...Shit."
Great. Just great.
Now he wasn’t just dealing with a random blackout, but actual damage that needed repairs.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he quickly pulled out his phone and searched for an electrician.
After a few minutes of browsing through repair services, he found one with good reviews and dialed the number.
The phone rang twice before a voice picked up.
"Hello, this is Titan Electrical Repairs. How can I help you?"
"Yeah, my electrical panel blew up or something. Some wires are burnt, and there’s no power in my apartment. How fast can you send someone over?"
The person on the other end paused for a second before responding.
"That sounds serious. We can have a technician over in about an hour."
"Make it quick."
After giving his address and confirming the service, Liam hung up and ran a hand down his face.
This was just a huge inconvenience.
Now he had to wait for the electrician before he could even think about using his computer.
As he sighed, he suddenly realized something—
Ann wasn’t anywhere to be found.
The house was completely empty, aside from him.
Frowning slightly, he pulled out his phone again and opened WhatsApp.
Sure enough, Ann had already sent him a message.
Ann: Hey, I’m heading out for the day. Won’t be back till night. Don’t miss me too much ;)
Liam chuckled despite himself.
"Tch. This girl."
He wasn’t even sure where she was going, but knowing Ann, she was probably doing something important—or expensive.
Still, with the power out and nothing better to do, Liam found himself restless.
Maybe he should go out too.
He glanced at the large trading book Dickson had given him earlier.
Reading it with a flashlight wasn’t happening.
Maybe he’d just go chill somewhere until the electricity was back.
And so, after locking the door behind him, Liam stepped out into the fresh air—still slightly annoyed but at least determined not to waste the day.
