บท 83: BIGGGGGGG PROFIT!

Clone Number Two's projection quietly observed Plink in the midst of his latest scheme. The man leaned back confidently in his shop, surrounded by ledgers and the faint glow of enchanted lights.

"We're short-selling monster blood used for magical ink," Plink declared, his tone dripping with smugness.

His assistant, a wiry young man with nervous energy, nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. We've liquidated all our reserves and invested everything into the short."

Plink's grin widened. "Excellent. The market's about to collapse, and we'll rake in a fortune."

The clone tensed. Somehow, Plink had deduced that an alternative to monster blood had been developed. It was supposed to be confidential, its announcement carefully timed to control market impact. The question burned—how had this information leaked?

"Where does Ride get his ideas for product development?" the assistant asked, almost casually.