## War on the Keyboard
It was already midnight when we returned to our small Rented Apartment. The city's hustle and bustle had gradually quieted, leaving only the occasional sound of cars from the main road in the distance, like the weary sighs of the night. The main light in the room was off; only the computer screen cast an eerie, cold glow, illuminating Su Qing's and my faces in shifting light and shadow.
I sat at the computer, my fingers hovering over the keyboard like a missile ready to launch. My mind was filled with Wang Hao's insufferably arrogant face and his father's icy gaze. A fire of rage raged in my chest, and I couldn't wait to transform it into the most venomous language and hurl it into the online world.
"I'm ready." I took a deep breath and said to Su Qing, who was beside me. She had already made me a steaming cup of milk and sat quietly to the side, like a strategist awaiting her general's departure for battle.
"I plan to start with Wang Hao himself, to ruin his reputation." As I spoke, I quickly typed a line in the post box of an anonymous forum. "I predict that the city's famous Rich Second Generation, Mr. Wang Hao, will make the local headlines tomorrow for an extremely embarrassing scandal, such as... making a drunken scene in public and being dragged away by security."
Looking at the line, I couldn't help but a curl of a cold smile onto my lips. The mental image was so strong, it was almost tantalizing. As soon as I clicked send, and then said the opposite with my "Crow's Mouth," Wang Hao would be waiting to perform for the entire city.
"And this one," I started another post. "I predict that the chain restaurants under the Wang Corporation will be exposed for using gutter oil tomorrow, sparking large-scale customer rights protests."
The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. I felt like a god of revenge who had mastered the Oracle. These attacks were like flying daggers; while not necessarily fatal, they were enough to make Wang Hao and his family frantic and utterly humiliated. I wanted them to know what it felt like to be a trending topic every day, and for all the wrong reasons.
I wrote seven or eight posts in one go, with a wide variety of content, from Wang Hao's personal character to his company's product quality, delivering "blessings" in all directions without any blind spots. After all this, I satisfactorily picked up the milk and took a sip, preparing for the final step—posting anonymously.
Just as my mouse cursor was about to move over the "Post" button, a warm, soft hand gently pressed down on the back of my hand.
It was Su Qing.
"Wait a minute, Lin Fan." Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable power.
I froze and turned to look at her. "What's wrong? Aren't these satisfying enough? I guarantee, starting tomorrow, Wang Hao's life is going to be hell."
Su Qing shook her head. She wasn't looking at me but at the computer screen. Her gaze was clear and focused, like a deep pool of water that instantly extinguished the restless fire in my heart.
"Your attacks are like a shotgun," she began slowly, "wide coverage and loud, but the power of each bullet is very limited. The Wang Corporation is a massive enterprise; their PR team isn't just for show. They can spend some money, hire a few members of an Internet Water Army, and quickly suppress these scandals. We'll have wasted our effort just to make them itch. That's not enough."
Her words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering me up. She was right. I had been so focused on venting my anger that I forgot Wang Hao had a vast business empire behind him. Scratching an itch was indeed useless against such a behemoth.
"So what should we do?" I asked, a bit discouraged.
Su Qing didn't answer directly. Instead, she extended her slender finger, swiped on the touchpad, and opened another folder. The folder's name was simple, just two characters—"Sky Dome."
She clicked on a document, and dense charts and data instantly filled the entire screen. The title was glaring—Wang Corporation "Sky Dome Project" Feasibility Analysis Report.
"Our attack can't be a shotgun," Su Qing said, pointing at the screen, her voice carrying an icy sharpness. "It must be a sniper rifle. One shot, one kill."
I leaned in for a closer look, and the more I saw, the more my heart pounded. A prime land parcel in the south of the city, a total investment of five billion, a funding chain dependent on high-interest overseas loans and presale revenue, risk rating: extremely high. Every word was like a sharp knife, pointing precisely at the Wang Corporation's most vulnerable lifeline.
"This is the project Wang Hao is most proud of, and his only chance to prove his capability to his father. He has bet the entire future of the Wang Corporation on it." Su Qing's tone was calm, but I could feel the immense energy contained in her words. "We don't need to attack his hundred weaknesses. We only need to attack this one, most fatal weakness."
I instantly understood what she meant.
Instead of creating trouble piecemeal, it was better to concentrate all our firepower and launch a precise strike on this "Sky Dome Project."
"I get it." I looked at the data on the screen, then at Su Qing's determined profile. The fire of anger in my heart gradually transformed into a calm, powerful killing intent. I deleted all the posts I had just written. The cursor blinked in the empty post box, like a bullet ready to be fired.
"So, how do we fire the first shot?" I asked, feeling my own voice become much steadier.
For the first time, a smile, one that could be described as cunning and completely at odds with her gentle demeanor, appeared on Su Qing's lips. She pointed to the words "Funding Chain" on the screen and said softly, "We start here. Think about it, what is a five-billion investment project most afraid of?"
## The "Prophet" Goes Online
With a light tap on the touchpad, Su Qing zoomed in on the "Sky Dome Project" files. The dense data and charts on the screen were like a giant net, and what she was looking for was the most fragile thread on that net.
"We start here." She pointed to the words "Funding Chain" on the screen, her gaze as sharp as a scalpel. "Think about it, what is a five-billion investment project most afraid of?"
I scratched my head, pretending to think. "The boss running away with the money?"
Su Qing gave me a look, one that carried a hint of helplessness, as if to say, "How can you be so dense?" "It's confidence. Once the outside world starts to doubt its funding chain, even the slightest rumor will trigger a chain reaction. Banks will tighten credit, partners will demand advance payments, and Stockholders will dump their stocks. We don't need to actually attack its finances; we just need to make everyone 'believe' it has financial problems."
I had an epiphany and slapped my thigh. "Got it! The Strategist means, spread rumors!"
"Not spreading rumors," Su Qing corrected, a cunning smile playing on her lips. "It's a 'prophecy'."
The next evening, taking a deep breath, I posted my first "Oracle" on a popular local business forum using a newly registered anonymous account, "City Wanderer."
The title was sensational: [Insider Info, the Sky Dome Project Might Be Doomed, Insider Reveals Funding Chain is Tight]
The content was even more vague, filled with the mystique of an internet wild "prophet": "Heard from a friend of mine who works at the Wang Corporation that the funding chain for the 'Sky Dome Project' is a bit tight. Seems like a key investor ran into some trouble. I bet there will be big news next week. Waiting to be proven wrong, posting anon, afraid of getting a knock on my door."
The moment I clicked send, my heart was pounding as if I'd just run an 800-meter race. It was more thrilling than cursing Wang Hao to his face, a thrill of shooting a poisoned arrow from the shadows.
Suqing calmly refreshed the page beside me. "Be patient. It's 10 PM. The most people are online, but the information is also the most cluttered. Our post is like a pebble thrown into the ocean; we have to wait for the ripples to spread."
Sure enough, a few minutes after posting, there were only a few scattered replies.
"Here comes another charlatan. A Wang Corporation project doomed? You might as well say the sun rises in the west."
"An insider? Is your friend a janitor? Show us the proof, or it's just a rumor."
"Is the OP desperate for fame? How dare you post something like this."
Looking at the mockery, I felt a bit uneasy. "Qingqing, this... it seems like no one believes it."
But Suqing was very calm. She picked up her glass of water and took a sip. "This is exactly the effect we want. If everyone believed it immediately, Wang Hao would be on high alert right away. This current state is best. Let it spread as a joke. When the joke becomes real, the impact will be the greatest."
For the next two days, I was like a lottery player waiting for the results, refreshing the forum every ten minutes. The post sank quickly, but occasionally someone would dig it up, followed by a few new jeers. I even began to wonder if my "Crow's Mouth" ability was ineffective against online statements. Did I have to say it to someone in person?
Just when I was about to lose patience, a turning point appeared.
On the afternoon of the third day, a local financial news push notification popped up: ["Sky Dome Project" Key Partner "Huayu Building Materials" Announces It Will Re-evaluate Its Relationship with Wang Corporation Due to Internal Strategic Adjustments.]
The news was short, but the words "re-evaluate partnership" struck me like a bolt of lightning.
I rushed to the computer. The forum was already in an uproar. Someone had dug up my sunken post and bumped it to the front page.
"Holy shit! A god-tier post! Isn't Huayu Building Materials the most important building materials supplier for the 'Sky Dome Project'? Does this count as a 'key investor' having problems?"
"Damn, the OP is a real prophet! He even predicted this?"
"It's a coincidence, definitely a coincidence! Huayu has its own problems, it has nothing to do with the Wang Corporation!"
The flame of public opinion was ignited, just like that. My post was crowned a "god-tier post" and spread like wildfire through various chat groups and social media. The ID "City Wanderer" became, overnight, a "prophet" on the forum.
I was so excited I started pacing in circles, but Suqing frowned, pointing to a new batch of comments on the screen. "Look, Wang Hao's Internet Water Army is on the move."
Sure enough, amidst the exclamations of "The great prophet's prediction came true!" a large number of comments with uniform formatting and similar tones appeared. Some posted long analyses of the "Sky Dome Project's" formidable strength, others posted screenshots of the Wang Corporation's glamorous financial reports, trying to steer the public opinion back.
One user with the ID "Wang Corp Diehard Fan" posted a pinned comment with a decisive tone: "Everyone, don't be fooled by rumors! The Wang Corporation's financial reports are absolutely real, and the Sky Dome Project's funding chain is as solid as a rock! Our Young Master Wang said the project is progressing smoothly and we'll see results by the end of the year!"
Seeing this comment, I almost laughed out loud. I turned to Suqing and said, "Look, they delivered themselves right to us. This is practically handing me a knife."
Suqing's eyes lit up too. "Here's our chance. This time, we have to be even more ruthless."
I cleared my throat and, facing the computer screen, said in a voice only Suqing and I could hear, word by word, "Oh? The funding chain is as solid as a rock? Then let's just see if people in uniforms show up at the Wang Corporation's doors tomorrow, holding files."
As soon as the words left my mouth, that familiar, chilling sensation surged from the soles of my feet, stronger than ever before. I felt as if I had pressed a button on some disaster accelerator, and the gears of the entire event began to spin wildly, letting out a deafening roar.
The next day, the day after I issued my second "prophecy," the entire city's internet was detonated by a piece of shocking news.
[Breaking! Wang Corporation Under Investigation by the Securities Regulatory Commission for Alleged Financial Fraud and Disclosure Violations!]
In the news footage, a group of uniformed Regulatory Authorities personnel with stern expressions walked into the Wang Corporation's magnificent building. At that moment, the entire internet exploded.
My "prophecy" had come true again, and in a far more destructive way. On the forum, "City Wanderer" was deified. People no longer called him a prophet but directly addressed him as "the Oracle." Below my post were thousands of fawning comments.
"Oracle! Please accept my knees!"
"Great master, what else are you predicting? Which stock should I buy? Please guide me!"
"That idiot Wang Hao is screwed this time! So satisfying!"
Looking at the frantic comments on the screen, an unprecedented sense of control and satisfaction washed over me. I, Lin Fan, an unemployed Jinx, had now become a "net god" who could stir up storms.
However, just as I was immersed in the thrill of revenge, Suqing suddenly turned the computer toward me, her expression grave.
"Fan-ge, look at this."
On the screen was a new post with a title written in bright red font—
[Warning! That "Oracle" Is Not a God, But a Jinx Who Brings Misfortune!]
I clicked on the post, and its content sent a chill down my spine. The poster, in a seemingly objective tone, connected a series of recent events between me and Wang Hao. From me being framed and losing my job, to Wang Hao's luxury car being mysteriously totaled, to the fire at the Wang Corporation's repair shop, and finally, this "prophecy" and investigation.
The post's conclusion was: none of this was a coincidence. I carried some kind of "Curse of Misfortune," and the disasters I "prophesied" were actually caused by me. I wasn't predicting the future; I was creating misfortune.
"A person who can accurately 'prophesy' disasters, isn't that more terrifying than the disasters themselves? Today he can do this to Wang Hao, tomorrow, could he target someone around us? Such an ominous person shouldn't be worshipped as a god, but isolated and wary!"
Below the post, supportive voices were already beginning to appear.
"That makes sense. It's terrifying when you think about it..."
"Yeah, how can it be such a coincidence? Feels like something out of a movie."
"Whether it's true or not, this guy is too creepy. It's better to stay away from him."
The smile on my face instantly froze. I had won. I had beaten Wang Hao to a pulp, but now, a bucket of dirty water was being poured over my head. The public's anger was being quietly guided, shifting from Wang Hao to me, the anonymous "Oracle."
I could almost see it: on the other side of the network, Wang Hao was sneering as he watched me being nailed to a pillar of shame. Even if he was ruined, he would drag me down with him, turning me into a monster feared and reviled by all.
A chill, colder than when my ability went out of control, slowly enveloped my heart.
## The Empire's Twilight
A few days later, on a trading day, I'd bet my life Wang Hao felt like the world was ending.
Su Qing and I were holed up in my small Rented Apartment, but the laptops she brought formed a luxurious setup comparable to a command center. On the left screen was the real-time K-line chart of the Wang Corporation. That refreshingly green line plunged at a near-vertical angle, followed by a solid "-10.00%," like a tombstone. The middle screen displayed the headlines of major news websites, each title a poisoned dagger plunged into the Wang Corporation's heart. On the right screen was the "City Wanderer" post. The comment section had exploded, with countless people worshipping me as a god, chanting "The Oracle has appeared!"
"Satisfying," I said, uttering a single word of truth. I grabbed a can of soda from the table and took a big swig. The cold liquid flowed down my throat but couldn't extinguish the raging fire of revenge in my heart.
Su Qing was much calmer than I was. She pointed to a video playing on the middle screen and said, "Look, the show has begun."
It was a live broadcast by a financial Reporter in front of the Wang Corporation's headquarters. In the background, countless Reporters, like sharks smelling blood, swarmed the entrance. The Reporter's expression was a mix of excitement and schadenfreude: "...According to our understanding, the Wang Corporation is in extreme internal chaos. There are reports that Vice President Wang Hao lost control in his office today, even smashing objects..."
Before she could finish, a familiar figure appeared in the video. Wang Hao, surrounded by several black-clad Bodyguards, was trying to rush into his car through a side door. His arrogant, handsome face was now a mask of terror and ferocity. His hair was disheveled, his tie askew, completely devoid of his usual "human-shaped golden sparkler" flair.
"Mr. Wang Hao! Do you have anything to say to the Stockholders about the stock price plummeting?" a Reporter broke through the Bodyguards' line like a madman, shoving the microphone almost into Wang Hao's mouth.
"Get away! All of you, get away!" Wang Hao roared like an enraged bull, shoving the Reporter aside. "This is a conspiracy! Someone is framing us!"
"Mr. Wang Hao, there are rumors that this crisis stems from an online 'curse.' What is your take on that?"
The word "curse" was like a needle, stabbing viciously at Wang Hao's nerves. He whipped his head around, his eyes bloodshot, and stared dead at the Reporter who had asked the question, his face twisted like a malevolent ghost: "Yes! It's a curse! It's a curse placed on me by a Jinx named Lin Fan! He's a monster!"
Su Qing and I exchanged a look, both seeing the smile in each other's eyes. He was mad, or, in everyone's eyes, he was about to be.
The scene switched back to the stock exchange, where the situation was even more tragic. On the giant electronic display, the Wang Corporation's stock code was followed by glaring green numbers. In the crowd, a gray-haired old man beat his chest, crying out in regret: "My life savings! It's all gone!" A middle-aged woman sat slumped in a chair, her eyes vacant, muttering over and over: "It's over... it's all over..."
These desperate faces, broadcast throughout the city, became the last straw that crushed confidence in the Wang Corporation.
Just then, my phone rang. It was a friend of Su Qing's who happened to be on the scene. Su Qing put it on speaker, and a hurried, excited voice came through: "Qingqing! Big news! Wang Hao burst into his father's office! A bunch of Reporters followed him in! I think it's being broadcast live!"
I immediately fumbled with the computer, quickly searching, and soon, a slightly shaky live stream link popped up. The footage was clearly shot by a Reporter using a phone; the camera was unsteady, but the sound was exceptionally clear.
"Dad! It's all that Lin Fan! He's behind this! He put a curse on me!" Wang Hao's sharp, hysterical roar came from the speakers, filled with a desperate madness. "Everything he says comes true in reverse! We can't fight him! This is a curse!"
I couldn't help but whistle. The bastard had actually screamed the truth. Too bad, to anyone else, it just sounded like the ravings of a man under too much pressure.
Then, a calm, icy voice spoke, laced with unquestionable authority: "Shut up."
It was Chairman Wang. I immediately sat up straight. This was my real opponent.
"I'm not crazy! Dad! Believe me! It's really him!" Wang Hao was still futilely defending himself.
"A monster?" Chairman Wang's voice was filled with extreme disappointment and disdain. "As I see it, the real monster is you. A waste who can only blame ghosts and gods when his own company has problems! You have completely disgraced the Wang family name!"
The live stream's bullet comments exploded instantly.
"Holy shit! Father and son are tearing into each other!"
"Chairman Wang is hardcore, passing the buck!"
"Wang Hao has been completely abandoned. LMAO."
I stared at the screen. Chairman Wang's figure seemed especially tall in front of the camera. He slowly scanned the flashing phone lenses, his eyes as if looking at a swarm of ants. Then, he made a move that even sent a chill down my spine.
Facing the camera, he spoke in a tone that was unprecedentedly calm and resolute, declaring word by word: "I, Wang Jianguo, in my capacity as Chairman of the Wang Corporation, hereby announce that, effective immediately, Wang Hao is relieved of all his duties within the Wang Corporation, including his position as Vice President and all rights as a Board Member. All issues currently faced by the Wang Corporation are the result of his personal decision-making errors, and he will bear full responsibility for them."
The world seemed to freeze in that moment. In the live stream, Wang Hao's face went from frantic to stunned, then from stunned to utter despair. He stood there like a statue whose soul had been sucked out, allowing the Reporters who once fawned over him to record his most humiliating moment with their cameras.
Father against son, the empire's twilight.
I stared at the stunning scene on the screen, my heart pounding uncontrollably. This was even more thrilling, even more... perfect than I had imagined. I turned to look at Su Qing and found she was already looking at me. For the first time, a smile, one that could be described as cunning and completely at odds with her gentle demeanor, appeared on her lips.
I suddenly felt a strange chill creep up my spine to the top of my head, making me shiver. It wasn't the cold; it was a... a premonition that things were spiraling out of control, beginning to turn on their own. I, Lin Fan, an unemployed Jinx, had now become a "net god" who could stir up storms, personally directing the twilight of a business empire. This feeling was both intoxicating and... terrifying.