That night.

The U.S. stock market opened.

Stella, surrounded by turmoil, plunged dramatically as soon as trading began.

Amid the peaceful quiet of the night in China, the mood was anything but calm for those on Wall Street or the shareholders and investors holding Stella's stock.

No matter how hard the financial giants tried to stabilize the stock and intervene, they couldn't stop Stella's share price from crashing under market pressure. Even before Stella could roll out an emergency plan to address the crisis, its stock had already dropped by 13% by the end of the trading session.

Unsurprisingly, Stella's nosedive in stock value quickly became a trending topic on social media platforms worldwide. The hashtag "Stella Stock Drops 13%" shot to the top of Weibo's trending list.

The woman who had protested at the Shanghai Auto Show the day before was hailed as the heroine who wiped out over 200 billion yuan from Stella's market value in just one day.

Given Stella's arrogant and unyielding response to the initial controversy, this situation became a cause for national celebration among Chinese netizens. On Douyin, videos of Stella's stock crash and the protest gained massive traction, with related content sweeping through short-video platforms and social media.

Stella's dismissive attitude, as demonstrated by its regional head in China, turned it into a pariah across Chinese online platforms—a company universally shunned by netizens.

In contrast, the protesting car owner skyrocketed to online fame, hailed as a fearless heroine, celebrated for her boldness and resilience. Her actions were even parodied across countless memes, cementing her as a legendary figure in public discourse.

Through all of this, Ye Chen, who had invested 1 billion yuan using a 50x leverage to short Stella, appeared utterly unperturbed.

As Stella's stock prices tumbled, Ye Chen remained composed, showing no hint of emotional fluctuation.

Time passed. The moon rose, and the sun set.

Another trading day began.

On this night in China, following the previous evening's 13% crash, Stella announced a public apology and released a crisis management plan. Yet, the efforts were futile. The stock price continued its downward spiral, falling another 14% by the end of the session, despite Wall Street's best attempts to intervene.

By the third trading day, the stock plummeted another 13%.

On the fourth trading day, with less than 20 minutes to the session's close, the stock was down 11% for the day.

Four days. A cumulative drop of 51%.

Stella's market capitalization had shrunk by over 40%, evaporating billions in value.

At the closing moments of this dramatic fourth trading day, in a serene lakeside villa, Ye Chen was awake in his study at 3 a.m., a rare instance of him staying up late. He stared at Stella's stock chart on the screen.

With over 10 minutes left before the market closed, Ye Chen picked up his phone and dialed Zhang Jingshan.

On the other end of the line, Zhang Jingshan, whose nerves were frayed and whose excitement was palpable after four consecutive nights of watching the market, answered immediately.

"Brother Ye!"

His voice trembled with excitement, unable to mask his overwhelming emotions.

Ye Chen chuckled, "Why are you shaking? Calm down."

"Brother Ye, it's been just four trading days since we started shorting Stella. Our profits have already exceeded 2000%, even after accounting for fees! I just... I can't control my emotions!" Zhang stammered.

"Well, here's your chance to rein it in. Tell Changfeng to close the position and cash out. It's over," Ye Chen said calmly.

"What?! Close the position? Brother Ye, are you serious? The trend suggests Stella's stock could keep falling. Why stop now?" Zhang exclaimed.

Zhang, who had once been eager to exit during their earlier investment in Stella, found himself reluctant to let go this time, especially with a 50x leverage multiplier turning every 1% drop into massive profits.

"Not joking with you," Ye Chen said firmly. "We have to close out now, with a little time left before the market closes. If I'm not wrong, there will be signs of a rebound tomorrow. Don't underestimate Wall Street. They won't sit back while Stella's market value continues to evaporate. Wrap it up before it's too late."

"Understood! I'll tell Changfeng to act immediately," Zhang said, swallowing hard.

Ye Chen nodded and hung up.

At Li Changfeng's home, the brightly lit living room was buzzing with tension.

"You heard Brother Ye's instructions," Zhang said, setting down his phone.

"Got it. If Brother Ye says to close out, we'll do it," Li Changfeng replied without hesitation.

However, as he reached for his keyboard and mouse, he paused. "What do you two think? Close out or stay in?"

"Close out!" Zhang and Zhao Jiwei said in unison.

Despite their lingering greed and hope for further decline, they trusted Ye Chen's judgment unconditionally.

With four billion yuan already turned into over 8 billion yuan in just four days, they realized there was little reason to push their luck further.

"Alright. Let's act now!" Li Changfeng said decisively, moving swiftly to execute the trades.

Meanwhile, across the ocean on Wall Street, Stella had become the center of attention.

Ordinarily, a three-billion-dollar short position, even with a 50x leverage, would barely make a ripple in the massive U.S. market. Yet, the precision with which these trades had been executed drew the attention of some on Wall Street.

No one could fathom who would dare short a stock like Stella—an industry titan with seemingly unstoppable momentum—just before its dramatic collapse.

When the mysterious traders abruptly closed their position near the end of the session, leaving Stella still in freefall, it left observers in shock.

"Damn it!" muttered a middle-aged man in an opulent Wall Street office. "Who in the world are these people? To use three billion to leverage fifty times, timing both the entry and exit so perfectly... Just who are they?!"