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Chapter 188: Karma Taj "Enlightenment" (1)

The piercing cold wind on the Himalayas never dissipates throughout the year, and the snowflakes blown by the wind are like pure white knife lights, shuttling through the lonely and vast valleys.

The sound of the wind is like the groaning of the earth, covering the horns blown by the travelers at the end of the sky. He turned his head and looked back. Behind the layers of peaks, there was a curl of smoke rising, like a rising incense.

When the last incense stick in the incense burner burned to the end, the straight incense line also scattered with the extinguishing of the flames. At the last moment when the cigarette smoke dispersed, the sound of the chess piece touching the chessboard echoed in the quiet room.

A white and slender hand twisted the chess piece and gently placed it on the chessboard. The hands of the Supreme Sorcerer had no traces of time, but they had a rough texture. The texture spread along her hand back, and the Ancient One looked at the chessboard calmly.

She turned her head slightly and glanced at the already burned-out incense, saying, "Let's end it here today."

Strange, who made the last move, looked at the chessboard. The situation of this game was not intense. Obviously, both sides were a little absent-minded.

The Ancient One brushed her robe lightly, and some dust rose around her. She stood up and walked slowly to the incense table. She lit another incense stick. Strange could smell that the scent of the incense candle had become faint.

Wang came in holding a tray. Strange put away the chess pieces and chessboard on the table, and Wang took out tea and snacks from the tray.

Strange thought that there must be a reason why Kamar-Taj could be called a holy place, and it felt completely different from living in New York.

He looked around the room. It was not large, and there were few pieces of furniture. The floor was covered with rough felt, and a whole wooden bookshelf hung on the opposite wall. In front of it was an incense table, and there were hanging paintings on the walls on both sides, with two bonsai trees in the middle.

There was a low table in the center of the room, and the chessboard and chess pieces were usually stored under the table. After practicing magic, Strange would play chess with the Ancient One here.

Strange originally did not know how to play Go, but after practicing for a few days, he became quite adept.

The game between him and the Ancient One was not about winning or losing, but about time. After a stick of incense burned out, they would put away the chessboard, drink tea and chat. During this time, Strange would learn from the Ancient One about the mysteries of the universe.

The atmosphere here was completely different from what Strange had imagined before.

In Western mythology, the concept of a holy place often appears magnificent and grand. The architecture must be magnificent and the atmosphere must be mysterious.

But Kamar-Taj was not like this. Although it was a miracle to have such a building in the depths of the Himalayas, the temperament here was more rustic and natural, rather than divine.

But Strange had to admit that such an atmosphere gave him a long-lost peace and relaxation, and his brain, which was almost overwhelmed by money, gradually calmed down.

However, in this atmosphere, Strange felt that what he was about to say next was not very good.

He looked around the room again. Although the furnishings here were simple, each one was just right, and they all showed the traces of the vicissitudes of time.

Everyone here, whether it was the Supreme Sorcerer or the newly admitted apprentice, had a calm and agile temperament. In comparison, Strange always felt out of place.

"You seem a little absent-minded," the Ancient One sat back and blew the tea, saying to Strange.

"Sorry, teacher."

"I can tell that you have something to say. You don't have to be taboo. There is nothing you can't say here."

The Ancient One's tone always carried a calm power, which made people involuntarily believe what she said. Strange took a deep breath and then sighed deeply. He said, "Okay, but it's really hard to say."

He looked at the tea leaves swirling in the cup and tried to imagine this place as the financial center of Wall Street before speaking, "The thing is, we have a plan..."

At this point, Strange already regretted it. He always felt that in a short while, he would be thrown out of this place in an embarrassing posture.

So he paused and pressed his forehead, trying to convince himself to continue speaking.

"Before, the teacher told me about the way to deal with the dimensional demon. After listening, I gained some insights. So I discussed it with some friends, and they unanimously agreed that Earth's prosperity today cannot be separated from the Supreme Sorcerer's firm belief..."

To prevent himself from being thrown out in an embarrassing posture, Strange first cushioned it up.

"But humans have never been a species that waits to die. We don't want to rely entirely on the protection of others, so..."

Strange sighed and said, "I'm sorry, but because the upcoming twist may be shocking, it's best if you don't drink the tea."

Upon hearing this, the Ancient One put down her tea cup. However, while Strange was speaking, Wang had already zoned out and was still sipping his tea leisurely. He blew on the hot tea and just as he was about to take a sip, he heard Strange say, "…we've come up with a financial fraud plan to target dimension gods."

"Spit!" Wang sprayed the tea all over the table.

Strange quickly grabbed a cloth to wipe the table and helplessly said, "I warned you that the twist may be shocking…"

"But this is too shocking! Cough cough!" Wang coughed.

The Ancient One, on the other hand, remained calm and even seemed interested. She asked Strange, "A financial fraud plan? Please explain."

Strange took out a small projection device from his pocket and placed it on the table.

As the three of them focused their attention on the device, a projection suddenly appeared, with Strange's face still on it. He waved to the camera and said, "Hello, I'm Strange, and I'm the presenter for this plan…"

Wang looked at the projection and then at the Strange sitting next to him. He asked in confusion, "Can't you just present this to us in person? Why do you need a projection?"

Strange pointed to the projection, indicating for Wang to continue watching.

At that moment, the camera paused for a moment and just as the Ancient One and Wang thought Strange was about to start explaining, the camera suddenly zoomed out and showed the entire conference room, with people in suits and leather shoes sitting on either side of a long table.

Then, the content of the projection video explained to the Ancient One and Wang in detail what the cosmic god financial fraud plan was about, from its basic structure to the complex calculations needed for its success.

Since the four people involved in the plan had no background in finance education, SHIELD brought in some powerful financial practitioners to help them refine the plan.

Most of these people were released from prison and had tested their moral boundaries, but many of them also had practical experience, which quickly made the plan more sophisticated.

They used as precise and understandable language as possible to explain how this scam would operate.

The so-called Ponzi scheme, also known as a pyramid scheme, is the most classic financial scam and the oldest. However, among all financial fraud schemes, this one can be said to be enduring and will continue to fool people generation after generation.

Furthermore, this scam has evolved to the point where the people who fall for it are no longer just uneducated, financially illiterate nouveau riche, but also young people with knowledge, skills, and education.

Even many people who know the history and principles of this scam inside and out still fall for it in the end.

The reason is that this scam precisely targets the weaknesses in the thinking of intelligent beings, namely, their desire for profit and their belief in luck.

With low investment and high returns, intelligent beings will always be motivated by profit, and many people who know that this tower will inevitably collapse still believe that they will be the ones to run off with the money.

After these professional financial experts explained these principles, they became easier to understand and more feasible.

They cited several examples that had occurred in the past, as well as various derivative varieties based on this foundation. Even Wang, who had no interest in finance and economics, found it fascinating.

As he listened to the lecture, he occasionally glanced at the Sorcerer Supreme out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that the Ancient One's eyes were getting brighter and brighter. Wang instinctively leaned toward the other side, only to find that the one who had proposed this plan, Strange, who was also the future Sorcerer Supreme, was sitting next to him.

At that moment, a very harmonious wave suddenly appeared between the two Sorcerer Supremes of different generations, and Wang's only thought was: cosmic gods are in danger.

After the projection ended, the Ancient One calmed down and said, "I didn't expect you to surprise me like this, Stephen."

"Well, I know this plan is unethical, but...wait, surprise?" Strange looked at the Ancient One in confusion and noticed that the Ancient One's gaze carried appreciation and surprise.

The Ancient One picked up a teacup and took a sip of tea before saying with satisfaction, "It seems that my previous stories were not told in vain. I never thought that you could find the key to the current situation in these fragmented stories."

"Um..." Strange was choked up. He really wanted to ask what the key was, but it was clear that the Ancient One had more to say.

The Ancient One sighed and said, "As I mentioned in my previous stories, there exist demon gods in this world, and there are many of them."

"Just like humans, they have intelligence, can communicate, have their own interests and positions, and also have different personalities and traits."

"They are born powerful, with great power that humans cannot comprehend, and most of them have their own domains, scattered in various corners of the universe."

"To talk about who they are, we have to talk about what exactly the universe is."

Then, Strange learned the truth about the entire world from the Ancient One's narration.