Elias tried to exit the game, but the mouse cursor was gone. The screen began to flicker, reflecting his own face in the monitor—pale and terrified. "Margin Call," the text box whispered.
He watched in horror as his life savings vanished in seconds. But it didn’t stop at zero. The numbers went negative. The screen turned black, leaving only a single line of code in the center: Error: Collateral insufficient. Physical assets required.
His heart hammered. He placed another "Investment Bank" building. Deposit received: $500.00.
Elias laughed, thinking it was a high-effort mod. He began zoning a massive financial hub. He placed the "International Stock Exchange" monument and watched as thousands of tiny, digital workers flooded the streets. His "Bank Balance" in the corner of the screen started ticking up—not in game currency, but in USD.
He was no longer the Mayor. He was just another line of data in the district.