"I'm unable to go; I have to work overtime tonight."

"Yezi, you really are something!" The voice on the other end of the phone was soft and melodic—it was Bai Ou.

"Why, are you laughing at me for being reckless, or perhaps even a bit foolish?" Fang Qingye asked with a chuckle.

"That's not it... I just got off the phone with Da Hai, and I feel like you've changed."

"Changed? How so?"

"You seem more carefree, and more mature than before!"

"If I'm so mature, why would I make a bet with Jiang Chen in front of so many classmates?"

"That Jiang Chen is such a bully! I can't stand him! You’re so confident; you must have a reason for it, right? I believe in you!"

Oh?

"If you do happen to lose, don't get discouraged. I can sponsor some of the expenses for the treat!" Bai Ou added.

Fang Qingye felt a little strange. "You’re still a student, relying on your family for support. What money could you possibly have?"

"Don't underestimate me! My mentor recently took on a civil case and won a significant legal fee. As his assistant, I received 6,000 yuan. Should I transfer it to you?" Bai Ou asked from the other side of the line.

Sigh...

She still thought he was going to lose.

Fang Qingye sighed inwardly but replied, "You should keep that money for yourself. Don't worry, I won't lose!"

"Alright then. Once you make money from the stock market, you'll have to treat me when I come back for summer break."

"No problem!" Fang Qingye agreed readily.

They chatted for a few more moments before hanging up. Fang Qingye checked the group chat again; Jiang Chen was still gloating, so he couldn't be bothered to respond and simply went offline.

When he got home from work that evening, the group chat was still buzzing. Some busybodies had already listed out the expected standards for tomorrow's treat, and even posted a menu in the group! Jiang Chen had already agreed, and that guy Song Da Hai had actually overstepped his bounds, committing on his behalf!

Forget it...

Fang Qingye shook his head, ignoring it. He had more important things to do. He opened *Benchmark Analytical Methods in Mathematical Finance* and began to read.

He spent the next morning at work reading as well. The workload had been light lately, so he seized the time to review the theoretical knowledge in the book, aiming to finish it today so he could start modeling tomorrow.

After finishing lunch in the staff canteen, Fang Qingye was heading back to the office to continue reading when Chen Meimei stopped him in the courtyard.

"Fang Qingye, that bet between you and Jiang Chen has spread all over our school’s alumni group. Everyone is talking about it."

Fang Qingye and Song Da Hai had attended Nanxin No. 1 High School, while Chen Meimei had attended Nanxin No. 2 High School.

Hearing this, Fang Qingye smiled. "Do they all think I'm going to lose?"

"Well, the situation isn't looking good. Longping High-Tech dropped another two points this morning," Chen Meimei whispered.

Chen Meimei worked in the accounting department, and her office computer had external internet access, so she could see the data.

Fang Qingye’s expression didn't change at all. "It's alright, there's still the afternoon session."

Chen Meimei tilted her head slightly, staring at him in a daze. How could he be so calm?

Seeing the girl's adorable expression, Fang Qingye joked, "In the unlikely event that I lose, I don't have that much money. Chen Meimei, could you lend me some?"

"Sure! I've saved some up; I'll lend it all to you," she agreed without hesitation.

She could actually save money? Fang Qingye was essentially a "moonlight clan" member who spent his entire paycheck every month.

"Then thank you." Fang Qingye said, heading upstairs.

At 1:30 PM, the stock market opened. The Nanxin No. 1 High School Class of '03 group was more lively than ever, with everyone discussing the day's stocks. Even those who usually lurked finally surfaced to chime in, some even learning about stock trading on the fly—discussing limit ups, limit downs, orders, trade execution, bulls, and bears... The alumni group had effectively turned into a stock trading forum.

"Wow, it's still dropping! It's down 3 percent already!"

"It won't stop, it just won't stop! This reminds me of Li Bai's poem: 'Like a torrential river falling from the heavens, splashing into the Milky Way.' Jiang Chen is definitely going to win!"

The group was filled with people supporting Jiang Chen; meanwhile, there were only a handful of people cheering for Fang Qingye.

Facts speak louder than words. With the stock dropping like this, what else was there to say? Jiang Chen was feeling smug and @-ed Fang Qingye several times, but there was no response.

Fang Qingye hadn't logged on because he was busy.

It wasn't because of his reading, but rather because he had just received urgent news: early tomorrow morning, leaders from the municipal branch were coming to the Nanxin sub-branch to inspect the work, and the branch management required every department to prepare for the inspection immediately.

Every department became a flurry of activity. The workload for the Credit Department was particularly heavy. Xia He demanded they prepare data immediately: the change in deposit and loan volume over the past two years, the revenue ratio of corporate and retail intermediate business, net profit figures, a list of the top 20 loan clients including amounts, pricing, guarantee methods, and yields, as well as a list of non-performing loans, and the "attention" category within the five-tier loan classification system...

It was said that when the department head, Zhang Qunying, heard Xia He's requirements, her face turned pale. Fang Qingye felt a headache coming on just looking at the requirements.

This Xia He had gone a bit mad. It was just a branch president coming for an inspection; was such a massive mobilization necessary?

When the leader speaks, those below must obey unconditionally. The entire Credit Department was in chaos. Fang Qingye was tasked with entering and organizing the data, and as he watched his colleagues bring in piles of documents, he let out a long sigh. His afternoon—no, his entire evening—was likely ruined, and he might even have to work overtime.

While the sub-branch was in a state of busy chaos, the atmosphere in the QQ group online suddenly turned strange.

Just as the time hit 2:30 PM, with half an hour left before the market closed, the stock price of Longping High-Tech—which had been like a wilted eggplant all day—suddenly perked up.

"There are signs of a rally!"

"Large orders! Large buy orders are appearing on the second bid!"

Those in the group who knew a bit about stocks immediately typed out several lines. Sure enough, the sluggish stock seemed to have taken a stimulant; it surged, rapidly approaching yesterday's closing price and flipping into the red! The trading volume also spiked.

"Holy crap, it's moving! It's actually moving!"

"It broke the 11.0 yuan threshold and is already at 11.05! That's a 1% gain!"

"It's still climbing! It's at 11.2!"

"Jiang Chen, hurry up and analyze this for us! What is going on?"

Jiang Chen was panicking now! He had taken a half-day off specifically to watch the market from home. Seeing someone in the group asking him for technical analysis, he was filled with rage.

Analyze what? If it keeps going up, I'm going to lose!

He could only hope the stock would only rise slightly and not exceed 11.32 yuan—meaning a gain of no more than 4%—so he could still win. Watching the climbing stock price, Jiang Chen felt for the first time that a green-turned-red screen was truly detestable.

The price passed 11.25! It was pushing toward the 11.30 mark!

11.30!

11.31!

It was over. The price broke through, but like a fire serpent, it showed no signs of stopping and kept charging upward!

11.35... 11.40... 11.45...

One psychological price point after another was shattered. Finally, the price settled at 11.62 yuan, a gain of 5.7%! A long, strong candle rose from the ground, complete with a long upper wick.

He had lost. Completely lost.

Jiang Chen collapsed into his computer chair. Losing the money was a small matter, but how could he ever show his face again?

Fang Qingye’s phone began to ring incessantly. It was all his close classmates; seeing he had won, and since he hadn't replied to their QQ messages, they simply called him.

The first call was from Song Da Hai. As soon as Fang Qingye answered, he heard him laughing heartily. "Yezi, that was satisfying! So satisfying! Tonight I’m going to get a good look at Jiang Chen’s miserable face! We’re going to drink until we drop tonight!"

"Go ahead and drink, I don't have time," Fang Qingye replied lazily. "I have to work overtime tonight."