Restricted Area

Stabilise

Maybe it was the difference between being in public and being behind closed doors. No more than a day apart, the atmosphere between the two of them was vastly different from what it was at his place.

In front of the other guard, Jiang Chijing didn’t dare to act overly familiar with Zheng Mingyi, and at best, Zheng Mingyi was only able to mouth ‘Wife’ to him.

The suit and indoor clothing had also transformed into inmate and guard uniforms. The hands that had lustfully kneaded Jiang Chijing’s ass were now restrained in handcuffs.

While it might not be to the extent of being called poles apart, the different situations did feel severed from each other, coating it with thrilling novelty.

After greeting his colleague, Jiang Chijing didn’t call Zheng Mingyi by his name but intentionally said, “1017, follow me.”

A long time had passed since Jiang Chijing last called this number; it heavily doused their relationship with an air of unfamiliarity. He was sure that no one would be able to imagine that the inmate he was calling by number had just spent a wild weekend with him.

“Turn on the lights at the back of the library.” Jiang Chijing walked into his work area and started up his computer, ordering Zheng Mingyi about without any qualms.

He had thought that after his colleague left, Zheng Mingyi would call him a scumbag again. But what he didn’t expect was that Zheng Mingyi not only didn’t complain but even after turning on the lights, he meekly walked to stand in front of his work area, asking, “Officer Jiang, may I come in?”

He had never waited for Jiang Chijing’s consent to enter this work area in the past. Jiang Chijing was still quite unused to this abrupt change in conduct.

He swept a careless glance over at Zheng Mingyi, saying indifferently, “Come in.”

Zheng Mingyi sat next to Jiang Chijing, politely saying, “HX Management is going to publish their industry report today. If I may trouble you, Officer Jiang, could you read it for me?”

The last time Zheng Mingyi said the words ‘read it for me’, the book Fundamentals of Weiqi was placed in front of Jiang Chijing.

That time, Jiang Chijing wasn’t able to perform well, only lasting one page before being unable to go on. If he had another chance to rematch…

Stop. This wasn’t the time to think of that.

They’d clearly just gotten their kick not long ago, yet the filth in his brain was showing signs of re-emerging again.

Jiang Chijing pulled back the train of his thoughts in time, saying to Zheng Mingyi in a no-nonsense manner, “I will naturally take care to do the tasks that the warden assigned to me.”

Zheng Mingyi nodded, asking, “Then what about tasks that the warden didn’t assign to you?”

It was very apparent that the moment Zheng Mingyi heard Jiang Chijing call him 1017, he knew that Jiang Chijing had begun to play a prison guard/inmate game. His extremely deferential tone to Jiang Chijing was no more than playing along with him.

But the fun of this game wasn’t in getting his cooperation, but in seeing who fell apart first. Zheng Mingyi asking about what the warden didn’t entrust him to was obviously the beginnings of a trap, seeing if Jiang Chijing could carry on.

“Tasks that the warden didn’t assign to me?” Jiang Chijing said without turning a hair, “Then I naturally won’t take charge of it.”

“Officer Jiang is strict with drawing a line between work and his private affairs, I see,” Zheng Mingyi said.

“In our line of work, it’s imperative to keep our work and private affairs separate.” Jiang Chijing was getting addicted to the act. “We must avoid developing feelings for inmates because inmates would commonly behave well on the surface but actually be up to no good behind our backs.”

“Officer Jiang, if an inmate isn’t bad, then how can he be an inmate?”

At this, Zheng Mingyi’s right hand naturally touched Jiang Chijing’s left thigh, just as if it were perched on a regular armrest of a sofa.

Jiang Chijing lowered his gaze slightly, lifting his brows. “1017, do you know what punishment your actions warrant?”

“I am lacking understanding in this area,” Zheng Mingyi looked at Jiang Chijing, saying, “I hope that Officer Jiang may clarify it for me.”

“Someone like you who violates a prison guard,” Jiang Chijing leaned over to whisper into Zheng Mingyi’s ear, “will be cuffed by the guard to the bedpost.”

In the end, it was still Jiang Chijing who slipped up first, voicing the filth in his mind.

Zheng Mingyi tucked his chin, smiling. When he looked back at Jiang Chijing, he had returned to his normal tone, “Did you miss me, Jiang Jiang?”

“Mm, not too much,” Jiang Chijing opened a web page. “You left your watch at my place.”

“Just hold on to it first then,” Zheng Mingyi said.

He could also only leave it at Jiang Chijing’s house. Even if it were brought to prison now, Zheng Mingyi had no way of holding on to it.

“Where do I find HX Management’s industry report?” Jiang Chijing asked.

“The company’s official website.”

Jiang Chijing followed Zheng Mingyi’s instructions, opening the industry report that HX Management published regarding Old Watch. He was just about to start reading when someone suddenly skidded through the library door.

“Idol, it doesn’t look good!” Yu Guang dashed up to the work area, heavily leaning against the office desk. “Old Watch’s stock has started to drop!”

“Let me look at the report first,” Zheng Mingyi said.

“You can’t read it, right?” Yu Guang said, “I’ll read it for you!”

Luo Hai was the one who had told Jiang Chijing about Zheng Mingyi’s dyslexia at first, and what Luo Hai knew, Yu Guang would too.

Yu Guang craned his neck over in front of the computer, narrating, “The development of the tech sector represents…”

Jiang Chijing’s brows knit. He interrupted Yu Guang, saying, “I’ll read it for him.”

“Oh.” Yu Guang pulled his head back, propping his chin on his hands, looking at Jiang Chijing. “Hurry up and read it then, Officer Jiang.”

This industry report was rather wordy. Jiang Chijing spoke very quickly, and every time he read something unimportant, Zheng Mingyi would say ‘skip’. Even so, it still took over ten minutes.

“Thank you,” Zheng Mingyi passed over a glass of water to Jiang Chijing, then switched back to Old Watch’s stock chart.

Probably bored, Yu Guang was doodling to one side. Hearing that Jiang Chijing was done, he set down the pen in his hand, asking Zheng Mingyi, “Idol, are we going to start counterattacking?”

“It’s still too early,” Zheng Mingyi said, “If we move too early, Wu Peng will notice something afoot.”

The day’s candlestick chart was filled with red. Even Jiang Chijing, a novice at this, could tell that Old Watch’s stock prices were falling steeply.

“So we just let it fall?” Yu Guang asked. “But, as it is, even if we see a reversal pattern later, everyone will take a wait-and-see approach.”

“So we have to stabilise the stock price first,” Zheng Mingyi said. “Is everything ready on your end?”

“I’ve already contacted everyone; my friends are ready to go to war any time,” Yu Guang said.

“What war?” Jiang Chijing couldn’t help but ask.

“War of public opinion,” Zheng Mingyi said. “The trend is related to psychological expectations. Put simply, if you can control the psychology of stock traders, you can control the rise and fall of a stock price.”

“What you mean is,” Jiang Chijing felt chills, “as long as most people believe that this stock is on the rise, then the stock price will really rise?”

“Yeah, Officer Jiang.” Yu Guang answered. “Think about it. If most people are bullish (optimistic) about this stock, won’t they buy in? When many people are buying the stock, it’s a given that its price will increase.”

“This isn’t limited to stocks,” Zheng Mingyi supplemented for Jiang Chijing. “In a free market, goods that have greater demand will see increased prices. That’s the law of the economy.”

Jiang Chijing nodded. He understood the concept, but he increasingly felt that it was dangerous to play with stocks.

The average retail investor could only be ‘information receivers’. They had no way to determine what the ‘information senders’ were up to. The moment they casually went along with the flow, unless they were lucky, the odds were high that they’d simply be turned into leeks to be harvested.

Therefore, as a retail investor, the way to predict a stock trend was not to analyse the prospects of a company, but to analyse what considerations those ‘information senders’ have.

Now, Zheng Mingyi wanted to use public opinion to disrupt the stock market, which was essentially undermining HX Management’s authority as an ‘information sender’.

“So where should we get in?” Yu Guang tore off a page of the notebook, attentively waiting for Zheng Mingyi to follow up.

The notebook was Jiang Chijing’s, but he couldn’t be bothered to take it up with Yu Guang.

“Start from the national policy; it’s favourable to the tech industry. It’s only a matter of time for Old Watch to establish a core R&D team. This stock has long-term potential.” Zheng Mingyi weighed, saying, “Then sell it as a local brand. Tell its brand story, such as how even products several decades ago are still covered by a lifetime warranty. Try to showcase their company ethics, moving the nationalistic sentiment of the stock traders.”

On this point of moving hearts, Jiang Chijing had first-hand experience of it as well.

Some time ago, the Old Watch he wore was fixed by him to the point of no repair. He didn’t expect that after sending it back to the factory, the manufacturer only charged him a small fee for the repair, and the only reason for this charge was because it was artificially damaged.

As a bystander, Jiang Chijing also didn’t want such an ethical company to be shorted by a hedge fund firm like HX Management.

Then, Zheng Mingyi gave more specific details, and Yu Guang noted down all of them.

“Anyway, let’s get the tempo up first. The majority will choose to wait and see,” Zheng Mingyi said.

“Got it, Idol.” Yu Guang looked at Zheng Mingyi reverentially and said, “Leave the online stuff to me. I guarantee you I’ll complete my mission!”

Jiang Chijing didn’t quite know what the social sphere of hackers was. But from the way Yu Guang was behaving, it shouldn’t be hard for him.

Yu Guang took the notes he made and left the library like a streak of smoke. From the looks of it, he was probably going to act coquettishly to Luo Hai again to gain computer access.

Zheng Mingyi continued to browse the stock charts, nary a ripple on his expression, his thoughts concealed behind it.

Honestly speaking, Jiang Chijing rather liked seeing Zheng Mingyi deep in thought. It was probably… as sensual as the way he looked when stripping.

However, Zheng Mingyi swiftly noticed Jiang Chijing secretly watching him, turning his head over to meet his eyes, saying, “What are you looking at me for?”

Jiang Chijing didn’t shy away, admitting openly, “Guessing what’s on your mind.”

Zheng Mingyi smiled, asking, “Then have you guessed it?”

“How to get Old Watch’s stock prices to rise?”

“Got it in one.” Zheng Mingyi reached over to pinch Jiang Chijing’s face. “My wife isn’t stupid.”

Jiang Chijing was never stupid to begin with; Zheng Mingyi was the abnormal one. He slapped Zheng Mingyi’s hand away, asking, “Then do you have any ideas?”

“I’ve always had them,” Zheng Mingyi said. “I’m just waiting for the right time.”

Jiang Chijing wanted to ask what he intended to do, but at this moment, Zheng Mingyi checked the time on the screen and told Jiang Chijing, “I should be going now. See you in the afternoon.”

“Zheng Mingyi,” Jiang Chijing hurriedly called hold of him. “About that… eat less at lunch today.”

The words were spoken very awkwardly; even Jiang Chijing didn’t expect that he would be this embarrassed.

“Why?” Zheng Mingyi asked.

“Because…” Jiang Chijing’s gaze unnaturally shifted elsewhere. “I got bored and made you strawberry pie.”

The air stilled for a second. Jiang Chijing truly didn’t like this atmosphere, so he frowned, saying, “It tastes awful, you don’t have to eat it.”

“I’ll eat it.” Zheng Mingyi glanced at the surveillance camera when he said this, obviously tempted to do something indecent. But he held back. He said while getting up, “I’ll get out as soon as I can; don’t keep seducing me in prison.”

Jiang Chijing’s head was filled with question marks. How did he seduce him? He was clearly being very restrained already.

However, he abruptly realised that if Zheng Mingyi’s brain was filled with filth, then his every action could appear seductive in Zheng Mingyi’s eyes.

Well, that wasn’t any fault of his.

After Zheng Mingyi left, Jiang Chijing took the notebook that Yu Guang messily scribbled on and placed it back in front of him.

On the front of the torn page, Yu Guang had drawn many stick figures, as well as the small glowing light bulb that he used in the hacking community.

Before, Jiang Chijing was focused on reading the industry report and hadn’t noticed what Yu Guang was doing. But it was easy to tell how bored he was from his doodling.

Jiang Chijing didn’t pay much heed to these doodles. His attention was completely absorbed by the two lines of words between the doodles.

The first line of words was: He’s so fierce.

He was more unfamiliar with this handwriting; it should be Yu Guang’s. He reckoned that Yu Guang had probably written these three words back when Jiang Chijing interrupted his narration, grumbling to Zheng Mingyi.

But beneath this line, there were another three words. The handwriting was loopy and lopsided; it was easy to tell that Zheng Mingyi had written this. Among these, the word for ‘like [喜]’ was missing two dots in the middle. But it didn’t impede Jiang Chijing from reading it.

And so, he saw that the three words under ‘he’s so fierce’ was:

t/n. Chinese tends to drop pronouns, so the last sentence could read ‘I like (it/him)’.

Misc fyi: Candlestick charts in China use the opposite colour system from most other countries. In China, green indicates that the closing price is lower than the opening price i.e. the stock price dropped. I changed the mention of green in this chapter and c45 to red cause it’s more intuitive to get imo, given that the price is going down.