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In the following days, Jiang Chijing noticed a miraculous phenomenon.

In the past, the hottest topic among his colleagues was sports competitions. Now, a new question appeared: Have you bought Old Timepiece?

The atmosphere at noon was light in the prison staffs’ canteen. The table to Jiang Chijing’s right was discussing the Old Timepiece’s soaring stock price, whereas the table on his left was discussing the audio recording of Wu Peng leaked on the internet. In short, everyone was discussing news related to the stock market.

“Did you know that Old Timepiece’s stock price is rising like mad?” Seated across from him, Luo Hai asked.

“I know,” Jiang Chijing said.

A few days ago, Zheng Mingyi got Yu Guang to spread a video online. Its contents were of a conversation between Wu Peng and someone else. The video was even thoughtfully subtitled.

Originally, under Wu Peng’s counterattack, Old Timepiece’s stock price gradually stabilised. But the moment this video was released, it caused great outrage on the internet, and Old Timepiece’s stock price immediately shot up like a rocket whose momentum couldn’t be stopped.

The video was less than a minute long, essentially about Wu Peng expressing his opinion:

“What kind of thoughts can retail investors have? They’re a ragtag bunch. Let me put it this way—the stock market is a gambling pool. Since there are winners, there must be losers. Where does the money we earn come from? Obviously, it’s from retail investors. Everyone knows that wool comes from sheep, only the sheep themselves don’t know. Of course, they’re not sheep. They’re a field of leeks, waiting for our harvesting.”

Even as a person who didn’t engage in stock trading, inexplicably, this recording still incensed Jiang Chijing.

The hate that ordinary folks had for pompous capitalists ran in their bones, not to mention that this condescending capitalist took the retail investors on the bottom rung as leeks for harvest.

The investment market was instantly ablaze with anger. The God of Go made another timely appearance on the forum to clarify the alleged dirt on him,  then rallied the retail investors to unite against HX Management.

Those who initially believed in Wu Peng and sold their stocks recoiled the hardest, buying Old Timepiece’s stocks, throwing all caution to the wind. Also, after the story was spread through media reports, many fringe retail investors also joined the financial war out of rage.

“Aren’t you going to buy some?” Luo Hai said. “With Zheng Mingyi giving you tips, you should be able to earn quite a bit.”

“Who said that I didn’t?” Jiang Chijing arched an eyebrow.

In any case, he had a lot of spare cash sitting around and didn’t mind doing his bit for the great cause of retail investors uprising against institutions. It was just as Wu Peng said. The stock market was a gambling pool. Some were winners, some were losers. Now, since Wu Peng had become lamb sent up for slaughter, Jiang Chijing was naturally willing to shear a little wool.

“I bought some as well,” Luo Hai lowered his voice and said, then laughed cheerfully.

Luo Hai had always dabbled in stocks anyway; Jiang Chijing was not at all surprised that he would join in.

Wu Peng’s statement had united retail investors like never before. Anyone who was involved in stock trading hoped to see him fall on his face. Zheng Mingyi’s push gave these retail investors just enough courage, and the rising stock price further bolstered their confidence.

This was a war without gunpowder smoke, with retail investors fighting on one side and Wu Peng panicking on the other. Following this trajectory, it was only a matter of time for the institution to fall.

“Speaking of, have you watched that video?” Jiang Chijing was asking a nonsense question.

“Of course I have,” Luo Hai said. “It made me so pissed that I went all-out on buying Old Timepiece’s stocks.”

“There’s a signature on the bottom right corner of the video,” Jiang Chijing said cryptically.

This time, Luo Hai didn’t give an immediate response. He seemed to understand what Jiang Chijing was getting at. He put away the indignant rage in his tone and exhaled slowly, saying, “The lightbulb, right? The logo that that stinky brat uses in the hacking community.”

“Last time, he hacked a government website and was immediately arrested. It isn’t illegal this time, so people can’t be bothered to look into it.” Here, Jiang Chijing paused. “But you should have him realise that he can’t just run willy-nilly on the internet.”

“Yes, I know,” Luo Hai said, his eyes lowered.

“You don’t.” It was rare for Jiang Chijing to admonish Luo Hai as bluntly as he did now. He always took a hands-off attitude when it came to matters involving these two, because he knew that Luo Hai would manage Yu Guang and that the kid Yu Guang wasn’t innately bad.

However, for the recent few tasks that Zheng Mingyi assigned Yu Guang to do, whether it was sharing articles or videos, he would always tack on his logo. This showed that, deep down, he didn’t consider it the mark of a criminal at all.

“I’m returning your words back to you,” Jiang Chijing said lightly. “He’s a con. Please be clear of where you stand.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Luo Hai said.

“I’m giving you advance notice; if you continue to be unable to manage him, I’m going to get Zheng Mingyi to educate him.” Jiang Chijing deliberately stabbed another knife into Luo Hai’s heart. “He should be more willing to listen to his idol.”

This was an irrefutable fact. Luo Hai must be feeling uncomfortable, for his face turned several shades darker.

“It isn’t that I never thought about this before,” Luo Hai frowned, saying, “I intend to have him work for the police when he gets out of prison. After all, the system lacks talent with his expertise.”

“Have him play cop?” Hearing that Luo Hai had concrete plans, Jiang Chijing put away his aggressive bearing. “Then you have to give him some ideological reformation.”

“I will,” Luo Hai said.

“Same thing; if you can’t cut it, I’ll get Zheng Mingyi to do it,” Jiang Chijing said.

“Oy.” Luo Hai finally revealed his displeasure at this. “How much do you like him? Stop flaunting all day; yes, I got it, he’s incredible, okay?”

“You have no idea.” Jiang Chijing laughed softly. Seeing Luo Hai looking more and more displeased, he tucked away the mirth hanging off the corners of his lips.

Translated on ninetysevenkoi.wordpress

***

Please do not repost or retranslate.

Zheng Mingyi’s branded watch was much heavier than Jiang Chijing’s Old Timepiece. The inky green dial was imbued with an understated tone of luxury.

Jiang Chijing kept feeling that having such an overbearing watch on his fair wrist didn’t quite match his temperament. But, on second thought, this was Zheng Mingyi’s watch. Excluding Zheng Mingyi’s wrist, it was most appropriate on his wrist.

Many of his colleagues had noticed that he had changed to a new watch. However, it wasn’t a secret in prison that his family was well-off, so his colleagues only asked a sentence or two about it at most. No one thought that it was strange for him to wear a branded watch.

“Old Timepiece hasn’t sent your watch back yet?” When Zheng Mingyi sat down next to Jiang Chijing, he glanced at his wrist and asked.

“Mm.” Jiang Chijing wouldn’t tell Zheng Mingyi that he had already received the express delivery from the manufacturer yesterday.

“You look good wearing this.” Zheng Mingyi raised Jiang Chijing’s wrist for a closer look. “But this watch matches a suit better. Do you want to try wearing a suit?”

Jiang Chijing seldom wore formal suits. When previously working at the courthouses, he wore simple and formal clothes for work; he wouldn’t wear that type of suit that was trim and well-ironed.

He didn’t mind trying a new look, check out how he looked like as a social elite. But somehow, the moment this suggestion came from Zheng Mingyi’s mouth, his brain automatically undid three buttons and wrapped the tie around his eyes.

There was something wrong with him.

“I could give it a try next time.” Jiang Chijing’s throat unobtrusively rolled, and he casually changed the subject. “I saw the news today. HX Management has already lost billions, why aren’t they bankrupt yet?”

“Because the deadline the brokerage firm set for HX Management is this Friday.” Zheng Mingyi took the mouse from Jiang Chijing’s hand, clicking into Old Timepiece’s stock information, saying, “What you see is only that the stock is going up a lot, but in actuality, as long as it isn’t yet in your pockets, this isn’t your actual gains.”

Jiang Chijing could understand the theory. It was like gambling. As long as you hadn’t left the gambling hall, the money you won could also be lost.

“So Wu Peng is waiting for a chance to make a comeback?” Jiang Chijing said.

“That’s right.” Zheng Mingyi said, “Because if he admits defeat now, he must pay billions in losses. It’d be a fatal blow to HX Management.”

“But if he continues waiting, it’s possible that he might make bigger losses.” After having spent so much time with Zheng Mingyi, even a stock trading newbie like Jiang Chijing had the ability to gauge the situation. “He said that those retail investors don’t have their own thoughts yet doesn’t consider himself a gambler?”

“Sharp.” Zheng Mingyi looked at Jiang Chijing and smiled, saying, “He’s taking a gamble.”

“What you mean is,” Jiang Chijing surmised, “his losses will grow?”

“Of course,” Zheng Mingyi said, “Wu Peng should have considered cutting his losses. But the number of stocks in circulation is fixed. Let’s say, for example, all the shares of Old Timepiece are in your hands. I offer you ten dollars, but you choose not to sell. I offer twenty, but you still don’t sell. I ended up raising the price to a hundred. You’re finally willing to move, but by this time, the stock price has also raised from its original ten dollars to its current hundred dollars.”

“I understand.” Jiang Chijing pondered over it. “You’re saying that he wants to buy the stocks back to close his position, but by that time, the stock price has soared again, and his actual losses will be greater than they are now.”

“Mm-hmm,” Zheng Mingyi said.

“In that case, then yeah, he can only take the gamble.” Jiang Chijing said, “Most stockholders are keeping an iron grip on the stocks in their hands. Outsiders can’t even buy in even if they want to.”

Although there were some opportunists who seized the chance to make a quick buck, on the whole, the retail investors were incredibly united.

“Because at this point, the retail investors aren’t making value investments anymore.” Zheng Mingyi said. “Their objective is simple. They want to lynch HX Management.”

As proved by reality, the consequences of inciting public outrage were indeed terrible.

Jiang Chijing abruptly thought of something else, and said, “Why didn’t you release Wu Peng’s recordings from the start?”

“There has to be some foreshadowing to maximise the effect of the kill,” Zheng Mingyi said.

When Old Timepiece’s stock price first started rising at full-throttle, Wu Peng had accepted a large volume of interviews, gaining a wave of attention in the public eye. It was also because of this that the reaction was so big after the audio recording was leaked.

“Savage,” Jiang Chijing commented, already inured to this.

The two of them chatted idly while watching the stocks, but not long later, the trading volume of Old Timepiece’s stocks suddenly increased sharply. Jiang Chijing immediately said to Zheng Mingyi, “Wu Peng’s starting his counterattack.”

Both Zheng Mingyi and Guan Wei had previously mentioned that much could be gleaned from the numerical data of stocks. Jiang Chijing had also now learned to think in this way. Seeing that Old Timepiece’s stocks were starting to fluctuate, he knew that Wu Peng was beginning his counterattack.

At this time, Yu Guang’s figure whizzed into the library, shouting loudly, “Idol, Idol! Wu Peng has sent a lawyer’s letter saying that the audio recording is faked!”

“Perfect,” Zheng Mingyi crossed his arms and unhurriedly leaned back in his chair, saying, “Send out the version of that video with visual, then.”

“Roger that!” Yu Guang whizzed out to the opposite infirmary again.

Yu Guang came without a shadow and left without a trace. Jiang Chijing stared at Zheng Mingyi disbelievingly. “You even kept a defensive play?”

“Mm,” Zheng Mingyi softly acknowledged.

Obviously, that video didn’t only record Wu Peng’s voice but also captured his entire person in the visual. He ostentatiously sent out a lawyer’s letter to deny it, but once the version with visual came out, his downfall was inevitable.

In other words, Zheng Mingyi hadn’t taken out his real killing move, but did all these only to dig a pit for Wu Peng, such that he would fall even harder…

“Zheng Mingyi.” Jiang Chijing’s body leaned slightly to the other side, frowning as he studied Zheng Mingyi, saying, “You aren’t going to scheme like this against me in the future, are you?”

“What are you thinking of?” Zheng Mingyi said, amused, “I can’t get enough of you.”

The words were balm for the ears, but—just in case—Jiang Chijing still said austerely, “You’re not allowed to scheme against me.”

Zheng Mingyi helplessly raised his arms, as though in surrender, saying, “I’m at your command, My Wife.”

Approximately half an hour later, the second version of Wu Peng’s audio recording swiftly spread online.

In this version, the background of the visual was a luxurious dinner banquet. Aside from Wu Peng’s clear figure, those at the table with him were all executive directors from companies that recently got in hot water with the regulatory board.

The implicit meaning behind having connections to these executive directors couldn’t be clearer. The newly exposed information was even more explosive than the previous video, blowing up the investment market like a hurricane passing through.

Jiang Chijing finally understood why Zheng Mingyi had kept this clue close to his chest, only releasing it now. It was only after others had been incriminated that this clue could play any substantial role. Otherwise, it was just an ordinary dinner banquet, unable to prove anything.

Of course, now, this clue did more than prove that Wu Peng was worth investigating. It also played a key role in screwing HX Management over.

It was as Zheng Mingyi said. The timing was important; the same clue, when brought out at a different time, would play out to different effect.

By now, Jiang Chijing was numb to this. Instead, his attention gravitated to another detail.

Unlike the previous videos, the bottom right corner no longer carried the small lightbulb signature.

Although Jiang Chijing knew that it was impossible for Yu Guang, this stinky brat, to change his spots in less than the span of a day, this baby step was also good.

The lawyer’s letter that Wu Peng issued was quickly rescinded, replaced by a bombshell from HX Management’s official account, putting an end to this metaphorical war—

HX Management formally announced that it had entered bankruptcy proceedings.

The internet cheered, but Jiang Chijing wasn’t very surprised.

Zheng Mingyi was even more unperturbed. He looked at Jiang Chijing, leisurely saying, “Jiang Jiang, it’s about time for you to prepare my indoor slippers.”

Since we’re going to be living together, we’ll naturally need the most basic home essentials.

At long last, Jiang Chijing had learned to prepare for rainy days. His lips hooked up slightly, and he breezily told Zheng Mingyi, “I already did.”

a/n. When doing Zheng Mingyi’s character design, I took inspiration from the character that Christian Bale acted as in The Big Short (movie based on the American subprime mortgage crisis; the character is also based on a real person). I also looked up a lot of information on the GameStop short squeeze, then found that the person who spoke up for the GameStop stock at the start was the hedge fund manager that Christian Bale acted as. And I thought, Wow~

t/n. Ehehe I talked about The Big Short previously cause I didn’t notice the author promoted it as well; I don’t often read a/n. But anyway, it’s really really good, go check it out (: Shall also drop another rec – Betting on Zero, a documentary about a hedge fund manager shorting the stocks of a shady company, which morphed into a wall street spat.