01 - The Code Game for Listed Companies

At 2:48 a.m. leading into my workday, I opened my eyes and pretended that I had just woken up from a nightmare, not that I hadn't slept since the moment I went to bed. I'm not usually an easy sleeper, and thinking about the projects I'm working on over the next few days makes me even more restless, but I think the real reason for the insomnia is that I'm not at my place.

I looked to the right, and Li Haoyi was lying beside me. Except for the faint sound of cars honking from the window in the middle of the night, the only sound in the room was the sound of his regular breathing in his deep sleep. So, I rolled over and lay on my left side, picking up my phone from under the pillow. I opened the messenger and went back and forth through my online friend list. Unsurprisingly, there are not many people online, and the ones who are are jet-lagged friends living in the United States, old acquaintances who haven't been in touch for many years, and whose lives are completely different. If I want to chat with them seriously, I would have to relearn about them as if they are a new person, like changing jobs to a new company.

Speaking of which, at this moment I just want to chat a bit before going to bed, I don't want to talk seriously, so I have to give up on these opportunities. When I was about to put down the phone, a message suddenly came: "Little Night Cat, you are still sleeping?"

The personal photo sticker of the incoming message was a big-eyed OL who sits next to me in the office but interacted with me every day. A colleague who used gossip to express her nature, Han Kefei.

"Why are you still online? Are you taking a day off tomorrow?" I replied in surprise.

"No, I'm sleeping at the company..."

I was stunned for a moment, thinking about which project she had handled recently, when I saw Kefei's next message pop up on the screen: "in a Nearby Hotel."

"...."

"I lied to you. Hahaha!"

What Kefei is best at is this method of punctuation and chatting. She deliberately breaks sentences in strange places and takes advantage of the time difference between punctuation. She can create misunderstandings, gain sympathy, and create an ambiguous atmosphere. In the company, whether it be the interns who came in during the summer vacation, or the middle-aged uncles with wives and children, they can all be amused by her. This is why, although she remains single forever, every night she always has someone around her.

"You are really strong. You are almost thirty and you can go party every weeknight." I'm not flattering her at all. Kefei's social vitality is amazing. Unlike me, I just want to go home and watch TV after I get off work. Occasionally I go out with Haoyi to go shopping in a department store, but I get tired after walking through a few isles, let alone staying until dawn in a confined space with loud noises and the smell of smoke.

"Come on, I'm getting old too, and I'm going to take the elite short-running route for hunting. When I see a suitable target, I'm going to leave the game and check in. How can I be like a few years ago, playing with others?"

"Foreplay?"

"Stop talking about this, why are you still up late? Your boyfriend proposed to you?"

"No! I just can't sleep. Besides, what's the point of insomnia after being proposed to by my boyfriend?"

"You are settling for one tree, but what about the whole forest?"

"...You get serious about getting a boyfriend first and then worry about this kind of problem! How is the quality of the person next to you tonight?" Even though Kefei always talks about these frivolous Two-Four-Three's, there is only supply when there is demand. The stable love life can't limit her colorful nomadic story. Only by indulging her, she has become a more outspoken dissolute woman.

"2891, financial stocks are only collected from 2880 and 2883." 2891, 2880, and 2883 refer to the stock trading codes of CITIC Gold, Huanan Gold, and the China Development Fund. Kefei doesn't buy stocks, but is fascinated by these stock codes. For her, a string of stock codes represents the corporate culture of a listed company, and may also reveal the personality traits of the company's employees. Just like the horoscopes and blood types, it is the fastest way to master a man's socioeconomic status and income. It's the entry point for income and career prospects.

Kefei has a lot of fun outside, but she's not stupid. As an employee of a well-known listed company, she knows how to protect herself, so as not to slander the company's reputation. Therefore, when she goes out for a walk, party, socialize, and chats with others, Kefei will never exchange business cards, but she can reveal the company's stock code. Men and women who have just met in the dark night play a little game of guessing each other's stock code, which will add interest on one hand. On the other hand, it can also filter out the employees of non-listed companies that she despises.

When it comes to stock code, Kefei will talk about her most romantic one-night stand. Once, facing a handsome and familiar man in an Armani suit with a strange grammar but standard Mandarin, Kefei guessed a dozen numbers, and the man smiled and shook his head, saying that he was not on these stock codes at all. Kefei rolled her eyes and was about to retreat, but the man grabbed her and traced two letters in her palm.

She thought it was the sexiest two letters in her life--MS. One of the three largest investment banks in the United States, Morgan Stanley. MS man was right, none of those Taiwan stock codes can become his label. He is from a foreign company listed on the New York Stock market, and the transition from four numbers to two English letters is dramatic enough to make Kefei heartbroken.

However, the treatment of foreign companies is a bit higher than that of local companies, which seems to give MS men the upper hand in this love game. Coupled with the low loyalty style of MS men who are infected with foreign businessmen, this beautiful encounter is ultimately a dewy marriage end. Accidentally seasick, Kefei entangled the MS male for three days without success. In a fit of rage, she vowed to collect one-night stand targets in local financial stocks.

"The men of 2883 can be your grandpa, and the quality of 2880 will not be your thing. You should not be obsessed with collecting financial stocks! It's not like you can call back MS men when you are full!"

"I didn't trust the MS guy for a long time, but the 2891 guy I slept with tonight isn't my Tiancai."

"He isn't Tiancai, but you still opened a room with him?"

"...you have to stop being hungry when you go out! Are you free after we get off work tomorrow? I think I've finally found Tiancai, but I need some assistance."

"Why? If you want to socialize, just go by yourself, don't let me be scolded to death by my boyfriend!"

In the past three years, Haoyi and I have not lived together, but we have discussed marriage. Haoyi never restricts my social life, but for the sake of expressing my respect for this relationship, I never participate in friendship leagues, and no longer meet alone with male friends.

"You say you are going to dinner with your colleague, and that's true anyway! It's just that you'll go with me for drinks after dinner..."

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight." I can still maintain a loyal heart under persuasion, and I really deserve to be awarded a chastity arch.

"Zhou Weiwei, you've known me for so long, when have I ever asked you to help me in such a low voice as tonight?"

No... wait, is this tone called low voice?!

"Also, you've known me for so long, have I ever said that I met Tiancai like tonight?"

I go back through the history one by one, and the answer is indeed no. Even the famous MS guy has never been named a celestial dish by Kefei, so I really have nothing to say this time. "Even if I accompany you to see Tiancai, so what? What do you want?"

"Help me assist!" Han Kefei's four-character imperial decree was printed on the screen, and I sighed, wondering whether I should agree or not.

I turned back to the right in a daze and saw that Haoyi was still asleep on the bed. The so-called cannibalism is soft-mouthed and short-handed; the same can be proved, listening to people's ears is soft. Usually, I always love to hear about Kefei's affair, but now I can only repay it with tears.

***

After work, I can't even escape. I was escorted by Kefei all the way from the company to the restaurant before entering the door, and she forcibly dragged me into the bathroom.

"What are you doing? I'm starving to death! Aren't we going to eat?" I didn't know.

Kefei looked at me up and down with a look of disgust. "Are you doing to have a 'friendship' like this? Eye makeup is on, and career lines are not revealed. Tsk! Are your stockings still torn?! Distribute some pheromones!"

"What pheromones! Aren't I your green leaf tonight? The more sloppy I am, the more I can make you look beautiful in front of Tiancai..."

"Zhou Weiwei, you have to listen to me seriously about this matter. It was because of 2891 last night that Tiancai was invited, but 2891 has been pestering me. I need you to help me take him away first, giving me and Tiancai a chance to be alone."

"What?!" I almost thought I heard it wrong. "What do you want me to do?!"

"It's just pretending that you are interested in him, and making his second half hard enough to want to go with you." Kefei explained to me in plain language, while loosening the collar button for me with a slender hand. She reached into my chest quickly and accurately to pull my bra to express my cleavage.

"I don't want it!" I moved Kefei's hand away in displeasure. Even assists have to be limited. Do I have to scratch my head in front of other men behind my boyfriend's back? What, are you kidding?

"Oh, I didn't want you to really go with him! After you take him out of the restaurant, you can find an excuse to get away, pretend something is wrong, or you can ask Li Haoyi to pick you up!" Kefei folded her hands together.

"Weiwei please, this boy is really different this time, just today..."

"That's your business. You clearly know that Li Haoyi and I are very stable now, and I feel embarrassed for him when I accompany you to socialize. Don't you have any other friends? You can find someone to do this kind of thing who's single, why did you come to choose me?"

Kefei was silent. She stared at my face for several seconds, her expression so innocent that I thought she would cry at any time. When I was about to apologize for the excitement just now, Kefei said, "Because your relationship is the most stable."

"..." I did not understand. What's the meaning?

"Let me be more direct. Yesterday this 2891 was not a good man. Today if I ask any good single sister to help with this, in case they spark a spark and we shared the same man, it's not a big deal. I'm most afraid if my good sisters get feelings for this man and are hurt by him, how will it be? It's not pleasant at all, do you think this good sister will still be worthy of being so?"

"I understand, but I can't either..." Before I finished speaking, Kefei put her hands on my shoulders.

"Weiwei, only you are different. It is because I am optimistic about your relationship with Li Haoyi that I dare to ask you for such a favor. Besides, don't you often say, 'I've been with the same man for so long, and I don't know if I'm still attractive?' Then take this opportunity to prove your strength!"

"Wait a minute, the original meaning of that sentence is 'I've been with the same man for so long, if one day I'm single and then go back to the human flesh market, I probably won't be competitive at all'..."

Kefei ignored my clarification and put on a light little dress for me, forced a button dip at my chest, and touched up my makeup again. "It's almost there! Take a look."

Kefei opened the toilet door and pushed me to the mirror. Over the years, with the stability of my relationship with Haoyi, the makeup on my face is getting lighter day by day, let alone applying false eyelashes. When buying clothes, we only seek simplicity and comfort, and no longer buy anything fancy. But after Kefei's makeup, I saw that the completely different me in the mirror was gradually exuding attractiveness.

"I don't know what Haoyi will say when he sees it?" I smiled, and the sharp line of the drooping neckline of my clothes also made me straighten my waist and become more confident.

"I appreciate your loyalty, but for the next few hours, please treat Li Haoyi as non-existent. Remember that you have been single for a few hours, and use your charm to the fullest!"

***

As soon as she entered the box and was seated, Kefei immediately showed the attitude belonging to the Queen of Friendship and greeted and chatted with the five or six new friends in the box. Sure enough, a group of men and women from listed companies got together, introduced each other by the stock code, and chatted about the company's gossip.

"2498? Are you going to release a new phone again? Is it easy to use?"

"Actually, I still prefer the iPhone haha. Which one are you from?"

"This is a promising young man from 2451. You guys also work in Neihu? Let's get to know you."

"Hello, hello, not yet, but I will be next month. I'm about to quit my job, so don't come here."

"Which one are you going to go to next?"

"I'm still looking around. I've been interviewing with a few foreign businessmen recently. The benefits of foreign businessmen are good, and there are many options..."

The above conversations are endless in the party, and the group of men and women rely on this gossip to liven up the atmosphere. Kefei deliberately arranged for me to be directly opposite the 2891 man who she slept with last night, just to make it easier for me to "take" him later. The main point of Kefei's meal tonight is to introduce a high-quality male to me, who is "fake single". But only I know that this high-quality man is Kefei's real target. So during the banquet, I had to pretend that I wasn't interested in high-quality men at all, but incidentally love 2891 men, discharged all kinds of calls to 2891 men, and finally took him away skillfully, so as to fulfill Kefei and her celestial dish. However, the legendary Tiancai was a big name. Everyone had eaten for 20 minutes already and he still didn't show up, so I couldn't act at all on bringing 2891 out the room.

"Hey, today I brought my best sister, and I want to introduce her to a hot man. Why hasn't that handsome friend of yours appeared yet? If you leave the girl alone, you will have to take responsibility!" Obviously Kefei was getting impatient waiting for her Tianicai, so she began to use me to put pressure on the 2981 man.

"He just came to the door." The 2891 man swiped his phone and looked at it, not forgetting to create a chance for himself. "Kefei, if you want to introduce people, you should let them sit face-to-face. I'm sitting in front of your friend. How do they chat?"

Of course Kefei could see his intention, but she also responded ingeniously with her own statement, "It's too deliberate, girls will be shy, so it's natural to chat diagonally!"

The poor 2891 man didn't know, this was Kefei's plan. Her own carefully arranged plum blossom array.

At this moment, the box door opened, and a deep man's voice came from the opening. "Sorry I'm late, I was called by my boss before I got off work."

I couldn't help but take a closer look at what Kefei's so-called Tiancai is. The man standing infront of me is indeed a talented person. His face has resolute lines. The tailored suit and the high-quality fabrics that emit light reflections add to his overall shape. However, what caught my attention was not the clear charm of Tiancai, but the more familiar this face became.

I thought about it, but I couldn't remember where I had seen this person. I was only sure that the last time I saw him, his appearance should be different from now. At the same time, I also found that he was looking at me with the same eyes...

Our eyes met and I quickly looked away.

"Let me introduce, this is the most promising ace trader in 2882. Easy to trade earns the Nth pot of gold in life! Known as 2882 Gao Gu Shuhai."

When Kefei saw Tiancai coming, she immediately put her eyes on my shoulders with a smile and warmly put her head down beside mine, and introduced the two of us.

"This beauty is my 2498 colleague, isn't she beautiful? She just broke up recently, so it's rare!"

Sometimes I really wonder what line of work Kefei does? How can you be do proficient in the jargon of major industries and accurately describe love? If she doesn't want to stay in the technology industry in the future, should she simply go to 9940 to sell her house?

"Hello, my name is Chu Kehuan."

Chu, Ke, Huan! These three words fell into my mind one after another like three boulders. "Touch", "touch" and "touch"! My eyes focused on his face again. That's right, that's where I know Chu Kehuan's face, and if I remember correctly, I only started seeing it online last month. All the students heard news of him, and at this moment, all the information I knew about this Chu Kehuan was running fast in my mind.

"What's your name? Have we met?"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

These messages made me almost unable to think. I managed to suppress the indignation in my heart, kept the most elegant smile, and pulled Kefei away from the box. I ignored Kefei's struggles, made sure the box door was closed, and threw Kefei infront of my with all my strenth. I gave her a stern warning: "You can't sleep with this person, he has a girlfriend!"

Kefei was still confused. "So what? That's why you pulled me out?"

"You don't understand what I mean? This guy used to go to school with me. He has a girlfriend and has been dating her for more than ten years. They are still dating. If you don't believe me, I can open Facebook and show you their photos..." I tried my best to persuade her for a long time, but in return Kefei's face was calm.

"So? Is his girlfriend your good sister?"

"We aren't that close, but they will get married sooner or later!"

"Then it's ok!" Kefei didn't care, and the more she said, the more she exaggerated, "I'll be his last 'friend' before marriage!"

"Stop joking! What 'last friend before marriage?'" What happened to Kefei? What's wrong with this world? Why do people who obviously have such stable contacts still come out to socialize?

This Chu Kehuan's mental skills are not right, but Kefei still wants to take the opportunity to challenge the moral limit?!

"But Kefei, no matter how good he is, you can't provoke such a person!"

"Weiwei, I've wanted to tell you about this for a long time. One day you will marry Li Haoyi, don't you want to legally sleep with a man you like and plan for your single life before marriage? The perfect ending?"

"No!" I said decisively, "My only object is Haoyi, which is what we both agree with together. I know you like to play, and I respect your freedom to pursue happiness. But don't put your values on me. Putting it on others is not acceptable to everyone! Even if Chu Kehuan can accept it, it is his moral flaw, can his girlfriend accept it?"

"You're so sure because you haven't met another man other than your boyfriend who makes you even more desperate." Kefei was smiling, but her eyes were staring at me sharply.

Here I thought I had the best insight into the depths of my heart, but then she said, "As your good sister, I hope that man can show up before you get married. Otherwise, after you get married, you will either do more crazy things or spend a long time with regrets in your married life." Kefei's words even broke all the nerves in my body!

I took a deep breath in anger and looked at Kefei. "Do you want me to do this? Well, then I'll take Chu Kehuan away now!"

"You made a mistake, you are taking a different man with you!"

"I'm not mistaken, as long as it can stop you from destroying other people's happiness, I will do it!" I said to Kefei coldly, "Don't forget, Chu Kehuan was originally introduced to me by you."