Chapter 113: Man Proposes, God Disposes

Chen Wei smiled helplessly and said, "Tan Rui works at the same place as our supervisor's girlfriend. She heard about the money I made last month and started to look at me differently. In school, she didn't even know who I was. I don't want to make any malicious guesses, but I'll definitely keep my distance from her."

"Really?" Lian Yingying asked again.

"Why would I lie to you? It's not just because of you. I naturally stay away from women like her," Chen Wei explained with a smile.

"Alright, I'll believe you this time!" Lian Yingying said, nestling back into Chen Wei's arms.

They continued to sit together, and Lian Yingying started sharing more about her own life. As Chen Wei had guessed, her father, Lian Yishan, and her mother, Lu Ruhui, had been separated for many years. When Lian Yingying was around seven or eight, her mother took her abroad, and they only returned to Yunzhao after she graduated from college last year.

Lian Yingying didn't go into the details, and Chen Wei didn't press her. It was probably the usual family issues.

Around eleven, Chen Wei noticed that Lian Yingying was getting sleepy, so he suggested they head back.

As soon as they got up, two strong men in black approached them.

"Miss," they greeted respectfully, then stood aside, hands behind their backs.

Chen Wei realized that these two men had been watching them the whole time. It made sense; this was the headquarters of Jinshengda, and Lian Yishan would never allow his daughter to stroll by the sea with a man without some protection.

Chen Wei broke into a cold sweat, thankful that they hadn't done anything inappropriate.

"Brother Qiang, please drive Chen Wei home," Lian Yingying instructed one of the men.

"Yes, Miss," the man replied and went across the street to get the car.

"There's no need to trouble them, Yingying. I can just get a taxi," Chen Wei said quickly.

"Oh, come on! If you keep this up, I'll get angry!" Lian Yingying pouted.

Chen Wei immediately stopped protesting.

Soon, Brother Qiang returned with a Mercedes. The other man opened the door for Chen Wei.

"Alright, you should head home now. I'll have someone handle the company registration tomorrow," Lian Yingying said reluctantly.

"You should get home too," Chen Wei replied, giving her a hug before getting into the car.

Brother Qiang asked for Chen Wei's address, then drove in silence. Chen Wei, not much of a talker himself, sat quietly in the back, exchanging a few texts with Lian Yingying.

Back home, he washed up and went to bed.

The next morning, Chen Wei got up early, had breakfast, and texted Lian Yingying. She didn't reply, probably still asleep, so he didn't mind. He then called Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi took a while to answer, clearly still groggy.

"I didn't get a chance to ask yesterday, how's it going with Xue Jiaqi? Does she suspect anything?" Chen Wei asked once the call connected.

"Don't worry, boss. I've got her wrapped around my finger!" Zhou Yi replied with a sleazy laugh.

Chen Wei shook his head, chuckling. "Well, that's good. Having an inside source will be useful. It'll help us keep tabs on Luo Chen."

"Exactly. Xue Jiaqi likes me too, so I figured I might as well pursue it. Even if we leave Meitai, we can still mess with Luo Chen," Zhou Yi said with a sly tone.

"But be careful. Don't let anyone at the office find out. Luo Chen is sharp. If he figures out your relationship with Xue Jiaqi, she'll be in trouble," Chen Wei cautioned.

"Got it. Xue Jiaqi and I already talked about it. We'll keep things professional at work and play it cool. Acting is part of the game," Zhou Yi assured him.

"Good. Just be careful. This kind of secret relationship can be tricky..." Chen Wei said, a bit worried.

"Oh, come on, boss. It's not like we're aiming for forever. We're both happy for now, and that's all that matters," Zhou Yi dismissed the concern.

Chen Wei smiled wryly and decided not to press further. Everyone has their own views on relationships. As long as Zhou Yi did his job, Chen Wei wouldn't interfere in his personal life.

With everything in place, it was now a matter of waiting. Once Xu Lin left, Chen Wei could start recruiting Wang Fang, Zhang Qilu, Xue Jiaqi, and possibly others. Soon, it wouldn't be Luo Chen watching Chen Wei's trades, but the other way around.

Of course, this advantage wouldn't last long. Luo Chen would eventually realize someone in risk control was leaking information and take measures. But even one chance to hit Luo Chen hard was worth it.

After hanging up, Chen Wei opened his laptop to catch up on news. At 9:00 AM, when the futures market opened, he began trading copper. The market was calm, with prices ranging between 47,200 and 47,250.

In half an hour, he made about 60,000 yuan. When the stock market opened at 9:30 AM, he shifted his attention there. The market opened lower and then went sideways, showing no clear direction.

Seeing no good opportunities, Chen Wei returned to trading copper. By midday, he had earned over 180,000 yuan, and by the end of the day, another 150,000 yuan, totaling 340,000 yuan—almost covering the cost of yesterday's computer purchases.

After the markets closed, Chen Wei took a nap. That evening, he went to the office. As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Zhao Yang and Sun Chong smoking in the stairwell.