Chapter 114: Sprinting to Profit—This Is a Leap to the Heavens (Please Subscribe)

The night passed without incident, and dawn broke.

The final trade from last night didn't require much movement to hit this week's target. After setting the entry, take-profit, and stop-loss levels, I went to sleep. Today is Saturday, and Luo Man is coming to the Bund this afternoon; after a week apart, the reunion feels like a honeymoon.

...

"Don't worry, Sister Liu."

Zhang Long was shaken from his sleep by the buzzing of his phone. It was the landlord, Liu Yurong, calling about the property transfer scheduled for Monday at the Real Estate Bureau. The full payment needed to be ready. That wasn't a problem; several spot trading accounts could be liquidated on Monday morning without delay.

"Still not up? It's almost noon."

On the other end of the line, Liu Yurong’s gentle, melodic voice came through. "It’s not good for a young man to be so lazy. Even though it’s winter, you shouldn't sleep in all the time. Haven't you noticed you're putting on weight day by day?"

Really? Zhang Long blinked, dazed. Although he had his "cheat code," the actual trading and market monitoring were demanding and tiring. The volatility of the market was thrilling, and his nerves were kept in a state of constant excitement throughout the day. That was the real reason he wanted to sleep in.

"Yes, definitely," Liu Yurong’s soft voice continued. "From the first time I met you until we finished the final paperwork yesterday, you’ve put on at least five kilos in just a few days. You stay cooped up at home all day—who knows what you're doing? You’ll be half-ruined if you keep living like a shut-in."

That was a bit of an exaggeration. Zhang Long didn't commit to a response, and he didn't dwell on the topic. Liu Yurong’s nagging was her way of treating him like a younger brother; the fact that a tenant had become a buyer ready to pay in full had indirectly solved her urgent crisis, and she was secretly grateful. Zhang Long had never told her what he did at home; in the eyes of others, stock trading and investments were seen as gambling, a desperate attempt to get rich quick without putting in the work. Even if it wasn't for the money, but for the thrill—well, if you can make a profit, why lose? If both winning and losing are thrilling, you might as well win and leave the losses to someone else.

"Alright, hanging up now. Get out of bed."

"Yeah, I know."

...

Along the Bund, Zhang Long watched the ferries and ships crossing the river as he waited for Luo Man. He hadn't wanted to meet at his place; he wanted to walk around outside first. It seemed he had never properly enjoyed the river view with her before. Last time, with Liang Xue...

At this thought, Zhang Long felt a pang of melancholy. Ever since he had established a relationship with Luo Man, he hadn't reached out to Liang Xue much. Liang Xue wasn't the type to initiate conversation, so things had gone quiet. Although they had exchanged goodnights last night—the day of the supposed "end of the world"—there was nothing special about it. It was as if an invisible barrier now stood between them.

"Sigh, just as I thought."

Zhang Long exhaled. When he had no money, his only worry was making enough to eat. Now that he had money and didn't lack material comforts, all sorts of miscellaneous desires and anxieties began to surface, unstoppable. During the work week, the combination of stock and spot trading kept him busy enough that he had no time to worry, but now, during his downtime, he felt a strange, restless agitation.

"Hey, classmate!"

Suddenly, his shoulder was patted hard. Zhang Long jumped, turning to see the beautiful Luo Man. Her curvaceous figure was subtly outlined under her trench coat, paired with jeans and small leather boots—very sharp! The only drawback was...

"You still look better with long hair."

Zhang Long gave her a hug and a light kiss on the forehead, smacking his lips as he lamented, "Your short hair makes you look a bit too much like a tomboy. Long hair suits your charm and allure better—of course, that's just my opinion."

"It's up to you."

"No, it's up to you."

Luo Man didn't hesitate. "I can grow it back after the New Year. It won't take long."

"Hey, there's no need for that." Zhang Long held her waist and sighed softly. "Everyone should live as their true self. Haven't you noticed you're increasingly accommodating and cautious around me? Putting aside the nights, I still like the old you—the straightforward, open-minded class monitor."

"Why didn't you use the credit card?"

Hearing this, Luo Man’s beautiful eyes dimmed, and she bit her red lip. Perhaps it was her last shred of pride. At first, she had been attracted by the money, but as time passed and they spent more time together, she realized that focusing only on money felt shameful. It was true; she was becoming less and less like herself.

...

They didn't talk about love. Even though there was no "true" affection between them, neither wanted to be reduced to animals just looking to satisfy physical needs. If it was fun, they stayed together; if it wasn't, they would say goodbye and move on. Zhang Long had grown, while Luo Man had regressed. The economic pressure on her family meant that this naturally bold girl dared not pursue pure emotion; she had to secure her financial standing first. Even the best "poor boy" had to be ignored. Before she was officially with Zhang Long, she could be willful and show her temper, but now that they were together, she became timid, afraid to ask for money or spend on the supplementary credit card, stubborn against herself.

"What?" Zhang Long was stunned.

That night, Luo Man finally had a breakthrough. She let go completely, pulling Zhang Long into the bathroom right before his eyes. The process need not be detailed; they didn't come out for an hour. And it didn't end there; they moved to the bedroom, leaving the bedside lamp on, and continued their passion. Zhang Long was happy, truly satisfied. She had released her mental shackles and broken through her shyness and restraint. Between them, there were no longer any physical secrets.

"Phew, I don't want to get up."

The night passed, and dawn broke. It was as if the scene from last Sunday was repeating itself. Zhang Long inhaled the faint, lingering fragrance on the pillow and in the bed. Memories of last night flashed through his mind, and for a moment, he didn't want to return to reality from paradise. No wonder the old saying goes: "Waking to hold the power of the world, sleeping on the knees of a beauty; the land of gentleness is the hero's grave."

"Brother, take it easy."

At the driving test for the third part of the exam, Lin Yuan looked at Zhang Long, who was yawning from time to time, and noticed the slight dark circles under his eyes. He gave a knowing, mischievous look—someone was tired last night.

...

Zhang Long passed the third part of the test without incident. This time, when they parted, Lin Yuan didn't invite him to any strange social gatherings, though he did suggest they check out a car show on New Year's Day; it was time to buy a car. Lin Yuan didn't ask if Zhang Long could afford it—that was Zhang Long's business. If he couldn't even afford a car, then it was time to say goodbye. They had been able to talk while practicing for the license, but that might end afterward.

Zhang Long hadn't thought that far ahead, but he figured he might as well check out the car show. After all, he was heading to the Real Estate Bureau tomorrow to finalize the house transfer; he would officially be a homeowner. House and car—the car needed to follow soon. However, what Zhang Long didn't expect was that he would meet someone very unexpected at that car show.

December 24, dawn, Monday again.

It was Christmas Eve, and tomorrow would be Christmas, but Zhang Long had no plans to celebrate. Not only because Luo Man wasn't by the Bund, but because he had to trade to make money day and night; he didn't have time to wander around. As for the "end of the world" on December 21, it had passed without a ripple. Zhang Long hadn't even bought supplies—he knew it wasn't the end. Fate didn't bring him into this world just to live for half a year; he wouldn't let it end before he had lived it up.

Luo Man had gone back to her home in the northern suburbs on that Friday to be with her family, returning to the Bund on Saturday afternoon to rendezvous with Zhang Long, where she had broken through her own barriers. She stopped being coy and stubborn, and on Sunday, she used Zhang Long’s supplementary card twice to buy medicine. The receipt text message was from a pharmacy.

...

"Phew, let's get to work!"

Zhang Long pulled himself together and rolled up his sleeves. First, he handled the spot trading—liquidating the funds before trading. He kept only two million in each of the six accounts, withdrawing all the net profits. It left the major trading platforms feeling helpless. After years of operation, Zhang Long was the only one who made money every single week and withdrew it all every single week. They were stumped.

"Huh? What the hell?"

After finishing the spot trading, he turned to the stock market. After using his foresight on the stock recommendations from several platforms, Zhang Long's expression changed. These stocks were about to skyrocket. Sorry, my bad, Amen.

...

"Sister Liu, I'm here."

At the entrance of the District Real Estate Bureau, a few people were waiting anxiously. When Zhang Long’s figure finally appeared, Xiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. The deposit and contract were signed; it was unlikely they would back out, but what if something happened?

"Sorry for the delay."

Zhang Long apologized. Although he could have come early in the morning, he wouldn't have been able to handle the spot and stock trading. The market opened at 9:30, and it took until about ten to finish. Arriving after ten was indeed a bit late; people were getting impatient.

"It's fine."

Liu Yurong smiled and shook her head, though the smile was bitter for some reason. Zhang Long soon understood why: there was a man and a woman following Liu Yurong, and they were the ones holding the property deed.

Hm? What was going on? The agency had done a property investigation; aside from the current mortgage, there shouldn't be any secondary liens on the property. Unless it was a private loan? Why could he be so sure? Because from the way Liu Yurong and the two people interacted, they didn't look like relatives; they looked like debt collectors.

Time passed, and the paperwork was completed. After some brief pleasantries, Zhang Long watched Liu Yurong and the pair leave, his brow furrowed. They didn't look like good people—the woman didn't either. Tattoos, chewing gum with a crooked mouth...

"Let's go, Brother Long."

Xiao Wu gestured, seemingly aware of what Zhang Long was thinking. He sighed softly, "I guess you figured it out, Brother Long. It's exactly as you thought. But don't worry, the money from the house sale is enough for Sister Liu to pay off the mortgage and the secondary loan. It's fine. We are the guarantors, after all."

That was true. The agency wouldn't risk offending people like that just for a commission. He wondered how a woman of such grace and elegance as Liu Yurong had ended up in such a situation. He hadn't seen her husband throughout the entire house-selling process. Was he dead? Her soft, delicate hands clearly didn't do much manual labor; otherwise, she wouldn't have maintained such a gentle, refined demeanor.

Whatever. It wasn't his business.

Back home to trade stocks and spot, make money. This was the final week of the month; he had to hit his targets for both the stock market and spot trading... wait, he almost forgot.

Zhang Long slapped his forehead. Off he went!