Chapter 126: In a Great House, One Is Not One’s Own Master; the Spot-Gold Cash-Out Platform Splits Open

That night, for the first time, Zhang Long went to bed early.

He sighed, realizing that since he started trading spot commodities, this was the first Friday night he had gone to sleep early. Previously, he would only sleep after finishing his operations, usually past 10:30 p.m.

Though somewhat melancholy, he also felt a rare sense of relief. Constantly hustling for money from dawn till dusk was exhausting.

A pause was necessary to avoid burning out.

...

“Huh? It’s already afternoon?”

The next day, Zhang Long woke naturally and found it was three o’clock in the afternoon. Had his stomach not growled, he might have kept sleeping. It seemed that once the tense chord of chasing small profits relaxed, he was truly at ease.

He got up, washed, and grabbed a bite.

Since it was Saturday, there weren’t many places to go. Luo Man would come over after work, and tonight, their brief separation would make their reunion all the more passionate.

To be honest, Zhang Long was quite fond of Luo Man’s figure and appearance.

More importantly, she used to be the class monitor.

Whether influenced by memories from a past life or simply desire, Luo Man gave Zhang Long a peculiar feeling tinged with inexplicable affection. After all, most boys harbor some feelings toward a pretty classmate, especially when she holds the title of class monitor.

Whether from his past life or now, Zhang Long admitted he was an ordinary man, not yet enlightened.

Perhaps with more experience, he would see through the essence of things. For now, living well was enough.

“Buzz, buzz buzz~”

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. Zhang Long snapped out of his thoughts and picked it up, raising an eyebrow. He saw several missed calls from Qian Caiying that morning, but his phone had been on silent, so he hadn’t heard a thing.

An hour later, at a tea restaurant.

“A cup of hot tea, please.”

Seated by the window in a private booth, Zhang Long ordered hot tea. The waiter left, and he looked across the table. Surprisingly, usually carefree Qian Caiying today was quiet and somewhat melancholic, a trace of worry etched on her brow, unmistakable despite her silence.

She stared blankly out the window, saying nothing.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Long was curious and a bit exasperated. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t be so silent.”

“Nothing much,” Qian Caiying didn’t turn her head but spoke nonetheless. “I just wanted to invite you out for afternoon tea, to sit quietly for a while. Don’t worry about me.”

Zhang Long felt sweat break out on his forehead. “Are you kidding me?”

...

“What do you think of me?”

Suddenly, Qian Caiying turned to Zhang Long, blinking. “Not your temper—your appearance.”

“There’s nothing to say.”

Zhang Long paused, then instinctively retorted, “Being sentimental doesn’t suit you. Straightforward and carefree is better. Don’t torment yourself.”

Though unaware of what troubles Qian Caiying faced, it was probably family or emotional issues.

The wealthy often have more worries—not for lack of money, but for unmet spiritual needs.

“Eh, everyone’s ordinary.”

Qian Caiying was noncommittal, then shifted the topic to the real reason for the meeting.

“Starting next week, don’t let the proxy account profits be too high. How you manage it is up to you. After all, Hongze doesn’t belong to me.”

“You have three personal accounts, right? If you need capital, I can lend you some.”

“Nothing else.”

Zhang Long furrowed his brow. Qian Caiying’s cleverness meant she wouldn’t act without purpose. Was it because he drew attention, or was there internal strife at Hongze?

According to Liang Xue, Hongze was currently managed by Qian Caiying and her close friend. Were they splitting up?

“Why the sudden loss of drive?”

Zhang Long pondered. “Though I don’t know what you’re going through, you once had the ambition to make Hongze big and strong. Now you’ve just given up. That’s not like the woman I thought you were.”

...

“Decisive, sharp, and strong.”

“Eh, it’s meaningless.”

Perhaps because Zhang Long never fawned over Qian Caiying, she considered him a true friend—otherwise, she wouldn’t have invited him out for tea just to vent.

“Let me put it this way: everything we have is given by our family. No matter how hard we strive, it still belongs to the family. You can’t really be an ungrateful wretch.”

“Do you think the life of the rich second generation is all freedom? It’s often more tragic.”

“No right to choose.”

Qian Caiying’s lips curved bitterly. Her close friend Ling Zhiqing had nearly lost all will to fight; what was the point of her own efforts?

Tired, might as well give up—no meaning.

...

“Enough pretending.”

After a moment of silence, Zhang Long’s eyes flashed as he changed the subject. “You’re overacting. I’m not as sincere as you, Miss Qian. Sorry, my heart’s made of steel. Don’t try to get pity.”

“What’s really going on?”

“Not pretending, but close enough.”

Qian Caiying’s mouth twitched, her gaze darkening with resolve.

“Hongze was assigned to my friend’s family to manage as part of their performance. It was already poorly run and basically tossed to her to handle casually. But now as performance metrics improve, things are different.”

“We’re all family heirs, and since we’re women, marriage is inevitable. We can’t hold onto this forever.”

“Then why bother?”

“Right? So?”

Zhang Long nodded and spread his hands. “If you improve performance, you gain some value and voice. But knowing there are others ready to cherry-pick, if you give up now, elders will just disregard you more.”

“If it’s impossible, then go independent, break away from the family structure. Don’t call it rebellion—call it branching out and adding to the family legacy.”

“You invited me out today because you’re thinking of this, right? Giving me a heads-up.”

“Uh, is it that obvious?”

Qian Caiying scratched her head, frustrated.

“I’m just smarter.” Zhang Long smiled and shrugged. “Let’s be clear: business is business. I don’t mind continuing cooperation, but I won’t work for you or be a patsy. I have ambitions too—you understand.”

Qian Caiying understood perfectly. If Zhang Long lacked ambition, he wouldn’t have refused to join Hongze, instead opting for a simple proxy cooperation to prove himself.

Now that his abilities were proven—making money even in a bear market and boosting performance—if he took charge of company trading, results would surely skyrocket.

“Okay, let’s leave it at that for now.”

Qian Caiying smiled and stood. Talking with a smart person didn’t require much effort. If she truly broke away to work independently, Zhang Long would have her back.

Being part of a wealthy family isn’t something granted outright.

...

“Buzz~” The clink of wine glasses.

That night, Zhang Long had prepared a candlelit dinner at home by evening. High-end restaurant delivery was ready anytime, naturally accompanied by red wine to savor the evening.

“This wine is really sweet.”

Luo Man puckered her lips, her delicate tongue briefly licking her red lips, revealing a seductive smile. Her eyes were dreamy.

“Sweet? Then drink more.”

Zhang Long exhaled softly. They had showered before eating, so once wine and food were enjoyed and the mood set, no buffer was needed—they would dive straight into passion.

Last time, Luo Man had opened up a bit; tonight, he intended to give his all. Just the thought excited him.

Romance and mood, gradually intensifying.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Leaning on Zhang Long’s shoulder, Luo Man whispered through red lips, “I’m such a practical person, yet you’ve conquered me. If only I had started back in college, I wouldn’t have wasted so many years. It’s a pity it’s a little late.”

“Not late, just right.”

Whether true or not, Zhang Long didn’t care. Zhang Wuji’s mother once said the more beautiful a woman, the more likely she was to lie—and that most women have no true love; they go with whoever treats them well.

Even if Luo Man had genuine feelings, it was likely some affection born of time spent together.

Besides, Zhang Long himself admitted he no longer resisted as before.

Back then, his assets were only a few million, and Luo Man’s advances felt a little different. But now, worth over a hundred million, it was just the same.

So whether it was giving her a credit card to spend freely or investing after quitting his job to start anew, a little money was no problem. When a woman is happy, a man is happier—tonight would be very happy.

“Mmm~ Love me.”

After a while, the last sip of wine finished, the mood perfect. Luo Man pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss, beginning their delightful and fiery night, details omitted.

All told, three rounds in one night—it felt great.

...

In an instant, Monday, January 21.

After washing up, Zhang Long sat before his computer watching the spot market. The foresight indicator still showed no response; it seemed he had truly reached the limit—one hundred million no longer increased.

Of course, he could trade on his own, but Zhang Long knew well that blind trading only led to losses.

During the “chasing small profits” period, most loss trades were self-directed experiments. Each entry was backed by self-analysis and confidence, but spot price fluctuations were too erratic. Without knowing future trends, even profits were uncertain in timing and extent.

So he decided to stop—withdraw funds.

Thus, Zhang Long withdrew all funds from his nine spot accounts, leaving only a few cents behind.

This move surprised and annoyed the spot platforms. Quitting after making so much?

“Why withdraw it all?”

At Huiyin Trading Department, Wang Jing looked at the client deposit and withdrawal list posted by the boss in the group chat. She knew Zhang Long would withdraw today, but not that he’d pull everything out. What was going on? Quitting?

Meanwhile, at Dingxin Runde, Zou Ming and Yu Na were stunned. Why withdraw all funds when profits were good? Why?

At that moment, all nine spot platforms were somewhat bewildered—and then started calling.

They couldn’t just let him quit after making so much. That was maddening.

“Buzz, buzz buzz~”

Zhang Long’s phone vibrated; he ignored it.

He didn’t keep a hundred or so thousand in each account to keep playing. Without predictability, no need to chase losses or thrills. The “chasing small profits” phase had enough excitement—no more gains.

One hundred million net profit was enough.

On average, each platform netted over eleven million, with Huiyin topping around thirteen million, followed by Dingxin Runde.

But it didn’t matter; none exceeded fifteen million—at most two months’ profit.

The platforms could bear this loss, especially since trading fees generated substantial revenue.

In reality, half the profits were taken away.

“Forex, futures!”

After withdrawing from spot accounts and trading a few stocks, Zhang Long exhaled lightly. He had a futures account from before and decided to fund it slightly to see if he could make a profit there.

As for forex, which broker should he choose?

Zhang Long pondered, eyes narrowing.

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