C14 The First Bucket of Gold in Life

Su Fei suddenly let out a loud cry and began to flail wildly on the bed, resembling an African tribal chief performing an ancient ritual.

After a long struggle, Su Fei lay on the bed, gasping for air, forming a "big character" pose with his limbs stretched out.

But unlike before, when he felt defeated and dispirited, this time he was brimming with uncontrollable excitement!

Su Fei's mind raced with calculations.

Golden Harvest Mercantile opened at 27 yuan, and he had bought in when it dropped to -9.5%. That meant his profit for the day was an astonishing 17.2%!

He reasoned that if a stock saw a significant rise one day, it would boost market confidence, making it highly likely to climb even higher the next day!

If that were true, he could reap even more profit than 17.2% without lifting a finger!

All he had to do was hold on to it!

This thought quickly took hold and grew in Su Fei's heart, gripping him like a devil. Staring at the bright red candlestick on his phone's screen, he could almost visualize Golden Harvest Mercantile reaching new heights the following day.

Money! I'm going to have money!

All he had to do was nothing at all, just watch it soar!

"No, no, no, I must stay calm! Stay calm!"

Su Fei struggled to tear his eyes away from the blazing red numbers on his phone's screen, but his heart continued to race with excitement. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths in a bid to settle his nerves, even going so far as to pinch his thigh hard.

The sharp pain brought some clarity to Su Fei, and he finally began to think more clearly.

Experiencing the roller coaster of stock trading for the first time today was unforgettable for Su Fei, and it led him to a sudden realization: it was time to cash in while ahead and abandon any baseless fantasies.

Who could predict whether the stock would rise or fall tomorrow? Until he sold his shares, any profit was just a number, not truly his.

"Sell it! I'll sell it tomorrow, no matter what!"

Su Fei had finally made the tough decision. The grueling years with the Shen family had taught him a valuable lesson: only the things in his own hands were truly beneficial. The more alluring something seemed, the more likely it was to vanish like a bubble.

He never imagined, when he first married into the Shen family, that he would end up in such dire straits.

What mattered most was that Su Fei's time to utilize the Eyes of the Oracle was limited! He preferred to sell his shares in Golden Harvest Mercantile and use the Eyes of the Oracle to pick other stocks. This strategy was the safest and promised the highest profits!

With a vigorous shake of his head, Su Fei expelled all impractical thoughts from his mind. Looking at the prominent green bar on his phone's screen, he felt a rush of excitement, but the frenzied pursuit of profit was no longer there.

"Stay calm, stay calm."

Su Fei leaped out of bed and poured himself a large cup of cool water, only to notice his hands shaking uncontrollably with the simple task.

The coolness slid down his throat, quenching the dryness of his lips and bringing him back to a state of complete calmness.

He quickly calculated his exact profit for the day.

With a profit margin of 17.2%, he had earned 420 yuan. Even after accounting for transaction fees and stamp duty, he still netted 400 yuan.

This sum was a fortune compared to the mere ten or twenty yuan he could save by helping Yang Hehua haggle over groceries at the market.

Four hundred yuan a day amounted to 12,000 yuan a month, equivalent to the salary of a mid-level manager in a typical private company.

The thought made Su Fei feel a surge of excitement.

He was aware that the entry-level sales staff at Shen Bingyan's company earned a mere 1,500 yuan base salary per month. With commissions, they might make 3,000 to 4,000 yuan, but that was after gaining some experience. For a newcomer fresh into the workforce, the take-home pay was just the base 1,500 yuan.

This realization reignited a spark of hope in Su Fei.

The days when a single penny could thwart a hero were long gone!

"This is my first pot of gold!"

Su Fei glanced at the glowing Golden Harvest Mercantile figures on his phone and resolved firmly, "Regardless of whether the price goes up or down tomorrow, I'm selling it! I must have that first pot of gold securely in my hands!"

"Sanitary pad, where have you disappeared to?"

A call as soft and tender as a little lamb waking from sleep echoed from the other end of the hallway. Su Fei looked up at the clock overhead; he had slept for nearly four hours straight. That little lady could really sleep.

Su Fei rose and made his way to Shen Bingyan's room. Sure enough, Shen Bingyan was awake, but her groggy demeanor showed she hadn't fully come to her senses yet.

In her grogginess, the discomfort in her body became increasingly pronounced. Having slept for over an hour, the discomfort was now more intense than before, unbearable for Shen Bingyan.

The overwhelming sensation of bloating jolted Shen Bingyan into full alertness. Flushed with embarrassment and anger, she grabbed the remote control beside her and hurled it at Su Fei's face.

"Sanitary pad, you're going to be the death of me. I'm not through with you!" Shen Bingyan flailed her fists in frustration, yet she hesitated to move her lower body, her little toes involuntarily curling in discomfort.

Su Fei swiftly caught the incoming remote control. His mood was exceptionally buoyant, and he even teased Shen Bingyan, "Shen Bingyan, there's no need to take out your grudges on the remote."

"You... You need to carry me over quickly..." Shen Bingyan was on the verge of tears, her legs rigid with tension, clearly at her limit. "Wuu, hurry up! I can't hold it in any longer. I don't want to wet the bed..."

But then Su Fei burst into laughter and said, "I gave you a powerful medicine. Why not come down and walk a bit?"

"Have you lost your mind? If I could walk on my own, why would I need your help?"

Shen Bingyan hadn't noticed anything amiss, but upon hearing Su Fei's words and instinctively trying to move her legs, she finally sensed something was different.

The excruciating pain that had been unbearable vanished in an instant, leaving her entire body tingling with numbness, reminiscent of the sensation when one's legs fall asleep from squatting too long in the restroom.

It made sense why she hadn't felt a thing; she had been lying prone for an extended period, and the hours of icing had left her lower body numb.

Su Fei assisted Shen Bingyan in removing the ice pack from her behind. As she gingerly attempted to stand, she was amazed to find that the pain had completely subsided!

Without overthinking, Shen Bingyan lifted her nightgown in front of Su Fei and was astonished to see that the swelling and redness had all but disappeared!

"What is this, some kind of magic potion? It works wonders!" Shen Bingyan exclaimed, trying to move her numb limbs, her eyes wide with incredulity.

"Cough, cough, cough. Bingyan, you might want to put that down first. I've seen enough..."

It took a few seconds for Shen Bingyan to register Su Fei's voice. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she raised her fist to Su Fei in a huff.

Su Fei quickly gestured with his mouth towards a certain area: "Aren't you going to the bathroom? Do you really want to wet the bed, or should I carry you there?"

"Sanitary pad, you're so irritating! I can go by myself!"

With a swift motion, Shen Bingyan slid off the bed, slipped into her fluffy slippers, and dashed into the bathroom.

Seizing the moment, Su Fei made a quick exit from the room.

For dinner, Su Fei was back at the stove. He whipped up some stir-fried greens and reheated the ribs and braised pork from lunch, managing to scrape together a meal.

Throughout dinner, Shen Bingyan's curious gaze lingered on Su Fei, causing him to feel somewhat self-conscious as he stood to the side.

"Come on, eat up. Why are you looking at me like that? I'm waiting, you know."

"It's really awkward with you just standing there. Make an exception today and come sit down to eat with me."

Su Fei was taken aback. What was she thinking, inviting him to dine with her?

Since the passing of the Shen family patriarch, aside from the occasional social event where Shen Bingyan would have Su Fei accompany her for appearances, Su Fei had never shared a meal with the Shen family.

Su Fei found himself a bit puzzled about what Shen Bingyan was up to.

"I'm granting you the special privilege of dining with me today. What, can't you understand plain English?"

"Fine, but remember you offered. Don't come to me with problems later."

Su Fei ladled himself a bowl of white rice and sat down across from Shen Bingyan. As he ate, he couldn't help but notice Shen Bingyan's gaze fixed on him.

"What do you want? Can you just say it?" Su Fei couldn't contain his frustration and confronted her.

"I've noticed that your sanitary pad seems different than before."

Shen Bingyan scrutinized Su Fei's face with intense focus, as if panning for gold in the sand. "First, you didn't flinch from my whip kick, then you thrashed Kun and those thugs in the bar, and now you've suddenly come up with some sort of wonder drug. Su Fei, I've realized you're not the same person you used to be."

She paused briefly, then suddenly propped her hands on the table and leaned in, staring intently at Su Fei. "What are you hiding from us? Out with it!"

The abrupt interrogation caused Su Fei's heart to lurch, but he kept his composure. He casually placed a piece of braised pork into his bowl and replied nonchalantly, "Don't you know what I'm up to all day? What kind of secret could I possibly have?"

"I don't buy it." Shen Bingyan slammed down her chopsticks, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back in her chair, her chest heaving silently. "I've never heard of any medicine that reduces swelling in just a few hours. You can't fool me!"

She extended her hands toward Su Fei. "Show me the medicine."

"It's gone," Su Fei responded, his expression unyielding. "You took the last one."

"Liar!"

Despite her disbelief, Shen Bingyan didn't press further. Her curiosity about Su Fei was piqued, but she wasn't desperate to uncover the truth.

"In dreams within dreams, in the dreams of the dreamer, the scattered past fades away like the wind..."

Su Fei's phone in his pocket suddenly rang out.

"What era's song is that? It's truly awful!" Shen Bingyan scoffed, yet she couldn't help casting a curious glance at the phone Su Fei pulled out.

She wondered who would bother calling such a useless person.

But then, a flicker of surprise crossed Shen Bingyan's eyes.

"Hello, it's me, Su Fei."

"Okay, I'm on my way now."

"Then... alright, I'll let her know."

...

After hanging up, Su Fei looked up to find Shen Bingyan eyeing him with a critical gaze.

"You heard that, right? It was your sister calling."

Su Fei set the phone down on the table: "She wants you to pick her up at the Marcia Hotel, VIP suite 305. She couldn't reach you, so she called me instead."

That's when Shen Bingyan remembered her phone was still upstairs, which explained why her sister had called Su Fei.

"No need to spell it out for me. I'm not blind," she retorted.

Shen Bingyan headed upstairs to get dressed, while Su Fei finished his meal and began clearing the dishes.

Slipping into her deer leather boots by the door, Shen Bingyan was ready to leave when she suddenly turned and asked coolly, "Sanitary pad, care to join me?"