C21 This Place Is Against My Fate

After Su Fei suggested that Liu Qi should invest in the Hyperxook Consortium, Liu Qi drove straight back to his apartment. Despite his skepticism about Su Fei's advice, the vivid image of the 17% profit displayed on Su Fei's phone haunted Liu Qi's thoughts.

When Liu Qi came to his senses, he was already seated at his home office desk, staring at the stock chart for the Hyperxook Consortium on his computer.

Liu Qi and Su Fei were roughly the same age and both had over six years of experience in the industry. Liu Qi, with his expertise, recognized that the trajectory of the Sky High Silver River stock had deteriorated beyond hope. Expecting a miraculous recovery was delusional.

He contemplated leaving, but even if he did, he had no idea where to go. There was no guarantee of finding a good stock to invest in, and the risk of incurring further losses loomed large.

This uncertainty was precisely why Liu Qi had hesitated to liquidate his position.

Once again, the alluring 17% profit flashed before Liu Qi's eyes. With a determined bite of his lip, he made the most significant decision of his life. He sold off his Sky High Silver River shares and poured his last 100,000 yuan into the Hyperxook Consortium.

It was an all-or-nothing bet.

Liu Qi was at his wit's end; repaying Wu Shizhang seemed impossible. The difference between owing a million and ten million was negligible to him.

If he lost, he was doomed either way, with the only difference being whether he'd end up in a river or on the pavement. But if he actually turned a profit...

Liu Qi tried not to let his mind wander too far. There was an unwritten rule in stock trading: the more you yearn for profit, the more elusive it becomes. With his entire portfolio now tied up in the Hyperxook Consortium, he had no choice but to await the outcome.

Liu Qi collapsed onto his bed, desperate for sleep, but anxiety kept him wide awake. He began to regret going all-in; without any wiggle room, he had committed a strategic blunder.

Overwhelmed by chaotic thoughts, Liu Qi reached for the sleeping pills on his nightstand and took two. At last, sleep overtook him, and he drifted off into a restless slumber.

Liu Qi was jolted awake by the urgent ringtone of his phone. The name "Wu Shizhang" flashed on the screen, startling him completely awake.

With shaky hands, he answered the call, but before he could utter a word, a burst of hearty laughter came from the other end.

"Good boy! Decisive and skilled!" Wu Shizhang's voice was brimming with delight. "You've done well. Forget I ever mentioned withdrawing the investment. Keep up the good work; I believe in you."

After Wu Shizhang ended the call, Liu Qi was left in a fog of confusion. Suddenly, he sprang from his bed like a man possessed, scrambling to his desk to boot up his computer. To his astonishment, the Hyperxook Consortium's stock, which had plummeted over four points, was not only back in the green but had also risen by two points!

Liu Qi had made his purchase at a 3.7% drop, effectively earning nearly six points in profit!

He was all in with tenfold leverage, amounting to tens of millions! Even after Wu Shizhang's company took its cut, the substantial profit was more than enough to see him through this financial crisis.

Staring at the climbing red line, Liu Qi's mind went blank. In a flash, he grabbed his phone and car keys and bolted for GD Bank.

...

Inside the supreme VIP room at GD Bank, Liu Qi was a mix of tears and laughter. Zhao Lu could hear from his tone that he had humbled himself, seemingly pleading with Su Fei.

Zhao Lu had no doubt that if Su Fei were there, Liu Qi would be on his knees.

Liu Qi, with a net worth in the tens of millions, was begging that good-for-nothing son-in-law right in front of her? It was beyond belief.

Zhao Lu was utterly disoriented, her hand instinctively caressing her ample chest as she gasped for breath, her delicate lips parted as if to fit a salted duck egg.

"Master Su, where are you?" Liu Qi asked with an ingratiating smile. "Wherever you are, could you spare a moment to meet?"

Su Fei, still en route, glanced at his phone and replied, "I'm on my way to GD Bank."

"Please wait for me; I'm on my way to pick you up," Liu Qi said as he quickly stood up and headed out, paying no attention to Zhao Lu behind him.

Realizing what was happening, Zhao Lu quickly followed suit, rushing out after Liu Qi.

"Oh, then meet me at the entrance of the Guanglan Building on the pedestrian street."

With that, Su Fei hung up the phone. He was acutely aware of Liu Qi's intentions, but that only made him more eager to keep Liu Qi on tenterhooks!

Su Fei's initial reason for assisting Liu Qi was a sense of shared misfortune, so he lent a hand without much thought. But upon learning that Liu Qi was a stockbroker, a plan began to crystallize in Su Fei's mind.

What he needed most was money—the capital to invest in stocks. And Liu Qi had it. However, Liu Qi was likely shaken by recent losses and probably doubted his own abilities.

Now, with Liu Qi possessing the funds and Su Fei having the Eyes of the Oracle—a veritable ace up his sleeve—it was a win-win situation. Why not join forces to make money? All he had to do was collect his commission.

While many are cautious about partnering in stock investments—fearing deceit or disputes over losses—Su Fei harbored no such fears.

Armed with the Eyes of the Oracle, he was confident he wouldn't lose money. He also wasn't worried about Liu Qi absconding with the profits; only a fool would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

As long as they worked together, Su Fei would hold the reins.

The more he pondered, the more thrilled he became, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Is this guy an idiot? What's he laughing at like that?"

"Who knows? Stay away; idiocy is contagious!"

Two high school students passed by Su Fei with looks of disgust, but Su Fei couldn't care less about their opinions.

Just as he returned his focus to the present, Su Fei saw an Audi pull up beside him. Liu Qi leaped out and hurried over to Su Fei, his face beaming with joy.

Zhao Lu couldn't believe her eyes. The sight of Liu Qi, a multimillionaire, personally driving Su Fei to GD Bank was surreal. Not only did he open the car door for Su Fei, but he also escorted him into the exclusive Supreme VIP room.

At GD Bank, the tiered customer system was clear: a silver card for savings up to 100,000 yuan, a gold card for up to 1 million yuan, a platinum card for up to 10 million yuan, a Diamond VIP for up to 50 million yuan, an Aquamarine VIP for up to 100 million yuan, a Diamond VIP for up to 1 billion yuan, and the pinnacle of prestige, the Black Gold Rose VIP, with no savings limit, symbolized by a dark gold rose.

The credit card limits at GD Bank followed a similar hierarchy. Silver cards maxed out at 100,000 yuan, gold cards at 1 million yuan, platinum cards at 10 million yuan, Diamond VIPs at 50 million yuan. The limits for Aquamarine VIP, Purple Gold VIP, and the elite Black Gold Rose VIP were unknown, as money was merely a number for those cardholders.

Gold card members had access to the VIP lounge, while Platinum and Diamond VIPs were granted entry to the Supreme VIP room for exclusive services. Aquamarine and Purple Gold VIPs enjoyed private office spaces, with the bank's general manager providing personalized service.

As for the Black Gold Rose VIP services, they were beyond Zhao Lu's comprehension, far exceeding her own professional tier.

Now, to her astonishment, Su Fei, the Shen family's rumored good-for-nothing son-in-law, was being respectfully ushered into the Supreme VIP room by Liu Qi.

Zhao Lu thought to herself that Liu Qi was indeed her Diamond VIP client. Maybe she should just turn a blind eye.

"Master Su, please take a moment to relax," Liu Qi said with utmost respect to Su Fei. Upon turning and noticing Zhao Lu standing there, dumbfounded, he straightened his clothes and barked, "Zhao Lu, why haven't you offered Master Su a cup of coffee? Is this the level of hospitality we provide at GD Bank?"

"Ah, I'll be right there!"

Zhao Lu clattered out in her ten-centimeter stilettos, prompting a chuckle from Su Fei.

Truth be told, Zhao Lu really knew how to maintain her appearance. Those slender legs beneath her pencil skirt clearly received a lot of her attention, perfectly toned and shaped. The black high heels were the perfect accent, showcasing her legs to their best advantage.

If I were Liu Qi, I'd certainly look forward to Zhao Lu handling my business on each visit, if only for the pleasing view.

"I apologize, Mr. Liu, Mr. Su. Here are your coffees and desserts. Please enjoy," Zhao Lu said, bowing deeply. This time, she made a point to include Su Fei in her attentiveness, lowering herself even further with a radiant smile.

"What did you need me for?" Su Fei feigned ignorance, delicately sipping his coffee. Though not of noble birth, he had learned the finer points of etiquette from observing Shen Bingyan and her family.

The moment Su Fei lifted his coffee, both Liu Qi and Zhao Lu's eyes brightened. The contrast between Su Fei's refined posture and his modest attire was striking, almost beyond belief.

"It's like this: following Master Su's guidance, I've gone all-in on Hyperxook Consortium. Now—"

Liu Qi checked his phone, barely containing his excitement. He slid the phone toward Su Fei, pointing to the soaring red line. "Look, Hyperxook Consortium's stock rose three points at close. I've made over six points in profit. The financing company has called off their plans to pull funding. You're my lifesaver!"

Zhao Lu, listening intently, was visibly shocked.

As the lobby manager of GD Bank, she was well-versed in financial matters. Six points meant millions to someone like Liu Qi, who traded stocks with such high stakes!

And this was just in half a day's time!

"All this excitement over that?" Su Fei glanced at his own phone. Zhao Lu tried to sneak a peek, but Su Fei was discreet, leaving her with just a glimpse of the glowing numbers.

Today's profit margin was 7.8%, but yesterday's was a staggering 17.2%!

17.2%? Zhao Lu was completely dumbstruck. The Shen family's son-in-law was truly that talented!

Su Fei couldn't help but smirk. After factoring in the additional four thousand yuan investment, the total came to over seven thousand yuan. With a profit margin of 7.8%, he had made just over five hundred yuan – a far cry from the previous day's earnings.

With this in mind, Su Fei shot Zhao Lu a frosty look. It was this very person who had the audacity to wipe out his mere four thousand yuan limit. To Su Fei, such an act was utterly reprehensible.

The more he dwelled on it, the more irate he became. Su Fei downed his coffee in one go, stood up, and declared, "I'm at odds with this place. I'm heading home."

Without another word, Su Fei strode out, leaving Liu Qi and Zhao Lu utterly flabbergasted.