Nothing happened that night!
Early the next morning, Li Yi crawled out of bed with a hangover and a heavy heart.
Last night, after dinner, Huang Lixing brought two bottles of top-tier Romanée-Conti red wine upstairs to chat with him.
So the two of them drank and chatted, and in the end, Li Yi didn’t even know how he’d fallen asleep!
Crawling out of bed, Li Yi checked his clothes and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It was still the same outfit from last night!
He didn’t like women changing his clothes for him, nor did he like men touching him.
Fortunately, Old Huang knew his temperament and didn’t pull any of those messy stunts.
Unlike the Hong Kong bosses he’d known in his previous life, who loved to provide beautiful women—or even female celebrities—when entertaining guests!
Little did Li Yi know that Old Huang wasn’t actually catering to his temperament—he was simply worried about facing repercussions from his father-in-law later on.
That man was no ordinary person; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had connections everywhere. There was no telling if the things Old Huang was doing in Hong Kong might not be traced back to him.
If he found out that Old Huang was letting Li Yi run wild, and if he got angry, there would be no place for their family to live on the mainland anymore.
Of course, another reason was his wife’s reminder.
Chen Chuhong knew the habits of Hong Kong’s wealthy tycoons, and since she was on good terms with Jiang Xue, she also knew the two of them were very close.
So before the two of them set off for Hong Kong, Chen Chuhong warned Huang Lixing not to take Li Yi to any seedy places, and certainly not to set him up with any loose women.
Li Yi, who was completely unaware of all this, got out of bed and realized it was almost ten o’clock.
After a quick wash, he headed downstairs!
In the living room, Lan Xinyi and the others were waiting for him.
Upon hearing the thudding footsteps, they all stopped immediately, and everyone’s gaze turned toward the staircase.
Through their collaboration over the past few days, they had completely changed their opinion of Li Yi.
At first, they thought Li Yi was just a rich fool who didn’t know anything but dared to throw wads of cash into the stock market—and into futures contracts, no less, with five times leverage.
Later, seeing that he wouldn’t listen to advice or warnings and acted like a dictator, they came to view him as arrogant and stubborn.
Yet it was precisely this man who, in just a few short days, raked in 370 million Hong Kong dollars on the stock market, creating a miracle.
At that point, even Lan Xinming—who usually lacked the sharpest insight—realized that this man wasn’t just a fool with deep pockets, nor was he arrogant; rather, he possessed unwavering confidence in his own vision and judgment.
So now, the look in their eyes as they gazed at Li Yi was one of admiration!
“Everyone’s here!”
After coming downstairs, Li Yi said with a smile.
“Mr. Li, are we heading to the office today, or staying home?”
“Neither the office nor home—take me for a stroll around the city!” Li Yi said.
“Yes!”
Naturally, Lan Xinyi and the others had no objections to Li Yi’s decision.
After a quick tidy-up, the group left the Half-Mountain Villa under the guidance of Tie Ying and the others, heading straight for downtown Hong Kong.
The reason Li Yi was in the mood for a stroll wasn’t because his investment venture had concluded, but simply because he hadn’t had the chance in recent days.
Although the British Hong Kong government’s market rescue efforts ultimately ended in failure, they did have some effect—at the very least, they kept the market stable for a week.
Over the next week, the Hong Kong stock market remained relatively stable, with the Hang Seng Index hovering around 1,700 points without significant fluctuations.
It wasn’t until a week later, as bad news came pouring in one after another, that investor confidence was finally shattered, and the Hong Kong stock market plunged once again.
This crash plunged the entire Hong Kong market into a deep abyss, from which it would not recover for several years.
That’s precisely why he hasn’t had many opportunities lately.
Of course, there were a few stocks he could have traded, but their price movements were minimal, and Li Yi had little interest in them.
After all, he was now a small-time financial shark with hundreds of millions in capital at his disposal; investing small amounts wouldn’t yield much profit.
On the other hand, investing too much would have a significant impact on the stock price; one misstep could turn him into a major shareholder, leaving him stuck with a large position.
After much deliberation, Li Yi finally decided to take a few days off and wait a few days before making his next move!
………
Beijing. The Jiang Family Mansion!
After Li Yi headed south to Hong Kong, Jiang Xue returned to the Jiang family’s ancestral home with her child and Juanzi.
Partly because her mother wanted to be nearby to look after her and the child, and partly for safety’s sake.
With Li Yi away and no man in the house, she and Juanzi—just two women—felt uneasy guarding such a large estate.
For some reason, starting this year, public safety in the city had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
It was common to see people fighting on the streets—sometimes even in large brawls, with two groups wielding large knives and slashing at each other. It was truly terrifying.
On top of that, petty thieves had become more common; she often heard stories of homes being broken into or robbed.
Given the situation, after much deliberation, Jiang Xue decided to return to the old family home to be with her mother and grandfather.
Today is definitely a day Jiang Xue will remember, because today is the day she submits her college applications.
For Jiang Xue, who had just finished her college entrance exams, this was undoubtedly a major event.
In the west wing, Jiang Xue looked at the documents on the table, feeling quite nervous.
The document clearly bore the words “Beijing 1981 Unified College Admissions Candidate File Cover (Application Form)”—it was, without a doubt, the college application form.
“Mom, how do I fill this out? I… I’ve never done this before!”
Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “You weren’t this nervous when you took the exam. Why are you suddenly so nervous now?”
“He was home during the college entrance exam, so I really wasn’t nervous. But now that he’s not here, I’m a little panicked!”
Jiang Xue continued, “Mom, I heard that college applications are based on estimated scores, so there’s a pretty big risk!”
Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “It is a bit risky. Generally, top-tier universities don’t accept second-choice applicants. If you aren’t admitted to your first-choice school, even if your score meets the requirements for your second choice, there’s still a very high chance you won’t be admitted.”
“Well… then which school should I apply to?”
Ye Lingyun stroked her daughter’s hair and said with a smile, “No matter which school you apply to, it mainly depends on your actual score. As long as you choose a school based on your score, you’ll be fine!”
“I scored around 450 points, give or take 10 points!” Jiang Xue said.
“If that’s the case, you can basically apply to schools in all nine tiers!” Ye Lingyun said.
“Nine tiers?”
“The first tier includes Shuimu University and Jingcheng University. The second tier consists of National Key Universities. Below that are Ministry-affiliated undergraduate universities, provincial undergraduate universities, Ministry-affiliated junior colleges, provincial junior colleges, and so on. You only need to consider universities in the first and second tiers!”
“Mom, what do you think about me applying to Capital University and becoming your student?” Jiang Xue asked earnestly.
“Of course you can, but the major I studied is a bit niche. I suggest you study economics, applied chemistry, journalism and communication, or something like that—or maybe choose a business administration major!” said Ye Lingyun.
“What does business administration involve? Why do you want me to study that, Mom?”
“Business administration majors mainly include finance, accounting, marketing, and so on. Xiao Yi is determined to go into business, and most of his family members aren’t very educated. If you study these subjects, you might be able to help him in the future!” Ye Lingyun explained.
After hearing her mother’s words, Jiang Xue thought for a while, then said earnestly, “Mom, I’ve decided. I’m going to apply for the accounting program at Capital University. After I graduate, I’ll manage his finances!”
“Alright, dxmbang, Mom supports you!”
“Then I’ll put that down!”
After saying that, Jiang Xue leaned over the table and began filling out her college application form with great care.
Meanwhile, far away in Hong Kong, Li Yi suddenly sneezed twice in quick succession, and a sense of foreboding welled up inside him…