Watching his brother-in-law leave with such flair, Qin Chuan grinned. He pulled out his phone, about to call Teacher Yang, when it rang first. The caller surprised him.
"Hello, Sister Yun? What brings such a busy person like you to call me?" Qin Chuan asked with a smile as he answered.
The call was from Ye Meiyun, who lived far away in Shicheng City and with whom he hadn't been in contact for a long time. She was Secretary Ye's sister, a widow.
"You ungrateful boy! You call me 'sister' but if I don't call you, do you ever think of calling me to check in?" Ye Meiyun's uniquely magnetic, mature voice echoed from the phone, carrying a hint of allure.
Qin Chuan couldn't help but picture an elegant, dignified, and captivating woman in his mind.
"Didn't we just talk on the phone half a month ago? It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound," Qin Chuan defended himself somewhat guiltily.
"Isn't half a month a long time? Be honest, have you been so smitten by some young girl that you've forgotten your old and faded sister?" Ye Meiyun sounded genuinely angry on the other end.
"That's utterly baseless! It's a colossal injustice!"
"Even if I forgot my own name, I could never forget you, Sister Yun..." Qin Chuan said with a playful grin.
"That's more like it!" Even though she knew Qin Chuan was absolutely lying, many women enjoyed hearing such flattery, and Ye Meiyun was no exception.
"Alright, Xiao Chuan isn't joking with you anymore. Let's talk business," she said. "Where are you now? Can you come to Shicheng City?"
Qin Chuan was surprised. "Sister Yun, has something big happened?"
"Mmm... you could say that. Our electronic locker is ready!" Ye Meiyun announced.
"Really?!" Qin Chuan exclaimed with delight.
He had collaborated with Ye Meiyun on the electronic locker project during his last visit to Shicheng City. He provided the ideas, and she handled the research and development. They had finalized a contract: Qin Chuan would contribute the concepts and invest 200,000 yuan for a 30% stake, while Ye Meiyun would hold the remaining 51%, giving her absolute control. She mentioned that the rest of the equity would be used as rewards for the R&D team. Considering the timeline, the three-month development period for the electronic locker had indeed been completed.
"Of course, it's true! Why would I lie to you?" Ye Meiyun chuckled on the phone. It was clear that the successful development of the electronic locker had put her in a very good mood.
"Xiao Chuan, where are you now? Come over if you have time."
Qin Chuan replied, "I'm in the provincial capital. Tomorrow, I'll head over first thing in the morning."
"The provincial capital? What are you doing there?" Ye Meiyun sounded a little surprised.
"Just the usual work-related trivial matters, busy with nothing important!" Qin Chuan lied, not daring to mention his futures trading.
"What a coincidence! One of my employees is returning from the provincial capital tonight. Why don't you catch a ride with her?" Ye Meiyun suggested.
"Such a coincidence?" Qin Chuan was astonished, and his mind raced. He had no other pressing matters in the provincial capital; his sole focus was futures trading. Going to Shicheng City was feasible, but what about the futures market if he left? All of Qin Chuan's current assets were tied up in futures trading, and he absolutely couldn't afford any mistakes.
Qin Chuan carefully recalled his memories of his past life. After the government intervened, the Hong Kong stock market, despite some fluctuations, had been on an upward trend until the end of the month. This meant that with a cautious and conservative approach, entering the market in batches rather than going all-in, and buying more on dips, a profit was almost guaranteed. With this thought, Qin Chuan's anxiety eased considerably. Even if he couldn't return the next day, leaving the account to his brother-in-law wouldn't pose too great a risk as long as he didn't go all-in.
"Xiao Chuan... Xiao Chuan, what's wrong?" Ye Meiyun asked after a long silence from Qin Chuan.
"Oh... nothing, I was just thinking about work," Qin Chuan replied. "Sister Yun, what time does your subordinate's car depart?"
"Around five-thirty."
"Alright, I'll take care of my current matters. Have your person call me then."
"Okay, it's settled then. I'll be waiting for you tonight!" Ye Meiyun hung up the phone.
Qin Chuan quickly found his brother-in-law's number and dialed it.
"Qin Chuan, what's up?" Yang Conglong sounded surprised, as they had only parted ways less than half an hour ago.
"Brother Long, I have something urgent to attend to in Shicheng City. Tonight's arrangement might have to be canceled again!"
"What?!" Yang Conglong was indeed startled. "What about the futures trading if you leave?"
"That's what I need to talk to you about. We still have positions open, and the five million yuan we invested today hasn't been sold," Qin Chuan explained. "If I can't make it back tomorrow, have Mao Huasheng keep a close eye on the market. If the index rises, we'll observe and wait for me to return. But if the index falls, buy in another five million for every three-point drop!" Qin Chuan instructed Yang Conglong seriously.
The market was ever-changing. Even though he knew the Hong Kong index would rise by the end of the month, any severe fluctuations similar to today's during the interim could still be dangerous. They had already made considerable profits, and there was no need to take such massive risks by going all-in every time. Money secured in one's own pocket was the most tangible thing. Greed, aiming for twenty or fifty million, or even a hundred million, after already making ten million, could lead to losing everything. The market rules were clear: the more capital, the greater the potential losses. Twenty million sounded substantial, but with a ten-times leverage, a ten percent drop would wipe it all out.
"No... Qin Chuan, what on earth happened that's so urgent?" Yang Conglong couldn't help but ask.
"It's nothing major, just a product that a friend and I collaborated on to develop is ready. My friend has asked me to come over and take a look," Qin Chuan explained. "If the product passes inspection this time, we might even be able to collaborate after I return from Shicheng City." The Yang family's business was vast, and a partnership would represent a significant client.
"Qin Chuan, you're involved in R&D?" Yang Conglong was surprised.
"No, I just offered some ideas. My friend is the real R&D talent," Qin Chuan explained with a smile.
"Then what is this product? Give me a heads-up!" Yang Conglong inquired curiously.
"Heh... that's a secret for now. I'm not entirely sure myself yet. Once I deem it satisfactory, you'll be the first to see it, Brother Long," Qin Chuan replied.
"Alright... By the way, how are you getting to Shicheng City?" Yang Conglong asked again. "Shicheng City isn't too far from the provincial capital, but it's still a two or three-hour drive."
"My friend mentioned that one of her employees is in our provincial capital and is returning to Shicheng City at five-thirty. I'll catch a ride," Qin Chuan explained.
"That won't do! If you don't have a ride back, you'll have to take a bus, which would be too inconvenient!" Yang Conglong frowned. "How about this, come over to my company now, and I'll lend you a car. You can drive yourself there!"
"That way, you'll have more flexibility with your time!"