During his days in the United States, Zhang Tianxing felt he was about to vomit. The pace here was too fast, more tiring than when he was running his shop.
Back then, he only needed to wake up on time and cook. Learning wasn't forced; if you didn't know something, you genuinely didn't know it, and you had to preview. The learning process was incredibly fast, leaving no time for slow digestion and comprehension.
Furthermore, there was a natural elimination rate, and Zhang Tianxing had his pride.
To go abroad for exchange studies and then fail everything, being ordered to suspend or withdraw from school – how could he maintain his dignity?
Thinking of this, Zhang Tianxing suddenly remembered something. Damn it, it seemed people had been deceived. Everyone said Bill Gates voluntarily dropped out to start his business empire, creating a monumental commercial empire. Could it be that he couldn't keep up with the studies, saw he was about to be suspended or expelled, and then simply decided to leave on his own?
This way, he could maintain a reputation for voluntarily leaving. He knew his academic level, but the outside world didn't.
However, if he were forced to withdraw by the school, then his academic level would be nonexistent.
As expected of an Ivy League university, its alumni were indeed remarkable. Whether in politics, business, or research, these Ivy League institutions in foreign countries held a significant position among top talents.
Fortunately, he had some money and didn't need to work. Zhang Tianxing saw Li Dan and Feng Rongrong, who had come with him. When these two young ladies returned home, it was already ten o'clock at night, and they would wake up early to study.
To make a living, they reportedly worked three jobs a day, sleeping only three or four hours. Zhang Tianxing was impressed by this situation. The young ladies were naturally beautiful, and youth was indeed a great asset, their faces still full of collagen.
Zhang Tianxing wasn't like that. He never slept for a full eight hours anymore, sleeping at most six hours a day. There was no other way; the assignments were too numerous.
Thinking of this, Zhang Tianxing deeply missed Zhonghai University. Zhonghai University was so good; they even provided hints for exams. He also missed Tan Honghong. Back then, he had copied Tan Honghong's notes quite a bit. Before exams, it was thanks to her and the other girls, along with the teachers' considerate guidance, that Zhang Tianxing managed to pass with high scores.
Here, everyone looked out for themselves. Everyone's time was precious, almost priced clearly. Here, Zhang Tianxing felt like he was in a society governed by contracts.
Perhaps it was related to the national conditions of the United States, where everything was ultimately based on contracts.
Zhang Tianxing tried to widen his eyes, looking at the textbook in his hands. Today was another busy day. "If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old."
No road in life is walked in vain; every step counts.
Whenever Zhang Tianxing felt like giving up on his studies, he would open his US stock account. Today, it showed a floating loss of fifteen million US dollars.
Seeing this number, Zhang Tianxing felt a pang of heartache. Damn it, he had lost so much. If the formidable Grandma Liang Juan found out, he would surely be punished with a taste of "bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat."
He might as well study harder. Knowledge could change destiny. Amidst the heavy academic workload, he could forget the pain he suffered shorting the Nasdaq.
...
As Zhang Tianxing studied diligently under the lamp, Li Dan and Feng Rongrong were whispering to each other.
"Xiaorong, how much do you think Zhang Tianxing lost?"
"I don't know, but I heard that when he shorted, the Nasdaq index was at 5078.36 points. Now the Nasdaq index has risen to 5119.08 points. I guess Zhang Tianxing's account has lost tens of millions of dollars." Feng Rongrong said in a low voice, sitting on the edge of the bed, her fair white feet dangling.
"You said he lost how much? More than ten million US dollars?" Li Dan couldn't believe the figure. What did that even mean? She had never seen so much money in her life.
Whether she could earn more than ten million in her lifetime was still unknown. She never expected her little landlord, Zhang Tianxing, to lose more than ten million US dollars in just over a week, averaging over a million dollars lost per day.
Feng Rongrong nodded. Her major was finance, so she was very clear about these numbers and was absolutely sure.
Li Dan completely disregarded her image and squatted on the floor, contemplating the concept of over ten million US dollars.
"Dandan, let's start looking for a place to live. It's not safe here anymore. This house might be auctioned off at any time," Feng Rongrong said gloomily.
Zhang Tianxing was quite attractive to her. They were both in a foreign country, so cohabitation was not a big issue. The key point was that in less than two weeks, he had lost over ten million US dollars, which brought Feng Rongrong back to reality.
They were not people from the same world; they should each live their own lives. She was currently just a doctoral student and couldn't change anything. At most, after graduation, her monthly income would be eight to ten thousand.
Even if she earned over ten thousand US dollars per month, she would have to live for a hundred years without eating or drinking to earn over ten million.
Li Dan's eyes also regained clarity. She had been quite shocked by the number earlier. She couldn't even afford that much if she sold herself.
However, thinking about her own situation, Li Dan's brows furrowed.
"Rongrong, I also want to move, but with my family's current situation, I can't get a single cent of support. Not only that, but I also have to send money home. I'm working five jobs a day now. If I take on one more job, my studies will suffer. I want to earn money, but I'm too weak to work more."
Speaking of this, Li Dan couldn't help but sob. Everyone has their difficult times, and Li Dan was currently at a low point.
Her family had problems and needed a large sum of money, and her studies were at a critical juncture where she couldn't slack off even a bit, or all her previous efforts would be in vain.
Li Dan's eyes were teary. Why was the world so malicious towards her? Being alone in a foreign land was difficult enough, and now her family had encountered a major crisis requiring urgent funds.
"Dandan, don't cry. I have a thousand US dollars here. Take it and use it for now. If it's not enough, I have more." Feng Rongrong took out a stack of money from her small bag and handed it to Li Dan.
"Rongrong, I know your intentions. I'll try to be frugal for now. Let's leave it at that. This money isn't enough anyway. We'll talk about it later." Li Dan declined Feng Rongrong's kind offer.
It seemed she had to live here for a while longer, not for any other reason but because there was no rent. How much time could doing housework waste?
Feng Rongrong sighed. Facing her friend, she felt helpless. They were both students and had no spare cash.
"How about this, Dandan? Go and ask Zhang Tianxing if he can lend you some money. Among the newcomers this time, Zhang Tianxing and Wang Yiding are both wealthy individuals. Since Zhang Tianxing is the landlord now, just say a few nice words, perhaps wash his clothes, and he'll surely lend you money," Feng Rongrong suggested to Li Dan with an idea.