Chapter 163: The Sister-in-Law's Secret, Luo Man Confesses Her Feelings

Shengxin's business performance was gradually picking up.

Whether it was their own clients or external observers, everyone could see that the accuracy of the stock recommendation reports had improved significantly compared to the past. Even if the margin of improvement wasn't massive, people knew this was merely a basic service; different capital tiers enjoyed different levels of service.

Gold-tier clients, in particular, received a completely different level of treatment.

...

"Director Zhang, there is a matter..."

Chen Junsheng knocked on the door and walked in, briefly explaining a problem he had discovered over the past couple of days. Although he looked a bit unkempt with facial stubble, his work attitude was extremely earnest. He had successfully revived three of the gold-tier clients assigned to him, which was quite encouraging.

However, a problem arose along with this success: their accounts remained largely inactive, yet they were quite chatty and asked a lot of questions during communications. Inevitably, something felt fishy.

Under such circumstances, it was possible they were obtaining stock analysis and recommendation services from Shengxin while executing their trades on other platforms.

"Hmm, let's observe for a few more days."

After listening, Zhang Long gave his verdict. It was understandable for some clients to be cautious and hesitant to make moves easily, but if they remained inactive for a week or two, or only tested the waters with minuscule amounts of capital, then something was definitely amiss. After all, the current trading activity among Shengxin's clients was quite decent overall.

Making profits and taking losses was completely normal; as long as clients didn't stubbornly hold onto losing positions and incur massive deficits, turning an overall profit was not a problem.

And if luckier clients bought stocks with a higher probability of rising, they would earn even more.

Complete inactivity or bare minimum trading was rare.

Given this situation, Shengxin's stock recommendation services also varied. The daily basic stock recommendation reports merely maintained a higher standard than what was available externally. Shengxin's internal client coaching also offered an upgraded version with even higher accuracy.

Moreover, they only focused on short-term trades, not long-term investments.

Shengxin profited from the commissions and handling fees generated by client transactions, so naturally, they had to strive for higher trading volumes.

Holding long-term positions while doing short-term plays was out of the question; holding long-term during a bear market was utterly useless, as waiting for a rebound could take until the Year of the Monkey.

Short-term was king, and generating high trading volume was the priority.

"Damn it, how unlucky."

In Tenda's Home Furnishing Department, Lin Yuan had his own office. The two stocks he bought yesterday resulted in one win and one loss; mathematically speaking, he had traded just to break even without making any profit. Lin Yuan's personal trading habit was to buy only two stocks at a time, never more.

Buying just one stock was equivalent to going all-in, whereas buying two—one long and one short—could neutralize the risk. The probability of both stocks losing simultaneously was actually rather small, since he only entered the market when he was bullish.

Well, from a probabilistic standpoint, that was how it worked.

...

"Director Zhang, you're playing favorites."

Gu Su knocked on the door and entered. This girl was quite bold and could become instantly familiar with anyone anywhere. Naturally, she was also adept at reading facial expressions; the moment she sensed a trace of anger, she would immediately back off.

Lin Yuan's initial deposit of one million yuan was by no means a small sum to newcomers like them who had just joined Shengxin.

Qin Miaotong had effortlessly landed a major investor.

"Wrong, I am not playing favorites."

Zhang Long felt his mood greatly improve as he looked at Gu Su's pretty and charming face. After all, she was quite a feast for the eyes, and having such a cheerful mascot in the trading department gave the other male employees a tremendous boost in motivation. Of course, Gu Su's own performance was also quite impressive, largely due to her sweet and seductive voice.

When some male clients received coaching, just hearing her voice was enough to get them excited. Depositing funds became a minor matter, and whenever they were in a good mood, they would follow her lead and execute trades.

Coupled with the fact that Shengxin's stock recommendation standards had risen by a notch, it was much easier for Gu Su to generate performance metrics than Qin Miaotong.

"HSBC was the first platform where I opened a stock trading account, and Qin Miaotong was my first coaching manager. UBS and you are the second. If there's a next one, I'll give it to you."

"If there isn't one, then I'm out of luck."

Zhang Long remained very approachable, both to beauties and handsome men; as for those who were ugly, he would simply close his eyes.

"Then when will there be another one..."

Gu Su wanted to constantly pop up in front of Zhang Long every now and then to leave a deeper impression on her leader. Didn't she see how close Qin Miaotong had gotten to Liang Xue, Dragon Director's assistant? Lacking any other connections, Gu Su could only try to make her presence felt more often.

Fortunately, Director Zhang wasn't stern and was very down-to-earth.

"When the next one comes along, of course."

Zhang Long shrugged and directly waved his hand to shoo her away. "Focus on making phone calls and coaching clients to produce results. Your aptitude is better than the others; just put in more effort."

...

"By the way, how is Zhang Lizhen doing under your management? Has she thrown any tantrums lately?"

"No, she's doing quite well."

Zhang Long nodded in approval. "Under normal circumstances, Zhang Lizhen is very obedient. She executes trades exactly as instructed. Don't be fooled by the fact that she only has a few hundred thousand yuan in capital; her trading volume is no less than that of a million-yuan account. Maintain the relationship well."

"Mm-hmm, I'll keep working hard."

...

In the blink of an eye, Friday night arrived once more.

Barring any special circumstances, Ling Zhiqing was always reluctant to return to the Ling family's old residence. However, since the old master had suddenly caught a cold and fallen ill over the past couple of days, she had to return for a visit.

Ever since their parting last time—especially seeing her grandfather looking much older today—a stinging sensation rose in her nose.

The old master's health was very frail.

"Don't worry, I won't die yet."

Although Old Master Ling's tone was somewhat weak, his spirit was still quite good. The older generation of elite families basically started practicing regimen and longevity cultivation from the moment they retired. As long as they avoided accidents or terminal illnesses, living to eighty or ninety was quite common.

Old Master Ling was only seventy; he still had a decade or two left to live, and a minor cold certainly couldn't kill him.

"Shengxin has been doing quite well lately."

Naturally, Old Master Ling knew everything he needed to know. Ling Zhiqing had taken charge of Shengxin's Human Resources Department, while Qian Caiying had secured the Operations Department. Meanwhile, their partner Zhang Long oversaw the Analyst Trading Department and shared control of the Finance Department, currently serving as the critical engine of Shengxin's performance.

At the same time, Zhang Long's previous exploitation of spot platforms like Huiyin could also be uncovered by anyone who cared to look.

Foreign exchange trading was currently underway and being milked.

However, Zhang Long knew his limits; he wouldn't milk a single platform excessively, and once the overall volume reached a certain threshold, he would stop. Coupled with his good relations with the young princesses of the Qian and Ling families, there was no need to say much more—everyone simply turned a blind eye.

What a pity that he had realized the truth a bit too late.

If they hadn't supported Ling Yushan's bid to seize power in Hongze previously, then Zhang Long would have been equivalent to a weapon in the Ling family's hands, and Hongze's continuous growth and expansion would have faced zero obstacles.

However, once work began, there was no turning back. What had been done was done, and regrets were useless.

Once the bull market arrived, everyone would take off.

"Hmph, don't get cocky for too long."

Therefore, when Ling Zhiqing emerged from the room after finishing her visit with the old master, Ling Yushan was already waiting at the door and handed over a declaration of war: "When the bull market arrives, everyone will return to the same starting line. After all, Shengxin isn't yours, but Hongze is mine. In the end, I will be the winner."

"Mm, I wish you success."

With a calm and faint smile, Ling Zhiqing replied without saying much more, and strode away. Waiting for the bull market to arrive?

Go ahead and wait; there wouldn't be a shred of hope even by National Day!

...

"Brother-in-law, did you miss me?"

On Saturday afternoon, Zhang Long arrived at the Luo family residence. Having visited again after half a month, there was nothing unfamiliar about it; for a transmigrator reborn into a new life, there was nothing he couldn't see through.

Luo Man hadn't returned from the travel agency yet, as she had to work normal hours on weekends to build her career.

A partner was not merely an employee.

"What? Good news?"

Seeing Luo Xin's happy and mysterious expression, coupled with her earlier inquiries about whether he was coming this week, Zhang Long couldn't help feeling a bit curious. It seemed something had genuinely happened.

"Pretty much."

Luo Xin's eyes curved into smiles, the corners of her lips turning up as she produced a document like someone presenting a treasured artifact for Zhang Long to see.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Long was momentarily stunned, taking it to read.

"Oh, not bad at all."

The document was a signing contract. He hadn't expected Luo Xin to start writing books in her spare time, and judging by the signing date, if his estimation was correct, the novel should be ready for serialization and monetization by now. "How much have you earned?"

"Ahem, not much."

That remark made Luo Xin blush slightly. Subscriptions in the female-oriented genre generally weren't very high, and most female-oriented authors aimed mainly at selling copyright adaptations for television series.

Only if one day a scout took a fancy to it and bought the rights to adapt it into a TV drama could one consider having achieved modest success.

Luo Xin possessed a solid foundation in Chinese literature, and heavy part-time jobs were beyond her physical capacity, so writing novels fit her perfectly.

She usually followed TV dramas and read novels in her spare time, and she had a genuine interest in it.

Thus, she had actually begun writing novels in secret since her university days. Her first book failed to get a contract; after writing one hundred thousand words without securing a deal, she gave up on it. Armed with that foundational failure and experience, her second book got signed immediately.

"Keep it up, write well."

Zhang Long had no interest in reading female-oriented romance, but since Luo Xin was interested in writing books, she should go ahead and write. Who knew if one day it might suddenly blow up and get adapted into a TV show?

That would be quite nice; the little girl had quite a bit of ambition.

"Brother-in-law, please don't tell anyone outside yet."

Luo Xin felt a bit flushed and shy. "If I can achieve some success one day, I'll announce it myself. I only told you, brother-in-law, because I wanted you to know. You must keep it a secret for me."

"Alright, my lips are sealed." Zhang Long pinky-swore with Luo Xin for a hundred years, nodding in confirmation.

...

That night, he stayed over in Luo Man's boudoir.

After taking a shower, Zhang Long slipped under the covers as usual. Both wore pajamas, so there wasn't much skin-to-skin contact to speak of. Luo Man was wrapped in the faint, lingering fragrance after a bath, which carried a slight allure, but Zhang Long still possessed that much self-restraint.

Luo Man didn't put on any airs either.

After Zhang Long slipped into the covers, she naturally leaned against his shoulder. Instead of asking about Liang Xue, she softly murmured, "Lately, I've actually missed you quite a bit."

"Mm, missing me is a good thing."

Zhang Long smiled faintly and said, "I hope you'll still say that the next time I come."

"Don't worry, I will."

Luo Man whispered, "I won't look for other boyfriends. I can't repay what I owe you. Until I've completely repaid that debt, I won't date anyone else."

"I will always be your woman."

Those words moved Zhang Long somewhat. True or false, hearing them was wonderful in itself.

It was far better than people turning cold and heartless.

"How is your career going recently?"

Zhang Long shifted the subject. Luo Man gently pouted and replied, "I don't want to talk about that. I'm already exhausted from being busy with my career outside all day; let's talk sweet nothings at night. I may no longer be your girlfriend, but I am still your woman."

"Whenever you feel the urge, you can come find me anytime. Likewise, whenever I miss you, I'll go find you. Though I suppose I won't have the time; the tourism industry is far too busy."

"Ahem, what about tonight then?"

Hearing this, Luo Man gave Zhang Long a gentle, reproachful glare and said, "Not tonight."

"Any other day is fine, but tonight—after we've broken up and reunited like this—won't do. Let's save it for next time."

Ah, that would be the end of the month.

In any case, Zhang Long wouldn't visit the Luo family next week. He came once every half-month, and his next visit would be right before Labor Day to help the Luo family prepare for opening their shop, which wasn't too far off.

And so, the first night back at the Luo family passed uneventfully until dawn. After getting up, Zhang Long drove back toward the Bund.

However, right on his way back, a sudden phone call caused him to alter his course.

Did the trees desire calm, but the wind refuse to stop? Heh!

PS: Begging for monthly votes with ten thousand words updated daily.

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