Chapter 119: Secret Maneuvers
Last week, just after he'd given Han Lie the money, Nannan brought him home this week. Old Pan was thrilled.
This money was truly well spent! Han Lie is a good kid; he took the money, and he really gets things done...
Old Pan was in an excellent mood, so he took out a can of rare and prized tea to share with Han Lie.
During their chat, they naturally started with stocks.
"In one week, two stocks, both with over a 45% increase—Han Lie, that's amazing! How did you do it?"
Han Lie smiled calmly, exuding the confidence of a master. "Do you want to hear about the stock selection process or the trading philosophy?"
Old Pan was interested. "Is there a difference?"
"Of course."
"Then tell me about both. Today, you're the teacher again. I'll have to toast you later!"
"I really can't drink. I have to go to the gym later."
"Hey, working out is good, very good! Nannan is just too frail. She always gets sick when the seasons change... You should take her with you!"
Han Lie hesitated. "I'm afraid it might get quite late..."
"What's there to fear if it's late?" Old Pan waved his hand dismissively. "You two take my car, and if it's really too late when you come back, you can stay at our place! We have plenty of guest rooms!"
WHOA! With treatment like this, who could deny he was practically their son-in-law?
Han Lie didn't know that Old Pan and his wife already knew about Xi Luting and Pan Ge's public kiss. He just keenly felt that Old Pan's enthusiasm and eagerness had surged once more.
However, facing Old Pan, Han Lie didn't readily press his advantage; he still maintained his composure and a sense of propriety.
"I'll stay at the school; it wouldn't be convenient otherwise. As for Pan Ge... it's up to her whether she wants to go or not."
Old Pan understood better than anyone that haste makes waste, yet he couldn't help feeling an impatient frustration.
"Wouldn't it be much more convenient to stay at our house? You and Nannan could sing songs in the entertainment room, watch movies, chat over a glass of red wine. Auntie Zhao and I go to bed early. We definitely won't disturb you... you know?"
Han Lie gave a shy smile. "We went to the movies this afternoon, and after working out, we'll be tired. I want to sleep early."
Old Pan was so annoyed his lips twisted.
How can this dense kid be so clueless?! Sigh, this naive boy is so damn hopeless, a complete lost cause! Just be romantic with her for a bit, find the right moment, swoop in for a kiss, and the relationship will be sealed! How hard can it be?! Sleep, sleep, sleep! Even a pig knows to go for the cabbage, but all you know is sleep!
「A year ago—no, just six months earlier.」
Back then, Pan Shengwu had been terrified that some pig would defile his precious little cabbage, eyeing every boy with suspicion and criticism.
Look at him now! Good heavens, he practically wished Han Lie would seal the deal with his daughter on the spot.
Can't seal the deal? Then what good are you!
Before, he used to think: Nannan is too young; dating could lead to her being taken advantage of, getting hurt, or being deceived. Now he thinks: Nannan isn't so young anymore. She should be dating and learning to mature. Getting hurt? So what! Who falls in love without a few bumps in the road? Being in a relationship with a man, no matter how much it hurts, is a necessary part of life. Being all sweet and lovey-dovey with a woman, no matter how harmonious, that's just heresy!
Han Lie understood Pan Shengwu's anxiety but couldn't possibly show the slightest hint of urgency.
No one knew yet how things between Xi Luting and Pan Ge would develop.
After all, Pan Ge wasn't truly a Lara; the fake can't become real.
If, one day in the future, Old Pan and Auntie Zhao found out the truth—that Pan Ge and Xi Luting were just messing around—how would they view Han Lie?
So, for now, he absolutely could not rush. He had to be passive—the more passive, the better. The more passive he was, the lighter his responsibility would be.
When the time came, he would just offer a wry smile: Alas, life is unpredictable. Perhaps this is fate... Who could bear to blame little Han then? See, that's the art of handling things.
The prospective father-in-law and son-in-law didn't dwell on the issue of where Han Lie would stay. Han Lie didn't want to accept the offer, and Old Pan was too embarrassed to press him too hard.
They continued discussing stocks.
Old Pan's account originally held various miscellaneous stocks with a market value of about 3.25 million, all of which Han Lie had cleared out.
The initial cash was around 3.248 million. After one week, there was an overall profit of 27%.
It was about 8% less than what Han Lie's own account had earned, but it was already miraculous.
Old Pan hadn't even dared to dream of it, so he was beyond thrilled.
"Han Lie, your skill level is really high! Your live trading is even more impressive than paper trading. Is the upcoming competition in the bag?"
Han Lie shook his head, his attitude extremely humble. "How could that be? The most important ability of a live trading expert is achieving continuous and stable profits. Short-term mistakes and profit drawdowns are perfectly normal. The competition, however, demands that you make no mistakes within a specified period. Luck plays a much bigger role there."
"It's a seven-week live trading competition, and each week's performance is calculated separately. Last week's surge doesn't carry over to the next week, but one loss and you're out immediately. So, for this type of competition, you just do your best."
"Brother Zhao has participated in live trading competitions for several years and has never won the championship. But look at those past champions—where are they now? They've all been recruited by private equity firms and investment funds. They certainly made a lot of money, but they've lost that flair and the courage for short-term speculation. And what about Brother Zhao's status in the market? He's a renowned hot money trader, admired by thousands."
"So, competition results only prove one thing—that during the competition period, you performed the best. Nothing more. I will do my best to win the overall championship, but I won't get too hung up on the results. Winning an award would certainly be good. It would be a selling point for the company when establishing a private fund and help gain investors' trust."
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