To get better lighting, Qi Shi'an sat on the open terrace with his laptop, just a few steps away from falling into the swimming pool. He waited for the other person to accept the call, and as soon as he did, the screen went black for a few seconds.

After a long few seconds, Shen Duoyi finally appeared on his screen. The square display not only fit Shen Duoyi's head, neck and shoulders, but also encompassed the sofa and cushions behind him.

Sitting on the floor, Shen Duoyi greeted first: "Were you sleeping before?"

Qi Shi'an had only worn swim trunks to go surfing, and hadn't bothered to change clothes when he came back, so he wrapped himself in a bathrobe and replied, "No, I'm used to dressing like this in the hotel. You didn't disturb me."

This put Shen Duoyi at ease. He opened another window to send over the data he had organized, and took the opportunity to share his thoughts and confusions. From the time of the phone call until now, the market had not stabilized and the momentum was still very bad.

Qi Shi'an already had a general understanding of the situation and took the lead in stating clearly, "Methanol is a hurdle this time, and the future market will still be dominated by short positions and fluctuations. You need to be mentally prepared."

Shen Duoyi flipped through his notebook and found the data model he had established. "Can the bulls rise again? I estimated the probability in advance, and although it's not high, it's..."

"Analyzing data is meaningless now," Qi Shi'an noticed that the other person was wearing that sea-blue sweater again, which looked especially soft when paired with the beige sofa. He felt that he should also be gentler, so he explained carefully, "The plunge was unexpected to begin with, indicating that this volatility is outside the normal range of regularity, so all the data theories we've built on the original basis no longer hold."

Shen Duoyi looked down at his notebook. "Science is science, with laws at its core, undergoing thousands of changes, but never deviating from its essence. The investment market is very different, with all the rules changing with the changes, and being overturned at will."

Seeing the other person's dejected appearance, Qi Shi'an held back a smile and asked, "What's wrong, regretting not devoting yourself to science?"

Shen Duoyi actually laughed first, looking up to face the camera again, and analyzed himself, "I really wanted to be a scientist when I was a kid, but later I heard a granny from the neighborhood committee say that her son who studied finance had a very high salary, so my goal changed."

At that time, little Shen Duoyi dreamed of becoming a scientist, but life was too heavy, so much so that he changed his goal without any hesitation. Thinking of this, Qi Shi'an felt that fate was cruel, and a hint of pity arose in his eyes.

But Shen Duoyi didn't like to complain. He turned back to the original topic, "Why was the reversal of the trend so dramatic this time?"

"Because there was a force intervening," Qi Shi'an patiently replied. "In the stock market, there are big players controlling the game, and in the futures market, there are main forces controlling the field. The previous surge was just a smokescreen by the main forces. They first pulled against the trend, attracting a large number of retail investors to enter, and then smashed down with a heavy hammer, kicking out the retail investors. In this round, they have already used the lowest price to obtain the maximum amount of positions and are well-stocked, and the market in the short term will have to watch their movements."

Well-stocked and aware about etiquette, but in order to reach their goals, they don't care about so much. Capital has always been cruel.

Shen Duoyi finally understood the ins and outs, but as a weak retail investor, he had already been smashed out of shape. He raised his hand to rub his eyes and asked helplessly, "So I can only be at the mercy of others?"

Qi Shi'an tapped Shen Duoyi's forehead through the screen. "Since you can't beat them, then run."

There are thousands of choices, go somewhere else to earn back the lost money. Qi Shi'an switched to a small window to look at the recent general market conditions and said, "I haven't had time to keep an eye on it these past few days. When I get back from my business trip, I'll help you take a look and re-select."

Shen Duoyi finished rubbing his eyes, his body slightly tilted as his hands propped on the ground. He thanked again, "Thank you, every trade has its master, I still lack some skill."

"No need to thank me, if you have any questions, call me anytime." Qi Shi'an sensed that this video was about to end, but he didn't want to move his gaze away from the screen.

"I'll still send an email, in case you're working." Shen Duoyi felt that he was quite considerate, but also knew that he was being a bit smug after getting a favor.

He thought Qi Shi'an would tease him a couple of times, but unexpectedly, the other person didn't respond. Looking up, their gazes didn't intersect either.

"Are you listening?"

"Mr. Qi, don't space out."

"What are you looking at?"

Shen Duoyi's patience was exhausted. He snapped his fingers at the camera, the movement a bit too big, causing his body to tilt even more. The Qi Shi'an on the screen finally reacted, but his expression carried a hint of lingering interest.

Just as Shen Duoyi was puzzled, Qi Shi'an said lightly, "Your collarbones are very beautiful."

"..."

Shen Duoyi snapped his laptop shut with a "click", then forcefully tugged at his collar.

Sweaters have this damn problem - after wearing them for a long time, they get loose. He'll have to buy a new one.

Faced with the abruptly ended video, Qi Shi'an already felt quite satisfied. He casually put the computer aside and lay back on the beach chair to disperse his feelings of guilt. Before he finished dispersing, his cell phone rang again.

Zhang Yiming loudly accused from the other end, "Are we still brothers?! You didn't call me when you targeted methanol?!"

Qi Shi'an said, "I was busy and forgot, I'll treat you to a drink when I get back."

"You make tens of millions in one stroke and you're just treating me to a drink?" Zhang Yiming cursed, "If I hadn't seen You Zhe these past two days, I wouldn't have known anything! Who are the partners this time?"

"They're all high-level traders, passively working for the authorities." Qi Shi'an said everything he could, and Zhang Yiming immediately understood.

This kind of main force manipulation is equivalent to interfering with the market, and the first to suffer are retail investors and small and medium-sized enterprises. Although the contest of funds is an elimination game, the method is too cruel. Qi Shi'an is a senior partner of Ming'an and a top trader on Central Street. Gathering a few elites like him can bring about a reversal play.

Even if he doesn't want to participate, when someone from an official institution intervenes, he can only comply and be a temporary worker for a time.

Zhang Yiming stopped making a fuss and started gossiping again, "Did you see You Si? Does she have a boyfriend now?"

"Haven't seen her, let her play for a couple of days first." Qi Shi'an admired him from the bottom of his heart. For a romantic playboy, thousands of miles or oceans were not a problem. The beauty he missed could stretch from the South Pole to the North Pole.

After a video call and a phone call, Qi Shi'an's surfing plan was completely cut off. Before checking out, he was too lazy to go out again, so he took off his bathrobe and jumped into the swimming pool, splashing around for 400 meters.

Shen Duoyi had already accepted the reality of being at the mercy of others, but he never imagined that Qi Shi'an would be one of the knife-wielders. He cleaned up the futures-related matters and temporarily held an empty position, waiting for the other party to return before discussing further.

The methanol wave had a significant impact, basically dominating the hot topics for the recent period. Many employees in the Ming'an Building were discussing it. Shen Duoyi was busy shuttling between the office and the training hall. The hectic work made him seem like an uninformed outsider.

"Team Leader Shen, are you finished?"

Shen Duoyi looked up and saw Annie. He put away the documents and replied, "I'm done. Is there something?"

"Mr. Qi compiled some information for you to refer to." Annie handed over the documents. "Training is taxing on the voice. Please take care and rest."

"Thank you for the trouble of running over again." Shen Duoyi took it. After Annie left, he opened the file to take a look. The content seemed to be an overview of futures products, likely screened by Qi Shi'an.

He made note of the few that were marked with emphasis symbols, planning to understand them in detail when he returned. Once he made up his mind, he would inform Qi Shi'an and thank him in passing.

Qi Shi'an was driving through Hunter Valley. There were many mountains around, and the grass, half as tall as a person, was dense and green. When the wind blew, it swayed gently, forming its own unique scenery.

After staying in Hunter Valley for two days, he had already received urging from You Zhe's parents. He decided to move up his visiting plans. You Zhe's parents and uncles were all enjoying their retirement years in Sydney. His sister worked for a year and then ran back to study. In any case, except for You Zhe himself, the whole family lived as they pleased.

When Qi Shi'an arrived, it was just noon. He thought he could eat a ready-made lunch, but who knew the dough for making pancakes hadn't even been kneaded.

"Because they spent two hours discussing what kind of pancakes to make!" You Si's nephew met Qi Shi'an for the first time but was particularly familiar. "Uncle, my name is Shutiao."

Qi Shi'an asked, "Where's your aunt?"

"The first thing you ask about is me. Do you miss me that much?" The voice came from the floor-to-ceiling window. You Si was carrying a basket of blueberries, looking like she had just picked them from the garden. She didn't approach but leaned against the window frame, sizing up Qi Shi'an. "Long time no see. Have you become even more handsome?"

Qi Shi'an said, "I suppose so."

Father You came out of the kitchen and asked, "Shi'an, Yiming didn't come this time?"

"No, he's watching the company." After answering, Qi Shi'an rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands, preparing to help with lunch. You Si went to wash the blueberries. The two stood side by side at the sink. She said in a low voice, "Zhang Yiming is a troublesome guy. He sends things over every few days, making my dad miss him."

Qi Shi'an remembered that phone call. "By the way, he asked if you have a boyfriend."

You Si finished washing the blueberries. "Is it any of his business?" She casually took two and brought them to Qi Shi'an's mouth. "You try first to see if they're sweet. If they are, I'll eat them."

Qi Shi'an took a half step back and reached out to take them, putting them in his mouth. "Not bad."

The flour and sugar were mixed together, piled on the cooking table like loose sand. Mother You had just done her nails and refused to touch it. Father You was grinding spices, also dawdling.

Shutiao played with a handful of flour and asked in a muffled voice, "Who's going to knead the dough?"

"I'll do it." Qi Shi'an washed his hands thoroughly. In his early years in the army, he had learned some cooking skills. He poured the milk and egg whites into the flour and warned, "I'll only knead the dough. Don't expect anything else."

The company's database was exceptionally easy to use. Shen Duoyi worked overtime on his own, reviewing the data item by item. Only he was left in the entire department, and in the particularly quiet environment, his work efficiency reached a peak.

He further screened out a few and planned to call Qi Shi'an to ask about them after finishing his instant noodles.

"Your phone is ringing."

You Si picked up Qi Shi'an's phone and walked over. "It's my brother. Then I'll answer for you." She connected the call, and You Zhe's voice came from the other end. "Brother, Shi'an has arrived and is kneading dough. It's not convenient for him to answer the phone."

Qi Shi'an bent down slightly, and Shutiao tied an apron for him. You Si was talking to You Zhe across the cooking table, and after a while, they started bickering again.

"Zhesi Finance just has to drag me to work. I'm happier running an art gallery now." You Si didn't want to talk anymore.

Just then, another call came in. "No more talking. Someone is looking for Shi'an."

She glanced at the caller ID. "It's Zhang Yiming. Should I answer for you?"

Qi Shi'an's hands were full of flour. "Go ahead."

"Hello?" You Si connected the call, and the two old friends started wasting phone bills. "The user you dialed is cooking."

Zhang Yiming's focus was different from ordinary people, and he had an abnormal alertness. "Why are you holding his phone? Even boyfriends and girlfriends don't expose their ** like this."

You Si replied, "Who's like you, with ** all over your body? Even if Shi'an and I were boyfriend and girlfriend, we wouldn't be afraid to touch each other's phones."

"If you two could become boyfriend and girlfriend, would you have to wait until you're twenty-eight or nine? Don't deliberately provoke me." Zhang Yiming had nothing important to say. "Uncle and Auntie are doing well, right? Remember to drink the medicinal ingredients I sent over. They're nourishing. You're doing well too, right? If you're lonely, come back. I'm always here."

As soon as You Si heard this, she started making a fuss. Father You and Mother You also had disagreements over the side dishes. There were only three people, but it was always chaotic. Qi Shi'an watched the commotion with a smile. If his family was this chaotic, his grandfather would have shouted them into order long ago.

After hanging up the phone, You Si said angrily, "Zhang Yiming is sexually harassing me. Does he also harass his female colleagues at the company?"

Qi Shi'an's hands were sticky and powerless. "You're wronging him. Whether he harasses or not only depends on looks, not gender."

On this side, the dough was kneaded, and on that side, even the noodle soup was finished. Shen Duoyi cleaned up the table, put on his headphones, and prepared to call Qi Shi'an. The number was already dialed, and he was sketching on the information, waiting for the other party to answer.

It only rang once, and Shen Duoyi was very happy that the other party answered so quickly.

"Don't bother anymore! The two of us just decided to be together. Give it a rest!" Shen Duoyi's pen tip paused, stunned by the shout.

You Si didn't even look, thinking Zhang Yiming was rambling on endlessly, but after she finished speaking, there was no response. Qi Shi'an picked up an eggshell beside him and threw it over: "Don't drag me into spreading rumors and ruining my reputation."

You Si was hit by the eggshell and cried out, then suspiciously glanced at the screen: "Shen Duoyi?"

Qi Shi'an immediately scolded: "Just stop it! Hand over the phone!"

Not caring about his flour-covered hands, Qi Shi'an snatched the phone and went to the balcony to answer the call. In the few steps, he still didn't hear any movement from the other end. Shen Duoyi, wearing headphones, was in a daze and didn't know how to start.

"Are you still there?"

Qi Shi'an leaned against the railing: "Did you need something from me?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Duoyi finally came back to his senses. He stammered: "I chose k753 and k760, and wanted to ask your opinion."

"Sure, I suggest buying them." Qi Shi'an had no interest in discussing these things at the moment, so he gave a perfunctory answer. After answering, he didn't make a sound, wanting the other person to break the silence.

After waiting for five minutes, the other end of the phone was completely silent, as if asleep.

Qi Shi'an was anxious: Why wasn't Shen Duoyi asking about his girlfriend?

He desperately wanted to hear Shen Duoyi jealously question him.

Even if not jealous, just asking casually would be fine, at least showing he cared.

"Well then," Shen Duoyi finally spoke, "there's nothing else, I'm going to be busy."

The busy tone drilled straight into his ear. Qi Shi'an's suspended heart was stuffed dead in his throat. He glared at You Si through the glass window and began organizing an 800-word sincere explanation to clear his name.

Suddenly, with a "ding", a message popped in.

Shen Duoyi sent: "Are you coming back soon? Let me treat you to a butterbeer."