It wasn't until he got back to the dormitory that the great Han Lie was still feeling dizzy.

His father-in-law was truly something else. After dinner, they went to the study for tea and to look at stocks. In the end, he gave Han Lie a check, a business card, and a stock account.

The check was for... 500,000.

Although Han Lie was no stranger to large sums of money, he was still quite shaken.

What were his father-in-law's exact words again?

Oh, it seemed to be—

"Take this and buy some decent clothes. Dress yourself to look more mature and handsome. Take Pan Pan out more often, and try to dine at top-tier establishments. If you're unsure where to go or can't get a reservation, just call Little Liang—his number is on the business card—and tell him to take care of it.

We didn't have enough time today. Next time Pan Pan brings you home for a meal, Uncle will take you to see my watch collection and pick out a good watch for you..."

Could there be any misunderstanding here?

Five hundred thousand to spend at will, the lion's share on himself, and if things progressed, he would receive another fine watch next time.

Dad!

Don't worry, I can handle it!

Originally, Han Lie had planned to secure the money and then just make a superficial effort, because Pan Ge was too hard to pursue, and with Xi Luting stirring things up, it was bound to be a hassle.

But now...

Pan Pan, you'd better be sensible and take me home for dinner soon, or you'll definitely be in for it!

As for that stock account, it had already lost 70% of its value.

However, there were still stocks worth over 3 million left in it.

Good heavens, Ah Pan always said things like, "I just dabble in stocks," "It's not much money," and "Auntie Zhao doesn't mind me losing a lot; she just dislikes my foul mood after a loss"...

Seems like our standards for what constitutes 'dabbling' aren't quite the same, are they?

Now, the account was under Han Lie's full control.

If it lost money, it was on his father-in-law. If it made a profit, Han Lie would get 30% of the profits.

If there was a chance to recover to the initial 10 million, subsequent profits would grant Han Lie 50%.

No contract was signed; it was just a verbal agreement. However, Han Lie felt there should be no doubt about its effectiveness.

So, Han Lie was rather bewildered.

Were my two apartments... bought in vain?!

The way things were developing was indeed quite different from the plan I had envisioned.

No wonder so many handsome men manage to defy their destinies in college; it's really because there are too many eccentric rich girls and not enough handsome men to go around...

That 500,000, how should it be spent?

「At the Pan family home.」

Pan Ge, having had a bit too much to drink, had already gone upstairs to rest.

Zhao Anni, after settling her daughter, came down to the cigar room on the lower floor to find Pan Shengwu.

"How did your talk go?"

Old Pan replied casually, "I've handed over the stock account to him, and I also wrote him another check."

Zhao Anni frowned. "Why did you give Han Lie money?"

Old Pan looked a bit put out. "The foolish boy likes Xi Luting, and I was afraid he wouldn't try hard enough."

Zhao Anni laughed disbelievingly. "So you're just throwing money at him?"

"Money talks."

"Ridiculous! Once the stock account turns a profit, Han Lie will earn his own commission. Why give him extra money?"

Zhao Anni was very displeased, venting all the anger caused by her daughter onto her husband.

"If they get together because of money, they will certainly argue over money later."

To this, Old Pan was utterly indifferent. "So let them argue. Even married couples argue over money. It's good for them to get used to it in advance."

"And if they can't get used to it, you'll just have an easy time of it, huh?" Zhao Anni sneered.

Old Pan didn't respond directly. Sitting on the sofa, he lit a cigarette. "Actually, I quite like Han Lie. This kid has potential, way better than that Zhou Ci."

Zhao Anni remained silent.

Although it was still early to discuss successors, encountering decent young people, casually providing opportunities, and quietly setting up challenges were all part and parcel of the game.

In their world, everyone had their place and their usefulness.

How was one's place determined?

Observation, nurturing, and testing.

The most crucial aspect was to give the other party a chance to do things; mistakes weren't feared, only a lack of diligence.

As for Zhou Ci, he was the son of a business partner of a relative on her side. He had been trying to marry into the Pan family through her connections. That boy had specifically transferred to Pan Ge's class in his senior year of high school and had now even followed her to the Humanities department.

"Do you despise Zhou Ci that much?"

"What has it got to do with me? Look at your precious daughter; does she even care about him?!"

"I don't care! You were the one who put him in the all-English tourism class. If you hadn't interfered, he and Pan Pan would have been classmates, and perhaps we wouldn't have all these problems now!"

Zhao Anni wasn't overly emotional, but she was starting to argue unreasonably, a sign that her temper was flaring.

Old Pan felt a bit of a headache coming on and had to offer an explanation.

"Wasn't it because I hadn't spotted the bad signs back then? You can spare me those useless hypotheticals! As it stands, that kid really isn't as good as Han Lie. His brain is full of social scheming; he doesn't know much of substance."

"Why don't you consider their family backgrounds? Can Han Lie's intellectual advantage make up for the difference in their family status?"

Old Pan flared up. "Are we talking about a marriage alliance now?! Isn't this just about her dating someone to experience the good things about having a man in her life?! If Pan Pan doesn't like him, what good is his damned family status?!"

Zhao Anni's imposing manner grew. "Since you know it's just dating, why are you still throwing money at him?!"

The couple glared at each other fiercely for a while before Zhao Anni suddenly burst into laughter, and Pan Shengwu shook his head with a bitter smile.

And with that, the matter was dropped.

In truth, they shared the same core principle: when it came to dating, pedigree didn't matter; only the person did.

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