It was just that their methods differed—

Zhao Anni preferred to move people with emotion, aiming for a better experience with less conflict.

Pan Shengwu, on the other hand, was more accustomed to luring with profit, employing decisive action and confronting human nature head-on.

Zhao Anni moved behind her husband and began massaging his temples.

Earnestly, she said, "Put yourself in others' shoes, win hearts with your own. I'm quite fond of Han Lie; you shouldn't have been so cold and impatient."

"I can't afford not to be impatient..."

Pan Shengwu leaned back and closed his eyes.

"That kid seems unassuming, but he's actually very resolute. Right now, he's young and lacks opportunities, which is why I can still manage him.

Just imagine, if he fights his way to the grand finals, regardless of his ranking, how many brokerages, private equity funds, and major clients will extend him an olive branch?

I made a point to ask Old Wang from Guotai Junan.

Old Wang's exact words were: 'At this age, with such keen insight and aggressive trading tactics, as long as he hones his defensive abilities, his potential is limitless.'

I asked Old Wang, 'How can you be sure it wasn't just luck?'

Old Wang shook his head and smiled. 'I can be sure now. There's no luck in ultra-short-term trading. But if you're not convinced, you can observe him during your chat. See if he has a systematic approach to trading.'

So, when I was chatting with Han Lie in the study, I deliberately asked him how to do short-term trading.

As it turned out, he didn't share his short-term trading strategies. Instead, he bluntly told me, 'You can't learn it.'

Then he outlined a strategy for long-term value investing that was very systematic and robust—completely different from the style he'd displayed."

Zhao Anni knew nothing about stock trading but listened with rapt attention.

"So? What does that mean?"

"It means his skills have reached a considerable level! It means he can play it safe whenever he wants! It means he already possesses defensive capabilities!"

Pan Shengwu used a series of parallel statements, sighing with a mix of awe and consternation.

"That kid's exact words were, 'I'm doing high-risk short-term trading because the competition format demands it. For your account, I'll engage in relatively more stable medium-to-long-term swing trading. You can check it anytime, but you're not allowed to touch it.'

He had this look on his face like he was guaranteed to make a profit no matter what he did, cocky as hell.

My mind went blank at the time, and I actually let him bluff me!

Son of a bitch, where did this monster spring from?!"

"Isn't a monster a good thing?"

Zhao Anni increased the pressure of her massage with a smile, feeling a sense of relief.

"Without some special skills, how could he win over Pan Ge? That headstrong girl of ours has been raised by us to have such high standards. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen for someone as pretty and assertive as Xi Luting."

"Hmm."

Pan Shengwu hummed softly in agreement.

So Zhao Anni asked again, "How much money did you give him?"

"500,000."

Zhao Anni let out a sigh of relief. "That's acceptable. A bit much, but not excessive."

Pan Shengwu retorted, unconvinced, "How is that too much? It's less than what you waste on memberships at the beauty salon every year. You sign up everywhere, pay the money, and then never go. Isn't that just throwing money away?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm wasteful, I'm extravagant!"

Zhao Anni chuckled, scratching her husband's scalp, her tone devoid of any real anger.

"At least I'm not like you, sponsoring those young secretaries and housewives. You always make sure you get your money's worth before coming home..."

Pan Shengwu's scalp prickled, and his muscles tensed.

He quickly defended himself, "Don't talk nonsense! I'm completely devoted to you. I definitely don't have anyone stashed away outside!"

The implication was that fleeting affairs didn't count; one-night stands were purely transactional...

Zhao Anni didn't pursue the matter further.

For couples their age, a lack of strong affection meant they were more like business partners; those with affection were more like family. Some things, she understood and had long accepted.

Compared to Pan Shengwu's trivial affairs, Han Lie was far more interesting to her.

"Hey, Pan, do you think Han Lie can win Pan Ge over?"

"If we don't help, I doubt it! That kid's a clueless virgin. He barely dared to speak to the two girls all evening. What good is being dependable if he doesn't have the guts to make a move?!"

"Zhou Ci has dated a lot; he knows how to flirt. Wasn't it you who moved him to another class?"

"Had I known this would happen, Zhou Ci would have been fine too!"

"Let's not. Look at Old Guo's younger daughter's boyfriend—always stirring up trouble like a little hoodlum. He's driving Jin Yuan mad..."

"She's only in junior high, isn't she? Such a handful already?"

"Is our daughter any less of a handful? She might as well date a hoodlum!"

The couple whispered, their hearts aching for their "troublesome" Pan Ge.

...

In the dormitory, Ding Ding and Little Northeast were out carousing again, effectively turning the four-person room into a private suite for Han Lie.

Han Lie held his phone, responding to flirtations or summons from Xi Luting, Chen Yanfei, Yu Yun, Fang Feifei, and other girls while logging into his QQ alt account.

As soon as he came online, he saw Little Cucumber testing the waters.

A cucumber in the solitude of twilight: "Ham? Are you there?"

A cucumber in the solitude of twilight: "I need to talk to you. Could you give me your phone number?"

Well, well, you're not entirely clueless.

Han Lie chuckled to himself.

In fact, Xi Luting was far from stupid; she was even quite smart.

It was just her aversion to trouble and her impulsive, irritable personality that often made her self-destruct when provoked.

See? She can be pretty sharp when it matters.

But if you want to test me, you're still way out of your league...

Han Lie typed out his reply with a smile.

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