“Are you really so bearish on the Hang Seng Index?!”
Qin Chuan’s words made Yang Conglong put away his smile and become extremely serious.
“It’s not like that!”
“I’ll change my strategy at any time based on the dream I had.”
Qin Chuan shook his head, “Tomorrow I’m firmly bearish, but the day after tomorrow, I might be firmly bullish!”
“I… damn it, brother, I’ve always been an atheist, but you’ve made me start to doubt. Are there really ghosts and gods in this world, and do they give you dreams?”
Yang Conglong cursed.
“Touch your conscience and tell me the truth, did you or did you not have that dream?”
“I must have! If I really wanted to find an excuse, wouldn’t it be more reliable to say I have a special channel for exclusive information?”
Qin Chuan retorted.
“That’s true!”
Yang Conglong nodded. He had no other choice but to trust Qin Chuan now.
After all, Qin Chuan had genuinely made him money, and they had invested real money. This couldn’t be faked.
If they had lost money, he wouldn't be the only one who lost.
“Since you want to make a fortune, I won’t stop you. As you just said, we are all adults, and every word and action represents our own decision.”
Yang Conglong said, “Let’s go, we’ll go to the bank now to transfer the money!”
“Thank you, Brother Long!”
Qin Chuan was overjoyed. He had finally convinced his rather opinionated brother-in-law.
From his understanding of Yang Conglong these past few days, Qin Chuan realized that despite his playboy tendencies, his brother-in-law was quite determined and very calm. He was someone with potential to be cultivated.
The two of them went to the bank together. Qin Chuan transferred all two million yuan from his account to Yang Conglong’s. He was left with very little money now.
“Brother Long, are you going to invest more?”
After it was done, Qin Chuan asked.
“Not necessarily, it depends on the situation!”
Yang Conglong gave an ambiguous answer.
At this moment, Qin Chuan’s phone rang. He took it out and saw it was Shang Honglian calling. He remembered that this afternoon was their scheduled meeting. After a brief exchange, he hung up.
“Um… Brother Long, I have something to attend to and need to go out. You should head home first!”
“See you tomorrow morning!”
Yang Conglong waved, “Go ahead! Go ahead! I also have some things to take care of this afternoon.”
The two parted ways, and Qin Chuan took a taxi straight to the place where he had arranged to meet Shang Honglian.
It was a KFC fast-food restaurant with a very stylish decoration. In this era, it was definitely something young people flocked to, a symbol of trendiness.
It would remain very popular for the next twenty years.
From young children to adults in their thirties and forties, everyone liked to eat there.
Putting aside all other considerations, foreign fast-food companies like KFC and McDonald’s certainly had their unique merits, and their popularity endured for decades.
Foreigners were really good at doing business, while Chinese people rarely managed to achieve such scale, especially in the food industry.
China, with its long and rich culinary history and vast variety, had failed to produce a single international brand. It had to be said that this was a shortcoming.
Upon entering the KFC, Qin Chuan went upstairs and saw Shang Honglian, who had arrived before him.
Not only that, but the table was already laden with food: french fries, cola, chicken wings, chicken legs, burgers, chicken nuggets, and so on.
Shang Honglian was sitting at her seat, her mouth full, already eating.
Upon seeing Qin Chuan, she immediately waved excitedly, “Here! Here!”
“I’ve already ordered a lot. See if anything is missing, order it yourself, my treat!”
Shang Honglian was as enthusiastic and lively as ever, exuding the youthful energy of a girl.
She didn’t look her twenty-one years at all, but more like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.
“It’s enough! You’ve ordered too much. I finished lunch less than two hours ago, and I’m still full.”
Qin Chuan sat opposite Shang Honglian.
“I didn’t even eat lunch, I was waiting to eat this KFC!”
“You have no idea how much I’ve been craving it since the holiday started!”
Shang Honglian said while eating.
“Then eat well. I’ll just have a coke!”
Qin Chuan smiled and picked up a cola.
“No, you have to eat this burger too, or I won’t be able to finish it alone!”
Shang Honglian pointed to the large burger left on the table.
Qin Chuan reluctantly agreed to share it with her.
During their meal, their conversation naturally turned to Shang Honglian’s studies.
“Qin Chuan, to be honest, I actually don’t want to go to school anymore.”
Shang Honglian dropped a bombshell. “Ever since I can remember, my daily task has been to study, study, and study. I’ve been doing it for fifteen years, starting from when I was six!”
“I’m tired of this life. I think graduating with a bachelor’s degree is enough.”
“I don’t have aspirations for a master’s or a Ph.D. If I finish all of them, I’ll be old. My best youthful years will have been wasted on studying.”
Qin Chuan looked at the girl in surprise. “Do your parents know what you think?”
“No, I don’t dare to tell them.”
Shang Honglian’s mood became a little down. After speaking, she took another fierce bite of the chicken leg in her hand, her rosy lips glistening with oil, making one want to take a bite.
Qin Chuan also found himself in a difficult position, unsure how to respond.
From an experienced perspective, the more knowledge, the better. A master’s or Ph.D. would definitely be better than a bachelor’s.
But a bachelor’s degree was not bad either, especially in the year 1998 when university admissions had not yet expanded. A graduate like Shang Honglian, from a 211 prestigious university in the science and engineering field, had high value.
If she graduated now, she could definitely get a job at a good company and secure a stable future.
“Honglian, I’ve forgotten to ask you, what’s your major in university?”
Qin Chuan suddenly seemed to remember something and asked.
“Computer Information Engineering, why?”
Shang Honglian looked confused.
“Whoa, Computer Information Engineering? So, can you program and write code?”
Qin Chuan’s tone suddenly became urgent, as if he was very excited.
“Of course I can! That’s what we study at university, along with many other computer-related subjects!”
Shang Honglian said proudly, “Our teachers once told us that the future world would definitely be dominated by electronics and information technology! If you learn electronics and information well, you’ll have a meal wherever you go!”
Qin Chuan gave a thumbs-up and praised, “Your teacher is definitely a wise person, very intelligent!”
“Honglian, if you really don’t want to study anymore, then I advise you to go to Zhongguancun in Beijing and see if there are any companies there that fit your major.”
“Zhongguancun?”
Shang Honglian blinked. As a student of electronics and information engineering, she was no stranger to the name.
It was known as China’s Silicon Valley, home to many top entrepreneurs and experts, and brimming with talent.
“Can… can I do it?”
Shang Honglian lacked confidence. She had considered venturing out after graduation, and Zhongguancun was one of her potential destinations.
However, on one hand, she hadn’t been home for a long time and missed her family. On the other hand, she was tired from studying and wanted to rest for a while.
Thus, the idea was temporarily shelved. Now that Qin Chuan brought it up again, Shang Honglian couldn’t help but become interested.