Wang Qiqi watched the fatty shovel food into his mouth, then glanced at the rapidly dwindling pile of dishes, and could only sigh that a fatty was a fatty—he could certainly eat. Wang Qiqi had specially prepared a meal large enough for five people, considering that someone hadn't had a proper feast in a long time. Even though it was scaled to the appetites of the five of them, she estimated that the girls’ combined meal intake wasn't small; their monthly food expenses could rival those of an eight-person household.

Seeing Wang Qiqi frozen in place, staring blankly at the fatty’s consumption, Han Tao picked up some just-blanched beef and offered it to Qiqi. "Don't mind him; he won't let himself go hungry." Han Tao felt a bit embarrassed admitting that when the fatty heard the news of his visit, he was first thrilled, then immediately listed a long string of delicacies. The list almost made Han Tao reconsider inviting him over. How could someone be so troublesome? He truly didn't know how to cherish his own wife, never considering how busy Qiqi was every day, leaving early and returning late, even keeping her phone on while sleeping just in case of an emergency. Han Tao had been cooking for the past few days, and the fatty started off by ordering this and that—it was a bit much.

Wang Qiqi pointed to the bones spat out in front of someone. "Impressive. Are you saying the fatty hasn't eaten for two days just to be able to make it over here?" After eating so much, his stomach hadn't even bloated, nor had he burped. Wang Qiqi remarked that the fatty's eating skill was getting more formidable, or perhaps his time in the US had been tough.

Don't mistake the fatty’s focused eating for lack of awareness; he had ears everywhere. "Hey, are you two discussing how unsightly my eating manner is? Hmph, I haven't tasted anything this good in ages. Alas, ever since I went to the US, it’s been like entering a miserable world. If I want good food, I have to pay a premium. How could I dare spend extravagantly?" The fatty was constantly thinking about eventually starting his own business, plus the expenses for Weiwei coming to the US. Naturally, he tried to save every penny. He learned a few simple dishes before going abroad, but only a handful, and the flavor wasn't great. Yet, to save money, the fatty had no choice but to cook for himself. "My cooking is only passable, really. Don't expect much in terms of flavor. Since I finally get to eat something this delicious, can't I eat a bit more? Sigh, it all comes down to those detestable bad guys. If they hadn't caused something like 9/11, would I be this miserable? At least then, Qiqi, you’d definitely be at the same school as Han Tao, and I could drive over three hours on the weekend to sponge some good food and drink from you." The fatty declared with indignation.

Wang Qiqi watched the fatty waving his chopsticks, his mouth chewing incessantly, yet his words were perfectly clear. She felt the fatty was becoming increasingly skilled; at least before, he never spoke so clearly with his mouth so full. "In your dreams." Wang Qiqi was now immensely grateful to those bad guys; otherwise, she wouldn't even have leisure time on weekends? The fatty would have definitely prepared a long list of desired foods in advance and left on the weekend carrying bags stuffed with half a week's worth of provisions. "I am so incredibly glad I didn't study in the US; otherwise, I would have cried myself to death."

"What? You're not cooking for people here either?" The fatty's eyes widened in confusion. Here, she had to cook for five people. In the US, it was only three, and he only visited on weekends, so Qiqi's task wasn't that heavy. Why would Qiqi say that? "I'm so hurt, Qiqi, you've broken my heart." The fatty dramatically placed a hand over his chest to show how truly sad he was.

"Here, I only have to cook; I don't have to worry about anything else. In the US, you're responsible for cleaning, and Manman helps me too," Wang Qiqi analyzed. Hmph, no matter how she calculated it, it was easier here. "I'm busy earning money, and Manman and the others help out." But if she went to the US, Wang Qiqi knew that even if Han Tao supported her taking an assistant job, she might not even take it—she’d have to take care of Han Tao, and occasionally there would be the burden of the fatty tagging along.

What more could the fatty say? "Alas, that’s why I hate those bad guys." With a comparison, one naturally knows what is best. If that massive incident hadn't happened, Qiqi would surely have studied in the US, and she wouldn't know all this. "I just hope Weiwei can successfully come to the US next year. You know, Weiwei's scores for the TOEFL and IELTS were both quite good." There was hope for getting into a US university, but the visa was the unknown. However, so much time had passed since 9/11; visa requirements, while still strict, were a bit looser than when Qiqi and her peers were applying.

"I will suggest Weiwei study in the UK," Wang Qiqi said very seriously. "The cultural atmosphere here is good, and a Master's only takes one year. After graduation, she can go to the US to take care of you. If things go smoothly, you'll both graduate with your Master's in the same year." Wang Qiqi felt this suggestion might make classmate Lu Qiaowei seriously consider this possibility.

"Ahhh!" The fatty didn't think Wang Qiqi was bluffing. Wang Qiqi would absolutely say this to his girlfriend. The fatty shuddered at the thought that if his girlfriend’s US visa didn't go through and she applied for a UK visa instead, it felt terrifying. "I've already been alone for a year and a half; I don't want to endure another year and a half of hardship."

"I am currently counting down the seconds until my man comes to the US; you can’t ruin my happiness." When his girlfriend came to the US, not only would his stomach be satisfied, but other aspects of his life would improve too—this was one of the beliefs that kept the fatty going. "Qiqi, I’ll call you 'sister,' I promise I’ll be very well-behaved here." Alas, although it was a pity he wouldn't get to eat Qiqi's delicious food, it was much better than being separated from his girlfriend by two oceans later on.

The fatty deeply regretted being so boastful about wanting to eat this and that earlier, leading to his current predicament. The fatty thought he could have quietly mentioned it to Qiqi when she had time or was in a good mood; he could have achieved his goal of eating what he wanted without being threatened by someone right now.

Seeing the fatty’s look of deep regret, Wang Qiqi felt much better. But she wasn't heartless. Besides, even if she didn't want to cook for the fatty, she still had to cook for Han Tao; her own man needed to be well cared for. "I'm quite busy recently. Once I get through this busy period, I'll definitely cook something delicious."

The fatty had already given up hope, but when he thought he wouldn't get to eat good food, Qiqi said something like that. His spirits soared. Isn't this exactly what he had been asking for? But he only dared to think it; he wouldn't say it out loud, fearing he might provoke Wang Qiqi. "Then thank you, Qiqi." Regardless, he had to express his gratitude, though the fatty felt extremely aggrieved inside.

"No thanks necessary. Since you are here, I should host you properly. Otherwise, if you told Manman you came here and she only let you eat hamburgers every day, that would be too embarrassing," Wang Qiqi said in a soft voice. "I'll make some pastries for snacks, and I’ll stew some spare rib soup. You can use it for hot pot or noodles later." The spare rib soup was easy to stew; just leave it simmering on the fireplace. Of course, there were downsides, like a certain glutton smelling it and demanding meat. Wang Qiqi was quite worried the fatty might gain a few pounds while staying here.

Hot pot or noodles—the fatty wasn't entirely satisfied, but what could he do? Qiqi was indeed leaving early and coming back late these days; otherwise, she wouldn't have missed picking him up when his plane landed. "Say, you guys invited me over with such fanfare; is the welcoming banquet just hot pot? That’s a bit too meager, isn't it?" The fatty said with a look of disdain, completely lacking the cheerful expression he had just moments ago while eating heartily. In short, he would express as much contempt as possible.

"Hmph, for such meager food, I don't know who was eating so happily just now," Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't treating the fatty like a guest. "If you don't like it, turn around and go home. Honestly, I called you here to discuss matters."

Discuss matters? The fatty found it a bit strange. "What is there to discuss? You aren't going to share some money-making tip with me, are you?" The fatty’s eyes darted around, recalling Wang Qiqi's recent activities, and he immediately became excited. "You didn't hear some inside scoop over there and want to tell me? Don't worry, just tell me which stock is good, and I'll immediately invest heavily. I refuse to believe I won't get rich!" He was about to enter a business partnership, and funding was an issue. Don't assume Han Tao’s words about money not being an issue meant they had none. The fatty knew that even if he was short, he still had Qiqi. If all else failed, they could sell a few properties back home. Putting aside anything else, in the capital city alone, the couple probably owned three shops and five or six houses, not to mention the houses in their hometown. So they weren't worried about money at all. The fatty, however, was truly worried lately, sometimes unable to sleep well at night. If he could rake in a fortune from the stock market, the fatty felt he wouldn't be so troubled. He thought he was so foolish; he had such a great goddess of wealth right in front of him, why hadn't he thought to ask for help earlier?

Inside information? Wang Qiqi felt utterly perplexed. "I wish I had inside information, but I don't." If she hadn't gotten involved this time, Wang Qiqi genuinely wouldn't know what Mark and the others were busy with upstairs. When they were trading, they wouldn't mention such things. Only after everything was settled might they let slip a word or two, but by then, what use would that news be? It would already be outdated. "I also wish I could have inside tips; I’m also thinking about getting rich, but alas, I don't."

When the fatty heard it wasn't about that, his face fell. "Alas, money, money. I really wish I could win the lottery just once. Not too much, just about a million US dollars would suffice." After taxes, that should be enough for me to start my business, right?

Good heavens, even the fatty, who never believed in such things as lotteries, was dreaming of winning the jackpot. This showed how desperate he was for money. "I don't have any brilliant ideas either. It’s better to earn money steadily." Not everyone is lucky enough to win the lottery jackpot.

"What else can I do? Starting a business requires investment, right? And we won't get a salary then." The fatty couldn't rely on his girlfriend to support him like Han Tao did with Qiqi. His relationship with Weiwei hadn't reached the level of Han Tao and Qiqi's. Furthermore, Han Tao had the purchasing business, and his annual dividends should be enough for his living expenses. "Sigh, whatever. I'll just do this current job well; I should get a few tens of thousands. I'll look for more gigs later based on opportunities."

Tens of thousands was quite a sum. Wang Qiqi knew Han Tao's boss was generous enough, but it was definitely not enough for starting a business. "How much money do you have on hand?"

If anyone else had asked the fatty, he might have concealed some of it, but he knew that telling Qiqi about the current situation might lead her to come up with a good plan. So, he honestly stated the amount of money he had on hand.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were surprised the fatty had saved so much money. While they knew the fatty had been programming and earning a decent income, and he lived frugally while partnering on real estate, they hadn't expected him to save this much. Wang Qiqi gave the fatty a thumbs-up. "Impressive. I'll ask Mark in a couple of days." Wang Qiqi remembered Mark mentioning a good stock last time, although she hadn't paid much attention then. But she was sure it wasn't related to the portfolio the studio was currently managing. It all depended on whether Mark would talk.

"Mark?" The fatty was puzzled but knew it was a man. However, a man mentioned in front of Han Tao couldn't be the type he was imagining.

"He's a top talent at my studio, but I don't know if he'll be willing to say," Wang Qiqi admitted. She was actually a bit reluctant to ask Mark. Even though their relationship was decent, why would he share that information with her? What if Mark refused to speak? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? At that moment, Wang Qiqi really wished she could turn back time and have the fatty forget what he had just brought up.

The fatty noticed Wang Qiqi's troubled expression and, after hearing her words, dismissed it. "Then don't ask. People in your line of work have rules; don't make others uncomfortable." Since Qiqi hadn't even considered asking that person for advice to earn money before, why make Qiqi feel awkward now? If things really didn't work out, he could talk to his parents about mortgaging one of the Beijing shops for a loan, or just contribute less money upfront. Even if his shares were smaller, he would still be a founder, and once the company was running, even a small share would earn more than being an employee. Thinking this, the slight regret in the fatty’s heart vanished.

"It’s fine, it's better not to speculate on stocks. Although the market looks good, it’s not a guaranteed profit. Fatty, I think if that doesn’t work out, we can take on some small programming tasks, or just do translation work," Han Tao suddenly had an idea. He had known about this before, but he hadn't paid much attention to that money. Earning money this way wasn't as valuable as improving his programming skills to earn big money in the future. But now, he thought this was a viable option.

Translation work? Both the fatty and Wang Qiqi looked at Han Tao in surprise. Why did he suddenly think of that?

"I can't do that. Although I've been in the US for over a year, I haven't done it before. Can I do it well?" The fatty thought that if he took on small programming jobs, he could certainly handle them, but translation—he had absolutely no confidence in himself. "Besides, you're not planning to take orders from Qiqi, are you?" He remembered Manman mentioning that Qiqi sometimes passed on some of her incoming orders to her and Zhang Yan. If they added him and Han Tao now, wouldn't Qiqi be left with hardly any orders? What would she rely on for a living later? Even though friends were loyal, still...

Wang Qiqi had only one thought: Aren't they trying to steal my livelihood? Sigh, making money isn't easy. Wang Qiqi didn't believe Han Tao and the others could handle the orders she received. Even if Han Tao was her man, she wouldn't let him ruin the reputation she had fought so hard to build.

"Hey, we can definitely do this job. Uncle Ye previously contacted me and said I might be more professional to translate some computer-related documents. I didn't take it seriously before, but now I think it’s a good suggestion." Seeing the two stunned faces, Han Tao thought, Am I such an unreliable person? Would I ask the fatty to do something he couldn't handle? Would I be a man who steals his wife's work? Han Tao looked at them both unhappily.

When Wang Qiqi heard it was translation work related to computers, she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't within her scope of work. If her man wasn't earning this money, someone else would be, so it might as well be her husband. Moreover, it wouldn't conflict with his startup plans. When Han Tao first suggested taking on small programming jobs, Wang Qiqi had worried that JOHN might think they weren't focused enough on the startup. But translation work, frankly, had urgent deadlines sometimes, but not many. Han Tao and the fatty could manage it even if they had other things to attend to, and Han Tao himself often had to read computer-related books, materials, and reports. This time, he just needed to translate things. "You're in contact with Uncle Ye?" Wang Qiqi was quite puzzled. Why had neither of them mentioned this before? Weren't they leaving her out? However, Wang Qiqi wasn't very angry this time, not just because the fatty was there to save her husband some face, but because she suspected that if the fatty hadn't brought up making money, Han Tao probably wouldn't have remembered this opportunity either.

When the fatty heard it was translation work, he immediately agreed. "Take it." This job was perfect! It would allow him to look over more computer-related materials, and JOHN wouldn't suspect anything if he saw how diligent he was. Plus, he could earn money. Beyond that, just seeing Wang Qiqi handling translation work alone helped pay off the mortgage on their US house showed that translation was quite profitable. "This job is great. We just need to be discreet, and JOHN won't know." If they did programming, there was always a chance of leaks, and how would JOHN react then?

"Then I'll contact Uncle Ye tomorrow. I just don't know if he’s still willing to give us a chance." Han Tao wasn't entirely sure, but he was confident that if they were given the chance, he and the fatty would do the job well.

"Uncle Ye will definitely give us a chance. If not for your sake, isn't there Qiqi's connection too?" The fatty was very confident, praying incessantly that they would secure this opportunity. Only then would his funding pressure be manageable.

The fatty breathed a sigh of relief when he realized his future financial pressure wouldn't be so intense. This trip was definitely worthwhile.

Wang Qiqi shot a look at Han Tao, then tidied up the coffee table to wash the dishes in the kitchen, and then she still had to clean the bathroom. Alas, although Han Tao stayed home most of the time, he couldn't do much to help. Moreover, he was constantly busy with programming and under great pressure. Wang Qiqi just did what she could herself; if she didn't have the energy, so be it.

Han Tao had intended to get up and help Qiqi, but seeing her look, he remained seated by the coffee table. He knew this look was Qiqi signaling him to discuss the partnership with the fatty. Qiqi had originally intended for him to bring it up after picking the fatty up, but after the fatty ate a bit, he went to sleep. By the time he woke up, it was time to tour the house, and then Qiqi returned. Han Tao realized he hadn't found a chance to talk to the fatty at all.

The fatty had expected Han Tao to help with the cleanup, as he was a man who doted on his wife. But he hadn't expected Han Tao to remain seated. The fatty wondered if Han Tao's authority had finally kicked in? Was he no longer a henpecked husband?

As Wang Qiqi turned to work in the kitchen, Han Tao pulled the fatty closer and whispered the plan he and Qiqi had discussed. "This is my idea; what do you think?"

Qiqi wants to invest? The fatty was stunned. "Don't tell me Qiqi thinks everyone in IT is making a killing? Hurry up and tell her it's not guaranteed to be profitable!" If Qiqi's investment wasn't large, the fatty wouldn't worry so much, but from Han Tao’s tone, it sounded like a substantial sum. This made the fatty a little angry. As Qiqi’s husband, shouldn't he explain the risks to her? "Doesn't JOHN's father also do investments? Did he put up any money? I heard he has great judgment and all the small companies he invested in ended up making a profit." Although JOHN's father hadn't invested, which made the fatty a little sad—his idea was so good, how could he not find someone with vision?—now that someone with vision had appeared, the fatty was conflicted.

The fatty's words made Han Tao's heart leap with indignation. Was he the only one who cared about Qiqi? He was Qiqi's man, and if nothing else, Qiqi's money was practically his children's money! "I talked to Qiqi, and she said she really likes this idea of ours. She thinks we can definitely make a name for ourselves..." Han Tao had originally intended to discuss with the fatty how to approach JOHN regarding funding and the distribution of shares, but unexpectedly, the fatty completely missed the crucial point he wanted to discuss. Instead, he heard every word about Qiqi investing with perfect clarity. Han Tao couldn't help but feel a mixture of frustration and amusement, and could only offer a brief explanation.

When the fatty realized the god of wealth wasn't investing out of consideration for Han Tao, he immediately brightened. "Great, the more investment the better. JOHN has been trying to pull in investors, but hasn't succeeded. I wonder how thrilled he'll be when he finds out we actually landed an investor." RS