Shi Hongrui walked into the room carrying a large plastic bag. "The oranges at the supermarket today were excellent, really fresh. And they had good potatoes and butter. I’m planning to make beef and potatoes, Rongrong, do you want some?" Shi Hongrui noticed the other girls were eating steak again, and she pouted. No matter how good the steak was, it was just... steak. Could it really compare to the Chinese food she made?

"No thanks, I’m in a hurry. Steak will be fine," Zhao Rongrong kept her head down, shoving the last few bites of steak into her mouth. "I’m heading up now." The closer graduation approached, the busier Zhao Rongrong and Zhang Yan became, occasionally needing to go out for photo shoots. Everyone had their own goals to strive for, and when it came to food, they paid less attention to it.

"I’ll do the dishes tonight," Wang Qiqi said while looking at the documents in her hands. "Oh, right,, the chore chart is posted by the door. Just as we agreed, someone mops every other day, and the public areas—the chairs, tables, coffee table—need wiping down daily. Do you have any objections?"

"It’s the same as before, just rotating duties." Hearing Wang Qiqi’s detailed explanation, Shi Man let out a soft chuckle, thinking Qiqi was treating someone like a child with such clear instructions.

"I saw it. No objections." Shi Hongrui thought to herself that even if she did have an issue, she wouldn't voice it in front of everyone. Besides, they weren't separating kitchen and public chores anymore. Shi Hongrui was secretly anticipating whether the group would start fighting, and if they did, she suspected that even Zhang Yan would eventually side against Wang Qiqi and Shi Man, those two conspiring friends.

"That’s good. Yan Yan already did hers today," Wang Qiqi said as she put the last piece of beef in her mouth. "You guys eat up quickly; I’ll clean up and then head back to my room." Wang Qiqi had originally planned to discuss some good news with Zhao Rongrong at the dinner table, but worried Shi Hongrui might return, she postponed the announcement. "By the way, Rongrong, later go to my room and help me with the comforter; my duvet cover seems to have an issue."

Zhao Rongrong gave an "oh" and continued eating. She knew the request to help with the duvet cover was a pretext; there must be good news. She had sensed that Wang Qiqi and the others were unusually cheerful today, and she didn't think it was because of Shi Hongrui. Whatever was making Wang Qiqi and Zhao Rongrong happy must relate to the discussion they’d had previously. The thought that things might actually be settled made her incredibly happy. Zhao Rongrong had discussed her plans with her family, and while her parents weren't entirely supportive of what she wanted to do, they eventually agreed to let her try. They even sponsored some of the initial capital. They claimed it was money earned from buying and selling goods over the past six months, but Zhao Rongrong knew there wasn't that much money to be made. They must have dipped into their savings. Her parents’ support put immense pressure on her; she kept thinking about how to maximize the return on this money.

Zhao Rongrong hoped to make a profit of thirty to fifty percent on the principal before graduation, and doubling it would be even better. Then she could return some money to her parents, as some of it might even be their retirement fund. However, Qiqi had been slow in giving her an answer, which made Zhao Rongrong anxious. She had initially thought that if Mark’s path didn't pan out, she’d have Manman’s man offer guidance from the side, making Qiqi the primary operator. She never expected hope to reappear just when she thought it was lost.

While washing vegetables, Shi Hongrui muttered under her breath, "Not only bullying Manman, but now bullying Rongrong too. Really treating everyone as easy targets."

Shi Man put down her knife and fork and stood up. "I’m done eating. I’m going up to write my report. Oh, and Rongrong, sorry to trouble you today; I should have been the one helping with that." Hmph, such an ignorant person, talking nonsense without knowing the situation. I really don't know where she gets the nerve.

Shi Man walked over to the edge of the kitchen, just out of Shi Hongrui’s line of sight, and shook her fist at her, signaling her dislike.

"It's fine, it’s fine," Zhao Rongrong waved her hand. "I’m heading up too. Qiqi, call me after you finish the dishes."

Zhang Yan followed them out shortly after. Wang Qiqi gathered all the dishes and utensils and placed them in the sink to start washing. "You cut the potatoes too small, Hongrui. If you simmer them for too long, they’ll easily dissolve." Wang Qiqi offered a small piece of advice upon seeing the size of Shi Hongrui’s potato chunks.

"Wouldn’t cutting them larger make them harder to cook?" Shi Hongrui rolled her eyes at Wang Qiqi and slowly continued cutting potatoes. She thought, I’m the chef now, why is someone still trying to instruct me? Is she showing off that her cooking skills are better than mine? "Even if my culinary skills aren't top-tier, I know how to handle simple dishes. Plus, I learned a bit watching you cook before. Back then, I remember wondering if cutting the potatoes smaller would make the beef and potato stew taste even better."

Since the other party clearly didn't want her advice, Wang Qiqi wasn't going to push it. She reasoned that while small cuts make potatoes cook faster, this particular dish needed a slightly longer simmer for the flavor to develop properly. If cooked too long, potatoes cut that small would easily break down, making the whole dish gluey—unless it was a curry potato dish where mush was acceptable. But failure is the mother of success; watching someone cook dozens of times couldn't replace the experience of cooking a meal yourself. If this stew didn't turn out well, she could just learn from the experience.

Wang Qiqi quickly finished washing the dishes and went upstairs, leaving behind someone who had intended to ask Qiqi for a few more pointers.

Shi Hongrui had genuinely thought Qiqi might offer more guidance, but she had gone silent so abruptly that it left her dumbfounded. Although she had seen Qiqi cook a few times, it had been so long ago, and at the time, she never imagined she'd end up in the kitchen preparing her own dinner, so she had only glanced at the process—hardly enough to be called 'stealing a skill.' Consequently, she wasn't entirely sure about some steps and decided to swallow her pride and ask. But Wang Qiqi had simply walked away without a second thought. "Hey! I just shared my perspective on cooking; did I need to leave that quickly?"

Wang Qiqi had no idea Shi Hongrui was hoping for more instruction. But even if she had known, she wouldn't have stayed to teach. She had offered kind advice once, and the other person acted as if she knew everything and didn't need instruction. Wang Qiqi wasn't going to chase after someone to teach them. Besides, taking advantage of the time the other person was making dinner was the perfect moment to finalize things, avoiding the risk of the person eavesdropping nearby—that would be a huge nuisance.

Firstly, they didn't want to include Shi Hongrui in this venture. It involved the stock market, and unpredictable accidents could occur. Furthermore, that person was someone who couldn't afford to lose. If she let anything slip, what then? Secondly, this was Mark’s private business. If their relationship wasn't exceptionally close, he absolutely wouldn't have agreed to take it on. Wang Qiqi wasn't even entirely sure Mark would take the job if JOHN hadn't been there to smooth things over.

Wang Qiqi pushed open the door, startling the three people inside. "Whoa, you are all in my room?" Wasn't Shi Man supposed to be standing guard downstairs? Why was she up here too?

"She’s making dinner. By the way, did you give her any pointers?" Shi Man asked with great interest. Qiqi could be quite helpful sometimes, offering guidance, but she wouldn’t force training on someone.

Wang Qiqi walked over to the desk, picked up hand cream, and began tending to her hands. "I told you, she said she knew how. She claimed she’d already picked up the tricks. Why should I butt in? I’m not doing it for fun."

Did Qiqi start giving pointers that quickly? Considering how slowly the other person washed and cut vegetables, the food probably hadn't even hit the pot yet. Did the vegetable cutting itself cause a problem? Shi Man wanted to ask Shi Hongrui what mistake she’d made that prompted Wang Qiqi to rush upstairs to correct her. The other person’s reaction must have genuinely upset Wang Qiqi. "Her?"

"She cut the potatoes very small," Wang Qiqi stated simply.

Zhang Yan and Zhao Rongrong were unsure about this point, but Shi Man, being a cook herself, understood immediately. "Is she planning on making curry potatoes or mashed potatoes?" Didn't she say she was making beef and potatoes? If the potatoes were that small, and the beef needed to simmer for a while, would the dish still be edible? Shi Man imagined the entire pot turning into a thick paste and felt her appetite turn. If that constituted stealing cooking knowledge, Shi Man felt the other person’s culinary standards were truly something to behold. She briefly considered going to the kitchen in an hour under the pretense of getting juice to check on the dinner, but ultimately dismissed the idea. She didn't want the other person to think she was deliberately looking for a show, potentially earning a nasty glare. It was better to stay upstairs and discuss making money than to go downstairs and get scolded.

Wang Qiqi was honestly a little worried Shi Man might go downstairs. If Shi Hongrui insisted on cooking that way, Wang Qiqi was certain that pot of stew was basically ruined. She could already picture how it would turn out. "Did you tell Rongrong the good news yet?" Seeing Zhao Rongrong’s eyes sparkling with overwhelming joy was confirmation enough that the two of them had already relayed the happy update.

Zhao Rongrong nodded happily. "I know everything, thank you, Qiqi." Although Zhang Yan and Shi Man hadn't said much more, she understood that Mark must have been reluctant, or he wouldn't have waited this long to agree. If Qiqi hadn't been familiar with Mark, Zhao Rongrong felt the matter would have been truly uncertain.

Wang Qiqi didn't dare take all the credit. "If you're thanking someone, thank JOHN too. If he hadn't been there urging things along, Mark probably wouldn't have agreed. And this has to remain a secret, Rongrong, especially since Mark is still working at the studio." Although the business ventures didn't clash, if gossips got wind of it, who knew how they’d twist things? If Mark handled his main job impeccably without error, it would be fine. But if he made even a small mistake, the issue would become serious. The BOSS would immediately suspect his main job was being affected by too much side work. This was a huge issue that could sabotage his career path. Even though Mark earned a commission, he had no need to covet such meager funds; he could easily manage his own stock portfolio, which was less stressful and offered peace of mind if something went wrong.

"Yan Yan told me just now," Zhao Rongrong said with a serious expression. "I won't tell her. Only the four of us will know about this." If Shi Hongrui let the secret slip—even though they weren't at the same school, their circle was still small—the news would eventually leak, and the consequences would be major. "After all, I’m making money through this too. I even told Yan Yan earlier that I hope heaven blesses us so we can earn big this time, enough to pay back some of the money my parents gave me."

Among the four of them, Wang Qiqi was most uneasy about Zhao Rongrong, precisely because she was closest to Shi Hongrui. If she let something slip carelessly while talking, things could go terribly wrong. If Shi Hongrui found out they were discreetly making money in the stock market behind her back, given her petty nature, she absolutely wouldn't let it go easily. She would definitely blow the matter up, making life miserable for everyone. Now that Zhao Rongrong had said what she did and stated her plans for the earnings, Wang Qiqi felt a bit relieved.

In Wang Qiqi's estimation, too many assurances were sometimes less reliable than clear economic interest. Now that everyone was on the same boat, that was the safest arrangement. "Rongrong, calculate exactly how much money you can put in, and it would be best if you could give me the money in the next few days. Mark mentioned there might be a market trend coming up that we can act on." Once the funds were secured and the expert found, all they needed was the timing to make money work for them, and this time they were quite lucky to have a potential trade so soon.

A market trend coming up? Zhao Rongrong was quite surprised. Wasn't Qiqi still working at the studio? If there was a major trend, why wasn't she working overtime at the studio crunching data and attending meetings? Why was she sticking to a normal schedule? This genuinely astonished Zhao Rongrong. "You... aren't busy?"

Wang Qiqi hadn't processed the question at first. How could she not be busy? She had been so busy she’d forgotten what it felt like to wake up naturally. "How am I not busy? Ever since I mentioned needing money, the volume of work has skyrocketed! Haven't you all been quite busy lately too?" The assignments Wang Qiqi took on were distributed among Shi Man and the others for completion, with her responsible for the final review. Although some tasks weren't overly difficult, Wang Qiqi knew that at a time like this, one couldn't afford to slack off; otherwise, people might not be willing to help in the future.

Zhao Rongrong understood Wang Qiqi was trying to deflect. "I mean at the studio. If Mark says there’s a trend, why isn't your studio making any noise?" Zhao Rongrong wasn't in finance, but she knew that major market trends didn't appear constantly, and even when they did, profit wasn't guaranteed. She recalled how busy Qiqi and the others were at the end of last year chasing a so-called big opportunity—making money wasn't easy. Therefore, in Zhao Rongrong's view, sometimes completing assignments that weren't overly complex was better; good quality and frequent completion could still lead to profit. Wang Qiqi had tried to explain this to Zhao Rongrong before, and she had understood, but she still felt that approach resulted in a loss from a cost perspective, which left Qiqi unsure how to respond further.

"Does your boss have plans for a major project?" Thinking of this, Zhao Rongrong grew excited. If they could hitch a ride on that opportunity, perhaps everyone could earn more money with less effort.

As for Zhao Rongrong’s hypothesis, Wang Qiqi admitted she didn’t know. It wasn't that she refused to share; Mark’s implication was that everyone should rest as much as possible lately and focus on finishing their theses. Otherwise, if things got hectic, they might forget about their papers. While there might be opportunities for remediation, it was precarious for graduating students. This made Wang Qiqi even busier; she needed to take advantage of the current lull to quickly finalize her thesis for the BOSS to review. He wouldn't care that she was working at the studio or busy with big contracts; he would expect those working and learning at the studio to deliver even better results on their primary tasks. Wang Qiqi found this utterly infuriating.

Wang Qiqi’s silence was interpreted by Zhao Rongrong and the others as confirmation. "Qiqi, could it be true? Is there insider information?" Although Shi Man thought the probability was low, she couldn't dismiss the possibility. Maybe Qiqi’s BOSS would, at the last minute, tell everyone to notify their families to buy a certain stock or something similar.

Shi Man hadn't realized she had spoken her inner thoughts aloud, and Wang Qiqi’s response was to pick up a thick book and playfully whack her on the head. "Hey, Qiqi, what kind of attitude is that? Don't you know that could make me dumber?" Shi Man rubbed her head in annoyance. Although Qiqi had moderated her strength, Shi Man still felt a slight throbbing. "Even though I have a man now, didn't you say I shouldn't rely on men constantly? If I don't use my brain to earn money, are you going to support me?"

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man, who seemed determined to cling to her, and replied crossly, "You're already quite dense as it is. If I hit you, it might result in a double negative—becoming positive. At worst, you'll just be even dumber. You’re pretty dense already."

Shi Man let out a few haughty snorts, deciding not to argue with Qiqi over such a trivial topic. Time was short; no need to waste it on pointless chatter. "If there’s really a big project, Mark will have to go completely silent, right? Then what happens to our stocks?" Qiqi would be busy initially but relatively free later, whereas Mark would be on high alert from start to finish. If the trend he mentioned hadn't yet resolved before he went silent, what would happen to their stocks? Would they just watch the opportunity pass by?

"Don't worry about that; we have JOHN," Zhang Yan replied, unconcerned about Zhao Rongrong's worries. Her man was truly a hidden gem. Initially, she thought Mark was just managing his assets, but she later learned they were actually partners. They were both people who disliked hassle, so they generally didn't accept clients unless they were well-acquainted.

"JOHN?"

"What does JOHN have to do with this?"

Both Shi Man and Zhao Rongrong were surprised. Although they didn't know JOHN’s major, it certainly had nothing to do with finance now. He seemed refined and utterly lacking in the aggressive demeanor associated with finance. Anyone like him walking down the street exuded pure scholarly charm. Could someone like that really be trusted to manage stocks?

"Yan Yan, even though he’s your man, that..." Zhao Rongrong felt she had to interject. They couldn't lower their standards just because he was Zhang Yan's boyfriend; that would be sacrificing money for a relationship.

Shi Man nodded along. She had never imagined JOHN would be involved in this. "Didn't he also have Mark manage his stocks?" Mark had always handled things before; how was it that JOHN could suddenly operate the stocks too? "It’s not April Fool’s Day today." Even though they were closer now, the day hadn't arrived yet. What annoyed Shi Man was that it seemed Qiqi and Yan Yan knew something but deliberately withheld it on the drive back, only mentioning Mark agreeing to manage the stocks, never bringing up JOHN. Otherwise, why would she be so shocked?

Zhao Rongrong had assumed Shi Man might have some inside knowledge, but judging by her expression, she was completely unaware. "What’s the deal with JOHN? Is Mark going to write down instructions for JOHN to follow before he locks himself away?" If that were the case, Zhao Rongrong felt Zhang Yan could handle it herself; there was no need to trouble JOHN. But the stock market changed frequently; what if the situation evolved beyond Mark’s predictions? Should Qiqi corner Mark at the studio to ask for the next steps? Wouldn't that create a bad impression?

"JOHN? He’s a master, that one. I think he’s like a book—every page you turn reveals something new." After all, he was Zhang Yan's man, so Wang Qiqi hadn't paid excessive attention to the details. "Ask Yan Yan for the specifics, but I doubt we’ll get to it today. However, I can guarantee that even if Mark locks himself away and can’t come out, our funds will be secure."

Wang Qiqi’s words left Shi Man and Zhao Rongrong completely baffled. What was going on? The only thing they were certain of was that regardless of Mark's actions, their money would be safe. Their next task was to get Zhang Yan to explain who JOHN was.

Under the intense gaze of the two women, Zhang Yan finally explained JOHN’s situation. "I actually just found out myself," she clarified, "You can ask Qiqi if you don't believe me." While Zhang Yan could understand JOHN’s decision, as his girlfriend, she felt a slight knot in her stomach. Even though Qiqi had tried to comfort her, for Zhang Yan, it was an issue of trust. She believed that if she had tried to rely on her man too much, JOHN probably wouldn't have revealed his situation to her so quickly.

Shi Man and Zhao Rongrong were stunned by what Zhang Yan had just revealed; the sheer volume of the information was almost too much to process. "That's not an issue of whether we believe you or not, it's just that I'm worried I might have a problem with my hearing," Shi Man insisted, repeatedly digging at her earlobe. "Yanyan, could you say that again?" She was convinced she must have misheard everything.

Seeing the two women clearly suspecting their own auditory senses, Zhang Yan gave them an impatient slap on the shoulder. "You heard me correctly. All right, let's go downstairs now, or someone might think we're up to something up here again."

Since she hadn't imagined it, Shi Man let out a long sigh. "I feel like the dinner we treated you to before wasn't nearly upscale enough."

Wang Qiqi and Zhao Rongrong both nodded in agreement. "I never would have guessed JOHN was actually that incredible," Wang Qiqi marveled. "Yanyan, you were right to study abroad; you actually managed to find such an outstanding man."

"I envy you."

"I hate you! We all met JOHN at the exact same time!" Shi Man declared with profound regret. "I need to tell my Old Feng that I gave up on what a stellar opportunity I let slip by just to stick around by your side." With that, Shi Man quietly tiptoed her way downstairs. RS