“JOHN is leaving for the States tomorrow.” Shi Man knew that Wang Qiqi had been in seclusion these past few days and wasn't aware of many things; she hadn't contacted Han Tao recently, so Shi Man figured she wouldn't know about this.

JOHN is returning to the States? Wang Qiqi made an "oh," thinking perhaps he had urgent family matters back home. She didn't dwell on it, assuming Shi Man was just updating her on everyone’s recent movements because she’d been in isolation.

“You knew?” Shi Man was surprised by Wang Qiqi’s mild reaction and lack of follow-up. She thought that since Han Tao hadn't connected with her either, how could Qiqi know so quickly? “Don’t tell me you actually guessed that JOHN was going to invest in the shares.” Thinking it over, that was the only possibility. After all, wasn’t Qiqi the one who put the deal together in the first place? Of course, she would have an idea.

Invest in shares? Wang Qiqi was astonished, putting down her chopsticks. “JOHN has confirmed he’s investing?” It had only been a few days; wouldn’t he do a bit of investigation first? Wang Qiqi didn't believe that just a couple of sentences from her would make JOHN put up real money. Besides, Mark’s expression had been strange that day. Wang Qiqi had assumed that even if the deal went through, he’d wait until they achieved certain results before investing. She hadn't expected him to put money in so quickly. This... Wang Qiqi wondered if his gambler's mentality was too strong. “Isn’t he afraid of losing money?” she murmured quietly.

Wang Qiqi’s last sentence was quite soft, but Shi Man heard it clearly, and she immediately became annoyed. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Wang Qiqi’s forehead, she exclaimed, “Hey, is that how you talk? How did you convince us to invest before? So, you weren’t very certain yourself either.” Half of Shi Man’s anger was genuine. Although the amount everyone invested wasn't huge, converted to RMB, it was quite substantial. Everyone decided to invest based on Wang Qiqi’s vision and Han Tao’s explanations—and also, a very important reason was that Wang Qiqi’s previous ideas had actually made them quite a bit of money; otherwise, no matter how well she pitched it, they wouldn't have invested. But hearing what Qiqi said now, Shi Man immediately felt like she’d been tricked.

“I thought it had potential, but he hasn't had much contact with Han Tao or Fatty, and he doesn't know about my situation before. I was just thinking, is he being too rash? Or perhaps he hasn't invested in this industry before, saw how well the internet sector is developing now, and just wants to find a project to put money into?” Wang Qiqi considered this possibility. However, if that were the case, Wang Qiqi would hesitate about letting him look after the stock portfolio. Truthfully, she didn't know him well enough. What if he was just a reckless fellow who ended up losing everyone’s money?

The thought of this possibility made Wang Qiqi’s expression shift to one of deep distress. She had put in a considerable sum this time; what if it was lost? Wang Qiqi almost wished Mark hadn't gotten involved with the studio. Even if the BOSS was willing to share some profit, it wouldn't be as much as Mark earned focusing solely on handling the orders. But now, Wang Qiqi could only regret it in her heart; the agreement was signed. Sigh, she could only hope that what Mark said was true, and that the man in question was reliable.

“Qiqi, what’s wrong? You didn't actually take what I said seriously, did you?” Wang Qiqi’s prolonged silence startled Shi Man. She had only said that knowing Wang Qiqi wouldn't take it seriously, but now seeing Qiqi look regretful, Shi Man felt a pang of fear. Did Qiqi think she was being sincere? Sigh, she supposed she had been busy writing her thesis, burning through so many brain cells, why did she joke with Qiqi? “I was just kidding. If I didn't trust you, who would I trust? Besides, Han Tao is handling this. If he wasn't confident, would he have mentioned starting a venture? At worst, I still trust my man, don’t I? Think about the caliber of Old Feng—it’s hard to fool him...” Shi Man kept explaining earnestly, determined to let Qiqi know she genuinely hadn't had second thoughts.

Seeing Shi Man stammering through her explanations, Wang Qiqi burst out laughing. What an adorable friend. “Of course, I knew you were joking. Besides, the agreement is signed; even if we lose money, we just have to accept the bad luck. I was just wondering why JOHN is going to the States at this time, and Mark will be busy tomorrow too. I’m worried about our money.” Wang Qiqi wasn't foolish enough to voice her mistrust of JOHN. Things hadn't reached a critical point yet, so she shouldn't say anything alarming that might reach Zhang Yan’s ears and upset her.

When Shi Man realized Wang Qiqi was worried about that, she initially thought Qiqi was overthinking things. But then she reconsidered—it was true. JOHN was going to the States for personal matters, and Shi Man would likely be more preoccupied with her own affairs too. Thinking this, Shi Man sighed, “Well, it is a hassle. But since he’s investing in our project, at least the funds will be more secure—we have something, or we don't. And perhaps the stock market is relatively stable right now, so it’s fine not to monitor it constantly. Also, even if he’s in the States, he can still watch the market and make trades.” With that, Shi Man breathed a sigh of relief. “How about I ask Yan Yan tomorrow to inquire with Mark and the others about the stocks they are trading, and then we can keep an eye on them?” Since that was the case, she would pay a bit more attention and check the stock market. But it depended on whether they were willing to share information. This involved some inside knowledge; if she pressed them, would they be unhappy?

“Forget it. Since Mark and JOHN are so confident, and they have money tied up in it too, and besides, isn’t Yan Yan there if things go wrong?” Wang Qiqi decided against having Zhang Yan ask. Although she was JOHN’s girlfriend, asking might lead to a worse result than if she or Man Man asked directly. “I don’t fully trust JOHN, but isn’t there Mark?”

Shi Man stared at Wang Qiqi, speechless, for a long time. She had only one thought: this person has a problem herself. One moment she doesn’t trust this one, the next she worries about that one, but when Shi Man offered to ask, she shot down every suggestion. Shi Man felt Qiqi was stuck, unable to advance or retreat. She decided not to debate this point further. “By the way, later when you have time, ask Han Tao if he knows whether JOHN going to the States is related to the investment discussion.” It would be more straightforward to ask Han Tao about this. Although the shareholders would eventually receive notification, it would likely be after everything was finalized.

Wang Qiqi made an "oh." “Can’t you ask Han Tao yourself?” It wasn’t like she didn’t have his contact info. As for Fatty, Wang Qiqi guessed he was too busy programming to care about such details. As for Han Tao, Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if he would even know about it.

Shi Man pouted. “You haven’t contacted Han Tao in ages! I’m giving you the chance to reach out to him now, and look at you—it’s truly disheartening. During your seclusion these past few days...” Shi Man thought that if she wanted to know these things, she could ask Old Feng instead of Han Tao; although Old Feng was busy, JOHN would definitely consult him regarding investments.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man had that idea. “I wronged you, girl. How about I cook a delicious meal tomorrow to make up for it?” This wasn’t Wang Qiqi issuing an empty promise; MAY had previously said she would help out since Wang Qiqi needed to focus on her graduation thesis. Plus, she had relied on Man Man and the others quite a bit lately. Wang Qiqi wanted to thank them properly. “You can go buy the ingredients for whatever you all love to eat.”

Shi Man hadn’t expected such a nice perk and dropped the subject of JOHN. She was a small shareholder in the investment; what good was flitting around? A good meal was much more tangible. “Don't worry, I won't be polite about it.” The thought of Qiqi making a whole table of delicacies tomorrow made Shi Man anticipate how terrible the expression of a certain person would be. “Oh, right, if you see someone with an ugly face tomorrow, don’t take it to heart.” Shi Man had gotten used to seeing that person’s sour expression these past few days; if they were cheerful one day, it would make Shi Man think something bad was about to happen.

“My eyesight is bad.” Wang Qiqi wouldn't let someone’s expression bother her. Hadn't she seen that kind of look plenty when she was younger in her previous life? She’d look at faces she liked, and simply filter out the ones she didn’t.

Hearing Wang Qiqi’s response, Shi Man had a realization. “You’re strong.” Shi Man gave Wang Qiqi a thumbs-up, then gathered the dishes and headed downstairs, planning to share this good news with Yan Yan and the others, perhaps worsening the already sour mood of one person slightly. “I need to tell Yan Yan and the others this wonderful news right away!”

Watching the smug Shi Man descend the stairs, Wang Qiqi knew she was off to show off. It seemed the past few days hadn't been too unpleasant for Shi Man, or she wouldn't be doing this. After reviewing her thesis, Wang Qiqi sent it off. She kept praying that this paper would be accepted. Although it combined theory with practice, Wang Qiqi worried her professor wouldn't let her pass.

After sending the email, Wang Qiqi logged online to see if her man was online. Seeing that Han Tao was online, she casually asked if he knew anything about this matter. Han Tao’s reply greatly surprised Wang Qiqi. She had assumed JOHN was just investing randomly, but it turned out he hadn’t been without prior investments—it just seemed they hadn't gone very smoothly. This was according to his partners, JOHN had said. Wang Qiqi realized that he was casting a wide net, hoping to snag one star performer who could recoup all his losses. Wang Qiqi now understood that the man wasn't brainless; he just wasn't reborn and wasn't in this industry, so what else could he do but cast a wide net? Of course, this was a choice JOHN made only after gaining some understanding of the projects. Wang Qiqi suddenly had a thought: maybe she, too, should cast a wide net when she had more money. If she dug up a big catch, it might work. Moreover, all her investments had been successful so far. Wang Qiqi felt that one or two successes might just be luck, but repeated success would inevitably lead to thoughts of expansion. Therefore, having failed investments might make others perceive her as just someone slightly more fortunate.