"JOHN is heading to the States tomorrow," Shi Man said, knowing that Wang Qiqi had been in seclusion these past few days and was likely out of the loop on many things. She hadn't contacted Han Tao recently, so Shi Man figured Qiqi wouldn't know about this.

JOHN is going back to the States? Wang Qiqi just murmured an "oh," perhaps thinking he had to rush back for a family matter. She didn't dwell on it, assuming Shi Man was just updating her on everyone's recent activities because she'd been in seclusion.

"You knew?" Shi Man hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to just say "oh" and drop it. She figured Han Tao hadn't managed to reach her either, so how could Qiqi know so quickly? "Don't tell me you actually guessed JOHN would be investing." After thinking it over, this seemed the only possibility. After all, Qiqi was the one who made the initial connection for this deal; of course, she'd have the inside scoop.

Investing? Wang Qiqi was surprised, setting down her chopsticks. "JOHN is definitely coming in as an investor?" It had only been a few days; wouldn't he do some investigation first? Wang Qiqi couldn't believe that just a couple of sentences from her would make JOHN put up real money. Besides, Mark’s expression had been a bit strange that day. Qiqi had assumed that even if the deal went through, JOHN would wait until certain results were achieved before investing. She hadn't expected him to put money in this quickly. This... Wang Qiqi wondered if his gambler's mentality was too strong. "Isn't he afraid of losing money?" she murmured softly.

Wang Qiqi’s last sentence was quiet, but Shi Man heard it clearly and became annoyed. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Qiqi's forehead, she exclaimed, "Hey, is that any way to talk? How did you manage to convince us to invest before? So, you weren't that sure either?" Half of Shi Man's anger was genuine. Although the amount everyone invested wasn't huge, it added up to a substantial sum in Renminbi. Everyone had decided to invest based on Wang Qiqi's vision and Han Tao's explanations—and also because Qiqi’s previous ideas had genuinely made them a good profit. Otherwise, no matter how well she pitched it, they wouldn't have invested. But hearing Qiqi now, Shi Man felt a pang of being misled.

"I thought it had potential, but he barely interacts with Han Tao or Fatty, and he doesn't know about my previous situation. I just wonder if he’s being too rash. Maybe he hasn't invested in this industry before and is just looking for a project now that the internet sector is doing well?" Wang Qiqi considered this possibility. If that were the case, Qiqi would have second thoughts about letting him manage the stock portfolio. Truthfully, she didn't know him well enough. What if he was just a reckless guy who ended up sinking everyone's money?

The thought of this possibility made Wang Qiqi's face change, looking deeply troubled. She had put in a significant sum this time. What if it was lost? Wang Qiqi almost wished Mark would stop messing around with the studio; even if the BOSS was willing to share some profits, it wouldn't compare to what Mark could earn by focusing on handling orders. But now, Wang Qiqi could only regret it internally. The agreement was signed. Alas, she could only hope that what Mark had said was true, and that someone was indeed 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 because she knew Qiqi wouldn't take it seriously. Seeing Qiqi’s regretful expression now made her a little fearful. Did Qiqi think she was being serious? Ugh, Qiqi had been busy writing her thesis, draining who knows how many brain cells. How could she joke around with Qiqi like that? "I was just kidding. If I didn't trust you, who would I trust? Besides, Han Tao is handling this. Do you think he’d talk about starting a venture without some certainty? At worst, I still trust my man, don't I? And think about what kind of figure Old Feng is; it’s hard to fool him..." Shi Man rushed to explain, determined to make Qiqi understand that she truly hadn't regretted the investment.

Seeing Shi Man stammering through her explanation, Wang Qiqi burst into laughter. What an adorable person. "Of course, I knew you were joking. Besides, the agreement is signed; even if we lose money, we have to take the hit. I’m just wondering why JOHN is going to the States now, and Mark will be busy tomorrow too. I’m worried about our money." Wang Qiqi wouldn't be foolish enough to voice her distrust of JOHN. Things hadn't reached the most critical stage yet, so there was no need to spread alarmist talk. If it reached Zhang Yan's ears, she might get upset.

When Shi Man realized Qiqi was worried about that, she almost said Qiqi was overthinking things. But then she thought about it—it was true. JOHN was going to the States for personal matters; if it were her, she would be more focused on that too. Thinking this, Shi Man also sighed. "Well, it is a bit troublesome. But his investment will at least bolster our capital. It’s better than having nothing. And maybe the stock market is stable right now, so he doesn't need constant monitoring. Plus, even if he's in the States, he can still watch the market and operate." Shi Man let out a breath of relief here. "Otherwise, I can ask Yan Yan tomorrow to check in with Mark about the stocks they are trading, and we can keep an eye on them then." Since this was the case, she would pay a little more attention and check the stock market. But that depended on whether they were willing to share information. This involved internal knowledge, and perhaps they wouldn't want to leak it. If she pushed too hard, would they be unhappy?

"Let’s forget it. Since Mark and JOHN are so confident, and they have their own money involved, and worst comes to worst, isn't there still Yan Yan?" Wang Qiqi decided against asking Zhang Yan to inquire. Although Yan Yan was JOHN's girlfriend, asking her might yield worse results than if Man Man or she asked directly. "I don't fully trust JOHN, but isn't there Mark?"

Shi Man stared at Wang Qiqi speechlessly for a long time. She had only one thought: the other person was the one with the issue. First, she didn't trust one person, then she didn't trust another, but when Shi Man offered to ask, she found fault with everything. Qiqi was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Shi Man decided not to dwell on this point. "Right, when you have time later, ask Han Tao if he knows whether JOHN going to the States is related to the investment discussion." It would be more direct to ask Han Tao about this. Although the other shareholders would eventually receive notification, it would likely be after everything was finalized.

Wang Qiqi murmured, "Can't you ask Han Tao yourself?" She wasn't without his contact information. As for Fatty, Wang Qiqi guessed he was too busy with programming to bother with such things. As for Han Tao, Wang Qiqi wasn't entirely sure if he would know about it.

Shi Man pouted. "It's been a long time since you contacted Han Tao. I’m giving you the chance now to reach out to him, and look at you, you're truly heartbreaking. These days you've been in seclusion..." 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 certainly consult him about investment matters.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to have that idea. "I wronged you, girl. How about I cook a delicious meal tomorrow as an apology?" This wasn't just an empty promise from Wang Qiqi; it was because MAY had mentioned helping her out considering the upcoming graduation thesis. Plus, she had burdened Man Man and the others these past few days. Wang Qiqi was thinking of treating them well to show her gratitude. "You can buy whatever dishes you all like."

Shi Man hadn't expected such a great benefit, so she dropped the matter of JOHN. She was a small shareholder in the investment; jumping up and down wouldn't help anything. A good meal was more tangible. "Don't worry, I won't be polite." Thinking of the wonderful spread Qiqi would make tomorrow, Shi Man could already imagine how unpleasant someone's expression would be. "Oh, right, if you see that person’s sour face tomorrow, don't take it to heart." Shi Man had gotten used to that person's expression these past few days. If she were smiling sweetly one day, it would actually make Shi Man feel that something bad was about to happen.

"My eyesight is bad," Wang Qiqi replied, certainly not taking that person's expression to heart. Hadn't she seen such looks countless times in her past life? She would look at the faces she was willing to see and simply block out the rest.

Hearing Wang Qiqi's response, a thought struck Shi Man. "You are tough." Shi Man gave Wang Qiqi a thumbs-up, then gathered the dishes and headed downstairs, planning to share the good news with Yan Yan and the others. It might also make the already unhappy people even more miserable. "I need to immediately tell Yan Yan and the others this great news!"

Watching the smug Shi Man head downstairs, Wang Qiqi knew she was off to show off. It seemed that that person hadn't completely ruined Shi Man’s mood these past few days, or she wouldn't be doing this. Wang Qiqi reviewed her thesis one last time and sent it off. She silently prayed that this paper would pass the review. Although it integrated theory, Wang Qiqi still worried her professor wouldn't approve it.

After sending the email, Wang Qiqi went online to check if her man was available. Seeing that Han Tao was online, she casually asked if he knew about this matter. Han Tao's reply greatly surprised Wang Qiqi. She had initially thought JOHN was investing randomly, but it turned out he hadn't been without prior investments; it just seemed they hadn't gone very smoothly, according to his partners. Wang Qiqi realized that JOHN was casting a wide net, hoping to snag a high-performing stock that could recoup all his losses. Now Wang Qiqi understood: he wasn't brainless; it was just that he wasn't reborn and wasn't in this industry, so what else could he do but spread his bets? Of course, this choice came only after JOHN had a certain level of understanding of the project. Wang Qiqi suddenly had an idea: perhaps when she had more money, she could try this kind of 'fishing in the ocean' approach too. If she managed to catch a big fish, it might work out. Furthermore, every investment she’d made so far had been successful. If success kept coming, people might start to think she had some special insight. Therefore, having a failed investment might just make them believe she was only slightly luckier than average.