QTIMP -Chapter 110 Character Persona – Money Loving (Part 20)

There was simply no way to avoid it—the old master agreed. What he didn’t know, however, was that the old master had quietly crossed out the shares originally intended for Pei Jiutian.

The Wang family also believed that it was Pei Tai’s actions that had led to Pei Jingzhou’s mother passing away early. The elderly couple had educated Pei Jingzhou in this way until their last days.

Thus, the two brothers were essentially incompatible, like fire and water.

Pei Jingzhou watched Pei Jiutian walk forward without even pausing. Pei Jiutian fiddled with a lighter in his hand. “My dear elder brother… are you really planning to turn a blind eye? After all, we’re blood relatives…”

“My mom only gave birth to me. I have no siblings. You, a bastard, I even doubt whether you’re really of the Pei family. After all, with your mother’s status, something like this isn’t impossible. So don’t call me ‘elder brother.’ It’s dirty.”

Si Qiu had never seen him speak so sharply. In the past, whether at the company or with others, he would only show a cold expression when angry. But now, the level of disgust in his tone was comparable to dog feces.

Si Qiu saw that Pei Jiutian’s face darkened upon hearing this, but he was undoubtedly of the Pei family, bearing a five-point resemblance to Pei Tai.

Pei Jiutian took a step closer. “Whether I’m of the Pei family isn’t up to you. No matter how much you despise me, it won’t change your place in our father’s heart.”

A cruel smile spread across his face. “You, unwanted and unloved, can only feel envy, jealousy, and hatred.”

Pei Jingzhou snorted. “I’m not a child waiting to be doted on by my parents. But you… you’d better hope the old master lives a long life! Otherwise…”

With a cold laugh, Pei Jingzhou turned and left. Naturally, Si Qiu followed him, though she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the extremely ruthless look in Pei Jiutian’s eyes—an expression that would mar his otherwise fine looks.

Once everyone had left, Si Qiu went over and took his hand, meeting his gaze with a warm smile. Though she didn’t fully understand the Pei family situation, a few hours of interaction had already given her some insight.

In the following days, the old master and Pei Jingzhou were particularly busy, meeting with government officials and touring the scenic spots around the capital.

Si Qiu sometimes admired the nearly seventy-year-old man. His energy was definitely greater than hers. But Si Qiu had no time to focus on them.

She was planning to go to Japan at the end of the year, intending to short the Japanese stock market at a crucial moment. Preparations beforehand were essential.

During summer vacation, she and Qiao Yalan had gone to Hong Kong, converting all their funds, and then opened accounts through a securities company in Singapore.

After all, foreign accounts were more user-friendly there. The trader Qiao Yalan had found had already been confirmed, and the whole summer had kept her extremely busy.

Yet, there was still a practical problem: insufficient capital. When she returned from Hong Kong with large bags, Pei Jingzhou assumed she had been shopping.

He even gave her some pocket money, but didn’t inquire further. With the government collaboration fully underway, he was indeed too busy.

Knowing that Si Qiu had schoolwork to finish and would manage her time carefully, he made sure she had several bodyguards and didn’t pay much attention otherwise.

It was the old master, on the other hand, who had her accompany him fishing twice after her return. Later, he mentioned wanting to visit his hometown and left with his son and grandson.

He didn’t return until just before Christmas. Si Qiu, busy with her final exams, only saw him briefly upon his return before diving back into her schedule.

Right after the holiday began here, the old master’s driver came over to pick her up.

The two of them sat in a tea room of the old master’s side wing. After brewing, the tea produced a misty crown on the surface. The liquor was a clear yellowish green, with an orchid-like aroma and a long, lingering aftertaste.

At a glance, Si Qiu could tell it was Huangshan Maofeng tea. Its leaves were slightly curled like sparrow tongues, green tinged with yellow, with silver tips showing—a clear sign of top quality.

From what she knew, the old master particularly loved Qimen black tea, so this pot of tea said everything: he understood her extremely well.

Si Qiu took the tea and tapped three times lightly on the table with her fingers. The old master paused in surprise, then lifted the cup and sipped it slowly.

In his heart, he reassessed his opinion of Si Qiu.

The teacups were small, and the two of them drank the tea in a few sips. Si Qiu reached for the teapot first to refill their cups, moving gracefully and with perfect form.

Seeing this, the old master suddenly smiled. “You’re even better than I imagined.”

“Did I disappoint you?” she asked, meaning that since she exceeded his expectations, it might make it harder for him to handle her, thus disappointing him.

The old master understood her meaning and shook his head. “No, our family isn’t that petty. You truly deserve a little extra from me.”

He took a checkbook, carefully filled out a check, and slid it over. Si Qiu glanced at it and saw it was for ten million US dollars.

“You’re very generous, Old Master.”

“It’s just to put Jingzhou’s mind at ease.”

Si Qiu nodded in understanding. “Don’t worry, Old Master. I understand.”

Si Qiu took the check and stood up to leave. She handed the check to someone she trusted for the accounts she had registered with Qiao Yalan earlier, then flew directly to Japan herself.

The old master had thoroughly investigated her matters, and the check was directly from a bank there, saving Si Qiu a lot of trouble—especially given the strict regulations at home.

Moving one thousand US dollars out of the country wasn’t easy.

Back at home, she packed her suitcase, carefully planning to maximize the value of the money. That night, she and her bodyguards took flights to Japan. Qiao Yalan had already gone ahead and, according to her, had registered more than thirty accounts.

They routed all of both their funds into these accounts, and with the additional ten million US dollars she brought, everything would be in place before she even landed.

At this time, Japanese securities had strict rules for short selling, at least requiring certain steps…

After landing, Qiao Yalan took her to their accommodation. Without even pausing for a drink, they began giving instructions to the early arrivals: before the stock market closed, they had to execute the ten million, leveraging it to short the market.

Si Qiu spun her chair, tilting her head at Qiao Yalan standing behind her. “Yalan, have you thought this through? With leverage this high, if we lose, we might not be able to pay it off in our lifetime.”

Qiao Yalan turned Si Qiu’s chair toward the computer. “You’ve asked me that many times already. Didn’t you say it yourself? ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ You invested far more than I did—you dare to bet, so why wouldn’t I?”

Si Qiu smiled and said nothing more. When the market opened on the first, they immediately placed the short orders. The money the two of them had pooled together, in comparison to the ten million US dollars she had brought over, was only enough to cover the fees.