"Brother Jiang, I haven't properly thanked you for this. My dad says if there's a chance he'd like to treat you to a meal. After all, this whole mess started because of me—thankfully it didn't drag you down."
After saying that, Qi Yuan leaned closer and lowered his voice: "If Dad hadn't found out I still have ties with you, he'd have shipped me overseas already."
Jiang Cheng saw how worked-up Qi Yuan looked.
Clearly the guy had been nursing a deep grudge against Wang Hao for ages.
Over the years the Wang family had been needling the Qis at every turn; Qi Yuan had had to swallow every insult and just endure.
Now that the Wangs were in trouble, Qi Yuan simply couldn't fake any sympathy.
If his old man hadn't told him to keep a low profile, he'd have set off firecrackers to celebrate.
Talking about it now with Jiang Cheng, every word dripped schadenfreude—he couldn't fake restraint even if he tried.
After all, with the Wangs toppled, the biggest winner would be the Qi family.
"We'll see. Once the market closes these two days I'm heading back to Chengdu to get ready—classes start soon," Jiang Cheng replied.
"Sure. Next time you're here I'll set up something big." Qi Yuan, still riding high, grinned from ear to ear.
Jiang Cheng clapped his shoulder and laughed: "Thought about which car you're buying?"
"With Coca-Cola tanking like this, I don't think I'm limiting myself to a porsche 911 anymore—Ferrari, Lamborghini, I'm letting my imagination run wild. I'll go home tonight and figure out which flashiest super-car to grab."
"Old Jiang, I'm starting to think your twenty-five-percent target was way too modest. The market's only just opened and look how far it's crashed—when do you plan to close?" Qin Fen asked.
"No rush. We can wait one more day; we should be able to close the day after tomorrow."
This time no one questioned Jiang Cheng's play; everyone simply nodded.
"Till the day after tomorrow?? At this rate I bet we'll hit a hundred-percent gain," Wang Congcong exclaimed.
"Don't bet—dream big. A hundred percent is totally on the table." Jiang Cheng patted Wang Congcong on the shoulder.
"What—one hundred percent? I'm losing my mind!" Beside them, Chen Hao shrieked dramatically.
A hundred-percent return would mean his two hundred million in had already earned him another two hundred million.
How insane was that?
Doubling your money in a few days—wasn't that outrageous??
Hearing the words "hundred-percent," Qi Yuan was stunned too.
"If it really hits a hundred, then I'm also losing it. I thought my hundred million would be enough; now it suddenly feels lacking—this cash was borrowed by shamelessly pestering people. I should've asked for more. Agh." Qi Yuan winced and sighed.
"Jiang Cheng, can it actually reach a hundred?" Wang Zheng asked, still clinging to a sliver of rationality despite the excitement.
After all, he'd grown up around finance; a hundred-percent gain was almost unheard-of.
And for a giant like this—once the Wall Street sharks reacted, they'd rush in to rescue the stock; they wouldn't let it keep plummeting.
These were U.S. dollars, not chinese yuan.
Jiang Cheng nodded and, for the first time, patiently explained.
"My intel says that although Coca-Cola held a press conference yesterday to apologize publicly, consumers aren't buying it, which is why the stock's nosediving today."
"After tonight's rout, Coca-Cola should quickly realize their arrogance was a mistake; they'll announce a full recall of the product batch listed in Belgium and launch tests on the problematic drinks."
"At the same time they'll refund and compensate affected families, covering medical bills, follow-up treatment, and any other losses."
"Once that process is in motion, regional directors in major countries will step up to assure the public: the Coca-Cola bottled elsewhere does not share the Belgian or French production line, restoring consumer confidence worldwide."
"Only after they've set up dedicated online liaisons will the storm gradually subside, and the share price will begin to recover."
After Jiang Cheng laid it out, everyone froze for a second.
"With that roadmap, a hundred-percent gain is basically locked," Qin Fen said, rubbing his hands in glee.
Jiang Cheng gave a confident nod: "Ninety-nine percent certain."
The U.S. market doesn't have daily up/down limits like ours, so the room to maneuver is huge.
And anything the system produces is top-tier stuff.
After flexing in front of them, Jiang Cheng asked, "What about those Girls you messaged me about? I came for them, not to squeeze in with you stinky guys."
That was the whole point—not to hang out with a bunch of dudes.
When Jiang Cheng asked, Qin Fen grinned: "Haven't told you yet—about the Girl you mentioned. I just asked the floor manager; he said after you left that day she never came back. And here's the kicker: she told him if you ever showed up looking for her, he should contact her."
Wang Zheng chimed in: "Old Jiang, what kind of potion did you feed her? One night and she's utterly devoted only to you. I've tried plenty of times but never met a Girl this infatuated."
"Yeah, I remember she wasn't tall but had great assets—super jealous, Old Jiang. If you've got some killer technique, share it," Chen Hao teased.
Jiang Cheng snorted: "What potion? A few hundred million wasn't enough? If not, rinse and repeat—just make sure you can handle it."
The moment Jiang Cheng finished, everyone's face changed.
Damn—respect, we're out. None of them were eighteen anymore.
If they really tried "several rounds," most of them would collapse.
"Old Jiang—legendary!" Qin Fen was first to salute.
"Old Jiang—beast!" Wang Zheng quickly followed.
"Brother Jiang, you're both legendary and beastly!" Qi Yuan and Chen Hao chorused in admiration.
Only the eldest, Wang Congcong, stayed silent, face bitter.
"All right, cut the crap—call the Girls over. I'm not squeezing in here with you lot."
…