Her pretty face flushed slightly under everyone’s intense gazes. Song Sisi couldn’t help but glare at He Mingyi and snap, "It’s none of your business!"
"Oho, Little Sister Sisi, you’re getting flustered. Don’t tell me I actually hit the nail on the head?"
He Mingyi teased playfully.
"Get lost!"
"If you don’t say anything, no one will think you’re a mute!"
Song Sisi said, puffing out her cheeks and clenching her small fists.
After she spoke, she couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Gu Yizhou. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he hadn’t said a word.
"Hahaha..."
Everyone burst out laughing, amused by Song Sisi’s adorable reaction.
Being laughed at by everyone made Song Sisi’s face turn an even deeper shade of red. She felt incredibly embarrassed and awkward.
Seeing this, Gu Yizhou shook his head helplessly and stepped in to bail her out. "Alright, Mingyi, that’s enough. Stop bullying Sisi. Don’t forget, her brother is a boxer. You’d better watch out, or he’ll come and beat you up!"
"Er..."
At Gu Yizhou’s words, an image of Song Sisi’s brawny, muscle-bound brother surfaced in He Mingyi’s mind, and he couldn’t help but shudder.
That was right.
Everyone had seen Song Sisi’s brother before. He was a burly, rough-looking guy. Compared to Sisi’s petite and adorable figure, the two of them seemed like creatures from entirely different worlds.
It made you wonder if they were really born from the same parents.
"That’s right!"
"He Mingyi, you bully! If you pick on me again, I’ll have my brother come beat you up!"
"Hmph!"
Song Sisi huffed, waving her little fists.
"Hey, come on!"
"Little Sister Sisi, I was just kidding!"
"Hehehe..."
A wise man knows when to stand firm and when to bend. He Mingyi smiled sheepishly.
"Hmph."
Seeing his ingratiating expression, Song Sisi just huffed and didn’t say anything else.
Everyone else knew they were just kidding, so they didn’t dwell on the subject.
*
*
*
"Xixi, this really isn’t my fault!"
"It was all your mom... who forced me..."
Roy trailed off, feeling like that didn’t come out right.
"Er... AHEM... Anyway, it was Aunt Fang who made me say it, okay? I couldn’t do anything about it!"
"It’s so hard being stuck in the middle between you and Aunt Fang!"
"But, Xixi, you have to believe me! I am one hundred percent on your side!"
In the CEO’s office, Roy clung to Yan Luoxi’s arm with both hands, shaking it back and forth and whining playfully.
Yan Luoxi said nothing.
After a long moment, once Roy had finally quieted down, Yan Luoxi pushed a document in front of her. "Here’s a report," she said calmly. "Take a look."
"Hm?"
Roy paused, confused. "What’s this?" she asked.
Yan Luoxi didn’t answer, instead picking up the teacup on her desk and taking a delicate sip.
Her silence only made Roy more curious.
She picked up the document from Yan Luoxi and began to flip through it.
"Zhongtian Technology Stock Investment Risk Assessment Report...?"
She subconsciously read the bolded title at the top of the document aloud.
"Er..."
Roy froze for a second, then looked up at Yan Luoxi. "Xixi, haven’t we already discussed the investment plan for Zhongtian Technology?"
"Finish the report first, then we’ll talk."
Yan Luoxi said calmly.
Hearing that, Roy just frowned slightly. Without another word, she suppressed her confusion and lowered her head to read the report seriously.
But the more she read, the deeper her frown became, and the more alarmed she grew.
More than ten minutes later.
Roy took a sharp, deep breath.
Then she looked up at Yan Luoxi, her face a mask of disbelief. "Is everything in this report... true?"
Yan Luoxi, her expression still perfectly calm, nodded. "Most likely."
’Of course, I wasn’t nearly this composed when I first saw the data.’
’My reaction back then had been even more shocked than Roy’s is now!’
’Of course!’
’But most of my shock came from the fact that this information, when pieced together, was almost identical to what that jerk, Gu Yizhou, had told me last night!’
’And if I hadn’t organized the data based on what he’d told me, I never would have been able to see the full picture!’
’So... where in the world did that jerk get this information?’
’Did he analyze it all himself, just from the raw data and Zhongtian Technology’s public information?’
’But... he’s just an investment analyst in my own company’s finance department—and an intern, at that!’
’And last time, the entire team of senior investment analysts at Tidal Group, plus a host of executives, hadn’t been able to figure this out!’
’If Gu Yizhou really analyzed all of this on his own...’
’One person, outperforming the entire finance department?’
’That... that’s just too ridiculous, isn’t it!?’
At the time, Yan Luoxi’s mind had been thrown into turmoil.
"This..."
Hearing Yan Luoxi’s answer, Roy completely lost her composure.
After taking a moment to compose herself, she asked with a grave expression, "Xixi, where did you get this information?"
"Hm?"
Roy’s question snapped Yan Luoxi out of her thoughts. She turned to her. "What did you just say?"
Roy was speechless.
She gave her best friend a helpless, exasperated look. "I asked, where did you get this information? And is it reliable?!"
Yan Luoxi hesitated after hearing the question, but in the end, she decided not to mention Gu Yizhou’s name.
’After all, it was impossible to explain.’
"Someone told me about it, and I collected and organized the data based on what they said."
Yan Luoxi explained.
"Someone told you?"
Roy blinked, then blurted out, "Who?"
Yan Luoxi simply glanced at her without answering.
Uh...
Seeing her friend’s expression, Roy instantly understood.
"Got it!"
"Can’t say, right?"
She pouted for a second before her expression turned serious again. "Xixi, I think we need to call an executive meeting right now. Have the finance department work overtime this weekend to fully assess the data risks of this investment. If it checks out, we have to move on Monday. Otherwise, we’ll miss our chance!"
"Okay!"
"Do as you say!"
Yan Luoxi said with a nod.
With that, Roy didn’t linger any longer, immediately heading out to notify the relevant departments and make arrangements.
After she left, Yan Luoxi was the only one left in the office.
She walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out, her thoughts a whirlwind.
"Zhongtian Technology..."
Yan Luoxi’s eyes flickered as she muttered to herself, "You jerk... just what kind of person are you...?"