**Chapter 5: The Group’s Nickname is “Daily Salary, Monthly Billion Reality Group”**
Cindy, with her pregnant belly, brought Lin Siyi back to her workstation just as Yao Dong from the stock group stood up to fill his thermos with hot water in the tea room.
Yao Dong curiously looked at Lin Siyi, “Cindy, where did you find the newbie? Oh, by the way, Mr. Cheng wants you to go to his office when you get back. He has something to tell you.”
Cindy replied, “Let me introduce you. This is Lin Siyi, the new assistant hired by Mr. Cheng. She’ll be taking over for me temporarily. I’ll go find Mr. Cheng first. Yao Dong, you two get acquainted.”
“Hello, Lin Meimei. I’m Yao Dong from the stock strategy group. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I’ve been here since the company was founded.”
“Hello, Senior. I’m Lin Siyi. Please take care of me in the future!”
“No need to be so formal. I heard you were directly hired by Mr. Cheng, so we might need your help in the future. Let me give you a brief introduction. Our company’s investment research department is mainly concentrated in this large office area, roughly divided into the stock group, fixed income group, derivatives group, and we also deal with commodities. Our boss, Mr. Cheng, directly oversees the stock group.”
“By the way, have you joined the company’s WeChat group?”
“Not yet. I just finished the onboarding process.”
“What’s your WeChat ID? I’ll add you and then pull you into the group.”
Lin Siyi quickly opened WeChat and found her QR code, “Senior, scan me.”
With a “ding,” the scan was successful. Yao Dong said, “I’ve added you. Confirm it on your end.”
Lin Siyi replied, “Got it.”
While sliding his finger across the phone screen, Yao Dong said, “Besides the company’s main group, each of our small groups has its own private group. I’ll pull you into ours as well.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Siyi found herself added to a group with noticeably fewer members.
To her amusement, the group’s nickname was “Daily Salary, Monthly Billion Reality Group.”
Lin Siyi: “…”
“Senior, does this group nickname have any special meaning?”
“Oh, this? Well, our investment research department is generally managed by Mr. Cheng, but only the stock strategy group is directly led by him. The others, like fixed income and derivatives, have different leaders.”
“Mr. Cheng was once a top public fund manager, famous in the field, and later founded his own private equity firm. People say that following Mr. Cheng means there’s meat to eat, and earning a billion a month isn’t a dream. You know, in investment, until profits are realized, all gains are just paper profits. That’s how this nickname came about.”
“Let me tell you secretly, our group name isn’t even the most intense. I heard the derivatives group’s name is ‘Crazy Salary, Blooming Salary.’ Look at that momentum, it’s simply unparalleled.”
“…” Lin Siyi wanted to tell Yao Dong that ‘unparalleled’ wasn’t used like that.
Yao Dong continued, “I almost forgot to tell you, Mr. Cheng isn’t in this group, so it’s our small group’s gossip group. Of course, our gossip subjects include but aren’t limited to Mr. Cheng. Lin Meimei, you’re going to be the chief steward by Mr. Cheng’s side. If you have any insider info, remember to share it. Your seniors won’t treat you badly.”
Lin Siyi sighed, realizing she knew less than Yao Dong, and patted his shoulder regretfully, “Senior, insider trading is illegal.”
Yao Dong: “…”
“Actually, Mr. Cheng has a nickname. We usually call him ‘Yixiu Ge.'” Yao Dong whispered.
Lin Siyi thought to herself, “If you’re not embarrassed, others will be. And I have to admit, ‘Yixiu’ and ‘Yixiu’ sound the same but are different characters. Calling him ‘Yixiu Ge’ does roll off the tongue.”
Yao Dong continued, “Among the company’s partners, Mr. Gu is relatively easygoing. Mr. Cheng may seem like he has a bad temper, but he actually values his subordinates’ work abilities more. He’s someone who focuses on the matter, not the person. There’s also Tang Fei, who manages the risk control department. You’ll meet the other executives in due time.”
“Our group currently has 19 members, mostly male. Besides you, there’s only one female colleague named Yuan Yafang. She’s out on a field assignment today. I’ll introduce you another day.”
“Does our investment research department often go on field assignments?”
“There’s no choice. As researchers, field due diligence is routine. Besides that, there are joint research trips provided by partner brokerages, quarterly strategy meetings, annual strategy meetings, and various industry exhibitions and forums. If necessary, we have to attend.”
“Also, don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you can, find a way to buy some good anti-hair loss shampoo and conditioner. Look at my hairline; I’m going bald at a young age!” Yao Dong lamented as he touched his increasingly sparse hair.
Lin Siyi, full of survival instincts, said, “Senior, I’ve already bought a hair growth helmet.”
Yao Dong: “…”
Seemingly choked by her words, it took Yao Dong a while to respond, “You’re something else, girl. I didn’t misjudge you; your future is promising.” He gave her a thumbs-up.
“Actually, it’s not just our stock group. The fixed income group also has only one female, named Gong Yue. Other groups don’t have many female colleagues either.”
Lin Siyi was puzzled, “Why is that?”
“I’ll tell you secretly. Rumor has it that our boss is too sharp-tongued, scaring people away. But actually, many female colleagues were hired before, but they kept trying to curry favor with the boss, which affected work too much, so they were let go. You know, our boss has a face that appeals to all ages and genders.” Yao Dong finished with a reminiscent look.
Lin Siyi was speechless, “Senior, you look quite dangerous with that infatuated expression.”
“I’m not saying this lightly, but if my sexual orientation were different, even I’d want to pursue our boss.”
Lin Siyi: “…”
“Why didn’t my mom make me a girl?” Yao Dong lamented with regret.
“I’m not your mom, so I don’t know!” Lin Siyi spread her hands helplessly.
Yao Dong: “…”
“So I quickly adjusted my mindset. Since I can’t be the boss’s confidante, I’ll follow him as a capable subordinate. With the boss’s care, I can marry, have kids, and fill my pockets. Why not?”
Yao Dong complained, “But I didn’t expect the boss’s behavior to become more excessive. The gender ratio in the company is severely imbalanced. Out of over a hundred people, the number of female colleagues doesn’t exceed two hands. I thought following the boss would quickly lead to a life with a wife and kids, but look at me, working overtime every day like a dog. I’m not heading for early marriage but early baldness!”
Lin Siyi was full of black lines, “Senior, may I ask a bold question? Have you seen a doctor for your premature…?”
Yao Dong, after hearing this, hadn’t even swallowed the water he drank to quench his dry throat before he choked, turning red.
Yao Dong, pressing his collarbone, looked at Lin Siyi speechlessly, “Girl, I meant baldness, not what you said… premature…!”
Lin Siyi awkwardly touched her nose, “Sorry about that!”
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Lin Siyi proactively changed the topic.
“Senior, don’t worry. I promise I won’t fall for Mr. Cheng’s suit pants. I know this job didn’t come easy. Now that I’m part of the Yiyang family, I’ll defend my integrity to protect Mr. Cheng’s chastity.”
Lin Siyi’s words hadn’t even settled when Yao Dong, who had just recovered from choking on water, was once again choked by his own saliva, coughing uncontrollably.
Cindy, after listening to Cheng Yixiu’s instructions in his office, came out to call everyone for a morning meeting, only to see this scene.
Cindy looked puzzled, “Yao Dong, what’s wrong with you?”
Yao Dong quickly waved his hand, indicating he was fine.
Standing beside him, Lin Siyi felt very embarrassed because she usually spoke straightforwardly and didn’t consider rephrasing during casual chats.
The same words, when spoken by a guy versus a girl, have different effects.
Yao Dong was clearly choked by Lin Siyi’s directness.
Yao Dong admitted defeat, “Girl, Senior really can’t compare to you.”
“Not at all.”
“Yes, yes.”
Leaving Cindy, who was watching their strange conversation, speechless: “…”
Then she remembered the main thing, “Mr. Cheng is calling everyone for a morning meeting. Get ready.”
The two of them replied in unison, “Got it.”
Most of the people had gone out for research early in the morning. Seeing that there weren’t many left, Cheng Yixiu gave a brief analysis of the overnight market trends and explained the industries and stocks to focus on today. Afterward, he introduced his newly hired assistant, Lin Siyi, to the colleagues present.
The company hadn’t hired a new female employee in a long time, especially one who looked so pretty.
Lin Siyi successfully caught everyone’s attention, especially since the person who hired her was Cheng Yixiu, who usually avoided beauty.
Cheng Yixiu could see the curiosity and inquisitiveness everyone had towards Lin Siyi, but he had no intention of explaining. After all, he was a partner in the company.
Hiring an assistant was naturally his decision.
Lin Siyi didn’t have time to care about the others’ scrutiny. Seeing Cheng Yixiu striding towards his office, she quickly followed.
“Please close the door when you come in.”
“Okay, Mr. Cheng.”
Cheng Yixiu said, “There are a few things I need to clarify with you.”
Lin Siyi replied, “Please go ahead, Mr. Cheng.”