"Why do they call our son the Stock God, honey?"

On the sofa at home, Zhou Hui scrolled through her children’s video accounts on her phone, checking up on them.

Su He was easier to explain; she had been posting videos consistently this past month. Her content was mainly school projects, and coupled with a recent surge in followers, her view counts were impressive. She now had half a million followers and had even landed an ad deal. Although the money wasn’t much, she immediately shared the good news with the family, which made Old Su and Zhou Hui very happy.

As for their eldest son, wasn’t he supposed to be dating someone? Why had there been no updates for over a month? The parents were a bit puzzled.

Especially since the stock prices had plummeted recently, causing many small investors to panic and leave comments on Su Qing’s page. Various internet personalities started using his situation for their own content, too.

Now, when you search "Stock God" on the platform, Su Qing’s account is the first to show up, almost as if it’s officially verified.

The comment section had exploded with hundreds of thousands of comments, still rising. After all, the stock market had dropped significantly again today, who wouldn’t be scared?

Old Su was also taken aback: "Stock God?"

"Yep, they’re all calling our son the Stock God and asking for his opinions on the market. Our son trades stocks, but how is that related to being a Stock God?"

"How strange. Let me take a look!"

Old Su didn’t understand either, so he took the phone to search online. He quickly figured out the whole story.

"Wow, could this kid have actually made a lot of money? With his funds and his girlfriend’s, did he actually earn several million?" Old Su’s eyes widened in surprise.

It only dawned on him now that his son might know more about the stock market than he did.

During this bull market, he himself had benefited, though not because of any tips from his son. Even so, his initial investment had doubled. It was probably his highlight moment, and he had been walking on air these past few days. Only now did he realize that if he could make money, his son, with his reckless daredevil attitude, might have made even more. Suddenly, his earnings didn’t seem so satisfying anymore.

Zhou Hui was so shocked her snacks fell: "What? Several million? That can’t be right!"

"Why not? My initial fifteen thousand doubled. If he invested everything and luck was on his side, that’s not impossible."

Hearing this, Zhou Hui’s heart raced. With her son’s guts, it was indeed possible!

"I need to give him a call. Could it be that this stinker got rich quietly?" Zhou Hui said as she picked up the phone to call her son.

Very quickly, the call connected.

"Mom, what’s up?" Su Qing’s voice came from the other end.

"Hey, kiddo, what are you up to?"

"I’m out having dinner with friends; Shen Yi is here too! What’s going on?"

"Oh, nothing much, really. Just saw that a lot of people online are calling you the Stock God. Your dad mentioned the stock surge recently, so I just wanted to ask—did you make any money?"

"Uh... made a little!"

"That’s great, that’s great, hahaha, okay then, go ahead and enjoy dinner with Shen Yi. I won’t bother you anymore!"

With that, Zhou Hui hung up the call, then jumped around the living room excitedly, exclaiming, "He made money, he made money, my son made money, hahaha!"

Old Su rolled his eyes beside her: "You didn’t even ask how much he made?"

"Does it matter how much? As long as he didn’t lose money, it’s all good. What? You’re not even fifty yet, and you’re eyeing your son’s money? Just be glad he’s not asking us for money!"

Old Su: ...

He didn’t mean it that way; he was just curious.

But speaking of which, even though Zhou Hui could be money-minded sometimes, when it came to serious matters, she wouldn’t meddle or offer pointless advice.

She knew her role well—an ordinary housewife with little education, so why get involved in things she didn’t understand?

As for how much the kids earn, that’s their business. When they’re older and have money, they can give some. If not, Old Su has retirement savings, and they can manage. When the day comes that they can’t look after themselves, it’s only natural for the children to take care of them. For now, they’re still healthy and independent, so why fuss over the kids? As long as they’re not losing money, it’s fine.

Not meddling has been a key reason why Zhou Hui has lived so freely over the years. After all, no meddling means no trouble.

Meanwhile, Su Qing hung up, looking puzzled. He didn’t quite understand his mom’s thinking.

"Did Auntie call?"

"Yeah, asked if I made money in the stock market," Su Qing nodded.

Shen Yi shook her head and laughed: "You should find a chance to tell your parents. Their son has become successful; let them be happy."

"We’ll see," Su Qing replied with a wave. He hadn’t figured out how to talk to his family about it. Although it was good news, such a large sum of money might alarm his mom, plus he had other plans. Maybe Old Su should be stepping aside for the younger generation now.

"Alright, by the way, is everything settled? If it is, let’s go in, we shouldn’t keep Brother Wen waiting," Shen Yi said softly.

Su Qing nodded: "Okay!"

With that, Shen Yi pushed open the door. At this moment, everyone was dining at a business restaurant in Jiang City to discuss the so-called project, and the Wen siblings were inside.

Today’s meeting was arranged by the landlady to introduce the two of them; it was held at this upscale business restaurant. Even though the dishes were limited, they were exquisite, and the decor was very tasteful, making it a comfortable place to be.

"Sorry, Brother Wen, I got a call from an elder at home!" Su Qing said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Wen Jing, dressed in a suit, waved his hand repeatedly: "No problem, no problem. Is everything alright at home?"

"Nothing serious, they just called to check on me since I haven’t been home recently!"

Saying this, he and Shen Yi sat down again.

"You’ve had a good month; I’ve heard about the recent stock surge. Our family comes from a background in tangible businesses, and the old man never allowed us siblings to touch stocks, saying the waters are too deep for us to handle. But now it seems there are indeed experts in the world. It’s making me a bit tempted. Little brother, if there’s such an opportunity again, bring your big brother along," Wen Jingqi said with a smile, raising his glass.

Seeing this, Su Qing quickly raised his glass and said with a smile: "It’s just a small play, nothing compared to your real estate business, brother. Bringing you in is fine, but the stock market is quite unstable. It’s easy when earning, but not so when losing. However, if you’re interested in playing, I can let you know if I see a good stock, but you can’t hold me accountable if it loses!"

"Not at all, not at all, I’ll just play with a few thousand bucks. If I lose, it’s fine. But little brother, you’re really impressive this time, amassing such a fortune at a young age. Your future is limitless. We siblings rely on our parents, and compared to you and your wife, we feel a bit ashamed."

Hearing this, Shen Yi quickly raised her glass: "Look at you, Brother Wen, saying things I don’t want to hear. Let me drink with you instead; he’s not good with alcohol!"

"Oh dear, my bad, I misspoke. I’ll penalize myself with a drink!"

Even though there were only four people, the atmosphere was quite good. At this table, everyone was savvy in their own rights, be it in strength or social intelligence.

Shen Yi and Wen Jingqi needed no further introduction; they both ran companies. Although the landlady wasn’t specialized in this field, having grown up in it, she wasn’t ignorant of social etiquette, she just wasn’t into business.

As for Su Qing, although he didn’t have much experience, with the narrative in his mind, he naturally knew what to say to avoid offending anyone.

Since they were there to discuss cooperation, not negotiation, everyone was playing along for appearances’ sake. No one wanted to make the atmosphere awkward.

For the sake of a pleasant cooperation, Wen Jingqi didn’t even bring his wife, out of concern it might upset Shen Yi, especially since the previous incident had not ended well.

None of the four proactively brought up the project. For truly significant projects, the collaboration details are usually settled privately. Meals are just a formality and a concluding step, so there’s no need to rush.

The meal lasted two hours, with Shen Yi and the landlady amusing each other, the two men listening and chiming in occasionally. Especially with Su Qing’s growing online fame, stocks were inevitably part of the conversation.

After a few rounds of drinks, seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, the landlady finally spoke: "Brother, shall we discuss the real matter?"

"Yes, yes, the real matter is important. Little brother, I’ve hit a bit of a snag. I’ve acquired a piece of land in the eastern suburbs intending to build a mall. There are many universities there, so if you’re interested, would you like to join in?"

With that, Wen Jingqi handed over a contract.

Su Qing took it readily, and the moment he touched the contract, the narrative in his mind played out.

[This project is supported by the municipal government, aimed at developing the eastern suburbs of Jiang City. It has good prospects. If you want cash, with Wen Family’s sincerity, the profit margin is about twenty percent. If you want property instead of cash, the profit could be even higher. You might even become a landlord like the landlady. In the next ten years, that area will see a golden period of development, guaranteed profit.]

Don’t underestimate the twenty percent figure. It doesn’t seem much, but unlike the swift gains in the stock market, in real estate, if an area develops well, the property value will significantly rise, and that’s when the real earning opportunity comes.

Without even looking at the contract, Su Qing handed it directly to Shen Yi, saying: "Brother Wen, I don’t get these things. I’m here to provide funds today; let me know how much you need. Anyway, I have this much on hand."

"That depends on you, little brother!"

"No, no, you set the amount, big brother!"

After some intense back-and-forth, Su Qing decided to invest 150 million, half of his assets. Because in real estate, without substantial investment, you don’t qualify to enter the market. But he couldn’t invest too much, not because he’s afraid of losing, but because if he takes too much, others earn less. There’s only so much of the pie to go around, and others need a piece too. So taking too big a share would not look good.

million was just right. Firstly, it was half of his net worth, showing his sincerity. Secondly, he needed some money in hand, whether for the stock market, buying a car or a house, he needed money.

Keep in mind, once this money is invested, it might take a year and a half or even several years to see a return, not immediate profit.

Once everything was settled, hearing the narrative in his mind about his relationship with the Wen Family deepening, Su Qing’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Similarly, the Wen siblings had the same expression on their faces.

"Rest assured, little brother, the project will break ground by the end of this month, with a construction period of about a year and a half, though there might be some fluctuations. By then, just wait to count the money, haha!" Wen Jingqi was very satisfied with his attitude of agreeing without even reading the contract.

"Well, that’s thanks to you believing in me, big brother, right?"

"You flatter me, little brother. So... successful cooperation?" Wen Jingqi stood up and extended his hand.

Su Qing: "Successful cooperation."

...