This Bad Luck is Awesome!

Xia Shiqing leaned back against her chair.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and took a delicate sip of tea. "That depends on how valuable your ’secret to wealth’ is."

She neither admitted nor denied it.

She had never used a honey trap before, but she wasn’t opposed to trying it.

After all, she had the looks for it.

It was simply a matter of whether it was worth it.

Of course, Old Dengs were an exception.

It wasn’t as if some Old Dengs hadn’t had ideas about her before, but she couldn’t be bothered to give them the time of day.

She despised home-wreckers, so she would never become one herself.

Besides, did those Old Dengs even have what it takes anymore?

If Chen Mo could offer her something so valuable she couldn’t refuse, why would she?

If he couldn’t offer any value, then they’d just remain good friends, and it would be as if nothing ever happened.

A flicker of surprise showed in Chen Mo’s eyes.

’Xia Shiqing is actually serious about this?’

"Surprised?" Xia Shiqing seemed to know what Chen Mo was thinking.

Perhaps it was because Chen Mo had helped her make money. Or maybe she was just in a good mood. Or it could be that she found Chen Mo to be a good listener.

She decided to tell Chen Mo some things she had never told anyone before.

"Let me tell you a story..."

Xia Shiqing’s parents both studied finance; at the time, they were the "golden couple" of Caida University.

They married right after graduation and both went into finance.

Not long after, she was born.

Her mother then quit her job to stay at home, dedicating herself to raising her and becoming a housewife.

At first, the family of three was very happy.

But as time went on, maybe the feelings faded, or maybe the temptations in the finance industry were too great.

Her father cheated, and his mistress tracked them down to their home.

In the end, her parents divorced. Her father voluntarily gave up his custody rights, and she grew up with her mother.

Her mother hadn’t worked in years, so when she re-entered the workforce, she faced many hardships, and they struggled financially.

Her mother’s experience and her own childhood hardships taught her a lesson from a young age.

Love is the most unreliable thing there is.

Only money is dependable.

Later, she studied abroad and entered the finance industry herself.

The stories she encountered daily only served to deepen this conviction.

"Instead of giving yourself away for a fleeting, illusory love, why not accept someone who is willing to help you make money, give you resources, and help you fly higher?"

"Isn’t that a form of love in itself?"

"Or maybe, I don’t need love. I just need money?"

Xia Shiqing seemed to be asking Chen Mo, but also herself.

At her words, Chen Mo fell silent too.

Everyone’s worldview is shaped by their upbringing, their work environment, and their experiences.

Xia Shiqing’s perspective had been shaped by her family and her line of work. It was a bit extreme, but not without its own logic.

Chen Mo found himself agreeing with her.

He never doubted his ex-girlfriend’s love for him, but that didn’t stop them from breaking up over money later on.

"Money is love."

Chen Mo looked up at her and said calmly.

"Exactly."

Xia Shiqing gave him a look of approval and nodded lightly.

Some people had gossiped behind her back, saying she was money-grubbing, that she only cared about cash.

She didn’t deny it, nor did she think there was anything wrong with it.

"So, you want me to use a honey trap on you? Then it all depends on whether you can offer something valuable enough to tempt me."

Xia Shiqing smiled charmingly, her tone full of implication.

"Can I pay in installments? I’ll make a down payment first. I’d like to try the honey trap before anything else."

Chen Mo’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Xia Shiqing with great interest.

"Is that some new line you picked up during your recent fifteen-day ’vacation’?"

Xia Shiqing shot him a look, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Chen Mo took a sip of tea and said nothing.

Just then, the waiter brought their food.

Chen Mo happened to be hungry, so he started eating right away, while Xia Shiqing was much more elegant.

As he ate, Chen Mo mulled things over.

’No doubt about it, I’m very interested in Xia Shiqing’s honey trap.’

’After all, how many men could resist a great beauty of her caliber?’

’But winning over Xia Shiqing would be incredibly difficult.’

’The Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and bracelet she’s wearing are worth well over a hundred thousand combined.’

’Her LV bag costs tens of thousands, and the diamond-studded Cartier Ballon Bleu on her wrist is nearly a hundred thousand.’

’Her whole ensemble is worth hundreds of thousands, and who knows how many more she has at home.’

’Besides, she’s got a clear head. You think you can win her heart with cheap talk, flowers, gifts, and just by being there for her?’

’Don’t even think about it.’

’Even if you were as handsome as Kris Wu in his prime, you wouldn’t stand a chance.’

’She’s not some naive little girl fresh out of college.’

’If you want to win her over, you have to do exactly as she said: help her make money, big money.’

’Provide her with resources and a platform, and help her fly even higher.’

’If you don’t have what it takes, don’t even bother.’

’Why do I feel my desire to conquer flaring up?’

Chen Mo had to admit he was tempted. Xia Shiqing’s way of thinking was perfectly in sync with his own.

After his last breakup, he’d sworn off chasing women for good, promising himself he’d never let another one into his heart.

But a buddy of his from Hangzhou once said: you can have no woman in your heart, but you can’t have no women by your side.

Someone who could be won over with a "secret to wealth" instead of emotional investment and genuine feelings—it was a perfect match for him.

And, not to be modest, he really did have the ability.

Having successfully figured out his ’golden finger,’ he already had a plan for how to dominate the capital markets.

To him, ’secrets to wealth’ were no longer a rarity.

He recalled his shameful past: losing to a punk in middle school, a jock in high school, a rapper in college, and finally, to money after he started working...

That was life, but from now on, he didn’t want to lose anymore. In fact, he couldn’t afford to lose in the slightest.

During the meal, they didn’t touch on the topic again, instead chatting about some industry gossip.

"I think I’m about done. Shall we?" Xia Shiqing glanced at the Ballon Bleu on her fair wrist. "I have to get back to the office for some overtime."

"Overtime on a weekend?"

"The performance pressure is intense. Someone’s gunning for my position. If I don’t grind, I’m out."

Xia Shiqing took a small mirror and lipstick from her purse to touch up her makeup. "Why else would I be dressed like this if I wasn’t working overtime?"

Hearing this, Chen Mo shrugged. That explained why Xia Shiqing was wearing a suit on a weekend.

It seemed Xia Shiqing’s position at the company was indeed unstable, and the pressure on her was immense.

It had gotten so competitive she was even working overtime on weekends voluntarily.

The two of them reached the restaurant entrance.

"I won’t see you out, then."

Xia Shiqing said her goodbye and strode toward the parking lot on her long legs.

"Wait for me to send you the secret code."

Chen Mo smiled, calling out suddenly to her graceful, retreating figure.

Watching her get into her car, Chen Mo took out his phone to call a ride.

After taking a cab home, Chen Mo lay on the sofa, contemplating how to use his ’golden finger’ to profit from the capital markets.

Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, it was Monday.

「Early morning.」

Chen Mo was up bright and early and made himself some breakfast.

Ever since he spent two months as a food delivery driver, he had seen many things he’d been completely unaware of before.

So now, he rarely ever ordered takeout. If he did, he only ordered from places he had personally seen and could vouch for being clean.

The clock soon hit 9:30 AM. The stock market was open.