amaotonovel Chapter 1586 The Beauty Trap?
Chapter 1586 The Beauty Trap?
After storming out of the dinner party, Xiao Ran walked back to his rented room in the urban village alone. When he opened the door, the room was pitch black. He didn't turn on the light, but sat down on the edge of the bed in the dark and stared blankly at the faint light coming in from the window for a long time.
He never imagined he would end up like this.
Being arrested by the city management officers, being bailed out by Qin Hao, and being openly disliked by Sun Yumei—every incident was like a knife, stabbing into his pride, which was bigger than the sky. But what hurt him the most was not these things, but the moment when he had no choice but to ask Han Ling for help.
He's a grown man, yet he can't even take care of himself.
Just as Xiao Ran was lost in thought, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
Xiao Ran was startled and looked up to see a familiar figure standing at the door, carrying a travel bag and looking weary from the journey.
"Han Ling?!"
Han Ling looked at Xiao Ran sitting in the darkness, and her eyes immediately reddened.
"Xiao Ran..."
Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and quickly got up to turn on the light. Under the dim light, Han Ling's face was a little pale, obviously she had rushed over and hadn't even had time to change her clothes.
"Why are you here?" Xiao Ran's voice trembled slightly.
"I was worried about you." Han Ling put down her travel bag, walked up to Xiao Ran, and took his hand.
Xiao Ran lowered his head, not daring to look Han Ling in the eye.
He felt incredibly ashamed. After being in Shenzhen for so long, he hadn't made any money, and he'd been caught by the city management officers for setting up a street stall. Han Ling had traveled a long way to get here, only to find this dilapidated house with drafts coming from all sides.
"I'm sorry," Xiao Ran's voice was very low, almost inaudible, "I've made you suffer because of me."
Han Ling shook her head and gripped Xiao Ran's hand even tighter.
“Xiao Ran, I’m not afraid of hardship.” Her voice was soft, but every word was firm: “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what kind of house we live in.”
Xiao Ran raised his head and looked into Han Ling's eyes. There was no disgust or disappointment in those eyes, only heartache and determination.
“And…” Han Ling bit her lip, as if making a major announcement: “I’ve resigned from the dance troupe.”
"What?!" Xiao Ran exclaimed in surprise, "You resigned?"
"Okay." Han Ling nodded, her eyes showing no hesitation. "I don't want to be separated from you anymore. From now on, I'll stay in Shenzhen with you. No matter how hard life gets, we'll get through it together."
Xiao Ran opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He looked at Han Ling in front of him, into her firm yet gentle eyes, and felt a mix of emotions. Gratitude, guilt, heartache, and something else indescribable swirled together, making his chest feel heavy and suffocated.
After a long silence, Xiao Ran finally managed to say in a hoarse voice, "I will definitely succeed. I will definitely give you a good life."
Han Ling smiled, a smile like a ray of sunshine in winter: "Yes, I believe you."
That night, the two of them squeezed onto the creaky wooden bed, and neither of them slept much. Xiao Ran tossed and turned, lost in thought, while Han Ling leaned on his shoulder, quietly keeping him company.
Perhaps it was Han Ling's arrival that brought Xiao Ran good luck.
The next morning, Xiao Ran went to the job market as usual. He hadn't held out much hope, but then he saw a job posting in a corner—an electronics company was hiring a purchasing specialist, with a college degree or above, a monthly salary of 1,200 yuan plus commission, and no work experience required.
Xiao Ran submitted his resume on a whim, and to his surprise, he passed the interview on the spot. The recruiter said that the company was expanding rapidly recently and urgently needed purchasing staff. Seeing that he was a college graduate, although he had no experience, he should be quick-witted, so they would give him a one-month trial period.
When Xiao Ran received the job offer, he stood at the entrance of the job market for a while, then ran back to his rented room, rushed in, picked up Han Ling, and spun her around.
"I found a job! Purchasing! 1200 plus commission!"
Han Ling was spinning around so much that she almost cried from laughing: "Put me down!"
Xiao Ran put Han Ling down, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
There was finally hope for the future.
……
After starting work, Xiao Ran was busy from early morning to late at night. Purchasing might seem simple, but it's actually incredibly tedious – finding suppliers, comparing prices, negotiating contracts, and tracking progress – none of these tasks can be taken lightly. As a newcomer, Xiao Ran knew nothing, so he could only work tirelessly during the day and then work overtime at night reviewing documents.
Han Ling felt sorry for Xiao Ran and realized that she couldn't just stay at home and do nothing; she had to share some of his burden.
But she didn't have any special skills; she couldn't do anything except dance. Finding a decent job in Shenzhen was easier said than done.
After much thought, Han Ling decided to ask Sun Yumei for help.
Han Ling called Sun Yumei and explained her purpose. Sun Yumei readily replied on the other end of the phone, "Wait for me, I'll come pick you up tomorrow."
The next morning, Sun Yumei drove to the urban village to pick up Han Ling, and the two drove to Qin Hao's company.
"Qin Hao's company?"
“Yes, his company is hiring recently. Go and see if there are any suitable positions,” Sun Yumei said as she drove.
Han Ling hesitated for a moment: "Wouldn't this be too much trouble for Qin Hao?"
“What trouble is there? Hiring someone else is the same as hiring someone else, so why not let an old classmate benefit?” Sun Yumei said with a smile.
After driving for about half an hour, the car turned into the industrial park.
However, what truly surprised Han Ling was the scale of the factory area.
The original main factory area was already quite large, with two factory buildings side by side, an office building, employee dormitories, a canteen, and everything else you'd expect. But what's even more eye-catching are the two newly built factory buildings next to the main factory area, whose rumbling noise can be heard even through the car window.
"Two more factories have been built?" Han Ling asked, somewhat surprised.
"Yes, it just started production last month." Sun Yumei parked the car and led Han Ling inside. "It's not for power supplies; it's a stamping workshop that specializes in making chassis."
"Computer case?"
"It's a computer case," Sun Yumei explained. "Qin Hao said that current computer cases are all ugly, like coffins, so he designed a few new ones himself. They have a very trendy design; you'll see when you go inside."
Upon entering, she saw the assembly line, with workers in uniform busy at their respective posts. Brand new cases moved slowly along the conveyor belt, and Han Ling took a closer look—they were completely different from the square, grayish metal boxes she remembered.
These new computer cases do have a very different design. They have smooth lines, sharp angles, and uniquely styled ventilation holes on the front panel. Although Han Ling doesn't know much about computers, just looking at them, she thinks they look much better than the computers she's seen in the mall.
"Does this thing sell well?" Han Ling asked.
"Selling well?" Sun Yumei laughed. "It sold out as soon as it hit the market. We're working three shifts, plus overtime, but we still can't keep up. Some orders have to be outsourced to other factories."
"So popular?"
Sun Yumei led Han Ling through the factory and into the office building, going straight to the third floor.
Qin Hao's office was at the far end of the third floor. The door was ajar, and the sound of turning pages could be heard from inside. Sun Yumei pushed the door open and went in. Qin Hao was sitting behind his desk looking at documents, with several stacks of papers piled on the desk.
"What are you busy with?" Sun Yumei walked over and sat down opposite him.
"Look at the price list submitted by the OEM factory." Qin Hao looked up, saw Han Ling, and nodded slightly: "Han Ling is here."
"Yes, I just arrived a few days ago." Han Ling stood somewhat reservedly at the door.
"Have a seat," Qin Hao said, gesturing to the sofa.
Han Ling walked over and sat down, her gaze unconsciously sweeping around Qin Hao's office. The office wasn't large, but it was very tidy. The bookshelves were filled with documents and materials, a Go board hung on the wall, and a floor-standing globe stood in the corner.
Sun Yumei's gaze swept across Qin Hao's desk, then suddenly caught her eye with a piece of paper. She picked it up and saw it was a job advertisement.
Sun Yumei's eyes lit up, and she turned to Qin Hao: "Are you hiring an assistant?"
"Yeah, there's been too much going on lately, I can't handle it all by myself," Qin Hao said without looking up.
Sun Yumei pushed the job posting towards Qin Hao, then gestured towards Han Ling with her chin: "Let Han Ling give it a try, she's looking for a job anyway."
Qin Hao then put down the documents in his hand and looked up at Han Ling.
Han Ling felt a little nervous under his gaze and quickly said, "Actually, I just want to find a regular job, any position is fine—"
“I do need an assistant right now,” Qin Hao interrupted her, his expression turning serious. “But being my assistant will be tiring, probably even more tiring than practicing in the dance troupe.”
Han Ling was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I'm not afraid of being tired."
Qin Hao looked at her, and after a few seconds, nodded: "Then let's try it out first. The probationary salary is two thousand a month, and three thousand five after you're officially hired."
Han Ling was stunned, her mouth slightly agape, unsure of what to say.
Two thousand? Three thousand five? She works herself to the bone in the dance troupe for a month and only earns three hundred and sixty yuan. Qin Hao just casually asks for two thousand?
"No...no need to give such a high price..." Han Ling said, somewhat at a loss, after regaining her senses.
Qin Hao chuckled and leaned back in his chair: "Let's talk about it when you can work for three months. You might not even last three days."
Han Ling pursed her lips, her eyes hardening: "When can I start work?"
"You decide."
"Is tomorrow okay?" Han Ling asked, then changed her mind: "I'll discuss it with Xiao Ran tonight."
Sun Yumei, unable to contain herself any longer, rolled her eyes and retorted, "Your salary is higher than his, what are you discussing with him for?"
Han Ling just smiled and didn't reply.
Sun Yumei immediately lost her temper. She knew Han Ling too well; that was just how the girl was—always thinking of Xiao Ran and never considering herself.
"Alright, then come to work tomorrow." Qin Hao picked up the documents again: "Sun Yumei, take Han Ling to the HR department to complete the onboarding procedures."
"I understand." Sun Yumei stood up and pulled Han Ling outside.
As she left, Han Ling glanced back at Qin Hao's office and secretly made up her mind—no matter how tired she was, she would keep going.
……
At the same time, when Chen Qiming rushed into the stock market with the several thousand yuan he had saved by scrimping and saving at the Great Wall Power Plant, all he could think about was: this was an opportunity that fate had given him—stock subscription certificates had been abolished, everyone could enter the market, and buying any stock could easily multiply his investment several times over.
But reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.
He had just bought a stock, but it fell for three consecutive days after he bought it. In a panic, he sold it at a loss, losing nearly half of his investment. However, just two days after he sold it, the stock immediately started to surge.
Unwilling to give up, he switched to another one. This one did rise for two days, and he was quite pleased with himself, but on the third day, it plummeted, not only erasing all the previous gains but also causing him to lose money.
And so it went, buying one item only resulted in a loss, and switching to another only led to further losses. Thousands of dollars were drained away like water, disappearing in less than half a month.
Chen Qiming then realized that not every stock can make money. But he refused to admit defeat.
He called home, made up an excuse that he urgently needed money for his business, and asked his family to scrape together 30,000 yuan and send it to him. His parents, who had lived frugally their whole lives, managed to squeeze out this money from their meager savings. On the phone, they also reminded him to be careful and not to be scammed.
With the 30,000 yuan in hand, Chen Qiming ambitiously returned to the stock market.
The results of it?
It was even worse than last time.
This time he was "smarter" and stopped listening to insider information, buying a few based on his gut feeling.
I feel like this thing isn't worth much in the stock market.
Thirty thousand yuan, and in just a few days, it was all gone.
When it came time to clear out the remaining stock, there was less than a thousand yuan left in the account.
Chen Qiming sat in a chair in the lobby of the stock exchange, watching the red and green numbers constantly changing on the electronic screen, feeling as if all his energy had been drained.
He's out of money. The 30,000 yuan his family gave him is gone. He doesn't know how to explain it to his parents.
Just when he was feeling utterly hopeless, a loud, rambling voice came from beside him.
He turned his head and saw several elderly men in their fifties and sixties gathered together discussing stocks. These men were dressed smartly, each one more extravagant than the last, wearing gold watches on their wrists and jade thumb rings on their fingers, and speaking with a strong, resonant voice.
"Old Huang, your Vanke shares went up again today, right? I told you, this stock could at least double again."
"Doubling is nothing! The Shenzhen Development Bank stock I bought last week went up 20% in just three days, making me hundreds of thousands in a single day."
Chen Qiming's ears perked up.
Hundreds of thousands?
His eyes darted around, and a bold idea popped into his head. These old men were clearly seasoned veterans in the stock market, investing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at a time. If he could follow their lead, wouldn't he be guaranteed to make a profit?
Chen Qiming approached them, forcing a smile, and said, "Gentlemen, you know so much about stocks, could you please guide me? I... I'm new to the market and don't know anything."
Several old men turned to look at him, sizing him up and down.
"Bring you along?" The old man at the head of the group raised an eyebrow. "Young man, how much money did you invest?"
"I don't have much money right now, but—"
"How much is 'not much'?"
“One thousand…” Chen Qiming’s voice grew softer and softer.
The old men exchanged glances, then burst into laughter at the same time. The laughter wasn't loud, but to Chen Qiming it sounded like a thunderclap.
"One thousand?" The old man at the head of the group waved his hand. "Young man, what are you doing in the stock market with a thousand yuan? Buy two pounds of pork ribs and make soup."
Several other old men chimed in, "That's right, we easily make hundreds of thousands in a single bet, what are you doing playing with us for two thousand?"
"I'm not mocking you, young man, but with your little bit of money, you won't even make a ripple in the stock market. Go home; the stock market isn't for you."
Chen Qiming's face turned bright red, and his fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves.
He turned and walked out of the stock exchange. The Shenzhen sun shone brightly on him, but he only felt cold.
Feeling deeply humiliated, Chen Qiming found a newsstand by the roadside and dialed Liu Yuan's number.
“Liu Yuan…” His voice was so hoarse it sounded like he had sandpaper stuck in his throat.
"Chen Qiming? What's wrong?" Liu Yuan's voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with surprise.
"I...I lost everything in the stocks. I took a deep breath, trying to make my voice sound normal. "My savings of several thousand yuan are gone. Later, I asked my family for another 30,000 yuan, and that was all gone too."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"You asked your family for 30,000?" Liu Yuan's voice was tinged with disbelief. "Chen Qiming, are you crazy? You lost money in the stock market before, haven't you learned your lesson?"
"I caught a good opportunity this time; the subscription certificate system was abolished, and anyone can enter the market—"
"Canceling it doesn't mean everyone can make money!" Liu Yuan's tone turned stern. "You don't even understand the most basic stock market knowledge, yet you dare to throw 30,000 yuan into it? Are you out of your mind?"
Chen Qiming's face turned ashen at Liu Yuan's words, but he held back and changed his tone, saying, "Liu Yuan, I know you're well-off... Could you lend me some money? Just ten or twenty thousand will do, and I'll pay you back after I've made my money back."
"Borrow money to make up for lost money?" Liu Yuan sneered. "Chen Qiming, how many times have I heard you say that? Last time at the factory you said you could make money investing in stocks, and you ended up losing all your savings; this time you're saying you want to make up for lost money, and you still think losing 30,000 isn't enough?"
I'm confident this time—
"You're so sure of yourself!" Liu Yuan finally couldn't hold back any longer, his voice rising several decibels: "Chen Qiming, let me tell you the truth, Lao Qin sold all his stocks at the end of last year! Even someone as smart and capable as him isn't playing the stock market anymore, so what makes you think you can make money from stocks?"
This sentence was like a bucket of ice water, poured over my head and toes.
Chen Qiming was stunned.
Qin Hao...sold all his stocks?
A feeling that was hard to describe, whether it was despair or anger, surged in Chen Qiming's chest, and his hand gripping the microphone trembled.
"So you and Qin Hao both knew the stock was going to drop, and you kept it from me?" His voice turned shrill. "Liu Yuan, are you even still my brother?"
"Are you even being reasonable?" Liu Yuan retorted angrily. "When did I know the stock market was going to fall? Old Qin selling the stock was his own judgment; what does it have to do with you? You lost money in the stock market, and you're blaming me? Blaming Old Qin?"
"If you had told me about Qin Hao selling stocks earlier, I wouldn't have lost so much!"
You lost money because you were stupid and greedy!
"Liu Yuan, you're so disloyal!"
"I'm telling you, Chen Qiming, if you continue like this, we can't even be friends anymore!"
"Fine, then don't do it!"
Snapped--
Chen Qiming slammed down the phone.
……
After hanging up the phone, Liu Yuan paced back and forth in his office in anger.
He simply couldn't understand Chen Qiming's thought process—losing money in the stock market once wasn't enough, he had to try again; he borrowed 30,000 yuan from his family and lost it all, yet he still dared to ask him for money to try and win it back. What left him speechless the most was that Chen Qiming actually shifted the blame for the losses onto him, saying he was unrighteous.
Where did Liu Yuan go wrong? He was the one who helped Chen Qiming find a job at the Great Wall Power Plant, the one who treated him to meals, and the one who visited him in his dormitory. What did Chen Qiming's stock market losses have to do with him?
Liu Yuan grew angrier the more he thought about it, so he went to Qin Hao's office, plopped down on the sofa, and recounted the whole story about Chen Qiming.
"Don't you think he's being unreasonable? He lost money in the stock market and blames me for not telling him..."
Qin Hao leaned back in his chair and listened to Liu Yuan's account without rushing to speak.
His gaze fell on a document on the table, and his fingers tapped rhythmically on the surface.
"You mean Chen Qiming was ridiculed by a few old men at the stock exchange?" Qin Hao suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Liu Yuan was taken aback. "Yes, he said those old men were investing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at a time, and he went over to try and learn from them, but he got laughed at."
Qin Hao pondered for a moment, then suddenly sat up straight.
The old man Chen Qiming mentioned should be Huang Renfa, the village head of Lanyuan Village. In the 90s, village heads in Shenzhen were incredibly wealthy, holding vast amounts of land. What was the most valuable thing in Shenzhen? Land, of course.
"Old Qin, what you mean is..."
"Huang Renfa is a man worth befriending." Qin Hao stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling scene in the factory outside. "You should take the initiative to reach out to him. Don't be too deliberate; just make friends. Firstly, it's for future business cooperation. If we want to expand in Shenzhen, relying solely on OEM manufacturing and chassis isn't enough; sooner or later we'll need land. Secondly…"
Qin Hao turned around, looked at Liu Yuan, and smiled slightly.
"Huang Renfa has a daughter named Huang Yunyun."
"Daughter?" Liu Yuan was taken aback.
"Hmm." Qin Hao walked back to the table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "I've heard that Huang Yunyun is a pretty girl, kind and virtuous, but she has one small flaw—a stutter."
Liu Yuan was somewhat puzzled: "Why are you telling me this?"
"What do you think?" Qin Hao put down his teacup and looked at Liu Yuan with a half-smile.
"Although Huang Yunyun stutters, it's not a serious problem," Qin Hao continued. "Kindness and virtue are the foundation of a good life. Huang Renfa is the village chief of Lanyuan Village. If you get along well with Huang Yunyun, you'll essentially have a connection with him. You can achieve both career success and a happy relationship."
Liu Yuanchen rolled his eyes: "Hey, we've been brothers for so many years, you wouldn't sacrifice your brother's happiness for money, would you?"
Qin Hao said irritably, "It's only because we've been brothers for so many years that I don't want to see you continue to be so decadent. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. To put it bluntly, you get drunk every night because of Han Ling. Even if Han Ling knew, would she feel sorry for you for a second?"
"Brother, it's time to let it go."
"Besides, I never said you absolutely had to marry Huang Yunyun. Let's get to know her first; what if we hit it off?" (End of Chapter)