#49: The Girl

◎ Whenever you need me, I will definitely appear. ◎

“President Yue, did you hurt your waist?” Jiao Rui was summoned early in the morning. Yue Jincheng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, uncomfortably touching his lower back, asking Jiao Rui to fetch a pain-relief patch for sprains.

With just one glance from Yue Jincheng, Jiao Rui immediately shut up.

As soon as he walked out of the president’s office, Fu Jiaxi sent him a message:

“Secretary Jiao, please help deliver a box of pain-relief patches to Yue Jincheng. He sprained his waist yesterday.”

Jiao Rui cleverly deduced that this injury must have occurred at night.

“Take a look at the data review over these past few weeks. The daily chart has attempted several times to break through 21,000 but hasn’t managed an effective breakthrough,” Liu Yun said, flipping his screen to show Fu Jiaxi the charts. “Although the weekly and monthly patterns are still intact, judging from momentum, it would only take one day of sharp decline to disrupt them.”

Fu Jiaxi agreed and pulled out her recently completed analysis report. “I haven’t had time to revise it yet; I intended to give it to Minister Jin this afternoon.”

Their viewpoints converged: any commodity, when its price reaches a high level, inevitably faces a turning point. Early warning signs of risk were emerging, and both Fu Jiaxi and Liu Yun recognized this.

Liu Yun suggested, “Refine the data further and go see Yu Yanqing. Ask for his opinion.”

Fu Jiaxi hesitated for a moment. “Group Leader Liu, why don’t you go? My son’s kindergarten is having a parent-teacher meeting this afternoon.”

Liu Yun frowned. “Isn’t kindergarten not in session yet?”

Fu Jiaxi replied, “It’s for an extracurricular interest class—fencing.”

Liu Yun sighed. “Even interest classes have parent-teacher meetings now. Compared to our school days, things have really changed.”

Fu Jiaxi felt somewhat guilty. “Yes.”

It was evident that Liu Yun was nervous about meeting Yu Yanqing.

Before leaving, he deliberately changed into a suit, a stark contrast to his usual conservative style.

“Yu Yanqing… should be approachable, right?” Liu Yun couldn’t help but ask.

Fu Jiaxi gave a self-deprecating smile. “Don’t worry. He is friendly and polite to most people.”

An hour later, Liu Yun called again.

By then, he had probably just arrived at Yu Yanqing’s place and begun their discussion.

“Teacher Yu suggests we initiate hedging as soon as possible. He predicts the turning point might occur within the next day or two.”

Fu Jiaxi frowned. “So soon? Isn’t that too hasty?”

The phone was taken by Yu Yanqing, whose deep voice came across the line, muffled like it was covered by a thin film. “The National Development and Reform Commission has issued favorable policies for several consecutive days. Copper prices reacted first. Take a look at lead, silver, and nickel—they’re all moving in sync. But zinc, this particular product, remains sluggish with minimal gains.”

Fu Jiaxi wasn’t near her computer and didn’t respond immediately, instead hurrying back to her workstation.

Yu Yanqing interpreted her brief silence as disagreement. “Can’t I convince you? Why didn’t you come see me today?”

Underneath his composed exterior lay repressed emotions, carefully probing, daring to reveal only a hint of the torment of waiting.

Fu Jiaxi understood and chose to ignore it casually, responding in an official tone, “Sorry, I’m turning on my computer.”

Meanwhile, Liu Yun, sitting beside Yu Yanqing, chimed in, “Jiaxi said her son’s interest class is having a parent-teacher meeting, so she couldn’t come.”

Yu Yanqing chuckled softly but didn’t expose the truth.

Liu Yun returned soon after, bringing along Yu Yanqing’s hedging proposal.

His success wasn’t due to last-minute efforts but rather years of accumulated experience, habits, focus, and execution. While Liu Yun and Fu Jiaxi hadn’t noticed, Yu Yanqing had already started accumulating data and conducting reviews.

“So you’re suggesting selling off half a year’s production at once?” Yue Yunzong naturally disagreed, tossing another analysis report in front of them.

“This is the operational suggestion I received from Changxin Investment this afternoon. Their view is exactly opposite. They believe zinc won’t fall; at most, there will be a short-term adjustment with limited impact, and prices will continue to rise.”

Fu Jiaxi quickly reviewed the report and identified the key issue. “This report bases its analysis solely on macroeconomic factors, which is fundamentally flawed.”

The writing was overly biased, and the arguments lacked supporting data.

Hollow, shallow, and far from addressing the root cause.

That was Fu Jiaxi’s objective evaluation of Changxin Investment’s report.

She spoke bluntly, especially to Yue Yunzong.

In the past, she might have worn a mask of peace and friendliness, but now, she no longer bothered.

“President Yunzong, since the group established a team of market research specialists, shouldn’t their suggestions and reports serve as the primary reference?”

“What do you mean by ‘should’?” Yue Yunzong seized on the loophole in her words. “There’s never been a question of ‘should’ in company matters. Fair discussion, reasonable adoption—this applies to anyone.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t back down an inch. “Since this position was created, it should fulfill its corresponding responsibilities. How long has Changxin Investment been cooperating with us? Less than half a month. How much do they understand about the group’s business composition, downstream orders, overseas asset evaluations, or even daily production flow?”

Yue Yunzong was speechless, his gaze piercing as if wanting to cut her down.

An eerie silence hung in the air, the tension sharp like a blade.

“Fu Jiaxi, who do you think you’re relying on to be so bold?” Yue Yunzong suddenly asked.

He was extremely displeased.

Unlike his usual smiling tiger tactics, this time, he was cornered with no room for compromise.

Even Liu Yun tugged at Fu Jiaxi’s sleeve, signaling her to rein in her temper.

If she had backed down even slightly at that moment, the situation could still have been salvaged.

But Fu Jiaxi smiled confidently, seven parts sure of herself, with three parts provocative challenge.

“President Yunzong, I thought you understood.” She said.

Yue Yunzong slammed the table.

Fu Jiaxi remained calm, picked up the report, and left the office.

The clash was intense, and news of their confrontation spread quickly. Naturally, the full context became public knowledge. Everyone knew it was over disagreements regarding hedging.

“It’s strange. President Yunzong is responsible for operations, and Liu Yun and his team have clearly done well. Why does Yunzong always oppose them?”

“It’s about vested interests. Liu Yun was sidelined in the marketing department for years until Fu Jiaxi arrived, and he gradually gained recognition. If Yunzong acknowledged him, he would have promoted him earlier. Why wait so long?”

“Liu is too pragmatic and rigid, not someone Yunzong favors.”

“That’s part of it, but mainly, Liu Yun was personally recruited by the president.”

Rumors began to drift beyond work-related topics.

After dissecting the ins and outs of their feud, attention returned to the main issue.

Why did Yue Yunzong repeatedly obstruct Liu Yun and Fu Jiaxi? Because they were Yue Jincheng’s people.

What does this count as?

Favoritism and abuse of power.

These words weren’t hard to reach Yue Yunzong’s ears, and now, his situation was quite awkward.

If he suppressed Fu Jiaxi’s research proposal this time, the rumors would be confirmed, and his reputation would suffer greatly. But if he adopted it, Fu Jiaxi’s influence over the group’s operational decisions would become undeniable.

Her rise would mean the true achievement of the goals of those behind her.

Yue Yunzong was no pushover. He immediately notified administration to submit a major agenda item and called for an emergency board meeting.

He invited the heads of Changxin Investment’s client and trading departments, setting the stage for a face-to-face debate.

Liu Yun wasn’t optimistic and seriously warned Fu Jiaxi, “Without particularly professional and sufficient conditions to support us, the more we say, the more mistakes we might make. Neither of us are experienced traders. That business head from Changxin Investment is somewhat famous in the industry. He excels at finding loopholes in wording and making a big deal out of them.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t overestimate herself; this was indeed the truth.

Liu Yun probed, “Should we invite Yu Yanqing?”

Fu Jiaxi shook her head. “According to the contract agreement, he only provides professional opinions and doesn’t participate in Bofeng’s internal decision-making. He avoids the market and wouldn’t come. Group Leader Liu, let’s face the challenge.”

That evening, the emergency board meeting convened.

A group from Changxin Investment entered the conference room with Yue Yunzong.

Liu Yun and Fu Jiaxi sat alone on the other side, like opposing factions.

Liu Yun had always lacked communication skills and wasn’t a talkative person. Fu Jiaxi couldn’t help but feel nervous, pinching her palm several times to force herself to stay calm.

Three minutes before the meeting began, Yue Jincheng entered the conference room.

Liu Yun couldn’t believe his eyes and couldn’t suppress a gasp. “Yu Yanqing?”

Fu Jiaxi looked up abruptly. Yue Jincheng and Yu Yanqing entered together, both wearing suits of similar shades, tall and handsome, exuding confidence and composure with every step.

Fu Jiaxi was completely stunned, her gaze fixed on Yu Yanqing.

Soon after, another intense stare landed on her—this time from Yue Jincheng.

It seemed like disapproval at first, but only when she locked eyes with him, her focus entirely on him and no one else, did his expression soften slightly.

“Mr. Yu, please take a seat,” Yue Jincheng scanned the room, speaking in an even tone. “Let’s begin the meeting.”

None of the attendees would ever forget this meeting.

It was a bold new exploration of the group’s business model. It showcased the determination and decisiveness of Bofeng’s leader to break new ground. It was also a public battle between the company’s old and new factions. And more importantly, it featured a rare debate among top experts in the financial futures market.

No, to some extent, it was Yu Yanqing’s solo improvisational performance.

His absolute professionalism, classic real-market cases that had been included in textbooks, and his deep understanding of macro fundamentals and data were unparalleled. Yu Yanqing could fluently trace events back to specific dates.

For a moment, Fu Jiaxi stared at Yu Yanqing, so entranced that all other sounds faded away.

This usually reserved, quiet, and rigid man, when fully unleashed, was fiery, sharp, and breathtaking.

He wasn’t just Yu Yanqing anymore, not even a specific person.

Instead, he was a shining lighthouse, a flag flying high in defiance.

Fu Jiaxi’s heart surged. She lowered her head, her vision blurred, but her inner resolve became clearer and firmer. About the future, about direction, she felt as though she had glimpsed the shape of an answer.

Yu Yanqing’s speech was textbook-perfect: logical, well-supported, and flawless in its reasoning.

The representatives from Changxin Investment were repeatedly questioned and challenged by him until they fell silent, wiping sweat from their brows.

Yue Yunzong’s face darkened as he was thoroughly humiliated in front of all the directors.

Finally, Yue Jincheng calmly asked, “President Yunzong, do you have anything to add?”

Yue Yunzong gave a chilling smile. “Liu Yun, you speak so absolutely, claiming the market price will fall. But if the market price rises instead, contrary to your prediction, and half a year’s production—worth billions in sales—is lost due to going against the trend, who will take responsibility for the massive losses?”

For a moment, the room froze.

Yue Jincheng calmly countered, “If President Yunzong insists on rejecting their hedging advice and the market falls as they predicted, causing losses to the group’s sales, will you take responsibility?”

Yue Yunzong’s eyes turned icy as he gritted his teeth and replied, “Yes.”

Yue Jincheng looked at him for two seconds before addressing all the directors: “If this decision results in a certain percentage of loss for the company, I will personally take full responsibility.” He spoke calmly.

The next day, the heated confrontations and undercurrents from the meeting spread vividly across the company.

As for Yu Yanqing himself, who had always maintained an air of mystery and low-key presence, living mostly in rumors, his sudden dominance last night made him seem like a detached deity descending to earth.

The contrast was striking and left a deep impression.

Fu Jiaxi thought long and hard, and finally decided to send him a message of gratitude—it was only right.

Yu Yanqing replied almost instantly: “If you really want to thank me, take me out to dinner tonight.”

Fu Jiaxi had originally booked a Western restaurant—formal and fitting for his demeanor.

But Yu Yanqing wasn’t interested. “What’s the place you eat at most often?” he asked.

“Me?” Fu Jiaxi said. “Hot pot.”

“Alright, then let’s have hot pot.”

“Yin-yang pot—one side clear broth, one side spicy. Can you handle spicy food?” Fu Jiaxi cooked a few slices of lamb and placed them in his bowl.

“Do you prefer spicy or clear broth?”

“Spicy.”

“Alright, then I’ll go with spicy too.”

Subtle probing, without a trace.

Fu Jiaxi said, “I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Yu Yanqing chuckled softly. “You didn’t even ask and already concluded that I wouldn’t.”

Fu Jiaxi laughed. “With how poorly you’ve treated me in the past, I thought you hated and resented me.”

Uncharacteristically, Yu Yanqing didn’t refute her.

“I regret it now, but it’s probably too late to change.”

“It’s not too late,” Fu Jiaxi said. “Next time you deal with others, maybe you won’t scare them off.”

“You should see what I was like in the past,” Yu Yanqing said.

Fu Jiaxi was shocked. “Are you saying… you’ve actually treated me well?!”

Yu Yanqing laughed at her reaction. “I just don’t like unnecessary social interactions. When my parents died in a car accident, I didn’t speak for a month. My grandmother thought I was traumatized. Later, she passed away too, and there was no one left in the family. She was cremated that same night. At that moment, I realized life and death are just a fleeting instant. Focus on yourself and avoid burdening others—that’s enough.”

After a pause, he asked, “Do you think I’m cold-hearted?”

Fu Jiaxi replied, “You live more clearly than most people.”

Yu Yanqing muttered to himself, “But clarity is painful.”

“What did you say?” Fu Jiaxi asked, not catching it.

Surrounded by the bustling din of diners, she blended seamlessly into the lively atmosphere.

Through the rising steam and the spicy aroma of the hot pot, his thoughts stirred.

Yu Yanqing simply watched her, lowering his head. “Nothing.”

When talk turned to business, Fu Jiaxi asked curiously, “Did Group Leader Liu ask you to come?”

“Your ex-husband.”

Fu Jiaxi was surprised. “He actually took the initiative to ask, and you actually agreed?”

“I didn’t agree because of your ex-husband. I came because of you.” Yu Yanqing corrected her earnestly.

“Did Yue Jincheng pay you extra?”

“Who needs your ex-husband’s money?”

“No, I mean, is the name ‘Yue Jincheng’ that hard to say?”

“Not hard, but toxic.”

“…”

Fu Jiaxi raised her glass sincerely. “Yu Yanqing, thank you for this. Without you, Group Leader Liu and I wouldn’t have won so convincingly.”

“When I was speaking, were you watching me the whole time?” Yu Yanqing slowly clinked his glass with hers.

“Of course I was watching. It was much sharper than your speech at Zhengda University.”

“Did you feel even a moment of admiration?”

“Not admiration, but reflection. We’re all human, yet some are so different from others.”

“Have you reconciled with your ex-husband?”

Fu Jiaxi choked on the spicy oil, coughing violently.⑨

Yu Yanqing handed her a napkin, leaning back in his chair, calm and composed.

Fu Jiaxi recovered, her face flushed from coughing.

Yu Yanqing said, “Then I’ll assume you’ve reconciled… Reconciliation isn’t a problem, as long as you haven’t remarried. That means I still have a chance.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t know what to say. “Yu Yanqing, you…”

Yu Yanqing looked at her, his sincerity overflowing. “Fu Jiaxi, I don’t want to give up. Go ahead and choose what you want. I’ll do what I should. I’ll try one more time—I’ll change my coldness, fix my temper. If you like enthusiasm and cheerfulness, I’ll step into the crowd. If you like making money, choose me, and everything I have will be yours. Anytime, anywhere, wherever you stand, I’ll stand with you. Fu Jiaxi, I don’t want you to make a choice. I hope that when you think of me, you’ll turn around. Then, your ‘thought’ won’t just remain a ‘thought.’ Turn around, and you’ll see me.”