Recaps

Zhao Chen arranged with Zhang Qingxue to delay the cross-border funding process for his father while keeping his intentions hidden, and assured her he had prepared a way to handle the eventual signing. After leaving the matter in her hands, he called Shen Zhiyi and arranged to meet her at Zhengfa University.

• Zhao Chen told Zhang Qingxue to make the funding process appear active while delaying it with compliance requirements and paperwork.
• Zhang Qingxue warned that they had no additional shares to pledge if the process reached signing, but Zhao Chen said he had made foolproof preparations.
• Zhao Chen reflected that Zhao Jianguo was relying on funding that would never arrive and continued walking toward his father's company.
• Zhao Chen called Shen Zhiyi, who agreed to meet him at the South Gate of Zhengfa University.

Zhao Chen received an urgent summons from his counselor, Chen Xi, after class monitor Chen Hao reported his extended absences. Meeting Chen Xi again brought back memories of their shared past life, while she asked him to provide an explanation for his missed classes.

• Chen Xi called Zhao Chen and told him to come to her office because Chen Hao had reported his long-term absences.
• Zhao Chen left dinner with Shen Zhiyi, Zhou Xiaowen, Chen Shuhua, and Li Jing and went to the student affairs office.
• Zhao Chen recognized the young Chen Xi as the woman who had stood by him in his Previous Life.
• Chen Xi reviewed Zhao Chen's attendance record and asked him for a reasonable explanation to include in the report.

Zhao Chen learned that Su Wantang had asked Chen Xi to watch over him, leaving him shaken by her hidden care and determined to change. He planned to obtain medical paperwork for sick leave, while Chen Xi agreed to hold off Chen Hao for two days.

• Chen Xi told Zhao Chen that Su Wantang had asked her to protect him from trouble and keep him on the right path.
• Zhao Chen realized how much Su Wantang had cared for him and promised to handle his skipped classes properly.
• Zhao Chen proposed getting a hospital diagnosis and rest recommendation to support a sick-leave request.
• Chen Xi agreed to delay pressure from Chen Hao for two days while Zhao Chen gathered the paperwork.
• Zhao Chen thanked Chen Xi and left the Administration Building resolved not to disappoint Su Wantang or Chen Xi.

Zhao Chen returned to class and debated Chen Hao over Sanjiang Shopping’s valuation and weak intraday performance. The chapter left their argument unresolved as Zhao Chen defended his prediction that the stock would recover rather than hit limit-down.

• Zhao Chen entered the classroom and took the seat beside Shen Zhiyi as the students watched him.
• Chen Hao argued that Sanjiang Shopping’s surge had priced in unrealistic expectations and that its high valuation was a bubble.
• Zhao Chen said Ali’s investment could accelerate Sanjiang’s transformation and that the stock’s turnover reflected a healthy shift toward long-term investors.
• Chen Hao pointed to Sanjiang Shopping’s declining price and rising turnover as signs of panic and warned that it could hit limit-down.
• Zhao Chen predicted that the selling pressure would be absorbed and that long-term investors would support the stock, then began responding to Chen Hao’s criticism of relying on the current K-line.

Zhao Chen’s prediction that Sanjiang Shopping would recover proved correct, humiliating Chen Hao in front of the class. The stock surged to its daily limit the next day, while Zhao Chen’s friends celebrated their gains and asked him to interpret the market’s momentum.

• In the final minutes of trading, steady buying lifted Sanjiang Shopping to close at 25.26 yuan, up 1.98%, contradicting Chen Hao’s limit-down prediction.
• Chen Hao dismissed the late rally as a temporary pump, but Zhao Chen left the classroom calmly after Chen Xi acknowledged him and Shen Zhiyi congratulated him.
• On December 1, Sanjiang Shopping opened slightly higher, climbed throughout the session, and closed at its daily limit of 28.07 yuan.
• Chen Hao had predicted the stock would plunge, then grew gloomy as students reported its limit-up and discussed Zhao Chen’s call.
• Zhou Xiaowen, Li Jing, and Chen Shuhua shared their Sanjiang gains in their WeChat group, and Chen Shuhua asked Zhao Chen whether the rally showed strengthening market consensus.

Zhao Chen began a coordinated short-selling campaign against Henglong, probing and steadily weakening the market defense funds. After driving the stock down from HK$10.22 to around HK$10.05, he launched his heaviest attack yet with two 1.5-million-share sell orders at HK$9.98.

• Zhao Chen set a conditional order to sell his 320,000 Sanjiang Shopping shares at 51 yuan and told his group to follow the target price while he was unavailable.
• Zhao Chen flew to Hong Kong and used multiple trading channels to probe Henglong’s defenses, finding that their buy orders were smaller and slower than before.
• Zhao Chen escalated to larger, staggered sell orders, forcing the defense funds to spend heavily and pushing Henglong’s price down to HK$10.10 before lunch.
• Zhao Chen resumed selling in the afternoon, pressing Henglong to HK$10.06 as the defense funds’ response slowed.
• Zhao Chen placed two 1.5-million-share sell orders through Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, targeting HK$9.98.

After Zhao Jianguo was taken away by police, news of the investigation spread rapidly and Henglong Holdings faced an impending stock-price crash. Zhao Chen told Zhang Qingxue to secure the five-day grace period on the share pledge and close their short position in batches near six Hong Kong dollars per share.

• Finance Frontier reported that police had taken Henglong Holdings chairman Zhao Jianguo away for investigation, and the news spread across major media outlets and social media.
• A leaked video showed Zhao Jianguo being escorted out of Henglong headquarters as employees watched and the company’s public relations department struggled to respond.
• Zhao Chen watched the news from his hotel room and reflected on how differently he faced his father’s arrest in this life.
• Zhang Qingxue called Zhao Chen to discuss the likely collapse in Henglong’s share price and an urgent inquiry from Rock Capital’s risk control department.
• Zhao Chen instructed Zhang Qingxue to use the five-day grace period and close their short position in batches once the share price reached around six Hong Kong dollars.

Zhao Chen returned to Shan City and prepared to use Henglong’s crisis to seize shares, voting rights, and influence over its executives. He entered the villa to face Lin Wanqing, Liu Mingyu, and the company’s other senior executives as they waited for him to take charge.

• Zhao Chen recalled how Zhao Jianguo had once used prison, Lin Wanqing, and a contract trap to take Henglong from him, and resolved to prevent that future.
• Zhao Chen planned to demand at least 15% of his father's shares and all the voting rights attached to them in exchange for stabilizing Henglong.
• Zhao Chen resolved to sort through Henglong's executives, temporarily use Liu Mingyu, and keep Lin Wanqing complacent while pursuing the overseas assets she controlled.
• Zhao Chen entered the villa's living room, where Su Wantang and the senior executives, including Lin Wanqing and Liu Mingyu, were gathered.

Zhao Chen rejected Lin Wanqing and Liu Mingyu’s push for him to issue a statement acting as his father’s proxy, insisting they first determine the facts and follow proper channels. After Su Wantang backed his judgment, the executives prepared to leave, but Zhao Chen asked Director Chen to stay behind to discuss something his father had mentioned.

• Zhao Chen argued that issuing a proxy statement before the investigation results were known would make it seem that his father had fallen and would distress him.
• Zhao Chen told Liu Mingyu to contact the company’s legal counsel and investigating authorities, then prepare a brief announcement that the chairman was assisting with an investigation and operations remained normal.
• Lin Wanqing asked Su Wantang to persuade Zhao Chen, but Su Wantang said Zhao Chen had the final say in the family and that his reasoning made sense.
• Liu Mingyu put away the draft statement, and Lin Wanqing and the executives agreed to seek other ways to learn about Chairman Zhao’s situation.
• As the group was leaving, Zhao Chen asked Director Chen to stay behind to discuss something his father had mentioned.

Zhao Chen showed Su Wantang evidence that Zhao Jianguo had secretly supported another family, but she remained composed and asked what Zhao Chen planned to do. She saw through his calculated behavior and offered to divorce Zhao Jianguo or remain his wife, leaving the decision to Zhao Chen.

• Zhao Chen placed a file bag of evidence about Lin Wanqing and Zhao Jianguo’s three children and overseas asset transfers before Su Wantang.
• Su Wantang read the documents calmly and said the truth had extinguished whatever feelings she had left for Zhao Jianguo.
• Su Wantang asked Zhao Chen what he planned to do, and he asked whether she had considered leaving.
• Su Wantang recognized that Zhao Chen was acting strategically and offered to divorce Zhao Jianguo or remain Mrs. Zhao, depending on what best served his plans.

Zhang Qingxue leaked damaging information about Henglong Holdings, triggering a market panic that sent its share price plunging. As the stock hovered around 6 Hong Kong Dollars, she began carefully closing Zhao Chen’s short positions, leaving the company’s market crisis unresolved.

• Zhang Qingxue anonymously tipped off financial reporters that Zhao Chen had refused to take over Henglong Holdings and that the company faced a much larger debt crisis than disclosed.
• Financial media published alarming reports before the Hong Kong market opened, and investors rushed to sell Henglong Holdings shares.
• Henglong Holdings’ share price plunged 37% in three minutes, then fell below 6 Hong Kong Dollars amid heavy selling.
• Large buy orders appeared around 6 Hong Kong Dollars, absorbing some of the panic-driven sales and slowing the decline.
• Zhang Qingxue began closing Zhao Chen’s short positions in small batches and bought back more than 15 million shares at an average price of 6.05 Hong Kong Dollars within half an hour.

Zhao Chen visited his detained father, Zhao Jianguo, and maneuvered him into agreeing that Zhang Qingxue would supervise Zhao Chen as he took over Henglong. Zhang Qingxue began setting legal safeguards, starting with a demand that Zhao Jianguo commit to repaying company funds he had appropriated.

• Zhao Jianguo urged Zhao Chen to become Henglong’s Acting Chairman and stabilize the company, and Zhao Chen pretended to lack confidence without Zhang Qingxue’s guidance.
• Zhao Jianguo reluctantly agreed to let Zhang Qingxue assist Zhao Chen while insisting that Zhao Chen make the key decisions.
• Zhang Qingxue arrived at the detention center, exchanged a brief glance with Zhao Chen, and announced that she would establish safeguards before he managed the company.
• Zhang Qingxue demanded that Zhao Jianguo sign a written commitment and repayment plan for funds he and related parties had taken from Henglong.
• Zhao Jianguo called the transfers temporary cash flow management, but Zhang Qingxue warned that they could expose Zhao Chen to an investigation.

Zhang Qingxue forced Zhao Jianguo to accept an agreement by revealing evidence of Henglong Group’s hidden liabilities. Zhao Chen secured a 15% stake and voting rights proxy, leaving him poised to control the board.

• Zhao Jianguo blamed Zhang Qingxue for manipulating Zhao Chen and threatened to challenge the agreements once his investigation was complete.
• Zhang Qingxue showed Zhao Jianguo a report estimating Henglong Group’s hidden liabilities at no less than 3 billion Hong Kong dollars and warned that exposing it could devastate the company.
• Zhao Jianguo gave in and signed the equity transfer, voting rights proxy, and funds repayment agreements, and Zhao Chen signed them as well.
• After leaving the detention center, Zhang Qingxue explained that Zhao Chen would hold 25% of the shares and become the largest voting rights shareholder, with Su Wantang’s shares giving him a board majority.

Zhao Chen returned to the villa, aligned Su Wantang and Chen Xi with his plans, and prepared to take control of Henglong Group. After securing his appointment as Acting Chairman and general manager at the board meeting, he asked Lin Wanqing to report the group’s cash reserves and debts.

• Zhao Chen told Su Wantang and Chen Xi about the detention-center agreement and the Hong Kong Stock Market turmoil, then outlined his plans for the temporary board meeting.
• Su Wantang agreed to attend the meeting, and Chen Xi offered to serve as Zhao Chen’s private advisor and observe the directors.
• At Henglong Group’s board meeting, Zhang Qingxue presented the agreement documents, and the directors approved Zhao Chen as Acting Chairman.
• Zhao Chen’s proposal to appoint himself general manager also passed, and he asked Lin Wanqing to report the group’s available cash and debts due within a month.

At a Henglong Group board meeting, Zhao Chen confronted Lin Wanqing and the Legal Department over 237 million in illegally occupied company funds and the failure to warn the board. Lin Wanqing agreed that Zhou Zhengping should be replaced, and Zhao Chen began to push his next move.

• Zhao Chen demanded that the 237 million be recovered promptly and warned that he would seek a regulatory investigation if the matter was not resolved.
• Zhao Chen questioned Legal Director Zhou Zhengping, who admitted the Legal Department had helped complete paperwork for the transfer but had not issued a risk warning.
• Zhao Chen accused the Legal Department of serious dereliction and asked Lin Wanqing what should be done about its failure to perform oversight.
• Lin Wanqing agreed that Zhou Zhengping was to blame and that the head of the Legal Department should be replaced.
• Zhao Chen proposed immediately removing Zhou Zhengping as Legal Director and began announcing another measure.

Chen Qiming learned that Zhao Jianguo and Lin Wanqing believed he had leaked Henglong Group’s off-balance-sheet liabilities report to Zhao Chen. Zhang Qingxue offered him money and a way to work with Zhao Chen, and Chen accepted the envelope, leaving him trapped between his former allies and his new employer.

• After the meeting, Chen Qiming fled to his office, convinced Lin Wanqing and Zhao Jianguo regarded him as a traitor.
• Chen Qiming recalled Zhang Qingxue visiting him the previous night and showing him a detailed report on Henglong Group’s hidden liabilities.
• Zhang Qingxue told Chen Qiming that Zhao Jianguo had read the report and transferred 15% of his shares to Zhao Chen.
• Zhang Qingxue explained that Zhao Jianguo and Lin Wanqing suspected Chen Qiming because Zhao Chen had spoken with him privately after Zhao Jianguo’s arrest.
• Zhang Qingxue offered Chen Qiming two million in cash to help Zhao Chen manage Henglong’s accounts, and Chen Qiming took the envelope.

Zhao Chen settled into his new office and assigned Chen Xi urgent tasks to monitor finances and stabilize Henglong’s business relationships. As he worked through the day’s pressure, Su Wantang resolved to support him by causing less trouble and bringing him meals.

• Zhao Chen brought Su Wantang into the top-floor office and asked Chen Xi to assist him.
• Chen Xi insisted Zhao Chen address her professionally and accepted a starting monthly salary of ten thousand.
• Zhao Chen ordered Chen Xi to monitor the Finance Department and Lin Wanqing’s handling of the two hundred thirty million, and to gather supplier and bank information.
• Zhao Chen directed Chen Xi to have Liu Mingyu and Director Zhang issue an announcement on management restructuring and operational stability before the workday ended.
• Su Wantang watched Zhao Chen work under mounting pressure and decided to help him by bringing him meals.
• Zhao Chen spent the entire day working in his office and the neighboring Small Meeting Room.

Zhao Chen unwound from the pressure of work by talking with Shen Zhiyi, then went home with Su Wantang, who offered to look after him. He ended the night with a photo from Shen Zhiyi and a warm drive through Shan City.

• Zhao Chen called Shen Zhiyi, and they chatted about ordinary campus life while she checked that he had eaten.
• Shen Zhiyi ended the nearly twenty-minute call after Li Jing urged her to wash up, reminding Zhao Chen to eat as well.
• Su Wantang gave Zhao Chen his coat and suggested they go home to heat up the soup she had made.
• Su Wantang offered to pick Zhao Chen up or bring him meals whenever he worked late, and he accepted her care without complaint.
• Shen Zhiyi sent Zhao Chen a photo of rice noodles with two fried eggs, and he saved it and replied with a hair-ruffling emoji.

Zhao Chen faced public skepticism and a steep selloff in Henglong Holdings after taking over as acting chairman. By Monday noon, his team had traced Zhao Jianguo’s earlier stock-support losses to withdrawals from Lin Wanqing’s Cayman Islands family trust, while Zhao waited to see whether market selling pressure would ease.

• Chen Hao mocked Zhao Chen in the class group, and Shen Zhiyi, Zhou Xiaowen, Li Jing, and Chen Shuhua pushed back against his accusations.
• Henglong Holdings opened Monday trading down 5.2%, then fell as low as nearly 8% amid heavy selling.
• Chen Xi told Zhao Chen that forced selling and related follow-up orders were driving the decline, and Zhao decided to wait for the afternoon session to assess whether selling weakened.
• Chen Xi presented a report compiled by Zhang Qingxue and Chen Qiming showing that Zhao Jianguo had lost more than 300 million supporting Henglong shares.
• Chen Xi reported that some of the funds came from Lin Wanqing’s revocable Cayman Islands family trust, whose withdrawals had already covered those losses.

After profiting more than HK$240 million from shorting Henglong, Zhao Chen decided to preserve his cash for buying Bitcoin instead of redeeming his pledged shares. He arranged to use Su Wantang’s Henglong shares as additional collateral, and she agreed without hesitation.

• Zhao Chen reviewed the short-selling profits, which brought his personal cash pool to more than HK$470 million.
• Zhao Chen told Zhang Qingxue and Chen Xi he would add collateral to his Singapore pledge rather than redeem his Henglong shares, freeing cash to buy Bitcoin.
• Chen Xi pointed out that Su Wantang’s unencumbered 5% stake in Henglong Group could serve as collateral.
• Zhao Chen asked Su Wantang to pledge her shares as supplementary collateral, and she agreed to sign the necessary documents.

Shen Zhiyi shared a quiet dinner with Zhao Chen and reassured him that she wanted to support him, while he told her that her presence gave him strength. After escorting her to her dormitory, Zhao Chen returned to the Villa, where Su Wantang was waiting and asked about his dinner.

• Shen Zhiyi prepared a quiet meal for Zhao Chen and listened as he described his work stabilizing the stock price and handling company affairs.
• Shen Zhiyi admitted she felt unable to help with his burdens, and Zhao Chen held her hand and told her that simply being with him was a great help.
• Shen Zhiyi promised to encourage Zhao Chen to eat on time and visit him, and the two spent the rest of dinner sharing stories and laughter.
• Zhao Chen escorted Shen Zhiyi to her dormitory, then returned to the Villa and found Su Wantang waiting in the Living Room.
• Su Wantang asked Zhao Chen whether he had enjoyed dinner with Zhiyi, and he began to bring something up.

Zhao Chen used the released 470 million Hong Kong dollars to begin a secret, leveraged Bitcoin investment through an offshore fund. Chen Xi executed the staggered purchases while Zhang Qingxue handled the legal structure, and the position-building operation continued through a web of offshore entities.

• Zhang Qingxue secured more flexible financing terms using Su Wantang's 5% equity stake, freeing the 470 million Hong Kong dollars in Zhao Chen's pledged account.
• Zhao Chen decided to put his offensive capital into Bitcoin at five times leverage, convinced that the price would break upward before the end of the month.
• Zhao Chen assigned Zhang Qingxue to handle the offshore fund's legal and compliance structure and Chen Xi to execute the trades.
• Zhao Chen set a five-day buying schedule, with purchases spread across major exchanges and daily orders capped to avoid attracting attention.
• Chen Xi adjusted orders to market conditions and accumulated Bitcoin within the 780-to-820-dollar range through offshore pipelines.

Zhao Chen sold his Sanjiang Shopping shares, cleared his old debts, and joined Shen Zhiyi and her roommates for a Christmas Eve celebration. The evening ended with the girls joking about protecting Shen Zhiyi’s place in Zhao Chen’s life while quietly considering how to keep their own bond with him close.

• Zhao Chen sold all 302,000 Sanjiang Shopping shares at 51 yuan and used the proceeds to repay his startup loans.
• Shen Zhiyi and her three roommates also sold their shares at 51 yuan, doubling their investments and wanting to thank Zhao Chen.
• On Christmas Eve, Zhao Chen joined Shen Zhiyi and the roommates for dinner and showed her attentive affection.
• At KTV, Zhou Xiaowen jokingly declared Shen Zhiyi Zhao Chen’s principal consort and herself, Li Jing, and Chen Shuhua his concubines.
• Zhou Xiaowen said the roommates should help Shen Zhiyi keep Zhao Chen close, and the girls shared a serious look beneath their laughter.

After Christmas Eve karaoke, Zhao Chen agreed to manage a shared Bitcoin account for Shen Zhiyi and her three roommates, who invested 600,000 in total. He later left them at a hotel and returned to the Villa, where a light was still on in the Living Room.

• Chen Shuhua, Li Jing, and Zhou Xiaowen asked Zhao Chen about Bitcoin, and he said he still considered it a good long-term investment despite its volatility.
• Shen Zhiyi and her roommates pooled 600,000 for Zhao Chen to manage in a separate account, with Shen Zhiyi holding 40% and each roommate holding 20%.
• Zhao Chen and the women continued celebrating Christmas Eve at the KTV, then he wrapped Shen Zhiyi in his coat as they left.
• Zhao Chen settled Shen Zhiyi and her roommates into a hotel before taking a taxi to the Villa.
• Zhao Chen entered the quiet Villa and noticed the reading lamp beside the Living Room sofa was still on.

Zhao Chen reviewed a detailed financial report showing Henglong Group was far more fragile than its public accounts suggested, with severe debt pressure and hidden liabilities. He ended the day studying the company’s risks and suspicious fund movements as he prepared to confront its financial crisis.

• Zhao Chen stayed home and shared a quiet breakfast with Su Wantang, who chose to keep Wang Ma away for now.
• Shen Zhiyi transferred 600,000 to Zhao Chen, and he instructed Chen Xi to prepare a leveraged Bitcoin-buying strategy starting the following Monday.
• Chen Xi reported that Zhao Chen’s new driver had been confirmed and the Chairman’s Office would be ready on Monday.
• Chen Xi told Zhao Chen that Henglong Group’s financial health check, prepared with Deputy Director Chen Qiming, showed severe debt pressure and hidden liabilities.
• Zhao Chen read the report’s figures, including 2.49 billion Hong Kong dollars in debt due within a year and an estimated 3 billion in concealed guarantees and debts.
• Zhao Chen spent the day examining the report and its flagged suspicious fund movements while Su Wantang quietly brought him tea and fruit.