Good, even the Dark Web couldn't stop Intelligent AI. Then again, the Dark Web was a lawless place, while Intelligent AI had fewer restrictions there.
Lin Qiye had wanted Intelligent AI to take him to have a look around the Dark Web.
But then he remembered he was in the dormitory. It wouldn't be good if anyone found out, so he decided against it.
Everything still came down to money. It seemed he'd have to keep making money.
Lin Qiye continued typing.
"Are there any good investments right now?"
[Dafang Pharmaceutical. An unusual piece of news has been discovered that could very likely have a positive impact on the company's stock price.]
Lin Qiye was immediately intrigued.
"Tell me more."
[The news comes from an overseas forum. A foreign pharmaceutical testing analyst complained on her personal blog that her recent workload had been so heavy it was affecting her daily life.]
[One post mentioned that a drug produced by Dafang Pharmaceutical had received FDA certification.]
[This information has not yet been announced domestically. If confirmed, the stock price is very likely to surge.]
"What does FDA certification mean?"
[FDA stands for the US Food and Drug Administration. Only drugs approved by the FDA can be sold in the United States. In the medical device and pharmaceutical industries, FDA certification helps raise a company's or product's profile and market competitiveness.]
So that was it. It was like an advanced rating recognized by the industry. That really was great news for the company's stock.
Having decided to buy the stock tomorrow, Lin Qiye put down his laptop and prepared to get out of bed, brush his teeth, and go to sleep.
After brushing his teeth, he climbed back into his top bunk, but the chime for a text message rang out.
He checked his phone. There were several missed calls and a text.
"Xiao Lin, it's Li Xiongye. Why aren't you answering my calls? Call me back when you get this. I have something important to discuss."
Lin Qiye called him back.
"Uncle Li, what's up?"
"Something great. Are you free tonight? Come meet me at Fragrant Tea House on Fallen Street."
"Sorry, I was just about to go to sleep."
There was a pause on the other end, then Li Xiongye said, "Never mind if you can't make it. I wanted to discuss something with you. We can talk over the phone."
"Go ahead, Uncle Li. No need to be formal with me."
"Well, a few friends and I pooled some money to start an investment company. It's not much, just two million. They want me to manage the investments. You know what I'm like, so I thought I'd ask you to be a consultant. The company would give you a twenty percent share of the profits."
"Twenty percent? Give me a few days to think about it."
"What's there to think about? It's not like you need to rack your brains over a decision like this. I'll bump it up by another five percent."
"Twenty-five percent? That's pretty good. Give me three days to think it over, then I'll give you an answer."
There was some noise on the other end, then it went quiet. Clearly, Li Xiongye had covered the phone.
After a while, Li Xiongye got straight to the point. "Kid, give me a clear answer. How much do you want?"
"Thirty percent of the profits. I'll be an investment consultant and only offer advice; I won't be involved in the actual trading. And there has to be a contract."
"Fine. I'll come find you at the internet café tomorrow at eight in the morning."
With that, Li Xiongye hung up.
Lin Qiye stretched. His luck was incredible. He'd just been thinking about money, and now someone was practically bringing it to him.
He pulled up his blanket and drifted off to sleep.
At Fragrant Tea House on Fallen Street,
a group of people were engaged in a heated discussion.
There were Li Xiongye, Professor Wang, his colleague, and two other people Lin Qiye had never met.
The six of them were arguing over Lin Qiye's demands.
The two who had never dealt with Lin Qiye strongly objected.
"Why should he get thirty percent?"
"Exactly! We put up the money and still have to do the trading ourselves. He takes no risks at all, yet gets thirty percent for free. I'm not okay with that."
Li Xiongye shot back irritably, "If you don't want to do it, then don't. We've been in the same group for years. We shouldn't ruin our friendship over this. I'm putting up a million of my own money, and I'm not complaining. What are you worried about?"
His retort left the two men with little to say. After all, they were only putting up a hundred thousand each at most. Their shares didn't give them much say.
Professor Wang cut in. "I think Lin Qiye is a good kid. His advice is always well reasoned. I believe in his abilities."
Professor Wang's colleague nodded. "I know my own limits. I've lost quite a bit in the stock market over the past few years. We might as well let Xiao Lin guide the investments."
The two men exchanged a glance and stood up together.
They tossed out one last remark. "One business owner and two professors, and you still have no backbone. Just wait until you lose your life savings."
After the two left, Li Xiongye put on a long face and joked, "What good is backbone? I lost ten million and was left with only four million. For a while, I didn't even dare go home. Every time I did, my wife scratched up my face. Thank goodness I made back a million with Lin Qiye's help. That's the only reason she let me back in."
Professor Wang took a sip of tea. "That's right, he knows a thing or two. The stock I bought got a profit warning tonight. It's bound to take a nosedive tomorrow. Luckily, I cut my losses while they were still small."
As the three chatted, they soon turned back to stocks.
When it came to stocks, they all sounded like experts. They just couldn't make any real money in the market.
The night passed, and Lin Qiye woke up early.
After getting used to sleeping alone, he found dorm life a little hard to adjust to.
Especially at night, when the energetic young guys would suddenly shout for no apparent reason.
Then the whole building would erupt in yelling.
The girls' dorm across the way would join in, and in an instant, the two buildings would shout back and forth like dry kindling bursting into flames.
It wasn't until the teacher on duty and the security guards came running over that things finally quieted down.
Lin Qiye felt that if he stayed like this, he'd end up with a nervous breakdown sooner or later.
He wondered whether he should rent a place off campus.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Li Xiongye again.
"Xiao Lin, come to the internet café. I've brought a lawyer and the contract. Let's get everything settled before the market opens."
"So early? Let me brush my teeth first, then I'll be right there."
Lin Qiye jumped out of bed, grabbed his cup, toothbrush, and toothpaste, and hurried through his morning routine. Then he said goodbye to his roommates, who were still sleeping soundly.
"Guys, I'm heading out. Call me if anything comes up at school."
He hurried along the road and stopped to buy a basket of steaming soup dumplings.
He dipped them in sauce and polished them off in a few bites, then drank a cup of soy milk. His stomach no longer felt quite so empty.
By then, he had reached the internet café. Li Xiongye was waiting outside with another middle-aged man dressed in a suit.
Li Xiongye introduced him. "This is the lawyer I brought along. He'll explain the contract to you in a moment. If you want it notarized, we can do that too, so you don't have to worry."
Lin Qiye shook the lawyer's hand and invited them both in.
"Let's go inside and talk."
The three of them entered the internet café. Looking at the bustling interior, Li Xiongye couldn't help sighing. "Xiao Lin, you really are something. A business that lost money under my management is thriving in your hands."
"I'm not making any money either. I'm running a buy-one-get-one-free promotion right now."
"I started keeping the books for my uncle when I was sixteen. Don't think I can't see what's going on. You must be spending quite a bit every day on snacks and drinks."
"I haven't added it all up yet. At most, it just covers some of the internet fees."
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