The next day, the early morning meeting at the company.
"What have you been up to these past two days? Ma Qiao told me he asked you to join a client expansion event yesterday and you declined?"
"Ah, I've been too busy... sssslurp~"
"Busy with what?" Elder Zhang asked, puzzled.
"Busy saving myself, saving others, and also busy battling wits with a malicious force with assets over a hundred billion... sssslurp~"
"So busy, yet you still have time to sit here clutching a thermos drinking health tea? Also, I think you'd better busy yourself going to the hospital for treatment..."
Elder Zhang thought Meng Lang was starting his nonsense again, rolled his eyes, and then glanced into his thermos.
"Red dates, cloves, dried tangerine peel... these are all good for the stomach, right?"
"Aiyo, not bad, Uncle Zhang, quite the expert! How is it, my mix isn't bad, huh?"
"Not bad my foot! You just mixed a bunch of nonsensical items together, many of their properties clash, you've turned drinking tea into a messy stew!"
"Ah? Then how should I mix it?"
"If you want to nourish the stomach, then you should start with Puer Tea, Black Tea and Barley Tea are also not bad. For someone young like you with robust vitality and strong self-recovery abilities, you don't need all this fancy stuff, simple conditioning is enough.
And remember, tea is just part of conditioning, the key is to exercise more. As the saying goes, 'action keeps one from decay and usage prevents retreat'; strengthening the body strengthens all your internal organs.
Also, eat less junk food, nurtured for a hundred days, destroyed in one, no matter how well you nurture, destruction is easier than construction...
"Mmm!" Meng Lang nodded continuously, occasionally raising his own questions.
Such as "the actual medicinal value of Cordyceps and cubilose and donkey-hide gelatin" and "the application of meridians and the Five Elements in healthcare" and so on...
Each with a thermos in hand, they sat in a corner and had a thorough and friendly discussion on the topic of health maintenance.
Their conversation inadvertently reached the ears of Ma Qiao behind them, causing the corners of his mouth to twitch uncontrollably.
One in his fifties, the other in his twenties, sitting together passionately discussing the feasibility of "beer with goji berries," the scene was as bizarre as you could imagine…
After talking enthusiastically for a while, seeing that Meng Lang showed no signs of impatience but instead became more spirited and even started taking notes in a small notebook at the end.
He looked like a top student in class paying attention to "essential exam topics," as if his life depended on it.
This left Elder Zhang somewhat dumbfounded.
"Are you finally getting it, lad – planning to retire early and hence gathering wisdom from me in advance?"
"If I could, I really wouldn't mind retiring back home," sighed Meng Lang.
The city is treacherous, I long for the countryside.
Not to mention the hostile living environment here, but at any turn, one might face prison, a lawyer handling a case could stir mortal danger, a single high-profile divorce case could expose collusion between officials and businessmen...
So tiring…
"Looks like you've encountered some trouble?" Elder Zhang looked at Meng Lang seriously and then smiled. "But retiring home? That's just something you say to deceive others, not something you can fool yourself with."
"What do you mean?" Meng Lang asked in surprise.
"Everyone goes through a phase when they're young, it's called 'not turning back until hitting the South Wall.' Only when someone's bruised with a blue nose and a swollen face, pain touching the heart, will they be willing to turn back.
Ask yourself, have you hit it?"
Spending 20 years in jail, does that count as hitting it?
Meng Lang asked himself. Maybe it was a "paper sentence," so it wasn't painful enough to touch the heart?
"Uncle Zhang, are you saying I should wait until I'm bruised and swollen before going back?"
"Then let me ask you, if I told you to go back now, would you?" Elder Zhang countered.
Meng Lang thought for a long time, then shook his head. "My conscience would hurt."
"Hehe!" Elder Zhang chuckled and nodded at Meng Lang. "There you go, just keep bumping then!"
"Uh... Uncle Zhang, I remember last time you advised me to hurry back, why are you telling me to keep bumping now? Your motivational speeches are sometimes salty, sometimes sweet."
"Last time wasn't about hitting the South Wall, it was about looking for the South Wall. I figured if you couldn't find it, you'd go back.
But today is different, I see in your eyes that you've found the South Wall. Since you've found it, if you don't bump into it before going back, you'd regret it for a lifetime."
"Uncle Zhang, no wonder my dad said it's always right to come to you whenever there's trouble! Every time I listen to you, it feels like listening to Buddha handing down teachings, you're not an incarnation here to save all beings, are you?"
"Ha! It seems you really have made some progress, at least this flattery is spot on."
"What do you mean? Those were words from deep within!"
"Hmm! Your thick-skinned has improved too."
"Haha..."
Both men were laughing when Wang Zhiping, with a stern face, walked into the meeting room, instantly silencing the somewhat noisy environment.
Even Meng Lang, who was not in the company, had heard from Elder Zhang that Wang Zhiping had been exceptionally irritable these past few days.
No one wanted to provoke trouble at this time.
"This morning's meeting..." Wang Zhiping had just started.
"It's because I loved too foolishly and too naïvely, thinking your loneliness was a soul that matched mine, and my self-inflicted seriousness believed in you..."
The meeting room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, except for the loud echoing of a ringtone, which was incredibly jarring.
The addictive melody was brainwashing; many couldn't help but feel like laughing, yet Wang Zhiping's face grew darker.
All eyes naturally focused on Meng Lang.
"Sorry, a client call, I need to take this," Meng Lang said as he pressed the answer button and stood up.
Taking calls during meetings was generally not allowed, except for client calls...
"Mr. Meng, good news! Your investment application for 500,000 has been approved. When are you free to come and sign?"
It was unclear whether the voice on the other end was too loud, or Meng Lang's phone volume was set too high, but the sound was quite audible, especially since the meeting room was already quiet...
The statement from the phone made many people around show a look of surprise.
Did they hear that right just now?
500,000 investment?!
For most people present, 500,000 was a considerable sum.
This unassuming Meng Lang actually had such wealth? Could he be a wealthy second-generation playing dumb?
Elder Zhang looked at Meng Lang with a face full of shock.
How could he not know how much wealth Meng Lang had? Where did this 500,000 come from!
Ma Qiao's expression slightly changed, seemingly guessing something.
Meng Lang was speechless; he hadn't intended to be so high-profile!
He quickly lowered the volume and gave an embarrassed smile to those around him. "Heh, this client is a bit anxious."
A client my ass! Think we are deaf!
Wang Zhiping also looked gloomier, but since the "client" -- this God -- had been mentioned, there was no reason to stop him.
After Meng Lang stepped out to take the call, he didn't want to go back in and provoke Wang Zhiping, so he simply left the company and headed straight for Galaxy Securities.
He had come today to resign, after all.
He had intended to bid farewell to Uncle Zhang before leaving, but it was more important to take care of business first.
...
"Mr. Meng, the total is three million shares of Huaxia Energy put options. The premium you've paid is 500,000, with an exercise period of one month.
The current stock price is 9.8 per share, and you can sell at this price anytime within a month. If everything is clear, please sign here.
The contract is effective immediately, and we will deduct 500,000 from your account," Tony said enthusiastically as he handed over the pen.
Once Meng Lang signed without hesitation, Tony's expression grew even more enthusiastic.
This deal alone would earn him several thousand in commission.
"Mr. Meng, I have some other investment products that I strongly recommend to you..."
"Let's talk next time, funds are tight," Meng Lang interrupted.
"Heh! Mr. Meng jokes, with your audacity and financial capacity..."
"What if I told you I can't even scrape a penny from my credit card, would you believe me?"
"Uh... Mr. Meng, you really love to joke."
Meng Lang stared seriously at Tony until his expression turned even more colorful...
...
Walking out of the securities firm with a copy of the contract.
It was the biggest gamble Meng Lang had ever made in his life, and yet his heart remained undisturbed.
Such is the composure of a spoiler aficionado.
He shook his head with his hands behind his back.
"Ah! Such a soulless investment..."