Chapter Twelve: The A-Share Market Plunges, and Shen Siqing Is Invited to Spend Time Alone Together

The two quickly arrived at Zhang Xuhao’s dormitory. Yan Fei introduced Shen Siqing’s identity, and the five tech-savvy men immediately erupted in cheers. “Campus Belle Shen! I never imagined we’d actually get to meet our senior.”

Shen Siqing looked at the enthusiastic five with a friendly smile, feeling a warmth and closeness. The atmosphere among them was excellent. Following the previously arranged details, they successfully signed the investment and equity contract.

Yan Fei put away a copy of the contract and smiled. “Within three days, the first investment installment of one million will be transferred. After the business registration changes are completed, four million will be paid that same month, and the remaining five million before the end of the following month. Also, a reminder: you should register the ‘Ele.me’ trademark across all fields as soon as possible to avoid future trademark disputes.”

Zhang Xuhao nodded immediately, his expression serious. “Don’t worry, President Yan. We’ll send someone to handle it tomorrow.”

Yan Fei glanced at the time and smiled. “It’s noon now. Let’s have lunch together.”

With Shen Siqing present this time, they chose a relatively upscale restaurant. They didn’t drink alcohol and had a very businesslike meal. Yan Fei pointed out many details and strategies concerning the food delivery business, leaving Zhang Xuhao and the others astonished. What had initially been a tentative interest now transformed into a firm resolve to expand and strengthen their food delivery venture.

After everyone parted ways, Shen Siqing looked at Yan Fei, curious. “Do you really believe the food delivery market can reach a scale of trillions in the future?”

Yan Fei’s eyes sparkled as he gazed upward, his determination unwavering. “Of course. That’s a conservative estimate. The market will only grow larger. One day, I will stand on equal footing with the Three Horses and compete with them in a battle of wits.”

Shen Siqing looked at this man she had just met—the golden figure shining under the sun—and her curiosity surged. After seeing Yan Fei off at the hotel, she returned to her firm to prepare the investment documents for Dianping.

Back at the hotel, Yan Fei opened his laptop and logged into his crude oil futures account. He saw that the price hovered near $35.0, neither rising nor falling, indicating a temporary truce between bears and bulls, likely entering a new round of negotiations.

He browsed American news on crude oil but found no new updates. Closing the page, he understood that the oil futures market was dormant and awaited clear negotiation outcomes for fresh opportunities.

Switching to the A-share market, Yan Fei checked ST Dongyuan. Just as he had guessed, it was performing remarkably well, having hit the daily limit up for four consecutive days. The buy orders still exceeded two hundred million yuan, while the trading volume was only a few million. It seemed this stock would continue climbing for at least seven more days.

Suddenly, Yan Fei recalled a long-neglected Tianya forum post. Opening it, he found the thread had exploded in popularity with over a thousand replies, all venerating the “master.”

He clicked on the most liked comment: “The master is incredible, catching the very first surge perfectly. Since they bought in, ST Dongyuan has hit daily limit ups without fail. We can’t even get in!”

Yan Fei chuckled and opened the second most liked reply, from the user “Leek Captain,” who had initially called himself a novice. His comment was met with endless mockery until he posted a plea: “I was wrong. Didn’t expect the original poster to be a master. Face slapped. Please don’t pile on.”

Amused by these lively netizens, Yan Fei smiled knowingly and posted a screenshot of his stock account. Immediately, many users flooded the thread with comments.

“Master, lead me to profit!”

“Same here, I want to catch the master!”

“Watching closely, master, which stock should I buy?”

Yan Fei watched the growing flood of messages and decided to study recent trends in the A-share market. After several hours analyzing dozens of stocks from multiple technical perspectives, he arrived at a chilling conclusion.

He observed the Shanghai Composite Index closing at 3264.73, up 0.46%. The market had plunged over 200 points from a peak of 3478.01 four trading days prior. But Yan Fei sensed this was only the beginning of a severe downturn, far from the optimistic claims of experts that the market had stabilized and a bull run was underway.

Looking back, the Shanghai Composite had surged from a low of 1664.93 in November 2008 to 3478.01 by August 4, 2009—more than doubling. The bull market was undoubtedly over. There would be no repeat of 2007’s market frenzy, as the global financial crisis of 2008 had left hot money and investments cautious.

He posted his conclusion on Tianya Tieba, quickly attracting many followers asking for more details.

A user named Big Watermelon replied, “OP, I’m your fan. Is this true? Many experts say the big drop is over. Some investors expect a rebound, and even if the bull market is over, catching a one- or two-day bounce shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Another user, Grape Seed, wrote, “I don’t think the bull market ended. A one-time doubling followed by a correction is normal. Crossing 4,000 points shouldn’t be an issue.”

Reading the optimistic responses, a chill ran through Yan Fei’s heart, strengthening his conviction. He replied, “This is only my personal advice. I emphasize: there will be no rebound—only a continuous plunge. Above 2800 points, there won’t be any meaningful rally. Please be cautious and manage your risks.”

Closing the forum, Yan Fei pulled up the comprehensive A-share futures index, noting today’s close at 3426.84, up 0.46%. He predicted a lower open tomorrow, followed by a sharp decline.

Checking his newly approved stock index futures account, Yan Fei felt relieved. Thankfully, he had opened every possible trading account through Li Feng; otherwise, he would miss this downturn opportunity.

He studied the futures trading rules: 300 yuan per point per contract, minimum margin 15%, with a maximum position of 500 contracts per person.

Estimating tomorrow’s open around 3415, shorting at that level would require a margin of 153,675 yuan per contract. With 28 million yuan on hand (including one million from Jay Chou yesterday), he could buy 182 contracts.

Having made his plan, Yan Fei glanced at the time—already past 7 p.m.—and prepared to go downstairs for dinner. Suddenly, his phone rang; it was Zhang Tao.

“Mr. Yan!” Zhang Tao’s voice came through. “Red Shirt Capital and Google have replied. They won’t participate in Dianping’s Series C round. We can sign the investment contract now.”

Hearing this, Yan Fei was delighted. “Great, Mr. Zhang. I’ll be at Dianping’s office at 11 a.m. tomorrow.”

After a brief chat, they ended the call. Yan Fei excitedly raised his fist, and once calm, he called Shen Siqing.

Her voice answered promptly, “Mr. Yan, I just got off work. What’s up?”

Yan Fei smiled. “Sorry to bother you. The Dianping deal is set. Tomorrow at 11, we’ll go to Dianping to sign the investment agreement.”

“Understood, Mr. Yan. I’ll pick you up downstairs at 10,” Shen Siqing said calmly.

Yan Fei nodded and, remembering she just finished work, joked, “Lawyer Shen, haven’t you eaten dinner yet? Let me treat you.”

Rarely dining with clients, Shen Siqing almost declined but somehow said, “Sure. Wait for me—I’ll come to the hotel.”

After hanging up, Shen Siqing wondered why she felt so familiar with Yan Fei after just one meeting. The warmth from lunch could be attributed to the juniors’ enthusiasm, but dinner alone with him made her feel oddly enchanted.

After tidying up, she drove to the hotel entrance where Yan Fei was waiting. He climbed in naturally and smiled. “I’m not familiar with Shanghai. Where should we eat?”

Shen Siqing thought for a moment and smiled. “Let’s go to the Bund. Since it’s your first time here, the view of the waterfront skyline merging with the sky is worth seeing.”

Yan Fei nodded with a smile. “I heard the Bund has a Michelin three-star restaurant. How about we dine there and enjoy the scenery?”

Shen Siqing glanced at him and chuckled. “I’m not a vain girl. Michelin three-star tastes good but is expensive. I know a place that’s affordable and has a superb view.”

Yan Fei’s esteem for her rose immediately. “As you wish. I’ll take care of the bill.”

Soon, they arrived at the Bund. After parking, Shen Siqing led Yan Fei toward the waterfront, chatting as they walked. She narrated the sights while Yan Fei admired the view.

They quickly reached a barbecue restaurant by the Bund. Shen Siqing greeted the owner warmly. “Boss, a window seat, please. I’m here with a friend.”

The middle-aged woman smiled broadly. “Okay, Miss Shen. Table nine is free. Will it be the usual order or do you want to reorder?”

Shen Siqing looked at Yan Fei. “Any dietary restrictions?”

Yan Fei smiled. “No restrictions. Let’s stick to the usual, with some signature dishes.”

The woman nodded and went to arrange it. Shen Siqing and Yan Fei went upstairs to table nine by the window, taking in the breathtaking Bund scenery.

Shen Siqing smiled at the view. “Not bad, right?”

Yan Fei nodded, smiling. “Truly beautiful. Great spot for the Bund. You’re familiar with the owner.”

Shen Siqing nodded lightly. “We’ve known each other for over two years. When I’m down, I come here for barbecue, beer, and the view.”

Their first private meeting felt as natural and comfortable as old friends catching up. Yan Fei shared his experiences while Shen Siqing spoke of her hobbies and tales of the Bund.

As barbecue and beer arrived, they ate, drank, and talked, relaxing fully like long-lost companions savoring the moment.

Hours passed, and their familiarity deepened. Yan Fei learned that Shen Siqing came from a modest middle-class family, a girl from Hunan who had studied and worked in Shanghai for over seven years since entering Jiaotong University.

Yan Fei kept his own family background private, fearing disbelief. He was from a single-parent home; his father a migrant worker, and his mother remarried when he was four. It was also hard to explain how he had so much money.

After two hours, full and slightly tipsy, Shen Siqing steadied herself as Yan Fei helped her downstairs to settle the bill.

She looked at him and said, “Let’s take a taxi back. My car is parked here.”

Seeing her barely steady, Yan Fei smiled and nodded. They hailed a cab, settled in, and Yan Fei gave the driver the hotel address. Shen Siqing leaned drowsily on Yan Fei’s shoulder.

Back at the hotel, the two stepped out. Seeing Shen Siqing stable on her feet, Yan Fei impulsively asked, “Want to come up for a bit?”

Shen Siqing gave him a playful, half-smile. “Sure.”

They took the elevator up. The moment they entered the room, the atmosphere grew charged. Shen Siqing looked at Yan Fei’s slightly awkward expression and teasingly said, “Little brother, are you longing to kiss your big sister?”

After sixteen years of being a player, Yan Fei no longer desired mere physical lust. This lifetime, he wanted a trustworthy partner for a genuine, serious relationship—not a backup.

Unaware of Yan Fei’s hesitation and thinking he was just shy, Shen Siqing, still a virgin herself, boldly teased him.

Perhaps it was the alcohol or the different feelings Yan Fei had for her, but an impulse surged from his heart. He suddenly embraced Shen Siqing’s full figure, feeling the immense softness press against his chest—a wonderful sensation flooding his soul.