Hong Kong film: The cop backs down, the ladies beg me to check his license.

Several high-powered searchlights suddenly switched on around the apartment, their blinding white beams instantly tearing through the darkness and illuminating the ruins as if it were daytime. A gruff voice came through a loudspeaker, tinged with impatience: "Hey you inside! What are you doing! Howling like ghosts in the middle of the night! Are you up to something illegal?!"

Zhuo Ziqiang was terrified and didn't dare to utter a sound. He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to brush the dust off himself, and like a frightened wild dog, fled the scene, clinging to the shadows of the wall. The wanted poster was still in effect; he didn't want to be arrested for it.

Stock market trading hall.

Chen Taotao is in good spirits today. She had a good dream last night, in which she trampled Chen Wanxian under her feet. After washing up and having breakfast, she went to the agreed-upon place and met Dashan and Fang Ting.

Da Shan spoke first, his tone concerned: "Was your resignation successful? Did Wanguo Bank give you any trouble?"

Chen Taotao's lips twitched, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile: "It's alright. That investment president, Tom, even pretended to offer me a promotion and a raise to keep me, but I refused. I was firm, so he didn't press the issue further, and all the formalities were completed. Now, I have nothing to do with Wanguo Bank."

Da Shan immediately perked up, clapping his hands loudly: "Great! That lousy place, all that scheming and plotting, it's pointless! It's much more satisfying to do it ourselves! The boss said you're fully in charge of the fund. Today's first battle has to be fought brilliantly!"

Fang Ting also had confidence in Chen Taotao, nodding: "Brother Tao has already figured out Chen Wanxian's weaknesses. He's now like meat on a chopping board. Let's see when we make our move."

Chen Taotao smiled genuinely, though he quickly suppressed it, but his eyes gleamed: "Well, let's finish this 'dish' today. The sooner we get it, the sooner... we can give my dad an explanation."

Da Shan stretched out his hand: "Come on, give it your all!"

Three hands were clasped together and shook vigorously: "Go! You will win!"

The stock market opened at 9:30.

They didn't go into the VIP room—they were no longer employees of the International Bank and weren't qualified. But they didn't care; they were very confident.

Surprisingly, Chen Wanxian didn't go to the VIP room today either. Instead, he deliberately came to the noisy trading hall and went straight to Chen Taotao. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze condescending, filled with undisguised sarcasm: "Your situation has changed drastically in just one day."

"Abandoned by everyone, with only these two lackeys left? Tsk tsk, it looks rather pathetic."

"Thanks to you, the abalone congee I had yesterday was really delicious. Would you like to treat me to it again today?"

Chen Taotao's face remained expressionless as he stared directly at him: "I'm not treating you to abalone congee today. I want to treat you to plain congee—plain congee from a prison cell. You'll have plenty of time inside to slowly reflect on what you've done."

Chen Wanxian laughed as if he had heard something hilarious, his laughter grating: "Yesterday you still had some confidence, after all, you were the vice president of Wanguo Bank. Now? A stray dog ​​that's been kicked out, you dare to bark here? Ridiculous!"

Chen Taotao wasn't angry at all, and stated in a flat tone: "Mr. Chen, you're really well-informed. I completed the procedures in the middle of the night, and you already knew about it this morning. But you've got one thing wrong. It's not that they're kicking me out; it's that I don't want to stay anymore. Besides, you'll definitely be the one going for congee today."

Chen Wanxian narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, a hint of malice flashing within them: "You're asking for it! Then there's nothing more to say!"

"After today, you'd better go back to America and wash dishes! The Hong Kong stock market is too murky; a kid like you will drown and no one will even bail you out!"

Chen Taotao shook his head with a hint of regret: "Mr. Chen, I'm afraid you won't have the chance to see that scene."

Unable to agree on anything, the two turned away. The surrounding investors and brokers, sensing the tension, gradually gathered around, waiting to see what would happen.

The opening bell rang.

Chen Wanxian turned around, facing the onlookers, and deliberately raised his voice, laughing heartily: "Chen Taotao has no money and no backing now, what does he have to fight me with?"

"Even if he has a few coins left, so what? My seven companies are cross-shared, linked like iron chains, impregnable! He wants to break the deadlock? Dream on!"

Chen Taotao ignored his performance and walked straight back to him, her voice clear: "Your method of holding shares in multiple companies is quite clever."

"Seven stocks, intertwined, where a change in one affects the whole. To break through it, it seems we have to find your weakest link, that shell company, right?"

Chen Wanxian was slightly taken aback, then a smug look of confidence appeared on his face: "That's right, out of the seven, there is indeed one that is empty, with no real assets, it's just a facade."

"But do you know which one it is? So many smart people and seasoned veterans in Hong Kong can't figure it out. You? A greenhorn, what makes you think you can?"

Chen Taotao's face remained expressionless: "Whether you can't figure it out or not, you'll find out once you try."

Chen Wanxian shook his head dismissively: "Overestimating yourself! I'll make you admit defeat today, and you'll be removed from the stock market forever!"

Chen Taotao said calmly, "Whether it's overestimating oneself or not, we'll only know after the competition. Fang Ting, pick one."

Fang Ting stepped forward, her eyes quickly scanning the large screen, and pointed to one of them: "Meilidu, the name sounds nice, code 218, let's go with that."

Chen Wanxian's smile widened, even becoming somewhat generous: "Alright! You choose Mirador, I'll give you Mirador! How much do you want?"

Chen Taotao thought for a moment: "Four hundred thousand shares."

Chen Wanxian waved his hand dismissively: "Give it to him! Don't even mention 400,000, I can afford four million!"

The stockbroker next to him immediately wrote on the transaction record: Mirador, 400,000 shares, transaction price same as opening price.

Chen Wanxian grinned maliciously: "Want more? I have plenty here, more than enough!"

Chen Taotao hesitated for a moment, as if he was stunned by the other party's generosity. After a few seconds of hesitation, he said, "I want... another 400,000 shares."

Chen Wanxian almost burst out laughing: "No problem! Give it to him!" He turned to his agent and shouted, as if afraid others wouldn't hear, "Give him as much as he wants! Don't let people say I, Chen Wanxian, am stingy!"

The broker quickly wrote down another 400,000 shares.

Chen Taotao stood there, his body a little stiff, his eyes fixed on the screen, motionless, his face expressionless, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The buzzing discussions in the trading hall grew even louder.

"You just lost ten million yesterday, and you still dare to come back today? Young man, you've got some nerve."

"Chen Wanxian's iron chains connecting the river are like Cao Cao's tactic in the Three Kingdoms period; to break them, you'd have to use fire. But who knows which one is just an empty ship coated in sulfur?"

"I doubt it. Chen Taotao will probably have to hand over money again today. Without the backing of Wanguo Bank, he can't outmaneuver the old fox."

"It's possible that after today, Chen Taotao will no longer exist in the Hong Kong stock market."

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Chen Wanxian's smugness deepened. He gestured with his chin towards Chen Taotao: "Chen Taotao, weren't you going to send me to jail? Here are seven stocks, take your pick, buy them as you like. Go ahead and find my weakness!"