At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

On Monday morning, Hanfeng Group GG Company.

The air was filled with the distinctive scent of Monday, a mixture of caffeine and a touch of anxiety.

Chen Geng walked into the planning department as usual, and bumped into Zhao Gang, the network supervisor, as soon as he entered.

Just a few days ago, this man was gloomy and bloodshot-eyed because of his mother's serious illness and the loan he had taken out. Now, although he still looked a bit haggard, there was a hint of excitement and tension in his eyes that he could not hide.

"Chen Geng? I heard you also invested in that fund Sister Li mentioned? Not bad! You have good taste!"

He patted Chen Geng on the shoulder, his lips twitched nervously, and then he turned and left.

After returning to his workstation, Chen Geng thought of Qian Jin, the planning manager on the other side, and took the opportunity to go and take a look at him while getting coffee.

Sure enough, Qian Jin, who had been distracted and taking leave to avoid the stock market due to huge losses, showed up at his workstation on time today.

Although he had dark circles under his eyes and his face was somewhat pale, he stood up straight and even had a deliberately created calmness as if he had survived a disaster.

Chen Geng sneered inwardly.

It seems that after failing to "take the bait" on Friday, Li Qianqian did not remain idle, but quickly dealt with these two "easy targets".

Judging from their state, they have probably already "fallen into the trap," having received the "lifesaving money" or "insider information" promised by Li Qianqian. They are immersed in the illusory hope of turning the tide or alleviating the crisis, unaware that they are gradually walking into a deeper trap.

He sat down calmly and turned on his computer.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, I first made a short-term trade in and out of the gold ETF.

Sure enough, before 9:30, the internal phone rang: "Chen Geng, this is Li Qianqian. If you have time, come to the office."

It's time to come.

Chen Geng composed himself, casually put the recorder into his pocket, and got up to walk towards the finance department.

Li Qianqian's office was still filled with a faint scent of perfume, but her makeup today seemed more refined than last time, and she was also more deliberately concealing the fatigue and anxiety in her eyes.

Upon seeing Chen Geng enter, she immediately put on a warm yet authoritative smile.

"Xiao Chen is here, please have a seat."

She personally got up and poured Chen Geng a glass of water, adopting a very humble posture.

"I was planning to talk to you about that matter last Friday, but I heard you were called in by the police? That gave me quite a shock. Are you alright?"

"It was a personal matter. My ex-wife was being unreasonable, but I've already dealt with it. Thank you for your concern, Director Li."

Chen Geng took the water, revealing a perfectly balanced expression of embarrassment and gratitude.

"It's alright, it's alright."

Li Qianqian patted her chest, as if she had really breathed a sigh of relief, then lowered her voice and got to the point.

"So... what about what I told you last week? What do you think about it? Opportunities don't wait for anyone. My friend's funding pool is about to be full."

Chen Geng hesitated and struggled, his fingers unconsciously stroking the paper cup. After several seconds of silence, as if he had made a huge decision, he raised his head, his eyes filled with a desperate determination and a last vestige of wariness.

"Director Li, I believe you. But... to be honest, I'm really short of money after my divorce. The most I can come up with is... 300,000 yuan."

"How about we try using this 300,000 to test the waters first? If it's really as profitable as you say, I...I'll think of something else!"

Three hundred thousand?

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment and frustration flashed in Li Qianqian's eyes. She had originally hoped that Chen Geng could at least get a few hundred thousand yuan, after all, he had just gotten divorced and was at the time when he needed money the most and was most likely to take the bait.

I never expected him to be so lacking in courage.

Three hundred thousand, while enough to quench her thirst, is still far from enough to cover her 380 million hole.

"You still have another house, right? You can mortgage it again!" Her smile seemed harmless.

"Sister Li, this is the only house I have left. My mother is firmly against mortgaging it... But if I make a profit on this 300,000, I'm confident I can persuade her."

"Alright! Anyway, the money comes back quickly, but the return is higher this time. You might not get such a high return next time you invest."

Qian Jin swindled 100 million yuan from them, using the pretext of insider information to manipulate an ST stock that was about to be restructured, promising at least a 30% return within a week. He even mortgaged his house.

Zhao Gang was even more ruthless. In order to pay for his mother's exorbitantly priced targeted therapy drug, he gritted his teeth and misappropriated the department's reserve fund and borrowed money from loan sharks to raise 120 million yuan.

These two sums total 220 million. Although high interest was promised, they can only temporarily cope with the most urgent debt collection.

Chen Geng is only offering 30... that's fine too, every little bit helps.

First, let him taste the sweetness of this small amount of money. When he is completely convinced of the "insider information" and his greed is fully aroused, then encourage him to make a big deal!

150 million, no, 200 million!

It's okay if you don't want to mortgage it!

Then, they'll use his name to deduct a little more from 'Star Shine's' prepayment, making the books balance, and no one will know.

Once this money arrives, the hole will be basically filled, and then we can slowly deal with the mess left by Qian Jin and Zhao Gang...

In a flash, Li Qianqian's face was once again filled with a smile:

"Sure! It's good to be cautious, after all, investing involves risk. 300,000 isn't a lot, but if you manage it well, earning 80,000 or 90,000 a week is a breeze."

"Okay, get your money ready, and I'll talk to my friend right away to reserve a share for you. If you make money, you have to treat me to dinner!"

Her quick agreement, even lowering the entry barrier for Chen Geng, was simply a ploy to reel in a bigger fish. Chen Geng understood perfectly well, but his face showed an expression of relief and overwhelming gratitude.

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Director Li! You're truly my benefactor! I'll go prepare the money right away!"

"Okay, go ahead. Once you're ready, just transfer the money to the account I gave you. Write 'investment' in the remarks. I'll coordinate with my friend."

Li Qianqian handed over a note that she had prepared beforehand, which contained the account of an overseas company. She then gave a few instructions such as "keep it a secret" and "wait for good news."

As Chen Geng left Li Qianqian's office, the gratitude on his face quickly faded, turning into a cold expression.

Clutching the note, he knew that Li Qianqian would not only not swallow the first 300,000 yuan, but would likely use her own money or other funds to disguise it as a "huge profit" to return it. Her aim was to completely eliminate his suspicions, entice him to invest all his savings, and even induce him to agree to use "Star Shine's" funds.

What a clever tactic of feigning indifference to lure the prey into a trap.

I had just returned to my workstation when the internal phone rang again. This time it was Vice President Wang Zhenye's secretary.

Chen Geng thought to himself that Liang Dan's "greeting" had worked.

Upon arriving at Vice President Wang's office, one finds Wang Zhenye, a slightly overweight, kind-faced but shrewd-eyed middle-aged man. He is amiable and expresses considerable admiration for Chen Geng in his words.

"Chen Geng, have a seat. President Liang mentioned you to me, saying you're a good young man, steady, thoughtful, and reliable in crucial moments."

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me. I just did what I was supposed to do," Chen Geng said modestly.

"Hey, young man, don't be so modest."

Wang Zhenye waved his hand, "Your planning department has a heavy workload in the second half of the year, and you need to expedite the proposals for several major projects. I've reviewed your previous proposals, and they have some highlights. From now on, for projects you are directly responsible for, you can report directly to me, bypassing the usual chain of command."

"In addition, you should also be involved in the follow-up execution and payment process of the annual framework of 'Star Shine Media'. When you are liaising with Director Li Qianqian, pay close attention and communicate with me at any time if there are any issues."