Rise and Fall
Lin Qiang bantered with Xiao Xiao while using GoldenEye to glance at Hao Wei, who was talking with Zhang Jiaming.
[Hao Wei, Liquid Assets: 730,000 yuan.]
[Stable job, short-term outlook is stable.]
[High child expenses, long-term outlook is bearish.]
[Fortune: …]
[Risk Factor: …]
Lin Qiang tried to see more about Hao Wei's risk factor, but it remained blurry and unclear. Eventually, the strain and pain forced him to withdraw his GoldenEye and watch Hao Wei return to his office.
"730,000... For someone at his level, that's really not much..." Lin Qiang silently opened the customer system on his computer and searched for all "Hao Wei" entries.
After filtering, he easily found the "Hao Wei" that matched the requirements. However, the regular deposits were less than 100,000 yuan.
"Xiao Xiao, is there a way to check a client's investment product purchases?" Lin Qiang asked with a frown.
"Yes, but it requires authorization from the account manager," Xiao Xiao said while organizing documents. "What's up? Trying to snoop on someone?"
"You're too clever for your own good." Lin Qiang chuckled, closed the system, and got up to leave.
"Don't forget tonight, 7:30, at our dorm," Xiao Xiao reminded him with a mischievous smile, referring to the card game. "Bring enough cash. No IOUs, or the whole bank will be after you!"
Lin Qiang curled his lips. "I'm not short of money."
...
In his office, Lin Qiang idly twirled his pen, connecting all the dots in his mind.
Money is a good thing, but it's also the root of all evil.
For Hao Wei, his normal income should be sufficient for his living expenses, and supporting a son studying abroad shouldn't be too much of a burden. However, if this son is excessively extravagant and reckless, no amount of money would be enough.
It's similar to how some corrupt officials, when interrogated, claim that they had to engage in corruption to support their mistresses. While this reason is laughable, it's indeed a major motivator for many corrupt officials.
Zhang Jiaming was a petty thief within the rules, but Hao Wei was likely involved in much more.
"I'll catch you," Lin Qiang silently spread his fingers and then clenched them tightly.
At that moment, Zheng Shuai burst in, quickly closing the door behind him. "Latest news: the loan agreement you were holding back has been approved."
"You're a bit late," Lin Qiang laughed. "Xia Xin, the HR deputy director, came to my counter today and already informed me."
"Xia Xin? From the Jijing office?" Zheng Shuai exclaimed. "What was she doing here during the day?"
"Her daughter attends the school next door."
"I see..." Zheng Shuai said, pulling out his phone to check something. "What's her name? Let's see if I have it."
"??" Lin Qiang gulped, questioning, "You... don't tell me..."
"A lot of schoolgirls asked for my number, so I gave it to them. They're potential clients, how could I, as an account manager, refuse?" Zheng Shuai grinned mischievously.
"This is wrong," Lin Qiang said with mock severity, then hurried over to Zheng Shuai. "Got any suitable ones? Introduce me to a few. If one brother falls, we fall together."
"Haha!" Zheng Shuai laughed heartily. "Actually, it's nothing. I gave them some information on student financial products. If their parents are interested, they can contact me."
"Either way, you've left us with plenty of future opportunities." Lin Qiang said, scanning Zheng Shuai's phone directory. Not finding Xia Xin's daughter's name, he sighed with relief. "Shuai, come with me to the girls' dorm for a battle tonight."
"What?"
"We're off tomorrow, and we've got nothing to do. Let's get to know Xiao Xiao and the others better. We're still new here." Lin Qiang patted Zheng Shuai on the shoulder. "Go withdraw some cash."
"Wait a minute..." Zheng Shuai stepped back in fear. "This is the infamous... Girls' Dorm Trap..."
"What trap?"
"No, you don't understand..." Zheng Shuai gasped. "Lin, you've been too focused on work and don't know the pastimes of our grassroots employees."
"Nightclubs, bars, KTV, what else?" Lin Qiang laughed.
"Not just that. Later on, everyone felt that even those couldn't relieve the pressure, so they invented a gambling game to release stress, win money, and get girls."
"How does it work?"
"Lin, my man." Zheng Shuai patted his shoulder vigorously. "I have plans tonight. Count me out."
...
At 7:30 PM, when Lin Qiang sat at the gambling table, he realized the horror of the game—
[Strip or Pay]
In essence, this was just a variant of "
The game's appeal was that the women could opt to strip instead of paying. For men, there was no escape from emptying their wallets. According to Zheng Shuai, in more high-pressure groups, the stakes were higher, with the explicit nature far exceeding just stripping. Many men lost thousands, while many women ended up stark naked, subject to prying eyes.
Fortunately, the Longyuan Outlet was relatively pure.
Six people, two men and four women, sat in a circle in the dorm's living room.
Xiao Xiao smiled wickedly as she shuffled two decks of cards. "Rules are clear. Two financiers, four debtors, clockwise bidding for the financier role. Fifty yuan base, doubles on bombs, no upper limit."
Lin Qiang pointed at her, grimacing. "That's fine, but why are you wearing so many layers?!"
"Ah? I'm afraid of the cold~~" Xiao Xiao feigned shivering, looking like a delicate girl, coquettishly saying, "Don't worry, it's just eight layers. You gentlemen still have a chance."
"Yeah, I'm only wearing twelve," Lin Xiaozhao nodded earnestly. "First time playing, I can wear four more layers, Xiao Xiao said so."
The other two female tellers also said they were cold.
Zheng Shuai whispered seriously to Lin Qiang, "Beware. The scariest part of this game is the 'Girls' Alliance.' They usually team up to bleed the men dry while holding back on each other."
Xiao Xiao was clearly a pro, shuffling cards at lightning speed, like a dealer from a movie.
Lin Qiang picked up his cards and quickly sorted them. He had only two high cards; the rest were unconnected singles and small pairs—a terrible hand.
He helplessly turned to Zheng Shuai, who looked even worse off.
It seemed like a bad start.
Just as Lin Qiang braced himself to fork out money, he noticed a faint glow on Zheng Shuai's head.
"But, I didn't activate GoldenEye..." Lin Qiang frowned. Could this ability be out of control already?
He looked at the girls, seeing symbols above their heads—some with upward green arrows, some with downward red arrows, and some with flat white arrows.
Seeing clearly, Lin Qiang was shocked. His GoldenEye, which previously only targeted one person, now showed vague indicators for everyone. He couldn't understand it at all.
Finally, he saw the symbol above Zheng Shuai's head—a thick red arrow pointing almost vertically downward, signaling a significant drop.