Chapter 51: Observations

Words : 1511 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 51: Observations Lu Liang had some foundation in English and was eager to learn, making Su Wanyu’s teaching experience relatively smooth. One willing to teach, the other willing to learn—the time flew by. It wasn’t until Chen Jinchun knocked on the door to remind them that the half-hour session was over that Lu Liang realized it was time to decide whether to hire or move on to the next candidate. Su Wanyu also looked at Lu Liang expectantly. She was preparing for her postgraduate exams and needed this part-time job to cover her daily expenses. “Miss Su, you can go home for now. I’ll have Xiao Chen notify you later about whether you’ve been hired.” Soft-spoken and gentle, Su Wanyu exuded patience and warmth, much like her name suggested. Her demeanor reminded Lu Liang of his primary school language teacher, whom he had liked very much. He found her teaching methods satisfactory. Yet, perhaps driven by a man’s innate curiosity, Lu Liang couldn’t help but wonder if the next candidate might be even better. “Mr. Lu, Miss Chen, I’ll take my leave then,” Su said with a faint smile, though a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. “Xiao Chen, bring in the next one,” Lu Liang instructed. Over the next hour, Lu Liang interviewed several more candidates. Among them were seasoned teachers with over 20 years of experience and one dressed in an eye-catching Japanese sansei style that made focusing on learning difficult. None lasted longer than half an hour. Some were dismissed after mere introductions, as Lu Liang called for the next one. Unwittingly, he had gone through five or six candidates, each less satisfactory than the first. By the time it was close to five o’clock, his stomach was growling. “Let’s go with the first one. Book 20 sessions to start. Have her come tomorrow at 4 PM for 1–2 lessons daily on weekdays, with weekends off,” he decided. “Understood, Mr. Lu. I’ll confirm the booking,” Chen replied. All the private tutors had been sourced by Chen through an education platform, which also handled the contracts to protect both parties. The 20 lessons came to 8,000 yuan. Chen turned her hopeful eyes toward Lu Liang. Without Tang Caidie around, she had no means to pay for it herself. “Send me the payment link,” Lu Liang said with a smile. He clicked on the link, which redirected him to an Alipay page, and completed the payment. After submitting the order, Chen contacted Su Wanyu to confirm the lessons starting the next day. At five sharp, Lu Liang decided to leave the office with Chen. “Where do you live? Need a ride?” he asked casually in the elevator. “Oh, no need, Mr. Lu. I live nearby in Jinqiao Community. It’s just a short walk,” Chen quickly replied. “All right, then,” Lu Liang said, leaving it at that. When they reached the ground floor, Chen stepped out of the elevator. “Goodbye, Mr. Lu,” she said. ṝаƝÓΒÊ???? Lu Liang drove back to Tomson Riviera. The moment he got home, he heard Li Manli’s voice coming from the kitchen: “Today we’re making crab roe tofu, dear viewers!” She was dressed in a blue-and-white sailor outfit, standing under studio lights, seemingly live-streaming a cooking session. Curious, Lu Liang watched her for a moment before remembering her online handle: Li Xiaomeng. He downloaded Bilibili—a platform he previously dismissed due to its eccentric name. If Li Manli hadn’t told him it was a haven for anime fans, he might have mistaken it for a dubious site. Finding her live stream, he was surprised to see over 5,000 viewers. “Wifey, crab roe tofu is my favorite!” “Wifey, I’ll be home around seven tonight.” “Bunch of shameless people—she’s clearly my wife!” The chat was bustling with activity, and the 5,000-viewer count seemed genuine. There were over 30 captains and two admirals among her supporters. Familiar with the platform’s tipping system, Lu Liang recharged 50,000 yuan and activated the highest-tier Governor rank, which cost 20,000 yuan per month. The Governor rank brought full-screen effects to the live stream, attracting waves of curious viewers. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But that wasn’t all. Lu Liang followed it up with over 20 Lucky TV gifts, each worth 1,245 yuan. For a brief moment, Li Xiaomeng’s stream became the brightest spot on the platform. “Thank you, Road Brother…” Li Manli stammered excitedly, then froze when she saw Lu Liang standing at the door, smiling. Realization dawned on her, and she hurriedly prepared to end the live stream for a proper reunion. After all, even one day apart felt like years. But Lu Liang shook his head, motioning for her to continue streaming. He made himself comfortable in the living room, brewing a cup of tea while watching her busy herself in the kitchen. Soon, a message popped up on his phone. "Adorable Baby Devotee": “Governor, would you like to join our fan group? Xiaomeng works so hard—if there’s another PK event, you can support her.” Lu Liang recognized the name as one of Li Manli’s two Admirals. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Are you her boyfriend?” "Adorable Baby Devotee": “If only I were so lucky.” “Then why do you help her so much?” “She’s happy, so I’m happy.” Lu Liang was at a loss for words. By this time, Li Manli’s crab roe tofu was ready. She ended the live stream with a bright smile and brought the dish to the table. “Brother Liang, wait a moment. I’ll make a soup to go with it.” Lu Liang pulled her into a hug, teasing her. “What kind of love potion did you use on him?” Her sailor outfit was designed with a short top, revealing her slender waist where the skirt tied. “I didn’t say anything special!” Li Manli quickly opened her chat logs to prove her innocence, worried Lu Liang might misunderstand. Lu Liang scanned the logs and paused. The messages were astonishingly one-sided—greetings every morning and night, constant encouragement, and more concern for her live stream stats than she showed herself. Sometimes, when the Admiral wanted a deeper conversation, Li Manli would delay her replies or simply not respond. Lu Liang chuckled, imagining her expression at the time—likely one of utter impatience. It reminded him of the first time they had met. That’s just how she was. But Lu Liang didn’t mind. If women didn’t enjoy a little vanity or admire power, what was the point of wealth? Why work so hard to earn money? “Go make the soup. I’ll take a shower,” Lu Liang said, lightly patting her on the hip as he turned to leave. The next morning, after finishing his workout, Lu Liang arrived at the office a little after 9 AM. It was Friday, the final trading day of the week, and market activity was sharply reduced. The Shanghai Composite Index had fallen below 4,000 points. Institutions avoided holding stocks over the weekend, and retail investors were too scared to invest. The market was somber, but a few stocks managed to buck the trend with independent rallies. Among them was Te Li A, which rose 3.55% to a new price of 9.80 yuan. “They can’t have built much of a position,” Lu Liang muttered, frowning. Since Monday, he’d been monitoring the stock’s funding movements. The institutions in question likely held no more than 50 million yuan in shares, far from ready to trigger a rally. By his estimate, a small surge wouldn’t occur until mid-next week. “Are they testing the waters? Or colluding with shareholders?” Two possibilities came to mind. Either the institutions were gauging the market’s reaction to a rally during the quiet Friday session, or they had acquired large amounts of stock directly from shareholders and no longer needed to accumulate in the open market. Unable to determine the answer, Lu Liang decided not to overthink it. Higher market activity benefited him, allowing him to increase his buying without drawing attention. By the day’s end, Lu Liang’s account had grown to a 16.5% position, holding 13,369 lots worth 13.035 million yuan. His losses now totaled 278,000 yuan, and he was still 2.6965 million yuan short of his target position. After organizing his notes, Lu Liang rested for a while. Around 4 PM, he stepped out of his office and saw Su Wanyu waiting in the conference room.

Chapter 51: Observations

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