The Minds of Women

"There seems to be a USB drive outside my door? Let me go check."

As soon as these words were spoken,

the head of the institution who had just posted an article instantly deleted it.

Gone in a flash.

As if nothing had ever happened.

The hashtag #JinSoAndSoDeletesPostInstantly also trended.

As the saying goes,

no one in finance has a clean backside.

If you dig deep enough,

you’ll always find some dirt.

Fans were delighted and flocked to Jin’s Weibo page:

"Did someone just post something, or was it my imagination?"

"I also saw an article pop up and disappear instantly—must’ve been a system glitch."

"Yeah, yeah, must’ve been the system, hahahaha..."

"LMAO, one sentence and he’s scared shtless."

"Young Master Cao: I still prefer your unyielding attitude."

Most comments were mocking, but some took a serious tone:

"This guy must be hiding something, otherwise he wouldn’t have backed down so fast."

"Of course he’s guilty. He posted in a fit of rage, probably because Young Master Cao’s words hurt his bottom line. But once he cooled down, he realized freedom is more important than money."

"No surprise here—this Jin guy will probably flee abroad for a while."

"Those who supported Jin earlier, watch out."

"..."

Meanwhile, Young Master Cao posted one last follow-up:

"I won’t bother responding to certain people. I’ll just say this: the market isn’t ruined by one person’s words, nor does it crash just because retail investors sell. The good and the bad are all caused by you garbage institutions. Look inward instead of always scheming to fleece the little guys. A word of advice: tread carefully."

"Also, my words are my own. From now on, I won’t touch the secondary market, nor will I dabble in precious metals—especially gold. Whether you do is your business, but I’m out."

"One last tip: since I’m avoiding both the secondary market and gold, you can probably guess what asset to buy instead. No need to spell it out, right?"

"..."

Young Master Cao’s post didn’t draw any rebuttals from institutions.

Mainly because they didn’t dare.

Who could handle this guy casually "finding" USB drives?

Better to take the insult and pretend not to see it.

Everyone’s here for money, not drama.

No point picking a fight and risking him "finding" evidence that implicates half the industry.

Just swallow your pride and move on.

All institutions turtled up.

But while they stayed quiet, some analyzed Young Master Cao’s words for clues.

His hints were valuable.

Fans debated eagerly:

"Is Young Master Cao saying stocks and gold will both drop?"

"Obviously."

"Why would gold fall? I’ve bought a lot—should I sell now?"

"In prosperous times, gold loses value. The better the market, the less gold is worth."

"Wait, how does that make sense? Shouldn’t gold rise with a strong market?"

"Too complicated to explain. Look up the fundamentals of gold yourself. Bottom line: the safer the world, the less gold is worth."

"So… the international market will be stable for at least a year?"

"Pretty much."

"Can someone with big brains explain? If not stocks or gold, what should we buy?"

"I’ve got big brains, so I’ll go first: real estate and bonds—high-quality bonds. When stocks and gold crash, bonds usually act as a safe haven. Like Young Master Cao said, even if you don’t profit, you won’t lose much."

The brainy commentator added: "Also, short precious metals. Banks offer paper gold—just bet against it. If you trust Young Master Cao, short and hold for a year."

"Thanks, big brain."

"Solid advice."

"I believe him. He’s ruthless but never wrong."

"Same. Shorting it is."

"PSA: Want a cheat code to get rich? Open an account at Zhonghai Gold Exchange. They offer leverage. Short right, and you’ll retire early."

"Bro, teach me how to open an account."

"..."

While online fans buzzed with speculation, most people had no clue what was happening—or even what Young Master Cao had said.

Especially the aunties and uncles offline. How would they keep up with internet gossip?

If they’re reading newspapers, they’re already ahead of the curve.

That’s how the world works.

Earth-shattering news often reaches people too late.

By the time they hear about it, the opportunity’s gone.

If only they’d known sooner, they’d be rich by now.

Even in this day and age, or even a decade later when short videos dominate and information spreads rapidly, there are still many messages that remain outside the echo chamber.

...

After sending the message, Cao Cheng paid no further attention to it.

Emotional value was automatically collected.

As for these people, those who believed it—he wished them prosperity. Those who didn’t—he called them fools.

But deep down, Cao Cheng knew that even if he spelled it out this clearly, eighty percent of them would still lose money.

Among that eighty percent, not all necessarily distrusted Young Master Cao.

Nor were they all lacking the funds to short gold.

It was just that most people couldn’t hold on.

Because that’s how the market worked. Even if you knew how much something would rise a year later, the ups and downs along the way would constantly test your nerves and challenge your humanity. Not everyone could endure it.

But,

this had little to do with Young Master Cao. All he wanted was trust.

Something to use as a trump card in the future.

...

...

Evening.

Cao Cheng brought his new bride home.

Along with a car full of gifts.

Tang Xin received a hefty red envelope and formally addressed his parents as "Mom and Dad."

The emotional responses of the four sisters varied, though nothing showed on the surface.

The little "gas can" clung to Cao Cheng’s arms.

Having not seen him for over a month, she was beyond excited now, chirping "Gege, gege" nonstop—a term that reminded Young Master Cao of a basketball-loving acquaintance from the past.

"Xin Xin, don’t trouble yourself. Go chat with them," Ren's mother said, doting on her daughter-in-law.

Tang Xin smiled. "It’s fine, Mom. I’d like to learn a few dishes."

Ren's mother nodded. "Alright then. Whatever you want to learn, I’ll teach you."

In the kitchen, dinner was being prepared.

In the living room, Cao Cheng was distributing gifts.

Each person received something unique—he had picked up local trinkets wherever he traveled.

Though none were particularly expensive, they carried sentimental value.

And,

no gift could compare to the small wooden figurines Young Master Cao had given them before.

As his status grew, so did the worth of those figurines.

Their significance only deepened.

...

Cao Cheng took a moment to check the emotional bonds of the sisters through the sub-lock system.

Eldest Sister remained unchanged at ninety-three.

The Third was steady at ninety-four.

Only The Fourth had dropped a point, now at ninety-three—a sign of wavering commitment, though not by much.

As for the second sister, no change.

After all, the master-sub lock was already in place—it could only grow, never diminish.

But,

the second sister couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab: "Back from your trip and not even taking a few days to rest or spend time with your new wife? How thoughtful of you to still remember this home."

Praise on the surface.

Mockery beneath.

Cao Cheng handed her a gift, and just as she reached for it, he suddenly grabbed her head and ruffled her hair wildly.

Turning it into a frizzy mess.

Static electricity at work.

The second sister froze in shock.

Cao Cheng laughed. "That’s what you get for mocking me."

Pfft—

The others nearly burst out laughing.

If not for the second sister’s usual intimidating aura, The Third and The Fourth would’ve been rolling on the floor.

Her face darkened, a storm brewing around her.

She had taken extra care with her makeup and hair today, knowing Tang Xin was visiting.

There was a hint of competition in the air.

And now,

Cao Cheng had ruined it in seconds.

How could she let this slide?

Not a chance.

"Ahhh—I’ll kill you!" The second sister sprang up from the couch.

Cao Cheng bolted upstairs.

She chased after him barefoot, not even stopping to put on shoes.

Both were trained—in a blink, they were already on the second floor.

Hearing the commotion, Ren's mother hurried out, only to find Young Master Cao missing from the living room. "Where is he?"

The Fourth grinned mischievously, pointing upstairs. "Second Sister made a snide remark, so Young Master Cao messed up her hair. Now she’s chasing him upstairs to fight."

"..." Ren's mother rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Acting like children at their age."

Beside her, Tang Xin smiled faintly. Outwardly unbothered, she knew Young Master Cao had done this on purpose—to create some alone time.

As the primary wife, she had both the wisdom and the grace to recognize it.

The Fourth moved to sneak upstairs and watch the drama.

But Tang Xin called out, "Yue Ge."

"Huh? Yes, Tang Xin-jie?" The Fourth paused.

Tang Xin smiled gently. "Could you lend me a hand in the kitchen?"

"Me?" The Fourth blinked, confused, but nodded. "Sure."

With that, the group headed into the kitchen.

The Third stayed behind, organizing Young Master Cao’s gifts, her expression giving nothing away.

But Eldest Sister seemed uneasy, glancing toward the second floor as if wanting to intervene—though she held herself back.

A minute passed.

No sound came from upstairs.

Eldest Sister stood up.

But the Third spoke first. "Sis, there’s no space left for all these gifts. Should we clear out the storage room and pile them there for now? We can sort them out later."

"Good idea," Eldest Sister agreed.

The girls all had their own thoughts.

Old Cao seemed to notice a bit of it, but his perception wasn't entirely clear.

Mainly because he was busy hauling the small gas canister—his back was killing him, leaving no room in his mind for romantic entanglements.

...

Meanwhile,

upstairs.

They made out for a long while.