A Small Punishment

At the top-floor office of Yuanlong Technology, Lu Chenyuan was discussing the details of an overseas acquisition deal with Mo Qingli via video call.

Lin Yuan knocked and entered, then quietly placed a document on the desk.

Soon, Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli finished their discussion, and Mo Qingli was about to end the call. However, Lu Chenyuan signaled for her to wait as he picked up the document.

"President Lu, just received this update."

The document was thin—only a single page—containing intelligence about tonight's financial salon.

And a candid photograph.

In the photo, Li Jinchuan was speaking in hushed tones with Qin Ya.

"Qin Ya?" Mo Qingli remarked upon seeing the image Lu Chenyuan shared.

"It seems our old rival has found a new ally."

"Expected." Lu Chenyuan's expression showed no surprise.

He had long anticipated that someone like Li Jinchuan, with his ambition and methods, wouldn't stay dormant for long.

The Qin family was indeed a perfect choice—possessing both the resources and the motivation to oppose him.

"He certainly knows how to pick his allies," Lu Chenyuan commented dryly.

"Qin Ya appears arrogant and eager to prove herself within her family. Someone like Li Jinchuan would naturally appeal to her," Mo Qingli analyzed.

"A blade, thrust straight into the enemy's heart?" Lu Chenyuan chuckled as he read the recorded quote in the report.

"Li Jinchuan likens himself to a weapon to win Qin Ya over. Little does he know, he’s merely a blade in someone else’s hands."

"Anything you need me to do?" Mo Qingli asked.

"No." Lu Chenyuan shook his head.

"Let him stir the pot. A lively opponent on the board is better than stagnant waters."

"We proceed as planned."

"If the Qin family wants to make a move in the battery sector, let them."

"Perfect timing to show the market what a real technological barrier looks like."

As Lu Chenyuan spoke, a faint glint flashed in his eyes.

...

The next afternoon, Li Jinchuan arrived punctually at the foot of the Qin Corporation’s skyscraper.

He looked up at the towering glass-walled building, a symbol of Jingzhou’s most elite capital and power—and his new battleground for the Li family’s resurgence.

Straightening his suit, he walked inside.

Qin Ya’s secretary was already waiting for him downstairs.

Without unnecessary pleasantries, she escorted him directly to a small meeting room on the top floor.

Qin Ya was already seated there.

Gone was the evening gown—now she wore a sharp women’s suit, her long hair tied back.

The playful glint from the previous night had vanished, replaced by scrutiny.

"Sit," she said, tilting her chin toward the chair opposite her.

Li Jinchuan took his seat with ease.

"Your plan—I need specifics," Qin Ya cut straight to the point.

"Right here." Li Jinchuan retrieved a thick document from his briefcase and slid it across the table.

It was a comprehensive business proposal—covering corporate structure, technical roadmap, team assembly, market analysis, financing strategy, and even three-year financial projections.

The document was meticulously structured and logically airtight.

A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Ya’s eyes.

She hadn’t expected him to prepare something so thorough overnight.

She flipped through the pages quickly.

"Shell company, offshore registration, patent acquisition…" She murmured key phrases, her smile growing more pronounced.

"You’ve thought this through. Using an overseas entity to acquire a struggling European battery research institute—their tech and patents become ours. A perfect workaround to the Mo family’s technological blockade."

"Exactly." Li Jinchuan nodded. "Technology can be bought. How it’s used is what matters."

"I need an initial investment of fifty million," he said, meeting her gaze.

"With that, we complete the acquisition and assemble the core team. Within six months, we’ll have a first-gen product."

"And what do I get in return?" Qin Ya closed the proposal, leaning back in her chair.

"An opportunity," Li Jinchuan replied. "A chance to go head-to-head with Lu Chenyuan and the Mo family in the new energy sector."

"And me."

He added.

Qin Ya laughed.

She stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city below.

"Fifty million is nothing to me," she said, turning back. "But I don’t make losing investments."

"I need to see your worth—beyond paper."

"Next Friday, Jingzhou University is hosting an academic lecture. Professor Malcolm, a Fields Medal nominee, will speak on stochastic differential equations in financial modeling."

Qin Ya abruptly shifted to an unrelated topic.

"I know," Li Jinchuan acknowledged.

"I’ll be attending," Qin Ya said. "I expect to see an impressive performance from you there."

This was her test.

Li Jinchuan understood immediately.

She wanted to see firsthand how sharp his blade truly was.

"Understood," he agreed without hesitation.

"You may leave." Qin Ya dismissed him.

Li Jinchuan didn’t linger, rising to exit.

As he stepped out of the Qin Corporation building and glanced back, his expression had completely shifted.

No longer looking up—now appraising a tool he would soon possess.

...

A week passed in a flash.

Professor Malcolm’s lecture was held in Jingzhou University’s largest auditorium, packed to capacity.

Attendees included not only math and finance students but also professionals from various industries.

Lu Ruoxi and Su Yang sat in the front row.

For Lu Ruoxi, this was a rare academic feast.

Li Jinchuan, meanwhile, sat in the middle section.

The empty seat beside him was soon occupied by a familiar figure.

Qin Ya, wearing sunglasses, settled in discreetly.

"Don’t disappoint me," she whispered in his ear.

Li Jinchuan’s back tensed slightly.

Soon, the lecture began.

Professor Malcolm, with his thick accent, began scribbling complex equations across the whiteboard.

The room was silent except for the scratching of pens on paper.

Most attendees were lost within minutes.

Only a handful, like Lu Ruoxi, followed with keen focus, their eyes alight with understanding.

An hour and a half later, the lecture concluded, and the session opened for questions.

Several students and professionals posed their queries, each answered patiently by the professor.

Just as the host was about to wrap up, a hand rose from the front row.

Lu Ruoxi.

She stood, accepting the microphone.

All eyes turned to her.

"Professor, hello," she began calmly.

"Regarding your discussion on pricing derivatives with jump processes using no-arbitrage principles—if we apply this model to a high-frequency trading environment with incomplete market saturation, how should we adjust the model to mitigate systematic bias caused by ‘phantom volatility’ in pricing results?"

The room erupted in murmurs.

The question was cutting-edge.

And esoteric.

This has already gone beyond the scope of textbooks—it's a hotly debated issue in academia right now.

A look of admiration even appeared on Professor Malcolm's face.

"That's an excellent question..." he began, preparing to elaborate further.

But Lu Ruoxi interrupted him.

"Excuse me, Professor."

For the first time, her gaze traveled past the crowd and landed precisely on Li Jinchuan, seated in the back row.

"Perhaps this question could be answered by our finance department's prodigy, Li Jinchuan?"