Thank you for always being there for me.
The Shanghai rainy season, shrouded in a cold mist, seeped into the editorial office. Ning Zhichu stared at the scrolling financial news on her computer screen, her fingertips hovering over the keyboard for half a minute without falling. The hashtag "#WallStreetNewsEuropeanBranchSuspectedOfInsiderTrading" had already climbed to third place on the trending topics list, followed by the sub-topic "Lu's Investment Related to the Case." The comments section was flooded with accusations of "capital exploitation."
“Initially, Lu Zexu was detained on the top floor by the board of directors.” Su Xiaoran rushed into the break room with her laptop. On the screen was a chat log from Lu's internal group—several veteran shareholders jointly demanded the suspension of all new energy projects, and some even suggested that Lu Zexu resign to take responsibility. She slammed a printed document on the table. “This is Chen Jingming's press release from an interview with financial media. He openly and implicitly said that Wei Ting had leaked the financing floor price in advance, and also implied that Lu's was a ‘community of shared interests’.”
"Who is Chen Jingming?" Ning Zhichu asked, staring at Su Xiaoran. Su Xiaoran hesitated, then said, "Chuchu, he was in a competition between my group and Lu Zexu's group in college." Su Xiaoran pulled out a photo on her phone. Next to her was a boy in a white T-shirt with jet-black hair and dark, unfathomable pupils. "He lost to us in the competition, saying Lu Zexu had Wei Ting's help, but Wei Ting wasn't even a participant. He insisted we fouled, and I got angry and argued with him." Su Xiaoran lowered her head as she spoke. "It's all my fault, otherwise none of this would have happened." Ning Zhichu sighed and patted Su Xiaoran's head to comfort her. But Ning Zhichu remained uneasy, worried about Wei Ting's condition.
Ning Zhichu's phone remained on the chat screen with Wei Ting. The last message she sent in the early hours of the morning was "Waiting for your message," and she hasn't replied since. Three days ago, the bloodshot veins in Wei Ting's eyes suddenly became clear during a video call. He said that the European regulatory agency received an anonymous report with a "recorded call" attached to the report. Now he knows that the recording was edited by Chen Jingming and became "concrete evidence."
"I'm going to Lu's to find him." Ning Zhichu grabbed her umbrella and ran out, bumping into Lu Zexu who was just coming down from the top floor in the elevator. He was wearing a wrinkled white shirt, his tie pulled up to his collar, his usually meticulous hairstyle was messy, and the fatigue in his eyes was ten times greater than when Xingneng was fabricating the data. "Have you contacted Wei Ting?" His voice was hoarse, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "The board of directors gave me three days: either produce evidence to prove Wei Ting's innocence, or I'll submit my resignation."
“Not yet.” Ning Zhichu’s heart sank. “But Chen Jingming’s motives are too obvious—his hedge fund has heavily invested in our competitors. As long as Wei Ting’s project fails, the stocks he holds will rise by at least 30%.”
Lu Zexu gave a wry smile and pressed the button on the basement floor: "Motives are useless; what regulators want is evidence. I had the technical department compare the recorded voiceprints, and Chen Jingming used AI synthesis, so the original material cannot be found at all. What's more troublesome is that Chen Jingming released information last night saying that Lu's cooperation with Xingneng last year also had some shady dealings, and now even the China Securities Regulatory Commission has sent people to investigate our old accounts."
When the two arrived at Lu's company, the legal department staff were carrying a pile of documents into the conference room. Su Xiaoran squatted on the floor, rummaging through old files. Among the scattered documents, a yellowed CD fell out—a video recording of the university modeling competition's defense. "Look here." She clicked on the video. In the video, Chen Jingming, wearing a white shirt, was arguing with the judges, his face flushed. "Back then, his team was disqualified for data fabrication. When the awards were presented, he stared at our trophy with eyes that looked like he wanted to devour us."
Just then, Su Xiaoran's phone rang. It was a colleague from the technical department: "Sister Su, we've tracked down Chen Jingming's funds. He transferred two million euros to an offshore company last week, but the company's registration information is all fake, and we can't trace the source at all."
Just as Ning Zhichu was about to speak, her phone finally vibrated—it was a voice message from Wei Ting's special assistant, with the background noise of a hospital: "Ms. Ning, Mr. Wei suffered a sudden attack of acute appendicitis at London Airport and just had surgery. He's still unconscious. The regulatory authorities are guarding outside his ward, preventing anyone from contacting him. I'm secretly sending you this message. Before he lost consciousness, Mr. Wei said that Chen Jingming has a fake document detailing 'Lu's early illegal operations,' which he might use to frame someone."
A dozen hours later, the cold London rain pounded against the hospital windows. Ning Zhichu stood outside the intensive care unit, looking at Wei Ting lying inside. His face was as pale as paper, an IV line was inserted into his arm, and his usually smiling lips were tightly pursed. The assistant stood beside him and whispered, "An infection occurred during the surgery. The doctor said he needs to be observed for forty-eight hours. The regulatory authorities just came to question him, saying that as long as Mr. Wei admits 'negligence,' he can be treated leniently."
“He won’t admit it.” Ning Zhichu’s voice trembled, but it was unusually firm. “We will find the evidence.”
Over the next two days, the situation worsened. News came from within China that Chen Jingming had anonymously reported to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) that a wind power project undertaken by Lu's Group four years ago had involved "falsely applying for subsidies." Although no evidence was found in the end, Lu's Group's stock price had already hit the daily limit down for two consecutive days. Su Xiaoran sent a WeChat message saying that some people in the company were starting to take advantage of her misfortune, and even her computer had been secretly copied.
“Chen Jingming is forcing us to panic.” Lu Zexu’s video call suddenly came through, the background showing his apartment with an empty coffee cup on the table. “I found the application materials for the wind power project back then, and it was signed by Chen Jingming’s uncle. He’s trying to muddy the waters so we don’t have time to investigate his affairs.”
Ning Zhichu stared at the fluctuating curves on the monitor, then suddenly remembered something: "Wei Ting said that he and Chen Jingming worked together on Wall Street for a year. Chen Jingming was fired for embezzling client funds, and Wei Ting protected part of his reputation, preventing him from being blacklisted by the industry." She paused, her eyes brightening, "Only the two of them know about this. If Chen Jingming is afraid of Wei Ting exposing it, he might leave some clues."
Just then, Wei Ting's fingers twitched. Ning Zhichu quickly moved closer and saw him slowly open his eyes and move his lips. She put her ear to his mouth and heard his faint voice: "The Swiss bank... has an agreement..."
Before Wei Ting lost consciousness again, he intermittently revealed crucial information—after Chen Jingming embezzled funds, Wei Ting helped him cover the shortfall, and the two signed a private agreement stating that Chen Jingming "voluntarily relinquished his qualification to work in the new energy industry." Wei Ting kept this agreement in a safe deposit box at a Swiss bank, with the key hidden behind a bookshelf in his New York apartment.
Ning Zhichu immediately contacted a friend in New York to retrieve the keys, while simultaneously having Lu Zexu check Chen Jingming's industry records—sure enough, when Chen Jingming re-entered the new energy field three years ago, he concealed his disciplinary record from that year, which violated industry regulations. But just when they thought they had found a breakthrough, Su Xiaoran sent an urgent message: "Chen Jingming released false information, saying that Wei Tingxing admitted to insider trading after waking up, and now Lu's stock price has fallen below the issue price, and the board of directors has begun looking for a new project leader!"
To make matters worse, a friend who went to New York to retrieve the keys reported that Wei Ting's New York apartment had been broken into, and the key behind the bookshelf was missing. "It must have been Chen Jingming who did it," Lu Zexu said, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "He has spies around us; he knows everything we do."
Ning Zhichu sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, looking at the cold rain outside the window. She suddenly remembered what Wei Ting had once said: "Chen Jingming's most arrogant thing is that he always thinks he can control everything. He will hold all the 'bargains' in his own hands." She stood up abruptly and sent a message to Su Xiaoran: "Check Chen Jingming's private jet route. He will definitely go to Switzerland in person to retrieve the agreement and destroy the evidence."
Sure enough, Su Xiaoran discovered that Chen Jingming would be flying to Switzerland early the next morning. Ning Zhichu immediately contacted the London regulatory authority to explain the situation, and at the same time, asked Lu Zexu to take Chen Jingming's disciplinary record from that year to a Swiss bank to wait. Meanwhile, she waited outside Wei Ting's hospital room for the final news.
The following afternoon, Su Xiaoran made a video call. The screen showed the lobby of a Swiss bank, where Chen Jingming was being stopped at the counter by regulatory personnel, clutching a document in his hand. "He really came to pick up the agreement!" Su Xiaoran's voice was excited. "Lu Zexu gave the bank his disciplinary records from back then and evidence of embezzlement, and the bank has already submitted the agreement to the regulatory bureau!"
It turned out that after Chen Jingming pried open the key, he thought he could easily retrieve the agreement, but he didn't expect that Wei Ting had already left a backup plan for the Swiss bank—only by presenting both Wei Ting's authorization letter and Chen Jingming's original disciplinary record could the agreement be retrieved. And that disciplinary record was a backup that Wei Ting had secretly kept for him when he kept it a secret all those years ago.
When the regulatory authorities confronted him with evidence combining the agreement and a recorded conversation with Chen Jingming, Chen Jingming finally confessed to all the charges. He not only fabricated evidence to frame Wei Ting, but also manipulated stock prices by abusing his position. He now faces industry bans and imprisonment.
Wei Ting had just woken up when the news arrived. He leaned against the headboard, reached out and held Ning Zhichu's hand, his fingertips warm: "I knew you would find a way."
Ning Zhichu's tears fell, but she shook her head with a smile: "It's a solution we found together."
A week later, the sun finally pierced through the rainy season in Shanghai. Lu's Investment held a press conference to clarify all the false accusations; its stock price not only rebounded but also gained the trust of more institutions due to its "proper crisis management." The news that Chen Jingming had been banned for life from the industry association made financial headlines, and the hedge fund he managed announced its liquidation due to huge losses.
After the press conference, the four sat in a riverside restaurant. Su Xiaoran raised her glass, laughing triumphantly, "To those who never gave up searching for the moon even when they were in the gutter!" Lu Zexu smiled and clinked his glass against hers, his eyes full of doting affection, "To my chief analyst, from now on, my risk hedging will all depend on you."
Ning Zhichu leaned against Wei Ting, watching the sunset outside the window. Wei Ting lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, whispering, "I've booked the tickets to Florence. Once you've finished your report, we'll go watch the sunrise."
“Okay.” Ning Zhichu nodded, then turned to look at Su Xiaoran and Lu Zexu, “Let’s bring them along, consider it our ‘victory celebration trip’.”
The sunset painted the river a golden-red hue, and the laughter of the four men drifted away on the river breeze. Ning Zhichu suddenly understood that the so-called ups and downs were never about charging forward alone, but about having someone stand shoulder to shoulder with you under an umbrella when the storm comes; and having someone accompany you to find the light when you're in the trough. Just like Wei Ting's perseverance, Lu Zexu's sense of responsibility, Su Xiaoran's keen insight, and their mutual trust—these were the true sources of strength that could withstand any storm.
On the way back, Su Xiaoran suddenly grabbed Lu Zexu's arm: "By the way, did the board of directors give you a raise? Then you have to treat me to pan-fried dumplings for a month!"
“No problem.” Lu Zexu nodded with a smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “But as the chief analyst, shouldn’t you help me write the due diligence report for the next project?”
"Lu Zexu! Are you trying to exploit your employees?!"
Ning Zhichu and Wei Ting exchanged a smile, letting the bickering behind them fade into the distance. Wei Ting helped her sling her camera bag over her shoulder, gently pinching her earlobe with his fingertips: "I checked the lens cap for you, and the spare battery is in your bag too." He took a velvet box out of his pocket, inside which was a small emerald green cufflink, "A Florentine handmade item, a souvenir for Lu Zexu, so he won't always say I only dote on you."
After this farce, the four of them decided to go for a walk to relax and let Wei Ting recover.
After a flight of more than ten hours, the Florentine sunshine, carrying the fresh scent of olive trees, wafted towards them. On the cobblestone path along the Arno River, Su Xiaoran kept taking pictures with her camera, while Lu Zexu followed behind her, holding almond cookies he had just bought, occasionally offering one to her mouth: "Slow down, the cobblestone path is slippery, I won't help you if you fall."
"Who needs your help?" Su Xiaoran said indistinctly, her mouth full of biscuits, but she still slowed down to wait for him to catch up.
Ning Zhichu and Wei Ting walked behind, strolling slowly along the riverbank. Wei Ting pointed to the Uffizi Gallery not far away: "They have Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus' inside. You said last time you wanted to photograph the color combinations in the painting." He suddenly took her hand and led her into a small alley, "I'll take you somewhere."
At the end of the alley was a camera shop tucked away in an old building, with several vintage Leica cameras displayed in the window. The shop owner, an elderly man with white hair, greeted Wei Ting with a smile and handed him a well-packaged box: "The engraving is done according to your request."
Ning Zhichu opened the box; inside was a vintage camera with "N&W Florence" engraved on the side—the very model she had mentioned on her WeChat Moments before. "When did you order it?" she asked Wei Ting, her eyes filled with surprise.
“You mentioned wanting to come to Florence last time, so I asked a friend to contact the shop owner.” Wei Ting helped her load the film. “We can use this to take pictures of the sunrise later.”
The next morning, the four of them climbed to Piazzale Michelangelo. As dawn broke, Su Xiaoran set up her camera, and Lu Zexu stood beside her, helping her adjust the tripod: "Move it a little to the left, so you can capture the bend in the Arno River." When the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, gilding the red rooftops of Florence, Su Xiaoran pressed the shutter, and Lu Zexu quietly took out his phone and snapped a picture of her focused profile.
Ning Zhichu leaned against Wei Ting's chest, taking pictures with the camera he had given her. Wei Ting wrapped his arms around her from behind, helping her adjust the focus: "Shooting like this will bring out the layers of sunlight and rooftops." He lowered his head, his lips brushing against her earlobe, "When we get back, we'll develop the photos and paste them into the new handmade album."
After sunrise, the four of them sat on a bench in the square and ate breakfast. Su Xiaoran suddenly held up a cookie and said, "When I get back, I'm going to use the colors of Florence in my investment report. The title will be 'From the Renaissance to New Energy: The Symbiosis of Art and Profit.'"
Lu Zexu smiled and shook his head, but took out his notebook and wrote it down: "This idea is good. We can use it for the next project roadshow."
Ning Zhichu looked at them, then turned to Wei Ting and said, "It's so nice that we're all in our own fields and have each other by our side."
Wei Ting held her hand, his fingertips caressing her ring: "From now on, we'll come to a new place every year, to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, to Antarctica to see penguins, and fill our photo album with the whole world."
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