Chapter 14: Did I offend the royal family?

Just a few hours ago, Su Hao thought today would be like any other day, spinning around the office like a top.
Who could have imagined that he'd be sitting in front of expensive equipment symbolizing "veteran combat power," his status completely transformed?
"Don't be too nervous, Su Hao," Li Huilin took a deep breath, trying to encourage herself and him, her voice trembling slightly:
"We can do it! Just like when we played the demo account, we'll get back to that mindset and operate the same way!"
Su Hao looked at her and couldn't help but remind her, "...Sister Huilin, your legs... seem to be shaking."
"Uh!" Li Huilin looked down and, sure enough, her legs were trembling slightly. She quickly pressed her legs together, her face turning even redder.
Su Hao was also feeling uneasy.
He wondered if the chairman—his guild leader in the game—already knew about his promotion to a full-fledged trader?
If he did, would he jump out of his skin in shock?
However, things seemed calm on the surface. Perhaps the bigwigs were completely unaware of the changes happening among these "little ants" at the bottom.
"Li Huilin, Su Hao..."
A cold, sharp voice abruptly cut in, like a needle scraping against glass.
Liang Haiyuan had walked in unnoticed, hands in his pockets, his face filled with undisguised sarcasm and hostility.
"I say, you two, what's the state of the company right now? How can you still be laughing?"
His gaze swept back and forth between the two, full of scrutiny and disdain:
"Where's your brain? The manager said he'd promote you, and you should have refused! Said you weren't capable enough, couldn't shoulder the responsibility! And you actually stupidly accepted?"
His eyes, seemingly coated with venom, made no attempt to conceal his extreme displeasure.
The gazes of the others in the office also drifted over, and the air seemed to thicken again.
"I'm telling you, I absolutely do not approve of either of you! Don't forget, our team's performance directly affects everyone's bonus!"
Liang Haiyuan's voice rose several decibels, carrying a threatening tone:
"If you two drag the team down and ruin the entire team's performance... humph, I will absolutely not let you off! Do you understand?! So, it's not too late to back out now! Go find the manager right now and tell him you can't handle it, have him withdraw his appointment!"
Su Hao frowned.
He had already sensed it; Liang Haiyuan always seemed to be targeting Li Huilin for no apparent reason, as if he wanted to vent all the resentment he had accumulated throughout the day on her.
And since he was standing next to Li Huilin, he naturally became a target of "incidental" attacks.
He understood Liang Haiyuan's feelings.
A newcomer who had only been there a short time had been promoted to the same position as him in a meteoric rise; anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation, especially when it involved real monetary benefits—team performance bonuses.
In the brutal battlefield of trading, such emotions were perfectly normal.
But he also knew how much sweat and effort Li Huilin had put in to become a formal trader.
When they worked together as trading assistants, she never slacked off. She patiently guided him when he didn't understand something, and always volunteered for the dirty and tiring work.
She was a person as kind-hearted as she was beautiful.
But now, Liang Haiyuan was using such harsh and vicious words to trample on her efforts and dignity.
This made Su Hao feel suffocated, and a nameless anger quietly rose within him.
"Liang Haiyuan," Su Hao took a deep breath, meeting Liang Haiyuan's icy gaze, "Don't you dare go too far!"
"What did you say?" Liang Haiyuan narrowed his eyes, seemingly not expecting this newcomer to dare to talk back to him.
"The manager just made it very clear," Su Hao's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear:
"In this industry, ultimately, it's the return on investment that matters. So, you don't need to worry. We will prove ourselves with actual performance and will never be a burden to the team."
Liang Haiyuan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, sneered, and looked Su Hao up and down, his eyes filled with contempt.
"Ha! What arrogance! Fine, I'll see how you prove it! It'll be a good thing for you to realize your own limitations and understand what 'overestimating yourself' really means!"
With that, he snorted coldly, turned, and walked back to his seat, leaving behind a hostile silhouette.
"Su Hao, you…why did you have to do this…" Li Huilin looked at Su Hao with concern and whispered.
“I’m sorry, Sister Huilin,” Su Hao rubbed his temples, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “I acted impulsively just now. I felt Liang Haiyuan was always targeting you, and I couldn’t stand it.”
“It’s okay,” Li Huilin forced a smile. “You always encounter these kinds of things in the workplace.”
Her face immediately fell, her voice trembling with tears. “But… this is terrible. You’ve already said you’d prove yourself with your performance… what if, what if I mess it up?”
“Hehe,” Su Hao chuckled at her pitiful look. “I believe in you, Sister Huilin. And I believe in myself.”
He recalled the demo trading session, his eyes regaining their resolve:
“Didn’t we do very well in the demo investment? Just show that same ability! We can definitely do it! Go for it!”
He mimicked Li Huilin’s usual gesture, clenching his fist in a cheering gesture.
Li Huilin chuckled at his gesture, her tension seemingly dissipating somewhat.
Su Hao took a deep breath and slowly sat down in his brand-new, expensive chair.
The cold touch of leather seeped through his thin shirt, sending a chill down his spine.
In simulated investing, those numbers were merely symbols on a screen; he could place orders recklessly, without any psychological burden.
But now, he was about to handle real money!
Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine, rushing to his head.
'Sigh… I really… spoke too confidently just now.' He inwardly groaned.
But what's done is done.
Since he had made such a bold statement, he could only respond to the doubts with tangible returns.
Besides…
A barely perceptible smile curved his lips.
He possessed a special ability that no one else knew about…
'Let me see… the initial operating capital allocated to me is…'
He opened the trading software, his gaze falling on the account balance column.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands… one million?
One million?!
Su Hao's pupils suddenly contracted!
He never dreamed that on his very first day, the company would directly give him operating authority for one million!
In all his life, he had never even touched, let alone seen, one million in cash!
Even in those games known for their bottomless pits of pay-to-win, he had never seen such a massive number!
'Just now… Li Huilin seemed to have mentioned that the minimum operating threshold for traders was one million…'
This is outrageous!
How can he be promoted to a full-fledged trader and immediately given a million dollars to play with on his first day?!
'Is this company... insane?!'
***
"Ugh... I'm so angry!"
In the break room, Liang Haiyuan slammed a disposable paper cup on the table, splashing a few drops of cold drinking water.
He gulped down large mouthfuls of cold water, trying to suppress his rage.
What is the manager thinking?!
Promoting those two rookies, especially Li Huilin, directly to full-fledged positions?
If they mess up the investment and drag down the entire team's performance, who will bear the losses?!
Individual performance bonuses are important, but the team's overall performance bonus isn't insignificant either!
If those two good-for-nothings drag everyone down and cause their year-end bonuses to shrink…
“I won't let them get away with this!” Liang Haiyuan growled through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with malice.
And that Su Hao, just a newbie who hasn't been with the company long, dared to talk back to him, a senior employee, in front of so many people!
Simply rude and ill-mannered!
“Hey, Liang Haiyuan,” a voice with a hint of sarcasm came from the side, “Feeling a bit hot-tempered today?”
“If you want to see a joke, then get lost!” Liang Haiyuan retorted irritably.
“Don't be so impulsive. Looks like you really don't know, Liang Haiyuan.” A trader from the next team had a knowing look on his face.
“Know what?” Liang Haiyuan frowned.
The man looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before leaning close to Liang Haiyuan's ear and whispering:
“That Su Hao… I heard he’s related to our chairman.”
“Wh…what?!”
Liang Haiyuan was struck dumb, his eyes widening instantly, almost crushing the water glass in his hand.
“This news was originally only known to managers. I heard it secretly from a friend in HR.”
The man shrugged: “Now you understand, right? Why such a… well, ‘exceptional’ appointment.”
“Wait…wait…” Liang Haiyuan felt his blood freeze.
“Then…then just now…didn’t I…scold this ‘royal relative’?” His voice was sharp and distorted with shock and fear.
“Ah? Uh…he shouldn’t hold a grudge over something so small, right?”
The man was also startled by his words, chuckling awkwardly:
“You…didn’t say anything too offensive? Hopefully, he’s not the type to hold grudges. Okay, okay, I’m going now, I have to go back and keep an eye on the market. Liang Haiyuan, good luck to you too!”
After saying this, the man patted Liang Haiyuan's stiff shoulder and hurriedly left the tea room.
Leaving Liang Haiyuan alone, he stood frozen in place, his eyes staring blankly into the void, all color drained from his face.
"Liang Haiyuan? The market is about to open, aren't you going back, Liang Haiyuan?"
Someone called him, but he didn't respond.
It was as if his soul had left his body, leaving only an empty shell, standing there like a dried-up statue.