Chapter 4: Mom and Dad found out!

"Ugh!"
As if struck by an invisible force, Su Hao shuddered and abruptly opened his eyes.
"What...what time is it?"
Still somewhat groggy, he frantically grabbed his phone and turned on the screen.
"Ahhh..."
A suppressed sigh, filled with endless frustration.
Ten minutes until the alarm was set.
Ten whole minutes!
He could have...slept for another ten minutes!
This feeling was all too familiar, as if he had returned to those dark, dreary years of his senior year of high school, where every minute of sleep felt like stolen dew.
Sleep a little longer? Just ten minutes?
The thought arose, but he ruthlessly extinguished it.
"Sigh...sleep my ass."
He gave a bitter laugh, acutely aware of his own limitations.
If he really closed his eyes now, he definitely wouldn't hear the alarm in ten minutes, and would surely sleep soundly until lunchtime.
"At that point, forget about going to work, I'll probably have to think for ages about even my own name."
"Ugh..."
As if engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with the bed, he gritted his teeth and used all his strength to finally struggle to sit up.
Exhaustion seeped into every bone.
"Ugh... I shouldn't have stayed up so late playing games yesterday..."
He thought of the older guys in his guild, all their age, dragging their tired bodies home from get off work, yet still having the energy to go online and fight...
That perseverance truly... commands respect.
"Sigh! It's getting late!"
That one moment of distraction, and another ten minutes had slipped away!
His heart tightened; he dared not delay any longer and dashed into the bathroom.
Washing up? Forget about it!
The fastest way;
He turned on the shower, and the icy tap water cascaded over his head!
A biting chill jolted him awake, instantly making him more alert.
He grabbed shampoo with his left hand, haphazardly shoved it onto his head, rubbed it a few times, and rinsed it off.
Done!
This method is invigorating!
He shook his wet hair, water droplets splashing everywhere, carrying the faint scent of shampoo.
Ah, nostalgia…
If this were back when he was living off his parents, at this hour, he'd definitely be engrossed in some game, battling it out in a thrilling battle.
Then, filled with exhaustion and satisfaction, he'd collapse into bed and sleep soundly until the sun and moon disappeared.
Sigh, those good old days are gone forever.
He quickly got ready, stepped out of the bathroom, and headed for the living room.
Then, he stopped.
His parents, who should still be dreaming, were sitting at the dining table.
Their eyes were bright and alert.
"Huh? Why are you up so early?" His heart skipped a beat. Had he made too much noise earlier?
"Su Hao, come sit down." His father's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Lately, you've been running off before dawn all the time. What are you doing? Really going for a job interview? So early in the morning?"
His mother's tone was full of worry and a hint of scrutiny, her gaze sweeping over him.
What was bound to happen, finally happened.
Su Hao took a deep breath, as if making a decision.
"Well… actually, I found a job."
"What?" His mother's voice suddenly rose. "Weren't you going for an interview?"
"Yes, I… am going to work now."
He'd been working at Fanghuan Investment for three days now.
For the first two days, he was incredibly anxious and uncertain, unsure how long he'd last in this job that had fallen into his lap, so naturally, he hadn't dared tell his family.
But today, he could.
Because:
He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table, making a soft "snap" sound.
"What? Fanghuan Investment?" His father's voice changed, and he jumped to his feet.
"Wait, you mean... that Fanghuan Investment?" His mother was even more stunned, leaning closer to the table.
Their eyes were fixed on the employee badge and business card Su Hao had produced, as if they wanted to burn holes in them.
"This...this is a real business card?"
His father picked up the business card, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement, carefully stroking the gold-embossed lettering.
"Oh my god! It really is a Fanghuan Investment employee badge and business card... What, what's going on..."
His mother's face was filled with disbelief, her eyes darting back and forth between the badge and her son.
After the initial shock, his mother suddenly grabbed Su Hao's hand, her grip so strong it hurt slightly, and he felt the coolness and trembling of her fingertips on his skin.
"Hao, have your parents been pushing you too hard? You made a fake business card to fool us!
Mom knows what Fanghuan Investment is! A top-tier company like that, how could you possibly get in?"
His mother's voice carried a hint of panic, as if she was convinced her son was telling a colossal lie.
Tsk.
Su Hao clicked his tongue.
That... he really couldn't refute.
Before, Fanghuan Investment was indeed a place he wouldn't even dare to dream of, its entry requirements were incredibly high.
But he wasn't lying.
He was, in fact, working there now.
The whole process was just too bizarre.
"It's... a long story, but I really did work there. And I'm about to leave. Mom, the market opens at 9:30, I need to get there early to prepare a lot of things."
A trading assistant, after all, has to have the awareness of a trading assistant; running errands and doing odd jobs is the bare minimum.
Serving these senior traders well, ensuring they also make a fortune today, that's his responsibility.
So, he absolutely can't be late!
"Ah Hao... tell Mom the truth..." Mom was still relentless.
"Honey, don't you know our son?"
The father spoke up, putting down the business card and looking at his son with a complex expression.
"His studies are a bit lacking, and he's lazy, but he's really into games...
This kid, from childhood to adulthood, has had a ton of flaws, but he's really not one to lie, especially not something as important as this."
"Dad, are you praising me or insulting me...?" Su Hao grinned, a warmth spreading through his heart.
"So, son, this is true, right?"
"Yes!" Su Hao nodded vigorously, his eyes resolute.
"Good, Dad believes you!"
The father picked up the Fang Huan Investment business card, examining it carefully as if it were a priceless treasure, his fingers tracing every word.
"You got in, which means you have the ability, and they recognized your talent!"
A long-absent, genuine smile of pride appeared on the father's face.
"Dad knew it! My son can do it! Hahaha!"
"Thanks, Dad. I'm off then."
"Go on your way!" Dad waved, "Don't be late for work!"
Su Hao quickly got ready and rushed to the door.
As soon as he opened it, Mom caught up and stuffed two boiled eggs, a steamed bun, and an apple into his hands.
"Eat these on the way, don't go hungry."
The familiar taste, carrying Mom's unique warmth.
It seemed...he hadn't felt that way in a long time.
"By the way, you should buy a few more suits. You can't wear the same one every day. Mom will go shopping with you this weekend."
Mom said, opening her arms and giving him a tight hug.
This hug, too, was long overdue.
It carried Mom's faint, sweet fragrance and a deep sense of "home."
His father, standing behind him, chuckled and came over, clumsily giving him a hug and patting him hard on the back twice.
"Work hard, son!"
"If you're too tired, tell us. Don't push yourself, okay?"
"Okay." Su Hao's nose suddenly stung with tears.
So this is what it feels like to be recognized…
His heart felt gently stirred, warm and full, dispelling the last chill of the morning.
"Ah, it's getting late! I'm off!"
"Okay! Mom will make you your favorite food. Call home early after get off work!"
"Okay!"
He replied, turned around, and rushed out the door with light steps.
His steps today seemed lighter than ever before.
***
As soon as he stepped into the trading department office, Li Huilin's teasing voice drifted over.
"You arrived just in time, Hao! You were almost late!"
"Phew... thank goodness." Su Hao breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Sorry, Sister Huilin, I should have arrived earlier."
"Hehe, it's alright." Li Huilin chuckled, waving her hand. "I've got your back. Even if you're late, I'll cover for you!"
The refreshing morning began with sorting through a mountain of reports and documents.
"Yesterday was really... incredibly busy, wasn't it?" Li Huilin said, skillfully sorting the documents.
"Yeah," Su Hao said, still shaken. "I thought the first day was busy enough, but that was nothing compared to yesterday's chaos."
"Yesterday was a special case," Li Huilin explained. "The market fluctuations suddenly became unusually large. There was nothing we could do. This kind of thing doesn't happen often, don't worry."
She glanced up, subtly observing the newcomer beside her.
Only three days.
But Li Huilin had to admit, this newcomer was indeed quite capable.
Other newcomers, without a month or two of adjustment, would be completely lost and likely still clumsy.
But Su Hao was different; he was incredibly efficient, and…
How to put it…
Clever?
Yes, clever.
He seemed to have an innate understanding of what to do and where to be.
Thanks to him, the preparations before the opening were extremely efficient.
She could even steal a moment to enjoy a moment of peace, sipping a steaming cup of coffee and gazing at the view from the floor-to-ceiling window.
This was a luxury on a busy morning like most days.
"Oh right," Li Huilin seemed to remember something, "I was so busy yesterday I forgot to check the demo account. Hao, did you check it?"
"No, I was just running around with Huilin yesterday."
Documents, coffee, printed materials, snacks…
Yesterday he pushed a small cart crammed with all sorts of odds and ends, spinning like a top between the various trading groups on the entire floor.
He had previously thought that trading assistants only needed to stay in their own group, but that wasn't the case at all.
When manpower is tight, especially during periods of high market volatility, even newcomers like them have to support other teams.
Yesterday was particularly chaotic; he practically became the department's "delivery guy," his legs were about to give out.
“I was just thinking,” Li Huilin picked up her coffee cup, took a sip,
“that simulated investment, rather than letting it continue to lose money, we should close it out as soon as possible. Once the correction is over, we'll have more ammunition to go back in.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I'll guide you through the process, and try to make up for the losses. Let me think…
Last time we bought ST Zhongrun, right? Let's see what yesterday's closing price was…”
Being able to leisurely enjoy a cup of morning coffee in the office was a long-lost little pleasure.
With this feeling of ease, Li Huilin lightly clicked the mouse, opening the ST Zhongrun stock page.
The next second—
“Pfft—!”
A mouthful of coffee unexpectedly sprayed from Li Huilin's mouth, tracing a breathtaking arc in the air.
Sitting opposite her, Su Hao was startled by this sudden “weapon,” instinctively leaning back, then frantically grabbing a tissue and handing it to her.
"Sister Huilin, are you alright?"
"Ah, Ah Hao...you, you look at this!"
Li Huilin, ignoring the coffee stains on her lips, pointed at the screen, her fingers trembling, her eyes wide as bells.
On the screen, a bright red number glared at her—
ST Zhongrun, it actually hit the daily limit...5%!
That was the stock he bought when all other gold stocks were plummeting and everyone was in despair!