"Brother Lin, do you have a heart condition?"

Snake Swallowing Whale suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Nope, I'm in good health," Lin Hai replied, shaking his head in confusion.

"Oh, that's good then. I was just thinking, we're about to take a dive soon and lose at least ten billion."

"Just ten billion..." Lin Hai started to say before he nearly spat his tea onto the monitor. His eyes bulged as he stared at Snake Swallowing Whale: "What did you just say? Ten billion, damn it, the CEO is going to kill me."

"It's okay, Brother Lin, it's bait."

"Ignore me, you guys go on, I'm not feeling well," Lin Hai rubbed his chest.

At 2 a.m., the stock market closed.

Zhaoda Company had transferred the funds, ready for the 6 a.m. opening the next day.

"Alright, we can rest for four hours now. We've pushed Mingya's stock down by ten percent, and it's about to break. The people at Zhaoda Company are probably seeing red right now."

"Heh, but internally we've already taken action and bought them all up."

"When the folks at Zhaoda Company eagerly jump into the stock market tomorrow and start buying like crazy, they'll find themselves in a huge pit."

"Don't worry, Brother Lin, I personally invested ten billion in this battle."

Lin Hai was surprised. Snake Swallowing Whale looked unassuming, yet turned out to be a billionaire.

He could never quite read people who walked the line between genius and insanity.

His phone suddenly rang—it was the CEO's call.

"Hello? Honey, any instructions?"

"Beast Lin, staying out all night, are you asking for a splendid death?" Ouyang Xiaoya's voice was frantic with anger. These were critical times; she had entrusted him with great responsibility, yet he was still out there flirting around, utterly infuriating.

"Let me make this clear—if I'm screwed, you think you can still live in a villa? Prepare to beg on the streets with me," Ouyang Xiaoya said irritably.

"Uh, CEO, I'm helping you here, I'm out scouting the area," replied Lin Hai.

"Scouting? What are you scouting?"

Ouyang Xiaoya was puzzled. Had she misunderstood Beast Lin? Was he actually working?

But what did scouting mean?

It sounded like a prelude to a crime.

"Uh, I'm checking which areas have good Feng Shui for begging. I forgot to tell you, besides medical expertise, I've studied Feng Shui too."

After saying that, Lin Hai could clearly hear the sound of teeth grinding and heavy breathing on the phone.

"Lin Hai, I am talking to you very seriously!"

Lin Hai's tone was innocent: "I'm serious too, CEO, no jokes."

"So you mean, we don't strike back? Just wait to become beggars?!"

At this moment, Ouyang Xiaoya was so angry that her face turned pale. Had he already given up? Just sitting and waiting for the competitors to pounce like hungry wolves to carve up their company?

"Um, don't be mad, CEO, let me finish."

"I'll allow you one last sentence, and if I'm not satisfied, you don't need to show your face again."

Lin Hai chuckled; he knew these were just words said in anger by the CEO.

"Calm down, CEO. I'm choosing a Feng Shui treasure spot for Gao Dashang and others to beg in. After all, they're former colleagues. We can't be too heartless in how we do things, right?"

Ouyang Xiaoya was thoroughly choked up.

Then, somewhat huffily, she muttered, "That Beast is doing this on purpose, speaking only half his mind."

After saying this, she continued to press on, "What exactly are you doing now?"

"I'm watching the stock market with Huo Hao and others, getting ready for a big counterattack tomorrow."

Lin Hai cleverly finished answering and chuckled slyly, even imagining the CEO's surprised expression and the guilty look after misunderstanding him.

Sure enough, after pausing for a few seconds as if considering something, Ouyang Xiaoya's tone carried a hint of guilt, "I'm sorry Lin Hai, I've been under a lot of pressure recently, I misunderstood you."

Lin Hai laughed and shook his head, "Actually, I was also feeling mischievous just now, I wanted to see what your reaction would be when I'm frivolous."

After hearing this, Ouyang Xiaoya felt less guilty and quite a bit more comfortable, but then she felt a little indignant again. That Beast Lin intentionally wanted to see her angry; it was so despicable.

"If you know being frivolous isn't good, why can't you be more serious and earnest?"

Lin Hai laughed and countered, "CEO, if one day you got used to the frivolous Lin Hai, and suddenly found that he had changed, became someone even more serious than Martial God, could you accept that?"

Ouyang Xiaoya was stunned for a moment, she had never considered this question.

In her mind, it was better for a boyfriend to be serious and earnest, so as to not appear too frivolous, yet she overlooked the actual situation.

People always want what they can't have; after attaining it, they realize that dreams and reality are quite skeletal, the dream doesn't necessarily fit with reality.

Slightly at a loss for words but still unwilling to let it go, she felt there was something off in his words.

"I can slowly accept and understand it."

"CEO, if I really became serious, I wouldn't be the same me anymore. The very reason for harm in existence is that people always like to manipulate others according to their own will."

Lin Hai shook his head. Those religions, beliefs and the like do this, using an ethereal figment to bewitch so many hearts, which is actually a kind of soft harm, akin to a spiritual opium.

"Alright, I won't insist, I need to consider it too."

"CEO, I promise one day, you will see a serious me; I just hope that when that time comes, you won't feel like I'm a stranger, okay?"

"I shouldn't, Lin Hai, I think you look a bit handsomer when you're serious." Ouyang Xiaoya answered disingenuously.

Suddenly she felt that if Lin Hai really became serious, there would be a sense of great distance between them, even a fear of losing him, and this made her very uncomfortable. In plain terms, it was a lack of security.

"Alright, CEO, I'm going downstairs to buy instant noodles; I need to work overtime recently, you're not going to call every day to check on me, are you?"

"Who cares to check on you? I'm worried about the dark slippery roads; with so many bad elements around recently, what if you get into trouble out there? I would have to take responsibility, being your CEO."

"Hehe, then when I go downstairs to buy instant noodles in a bit, I better keep my eyes peeled for female hooligans."

"Let's not talk anymore, you should rest early, don't overwork yourself."

"Thanks CEO, what about you? You should rest early too." Lin Hai replied "tenderly."

"I'm going to fantasize for a while about what the proper you is like."

After hanging up the phone, Ouyang Xiaoya began to let her imagination run wild, wondering what the proper Lin Hai would be like?

All of a sudden, she realized that all the images in her head were of Beast Lin's sleazy and humorous expressions; it seemed that becoming serious meant losing... the soul.

As soon as Lin Hai had stepped downstairs, he saw Xiaocang anxiously standing at the door.

"Huh? Why are you here instead of at the villa?"

"Brother Lin." Xiaocang's face lit up with excitement upon seeing Lin Hai.

"What's wrong?" Lin Hai asked, puzzled.

"I, I couldn't find you and was too scared to tell Sister Ouyang."

"What happened?"

Lin Hai sensed something was amiss.