It was getting late, so Jiang He went to bed to get some rest.

The next day, he woke up a little late.

As soon as he opened his eyes and picked up his phone, he saw a flood of messages from Teacher Shen.

[Dr. Jiang, good morning!]

[I went to see Juanzi again today and brought her some breakfast.]

This was followed by a low-resolution photo message: two white steamed buns, two hard-boiled eggs, and two cups of plain soy milk.

[See? I bought a very healthy breakfast! I’m being super strict about managing my sugar intake now, praise me!]

A dozen or so minutes later, a few more messages arrived.

[Boo-hoo, I just got to the hospital room, and Juanzi saw the ring on my hand.]

[Juanzi won’t stop laughing at me, I’m so mad! Dr. Jiang, you have to scold her for me!]

[I told her we won it for free playing a game at the mall, but she just won’t believe me! I’m furious!]

Jiang He leaned against the headboard, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably into a wide smile.

The highest form of love is the desire to share.

The urge to share every little thing with the other person, no matter how trivial, and the feeling of constantly being on their mind—it brought an immense sense of security.

Jiang He replied:

[Woke up late. Been a bit busy writing my thesis these past few days.]

[Also, Teacher Shen, let me educate you: the glycemic index of white steamed buns is higher than cola. How is that strict sugar control? (Taps on the blackboard) Next time, switch to whole wheat bread or corn and mixed grains. As for Juanzi laughing at you, I’ll help you scold her next time I’m in the Capital City.]

Shen Yu replied instantly:

[Oh, okay, I got it!]

[And you! You’re always telling me to take care of my health, but you’re so busy you’re pulling all-nighters to write your thesis. Hmph.]

[Dr. Jiang, it looks like I need to plant a spy by your side to keep an eye on you for me!]

Jiang He laughed and typed back: [Sure, feel free to plant your mole anytime.]

The two of them chatted idly for a dozen or so minutes.

Putting down his phone, Jiang He let out a long breath.

He was realizing that as his feelings for his girl deepened, his biggest problem now was an uncontrollable urge to seek her out and chat with her at any given moment.

’It’s seriously affecting my concentration. I need to restrain myself...’

He glanced at the time on his phone.

There were still two days left until the end of the National Day holiday.

Right after the break, the semifinals for the Clinical Pathology and Reasoning Competition would be held.

Today, he planned to print the thesis he’d stayed up all night writing, finish the formatting and proofreading, and then open a brokerage account to invest the money he had on hand.

In ’08, battered by the full impact of the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States and the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the domestic A-share market had taken a severe hit.

From a peak of over six thousand points at the end of last year, it had been in a free fall.

Jiang He remembered that it was this very month, in late October 2008, that the Shanghai Composite Index would plummet past the 1,700-point mark, creating a historic bottom—

points.

Wails of misery were everywhere as the assets of countless investors went up in smoke.

But the depths of despair often brewed the most frantic rebounds.

In November, to combat the financial crisis, the government would roll out a massive "four-trillion-yuan" economic stimulus package.

The focus would be on investing in infrastructure, railways, cement, and steel.

As soon as the news broke, the A-share market would see a massive surge. Related infrastructure concept stocks would hit their daily trading limits for days in a row, and it would be common for them to double in value in a short period.

’This is a great opportunity for me to profit,’ Jiang He thought.

Although he had a verbal agreement with Wang Kuan that she would invest two million to establish a lab as soon as he produced preliminary results...

...Jiang He had knocked around in the real world for enough years to know one thing for certain:

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Having his own money, his own disposable cash flow, was the most solid backing for advancing his career.

If something went wrong on Wang Kuan’s end, or if the funding approval process dragged on, he couldn’t just wait around for her.

With that in mind, Jiang He began to plan out his finances.

First, he would set aside ten thousand yuan for recent living expenses and as an emergency fund for unexpected situations.

He planned to invest the rest, splitting it in an 80/20 ratio to balance short-term windfalls with long-term growth.

80% of the money would go toward short-term profits, invested in A-share infrastructure stocks.

The other 20% would be a long-term investment, with Kweichow Moutai as the target.

In ’08, Moutai’s stock price had also been wrongfully battered, dropping to a historic low.

Leaving this money in there would be like putting it in a self-expanding super-vault.

It wasn’t that Jiang He hadn’t considered NVIDIA, but buying US stocks was too much trouble right now. After opening the account, he’d still have to figure out how to wire the money overseas. Plus, the timeline was too long. He’d reconsider it later when he had the chance.

He got out of bed and saw that Chen Hao was already up, reading a book.

The kid really had changed a lot. Ever since the internet cafe incident, he had stopped playing games and reading trashy novels, instead dedicating himself to his major coursework. And he wasn’t just faking it.

"Chen Hao, come with me."

"Where to?" Chen Hao asked, looking baffled.

"First, take me to a print shop, then to a Guangfa Securities branch."

"What are you going to a securities firm for?"

"To open an account, of course."

Chen Hao frowned. "Open an account? Are you crazy? With the market the way it is now, you’re still going to jump in?"

"Let’s go. Stop wasting time."

In October, the weather in Yangcheng was still hot.

The two first went to a copy and print shop on a back street.

Jiang He plugged his USB drive into the shop’s computer, adjusted the margins and font size, and meticulously formatted his eight-thousand-character thesis according to the double-column layout required by the *Chinese Journal of Surgery*.

"Boss, two copies of this document, please."

After they were printed, Chen Hao stared at the densely packed professional terminology on the pages and the revolutionary conclusion at the end. It all still felt a bit unreal.

"Old Jiang, if this thing really gets published, the reaction is going to be huge, right?" Chen Hao asked in a low voice.

"Definitely. You’ll be able to walk around campus like you own the place after this."

Jiang He straightened the printed thesis, secured it with a binder clip, and placed it in a manila envelope.

Afterward, the two hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Guangfa Securities branch downtown.

In ’08, the stock trading floors were far from the deserted places they would become in later years. Many retail investors still had the habit of coming in person to watch the market.

Several huge electronic screens hung in the center of the hall.

The screens were a miserable sea of green numbers and K-line charts that stretched endlessly downward.

The hall was filled with elderly men and women, each one with a sorrowful expression, sighing in despair.

Some stared blankly at the screens, while others argued with family members on the phone in corners. You could almost smell the despair and anxiety in the air from a distance.

Chen Hao tugged on Jiang He’s sleeve. "Old Jiang, look at this scene... Maybe we should just forget it?"

Jiang He’s expression didn’t change as he glanced at the Shanghai Composite Index on the screen.

points.

’Still more than two hundred points to go before it hits bottom.’

Jiang He said, "Come on. Let’s open the account first and talk later."

After they finished the paperwork with a teller, Chen Hao spent the entire way out trying to persuade Jiang He to invest rationally and so on.

Jiang He couldn’t take it anymore and offered a simple explanation:

"I’m not going to invest recklessly. Besides, my main focus is still on my academic work, so don’t worry."

"That’s good."

As they walked out of the building, Chen Hao asked again, "Where are we going now?"

Jiang He checked the time and said, "To Affiliated Hospital No. 1. We’re going to find Professor Yang Xu and show him our paper."