When Han Lie returned to the school entrance, the Phantom from Pan Ge's household was already waiting across the street.

He circled to the back and opened the car door. Pan Ge fixed him with an intensely sharp gaze, scrutinizing him, her skepticism unconcealed.

It was the same old question—

"Why didn't you go back to the dorm again?"

After so long, the question had lost its element of surprise, and Han Lie wasn't the least bit flustered.

"I went to play cards with Zhou Ci and Dan Zihao. Gave them both a good thrashing, and it made me feel a lot better."

It wasn't just that his mood had improved... Heh heh.

Pan Ge seemed to believe him, or perhaps she merely buried her doubts. Either way, she didn't press further and began to talk about the dinner engagement for the day.

"My father wants you to meet a vice president from SAIC today. His name is Dou Mingde. He's my dad's university classmate and also a local native.

Uncle Dou particularly enjoys trading stocks, but he's quite bad at it.

The day before yesterday, they were drinking and started talking about stocks. My dad sang your praises. Coincidentally, Uncle Dou's private equity fund investment hasn't performed well this year, so he wanted to give you a try.

I estimate there won't be much money involved initially. However, as long as your results are good, my dad will also find it easier to push you deeper into the circle. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood!"

Han Lie nodded vigorously.

The financial world is an extremely pragmatic environment. Here, age and experience count for nothing; only results speak true.

If you can make money for your clients, even if you're just in marketing, droves of wealthy people will come to you, waving their cash.

Han Lie had witnessed it himself. One of his colleagues, after giving just four correct recommendations, had a wealthy young woman, worth hundreds of millions, fall head over heels for him. She doted on him, calling him 'Teacher' and worshipping him as if he were a god.

At the time, Han Lie had been incredibly envious. However, reality pays no mind to a loser's feelings. That colleague not only made a fortune and won connections in a short period but later even made a killing selling courses on TikTok.

Does spending tens of thousands on premium courses guarantee you'll learn anything truly useful?

The answer, of course, is no.

Yet, there were always so many gullible people eager to part with their money.

The peak of this frenzy was during the middle of the bull market, when top-tier 'strategies' priced at 990,000 yuan could sell over a thousand units.

As for those top private equity funds with proven track records, they were in even greater demand. For instance, the Big Boss's fund was notoriously difficult to even get into.

But the hardest step is "making a name for yourself."

The Big Boss had spent many years proving himself, whereas Han Lie didn't have that luxury of time.

With the bull market just around the corner, establishing a private equity fund was likely out of the question. Therefore, he had to rely on word-of-mouth reputation to break into the circles of the wealthy.

Winning the championship in the major competition was a shortcut. However, even if he did win, the initial trust he'd gain would still be limited.

Uncle Pan's backing could amplify this trust, effectively serving as an endorsement for Han Lie.

Regardless of his skill, Han Lie's age and lack of experience remained significant drawbacks, as they offered no proof of stability.

"I've troubled Uncle Pan. I'll be sure to perform well later," Han Lie said.

Pan Ge smiled, a hint of smug satisfaction playing on her lips. Then, she patiently reiterated, "Do you understand the significance of me specifically telling you that Uncle Dou is a local?"

Han Lie hadn't really paid attention to her choice of words and was caught off guard by the question.

"What do you mean?"

Pan Ge explained patiently, "The business world in Magic Capital is vast. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into old money and the nouveau riche, local and outside entities, and domestic and international players.

According to my father, the established local families and the new money from the internet sector generally keep to their own lanes; they don't mix.

The most significant characteristic of the established local families is their close ties to the government, which gives them a strong power base. In contrast, the nouveau riche generally steer clear of politics, concentrating instead on developing their products and user bases. This results in vastly different operational styles.

For you, the most valuable connections will undoubtedly come from local families and the financial sector. Whether they have money or not is secondary. The most critical thing is to leverage your abilities to establish strong, mutually beneficial relationships with local influential figures."

Pan Ge had a remarkably clear insight into these matters, a perspective quite mature for a nineteen-year-old.

From her expression, Han Lie could practically see three large words emblazoned on her face—

A capable wife!

However, the moment Han Lie recalled her scheming nature and the troublesome duo of Uncle Pan and Old Zhao, any such notions vanished.

A man striving for success should marry into wealth. A second-generation scion of a rich family should marry a capable woman. But a cheat like him? Of course, he should marry someone innocent and sweet!

If the main wife is too weak to manage things, that's no good. But if she's too domineering, that's even worse. If she eliminates one rival after another, how many would he need to find just to keep her occupied?

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you," Han Lie said, playing the part of an obedient boyfriend for a moment, but his mind was already drifting to thoughts of Wang Tianqing and Xi Luting.

Tsk, men...

The venue arranged by Uncle Pan was a private club. Tucked away in a corner just off the Bund, it appeared quite secluded from the outside.

However, stepping into the small courtyard revealed a hidden gem, reminiscent of the classical gardens of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

When Han Lie and Pan Ge entered the room, Uncle Pan was already there, sipping tea with a middle-aged man.

The moment he saw his 'prospective son-in-law,' Uncle Pan's face lit up with a broad smile.

"Come, come, Little Lie! Come and meet your Uncle Dou!"

Good grief, his first words are already pushing the 'real son-in-law' angle!

Dou Mingde, his eyes narrowed in a smile, rose and extended his hand. "You must be Han Lie? A fine-looking young man indeed!"

Han Lie adopted a very humble posture, not daring to present himself as some hotshot trader. Instead, he acted as a junior, grasping the offered hand with both of his.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Uncle Dou. Please, call me Little Han or Little Lie."

Dou Mingde was a rather portly man. His face betrayed no genuine emotion, and his enthusiasm seemed particularly rehearsed and formulaic.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.