booktalesy Chapter 585 A Large-Scale Double Standard
Chapter 585 A Large-Scale Double Standard
Upon hearing the number "4 points," Lin Wanru's tense expression eased almost imperceptibly.
Although the proportion was painful, it was much better than the worst-case scenario she had anticipated.
She sat back down in the expensive leather sofa, lost in thought.
Leaning back slightly, she subconsciously raised her hand and tapped the smooth coffee table surface with her delicately manicured, sharp fingertips, making soft "tap, tap, tap" sounds.
Her eyes were somewhat vacant, and her lips moved unconsciously, as if she were calculating something.
A series of neurotic, muttered thoughts slipped uncontrollably from her mouth; the voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the deathly quiet living room:
"You sold at 4 points... Hmm... I saw something was wrong with the market the day before yesterday, and I got a little worried, so I also sold at the limit down price as a temporary measure. So, if we calculate it this way, the total amount of shares that my daughter and I have in circulation is..."
An Cai: "???"
Gu Linjie: "???"
The tapping sound abruptly stopped.
In an instant, the huge villa living room fell into an extremely eerie, deathly silence, as if even the air itself had frozen.
Only the second hand of the expensive antique clock ticked away, each tick striking the heart.
An Cai was completely stunned. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth slightly agape, and she stared at her mother with an expression as if she had been struck by lightning. It was as if countless question marks were exploding in her mind.
Gu Linjie's lips twitched uncontrollably, and his eyelids twitched.
He subconsciously spread his hands, making a barely perceptible "speechless" gesture, while in his mind it felt like a thousand alpacas were marching through the air, shouting in unison, "Holy crap?!"
Good guy!
So you yourself were scared out of your wits the day before yesterday, and secretly followed the panic selling at the daily limit down, cutting your losses by 3%!
So what were you doing, sitting here just now, righteously and sternly, spitting as you spoke, scolding us like we were your grandchildren for a full half hour, giving us a thorough dressing-down?
A blatant display of double standards?
Is it a case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps"?
When they criticize me, they have a whole set of reasons, but when it comes to themselves, they just "casually throw out 3 points as an emergency measure"?
This is infuriating... this is infuriating! Where can I even get justice?!
An Cai's mind was instantly flooded with countless sarcastic comments, and a feeling of absurdity and frustration rushed to her head.
Looking at her mother's face, which was somewhat embarrassed but quickly regained its composure and was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, all the questions and complaints that were on the tip of her tongue were forced back by her survival instinct, and she didn't dare to utter a single word.
As for Gu Linjie, there's no need to mention him.
Even if he had a hundred lives, he wouldn't dare expose his mother-in-law's blatant double standards at this time; she was simply taking his comfort in the house for granted.
He could only quickly lower his head to hide the barely concealed expression on his face, silently giving this absurd family drama a "thumbs up" in his heart.
Lin Wanru clearly realized that she had let something slip and accidentally revealed her secrets.
An unnatural blush quickly swept across her well-maintained face, a color a mixture of embarrassment and anger.
She coughed stiffly, trying to cover it up with her actions and tone, then flicked her sleeve, adopting her usual, unquestionable patriarchal authority, and stood up from the sofa:
"Alright! That's enough! Let bygones be bygones!"
Her voice rose, carrying a sense of forced assertion:
"Learn from your mistakes! Since you've already sold, and you saw it at the opening bell today, it was all swallowed up by some mysterious money that appeared out of nowhere. There's no point in worrying about these minor details now! Focus on the long term!"
After saying that, she stopped looking at her daughter and son-in-law's hesitant and complicated expressions, straightened her back, and walked quickly towards the stairs in her high heels.
Her back view carried a hint of haste, as if she wanted to escape as quickly as possible from the embarrassing scene that had caused her "persona" to collapse.
......
Jinling, the top floor of the Jiangning Pharmaceutical Headquarters Building.
The CEO's office occupies the best view on the entire floor, with a huge floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall that offers a panoramic view of the city skyline.
The sunlight outside the window was perfect, but it couldn't penetrate the heavy atmosphere inside.
An Qi wore a perfectly tailored black Armani business suit, which accentuated her tall and straight figure, giving her a cool and aloof demeanor.
She sat upright in the large chair, her back straight, without the slightest sign of relaxation.
Her fair, slender fingers with distinct knuckles unconsciously and rhythmically tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop, producing a soft, regular "tap, tap" sound.
Her gaze, however, was drawn as if by a magnet, and remained fixed on the computer screen in front of her.
The candlestick representing Jiangning Pharmaceutical's stock price is rising wildly and vertically, its color a striking bright red, forming a cruel yet beautiful contrast to the despairing green waterfall of the previous few days.
The external short-selling crisis has been temporarily averted thanks to the hospital's announcement and the market's frenzied rebound.
But An Qi's heart was not completely at ease. Another heavier stone pressed down on her: In that darkest hour, who was it that infiltrated like a ghost with pinpoint accuracy and frantically devoured the blood-stained chips? Was it friend or foe?
"Tap, tap, tap."
Just then, there was a gentle, cautious knock on the heavy wooden door of the office.
"Go in." An Qi withdrew her gaze, her voice regaining its usual calmness.
The person who pushed open the door was her most trusted confidante, an assistant who had followed her for many years, was highly capable, and extremely discreet.
A few days ago, when the stock price plummeted, it was An Qi who secretly dispatched him, using all her connections, both legitimate and fringe, to trace the source of the "mysterious funds" that were buying against the market trend.
Now the storm has passed, and the truth has come to light.
"President An, we've found out."
The confidant strode to the desk, his expression unusually strange, as if even he was surprised by the outcome.
He paused for a moment before continuing his report:
"The ones frantically buying up shares at the daily limit down price were not any of the established financial institutions we previously speculated about, nor were they overseas hedge funds... The source of the funds ultimately points to personal securities accounts."
"Personal?" An Qi's eyebrows furrowed suddenly, and her fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.
She slowly raised her clear, beautiful eyes, a clear look of surprise and doubt flashing in them:
"In such an extreme market situation of widespread panic and liquidity depletion, who possesses such a massive cash reserve and the almost insane courage to make contrarian decisions?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a compelling pressure.