The reporters thought their ears were playing tricks on them, so they pressed him for details, asking if he'd been beaten out of his mind.
Didn't Chen Pingjiang ruin you like this? Are you seriously alright? Why are you taking his side?
Facing all the skepticism, Carson merely shrugged, not bothering to offer an explanation.
At this point, Carson had already sold his soul to Chen Pingjiang.
In this war between bulls and bears, he had lost the shirt off his back and was swimming in mountains of debt.
It was only Chen Pingjiang who chose to reach out a helping hand at this critical juncture.
Chen Pingjiang had now legitimately become an investor in Muddy Waters.
If Bu Housheng used his identity as a Chinese national to short stocks on Wall Street, he would likely be targeted by regulators. Carson Block, however, faced no such concerns.
If Chen Pingjiang leveraged the endless stock intelligence in his head to execute short positions through Carson in the future, wouldn't he make even more money?
This showdown between bulls and bears over Renren thus came to a close in such dramatic fashion, leaving Chen Pingjiang's name firmly etched into everyone's memory.
Across major financial media outlets, both Chinese and English, Chen Pingjiang's name was cited repeatedly.
The Chinese financial media was at least relatively subtle, taking a backseat and watching the spectacle unfold.
The English-language media, on the other hand, lashed out at Chen Pingjiang, reviling him as a blatant fraud!
The short-sellers had been beaten within an inch of their lives.
No one could have anticipated that the head of one of the top ten most valuable companies in the world would play dirty so shamelessly—putting out a bogus privatization announcement to utterly annihilate the short-sellers!
Chen Pingjiang, however, felt zero moral burden about it. You do your worst, I'll do mine—may the best man win.
Besides, since when had Wall Street ever hesitated to pull the plug on traders?
Every day, waves of media outlets flocked to Dongjiang, clamoring for an interview with Chen Pingjiang.
Early on, Chen Pingjiang actually accepted interviews from the likes of Bloomberg and CNBC.
During the broadcasts, he put on a tragic show, airing his grievances and playing the victim.
He insisted that he hadn't manipulated the stock price; he had truly intended to take the company private back then, and never anticipated Renren's share price would surge so violently, causing such heavy losses to the shorts.
Unsurprisingly, once the reports aired, practically no one believed his act.
Hilariously, following this battle, Chen Pingjiang emerged as a legend in the eyes of retail investors, enjoying a vastly better reputation than he did among the short-sellers.
Retail traders cared only about turning a profit, and Chen Pingjiang had undeniably delivered them a massive payday. They couldn't care less about allegations of market manipulation.
Chen Pingjiang's personal Twitter follower count surged toward six million, giving him the distinct presence of a top-tier opinion leader.
With an endless queue of media outlets requesting interviews, Chen Pingjiang eventually grew fed up and decided to take a break.
Over the course of the next several trading days, Renren's share price gradually settled back to normal levels.
A few bold short-sellers actually took a modest short position and made a bit of cash, but the original short-selling firms absolutely didn't dare re-enter the market.
Everyone was terrified that Chen Pingjiang might play them again.
After all, the man refuses to play by the rules!
Half a month later, Chen Pingjiang reached a settlement with the SEC.
He paid a twenty-million-dollar fine and agreed to step down from his position as Chairman of Renren for a period of one year, thereby putting an end to the SEC's charges.
As for the short-sellers, they weren't nearly as lucky—they weren't clean to begin with anyway.
"Bullshit! The SEC gave Chen Pingjiang such a slap on the wrist! I guarantee there's foul play here!"
Andrew fumed, having suffered severe losses in this debacle.
Horwen's face was dark as he swirled the liquor in his glass.
"According to information I obtained through private channels, Chen has a formidable team of lawyers and lobbying firms in the States. There might even be people in his pocket right inside the Commission."
Melvin Capital's Proskin had already lost so much he was completely numb.
"Guys, pull yourselves together. Did any of you lose as much as I did? This is the true nature of America—money moves everything. Our money is money, and Chen Pingjiang's money is money too. In this country, bribery is being legalized, isn't it?"
Proskin's words left everyone present stunned into silence for a long moment.
What he said was indeed the hard truth, completely undeniable.
"I'm sorry. I originally said I'd accompany you all to Hong Kong for the HKEX listing, but it looks like I won't be able to make it this time,"
Chen Pingjiang said to Ge Mengshi with a tinge of apology.
As the year drew to a close, it was finally time for Zhizhen Catering to go public.
This time, the listing venue wasn't the NYSE or NASDAQ, but the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
It was fortunate they hadn't opted for NASDAQ earlier. Otherwise, it would have been a toss-up whether Zhizhen Catering could even complete its IPO successfully.
Even if it did, it likely would have been targeted by short-sellers right at the outset, crashing below its offer price on day one.
Ge Mengshi smiled faintly.
"Just stay home and take good care of the baby. I wouldn't want you coming along with us anyway. If you get mobbed by the press, they'll spend the whole time interviewing you, and news of our successful listing will end up completely buried."
Chen Pingjiang patted his chest.
"No problem, leave it to me and your parents."
Ge Bingyi and his wife had been constantly commuting between Zhongshan Villa and their previous residence.
During Ge Mengshi's business trip, they planned to stay at Zhongshan Villa. Xu Fangjuan and Chen Guangming also dropped by frequently to see their granddaughter.
Since Chen Pingjiang's private jet couldn't seat the entire IPO team, Zhizhen Catering chartered a commercial flight to Hong Kong.
"Chen Pingjiang, you little brat, are you trying to infuriate me to death?!"
Mid-morning, Xu Fangjuan's furious shout echoed through the villa.
Having been smacked a few times by his mother, Chen Pingjiang looked somewhat innocent as he rubbed his shoulder.
Chen Guangming hurried over as well, and before long, Little Beanbun's maternal grandparents arrived too.
Looking at the scene before them, everyone was caught between laughter and tears.
Dad on baby duty—as long as the kid survives, it's a win.
While feeding milk to Little Beanbun that morning, Chen Pingjiang had been struck by a playful mood and started playing a game with her.
He intentionally pulled the milk bottle far away, squirting a thin stream of milk right into Little Beanbun's mouth.
Little Beanbun had actually been enjoying it immensely, giggling happily until she ended up choking on it.
"Get out! Stop getting in the way around the house! Go wherever you want, as long as I don't have to look at you!"
Among the four parents present, only his mother, Xu Fangjuan, dared to talk to Chen Pingjiang like this.
Had it been Ge Bingyi or his wife, they probably would have applauded along with him.
Chen Guangming coughed softly and shot a subtle look at his wife, signaling her to save Chen Pingjiang some face in front of the in-laws.
Unexpectedly, catching the covert glance from Chen Guangming only made Xu Fangjuan angrier, though she fortunately managed to hold back her temper.
Driven out of his home, Chen Pingjiang genuinely had nowhere to go.
He had very few friends left who could relate to him on an equal footing.
There was a generation gap with the older ones, while the younger ones acted with sycophancy and harbored a deep-seated awe of him.
If he went to public places, he risked being snapped by passersby or reporters.
After mulling it over, Chen Pingjiang gave Yin Zhen a call, intending to drop by her place.
The two sisters had previously rented an apartment. Later, Chen Pingjiang bought a place for Yin Zhen, and currently, both sisters lived there together.
Giving Li Fu the day off, Chen Pingjiang dressed in casual clothes and arrived at the sisters' residence.
The one opening the door was the elder sister, Yin Hui. Seeing Chen Pingjiang, a flash of awkwardness crossed her face.
"Hello, President Chen."
Chen Pingjiang said with a smile,
"You're off the clock right now. Just treat me like a friend, don't be so stiff."
Yin Hui squeezed out a faint smile.
How could she not be stiff?!
Not only was she stiff, but she felt profoundly awkward.
When it came down to it, she truly didn't know in what capacity she should interact with Chen Pingjiang.
The boss who kept her younger sister as a mistress?
It always felt bizarre.
Especially combined with that mysterious telepathic connection, Yin Hui was simply unable to face Chen Pingjiang with composure.
Today marked Chen Pingjiang's first time visiting the sisters' place.
Yin Hui could already foresee what was going to happen next; that strange sensation overlaid with a feeling of humiliation was about to strike again.
"President Chen, you're here!"
Yin Zhen, having just heard that Chen Pingjiang was coming, had hurriedly applied her makeup and changed her outfit, striving to present her most beautiful self to him.
Normally when the sisters were home, they wore casual loungewear with bare faces, doing whatever felt most comfortable.
Meeting Chen Pingjiang, however, was something Yin Zhen didn't dare take lightly. Even her elder sister, Yin Hui, had mysteriously put on light makeup as well.
"Is there anything to eat? I haven't had lunch yet, I'm starving,"
Chen Pingjiang remarked nonchalantly as he took a casual tour of the place.
Yin Zhen looked at her sister with pleading eyes.
"As it happens, we haven't eaten either. How about my sister cooks a few of her signature dishes for you, President Chen?"
"Sounds like a plan. I'd love to taste Yin Hui's cooking,"
Chen Pingjiang agreed.
Yin Hui rolled her eyes internally. What a pair!
One on the inside and one on the outside, teaming up to boss me around.
Yet as half an elder sister-in-law, she couldn't say no—not when Chen Pingjiang was still her boss.
"President Chen, we only have some uncooked ingredients left over from yesterday. I couldn't drag myself out of bed to go to the farmers' market today. You don't mind, do you?"
Chen Pingjiang waved his hand.
"I'm not a picky eater. As long as it tastes good, anything works. Just make it quick."
The next moment, Chen Pingjiang felt like he had fallen into a paradise of warmth and comfort.
Yin Zhen, wearing a fitted hip-hugger skirt, obediently stepped onto the sofa and knelt behind Chen Pingjiang to rub his shoulders, while the sizzling sound of stir-frying echoed from the kitchen.
"My sister cooks really well, but she's usually super lazy. I have to beg her forever before she's willing to whip up a meal."
"If your sister won't cook, why don't you do it yourself?"
Yin Zhen shook her head as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"My sister knows how, so my job is just to eat. If she doesn't feel like cooking, we just order takeout."
About thirty minutes later, three dishes and a soup were ready.
Chen Pingjiang glanced at Yin Hui with a touch of surprise. He hadn't expected her culinary skills to actually be this good.
At the very least, the presentation was quite refined, and it smelled wonderful.
"President Chen, would you like some red wine? Eating without drinks is so boring,"
Yin Zhen offered enthusiastically.
Before Chen Pingjiang could even speak, she immediately uncorked a bottle and poured a full glass for each of the three of them.
Chen Pingjiang didn't think much of it at first, but the more they ate, the stranger things felt.
Why did this girl Yin Zhen seem determined to get everyone drunk?
When ordinary people shared a meal, they would at most take light sips. Right now, it felt more like a drinking contest.
Once the first bottle of red wine was finished, Yin Zhen still seemed unsatisfied. Overriding her sister Yin Hui's objections, she opened a second bottle.
The meal lasted nearly an hour from start to finish.
Even with Chen Pingjiang's high alcohol tolerance, he began to feel a bit lightheaded. As for Yin Zhen and Yin Hui, both were already visibly tipsy with dreamy, unfocused eyes.
After all, red wine had a heavy delayed kick. Drinking it too fast almost guaranteed intoxication.
By tacit understanding, everyone retreated to their respective rooms.
The moment Chen Pingjiang and Yin Zhen entered the bedroom, Yin Zhen couldn't wait to wrap her arms around him, kissing him recklessly.
Her cheeks were flushed red, radiating irresistible charm.
Riding the alcohol's effect, Chen Pingjiang let his hands wander freely.
Foreplay went on for about seven or eight minutes. Just as everything was falling smoothly into place and Chen Pingjiang was lying completely bare on the bed...
Yin Zhen suddenly offered an apologetic look.
"I need to pee."
Chen Pingjiang: "..."
He waved a hand, signaling her to go quickly.
To his surprise, Chen Pingjiang waited for a long time without seeing Yin Zhen return. Left alone, he grew groggy and nearly drifted off to sleep.
Who knows how much time passed before the bedroom door creaked open, and Yin Zhen slid back onto the bed.
By then, Chen Pingjiang still retained a sliver of consciousness. Turning over, he placed his right hand onto Yin Zhen's waist.
The difference was that right now, Yin Zhen's body was trembling faintly, completely lacking her previous initiative.
With his mind clouded by alcohol, Chen Pingjiang didn't think twice and mounted straight over.
However, the very next second, his entire body shuddered, and his mind cleared of most of the alcohol.
He stared at the person before him in sheer disbelief.
Yet with the windows tightly shut and the lights turned off, the room was pitch-black, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
This was definitely not Yin Zhen.
Because the person before him wore a pained expression.
Her tense muscles and trembling body all betrayed the sheer panic in her heart.
Who on earth was this?!
Chen Pingjiang hardly needed to think to guess the answer.
Regret was useless at this stage. Chen Pingjiang could only bite the bullet and proceed with slow, tentative caution.
...
A long while later.
Faint whimpering came from beside him—the sound was kept very soft, clearly a deliberate effort to prevent Chen Pingjiang from noticing.
Not knowing what to say, Chen Pingjiang could only gently pat her shoulder.
After a moment's thought, Chen Pingjiang pulled up his pants, walked straight out of Yin Zhen's bedroom, and took a turn around the living room without spotting Yin Zhen anywhere.
Finally, Chen Pingjiang tried pushing the door to the bedroom that originally belonged to Yin Hui.
Unexpectedly, the door wasn't locked at all, opening with ease.
Inside, a fair body lay sprawled across the bed, the air thick with a sensual aroma.
"Stop playing dead. You're Yin Zhen, right?"
The figure on the bed remained silent for a long moment.
Chen Pingjiang threatened,
"If you don't speak up, you'll never see me again. I'm giving you three seconds to confess. One... two..."
Before Chen Pingjiang could reach three, a bashful hum came from the bed.
"President Chen... it's me, Yin Zhen."
"Why was your sister in your room? And what's going on with you?"
Chen Pingjiang pointed at Yin Zhen's barely clad state.
Yin Zhen looked embarrassed at first, then broke into a soft giggle.
"I was just helping my sister fulfill a wish! She doesn't say it out loud, but she actually likes you. She thinks she hides it well, but I know her inside out—after all, I'm her sister. More importantly, every time we do it, she can actually feel it and has to endure it so painfully. I was just trying to help her!"
"?"
Chen Pingjiang was completely dumbfounded.
"She's your sister—aren't you jealous at all? And what do you mean by 'every time we do it, she can feel it'?"
Yin Zhen stuck out her tongue, making an endearingly playful face.
"It's fine, there's nothing to be jealous about. Growing up, everything we had came in pairs—we ate the same things, drank the same things, used the same things. Why can't we share a boyfriend too? Besides, with us together, my sister would feel super awkward.
This way, wouldn't she be spared the awkwardness? If my sister ended up finding a boyfriend in the future who almost certainly wouldn't be as amazing as you, she'd feel unhappy deep down even if she didn't admit it, right? This actually makes our sisterly bond even stronger, allowing us to live together forever without being separated by marriage. Don't you think my logic makes total sense?"
Chen Pingjiang was nearly choked speechless, unable to utter a word for a long moment.
"...Yeah, your logic is flawless."
(End of Chapter)