Chapter 636: Luo Haitao's Release

Kong Jie's work efficiency was high. On Friday evening, Zhang Chunhua called Chen Yang to inform him that the community plan had been approved.

However, the municipal government required that the community project be undertaken by Qingshui City's Fifth Construction Company, and that construction materials must come from a local building materials company.

This actually ruled out the possibility of Liu Shijie's Sunshine Real Estate taking over the project.

In that regard, Chen Yang was mentally prepared. Given his relationship with Liu Qingqing and the twenty billion yuan investment he gave the Liu Clan Group, the Lin family could not remain indifferent. Not completely driving Liu Shijie's Sunshine Real Estate out of Qingshui City was already considered lenient.

He told Zhang Chunhua that as long as construction quality was guaranteed, he could accept the unit assigned by the city to undertake the project.

After the project was settled, Chen Yang relaxed and slept until dawn.

However, just as he got up, there was a knock at the door from the bodyguard. Upon inquiry, he learned that Zhang Linlin and Tang Miaomiao had come to call him to attend the alumni gathering.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chen Yang specially booked a large private room at the Qingshui City Grand Hotel where he was staying, planning to greet everyone when the meal was about to start.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Linlin and Tang Miaomiao did not let him have his way; they arrived at the hotel as early as eight o'clock.

However, Zhang Linlin and Tang Miaomiao were dressed very attractively today. For this gathering, they were willing to spend money, wearing brand-name items from head to toe.

"Two classmates, today is an alumni gathering; why are you dressed as if you're attending a matchmaking show?"

Zhang Linlin laughed: "Chairman, I'm doing this for your benefit. As the vice president of the venerable Ordinary People's Shoes Co., Ltd., if I dressed too plainly, it would harm the company's image!"

Chen Yang gave Zhang Linlin a look of disdain. This woman had always been thrifty; her work suits were all reimbursed by him, so how could she suddenly buy so many brand-name items?

Moreover, Qingshui City has no luxury stores; to buy luxury goods one must at least go to Xingcheng. Zhang Linlin has been busy with recruitment for the shoe company, so she hardly had time to go there.

Therefore, based on his experience, eight or nine out of ten of the items she was wearing were likely counterfeit goods sourced by local vendors from the south.

As for Tang Miaomiao, this gold-digger, Chen Yang himself did not want to have too much involvement with her and couldn't be bothered to evaluate her. He directly asked:

"The gathering is set for noon; why did you come over so early?"

Before Zhang Linlin could speak, Tang Miaomiao interjected: "Chen Yang, we're worried you're too busy with work to have time to prepare the gathering, so we came over to lend a hand."

Chen Yang waved his hand: "No need for the trouble; I've already given the attendee list to the hotel manager, and they'll arrange everything properly."

Tang Miaomiao said solemnly: "Although the hotel will handle arrangements, I think we should still supervise, check for gaps and make corrections. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, wouldn't the classmates laugh at you?"

When Chen Yang was in school, he was an honest child who wasn't good at socializing, and he had only a few close friends. Now that their statuses differ, they will have even less time to spend together. Perhaps after this gathering, their relationship will grow even thinner.

Therefore, Chen Yang doesn't really care what others think of him.

But since the two beauties had personally come to his door to invite him, he felt embarrassed to continue hiding quietly in the hotel. He could only go with them to the gathering's private room.

What surprised Chen Yang was that they were not the first to arrive at the private room. Homeroom teacher Luo Haitao had come earlier, directing the hotel staff to arrange the chairs.

The three of them quickly greeted Luo Haitao. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Yang curiously asked: "Teacher Luo, how did you come so early?"

Luo Haitao smiled and said: "I'm older and sleep poorly. Rather than idle at home, I might as well come early to see if there's anywhere I can help."

Chen Yang carefully observed Luo Haitao; he was under sixty, his hair already gray, and he was gradually growing thin.

At that moment, Zhang Linlin suddenly asked: "Teacher Luo, do you still trade stocks?"

Luo Haitao's face immediately lit up with an excited smile as he sighed: "I've been trading stocks for decades; it's become a habit. If I don't check the market for a day, I feel out of sorts."

Zhang Linlin suddenly recalled something and asked concernedly: "I heard Zhou Yunpeng say you were stuck in the stock market; have you gotten out of it now?"

"Not bad!" Luo Haitao glanced at Chen Yang, then smiled and told Zhang Linlin: "Thanks to Chen Yang, I bought his ST Tianqi shares a while back and earned back all the money I'd lost over the past ten or so years."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang immediately understood why Luo Haitao's health had deteriorated. No stock trader who's been stuck for ten or so years could have a good life.

He remembered that during school, Luo Haitao often went to the securities exchange. As long as there was no major incident, his scheduled class times basically did not overlap with the stock market's opening hours.

Such a stock-obsessed intellectual actually never figured out the domestic stock market.

This truly is an ever-changing, unpredictable world!

"Chen Yang, how high can your company's stock still rise?" Luo Haitao suddenly looked at Chen Yang seriously. Although he trusted Chen Yang, the ST Tianqi stock's rise was too crazy. In his stock‑trading career, he had never seen a ST‑tagged stock rise so wildly.

Chen Yang couldn't answer that question. The stock market doesn't keep rising just because performance is good; the key is capital and investors' attention. If everyone collectively pushes ST Tianqi up, reaching a hundred yuan poses no problem. Conversely, if everyone worries about being trapped at a high level and dumps their shares, the price will surely pull back quickly.

"Teacher Luo, I can only tell you that our company's performance is very stable and we've invested heavily in R&D. Next year we should be able to remove the ST designation smoothly. As for anything else, I can't make any promises."

Actually, Luo Haitao's biggest worry is the flood of false news about Tianqi Pharmaceutical. If another explosion occurs, he'll get trapped again.

"Chen Yang, as long as your company is fine, I'll rest easy."

Upon hearing that Luo Haitao had gotten out of his trap, Zhang Linlin felt a bit disappointed, but she feigned complaint: "Teacher Luo, our chairman is worth several billion yuan, yet you doubt his company. That's heartbreaking."

Luo Haitao gave a wry smile: "I just wanted to feel at ease. Being stuck for decades, that kind of life is incomprehensible to those who don't trade stocks."

Although Zhang Linlin had never traded stocks, she was still well aware of Luo Haitao's stock‑trading exploits. Back in school, whenever those few troublemakers who liked to stir things up started causing a ruckus in class, she knew Luo Haitao must have gone to the securities exchange.

Precisely because this homeroom teacher's mind wasn't on teaching management, only a dozen or so students from their class made it to university, and the only one who got into a prestigious school was Tang Miaomiao.

Therefore, Zhang Linlin's prejudice against Luo Haitao outweighed her sympathy. If it weren't for Chen Yang changing her fate, she wouldn't speak to Luo Haitao so politely.