We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

As soon as the phone signal was restored, more than a dozen text messages popped up one after another.

Ye Chen leaned back in his seat and rolled down from the top.

Sun Haoyu has the most news.

"Old Ye, when are you coming back?"

"Professor Zhou called on me again. I almost died on the spot these past few days."

"I have a major class tomorrow, I really can't hold on any longer!"

"If you don't come back soon, 417 will lose a great roommate from Northeast China."

The last message was posted half an hour ago.

"Brother, dear brother, are you still alive?"

Ye Chen found it amusing.

This guy usually has a loud voice, but he really comes through when it counts.

Next, there was a reminder from counselor Xu Man about her absence.

"Ye Chen, you have missed several classes this week. Please contact me as soon as you see this message and explain the situation."

The wording was fairly polite.

There was also a brief message from Li Xue.

The first day was just a casual inquiry.

"Junior Ye, why didn't you come to class today?"

The next day turned into inquiries.

"I heard from your classmates that you haven't gone back to your dorm yet. Where did you go?"

By the third day, emotions had already taken hold.

"Junior Ye, although I'm here to protect the External Relations Department, you've only just joined and you've already disappeared. You're acting like a big shot, even more so than me."

Ye Chen typed with one hand.

"Something came up and I just got back. I'll treat my senior to a meal to make up for it later."

After sending, the next message will be from Xu Jiao.

She posted four messages in total.

"What have you been busy with lately?"

Are you still at school on the weekend?

Why aren't you replying to my messages?

"Ye Chen, you're not avoiding me, are you?"

Ye Chen thought for a moment and replied.

"I just got back from out of town and haven't had a chance to check my phone."

There was no promise to meet, nor was there any deliberate attempt to keep distance.

Gu Yuxuan's message was the shortest.

"Where have you been all this time?"

Only this sentence.

Ye Chen stared at it for two seconds.

Gu Yuxuan has a cold and aloof personality and rarely takes the initiative to ask anyone about things.

The fact that she was able to say that already shows that she had been paying attention for several days.

"I went out of town on business and just got back to Shanghai."

He sent the reply and continued scrolling down.

Xia Shiqing reminded him that all the paperwork for the business vehicle had been completed, the vehicle had been delivered to the parking lot downstairs at Xingchen Interactive, and the keys had been handed over to the company's receptionist.

Zhao Peng sent him two messages, asking if he was busy with the company again and whether he would go back to the county town for the National Day holiday.

At the very bottom is Shen Anran.

"You haven't forgotten about going home for National Day, have you?"

A few days later, seeing that Ye Chen hadn't replied, he sent another message.

"If you're busy, you don't need to come back specifically."

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair and smiled.

The second sentence seems casual, yet it subtly reveals a hint of insincerity.

He replied directly.

"What I promised won't change. See you on National Day."

The phone vibrated less than half a minute after the message was sent.

Shen Anran: "Mm."

Another ten seconds or so passed.

"I'm just reminding you in case you forget."

Ye Chen: "Then I'll remember it very well too."

There was complete silence on the other end, as if they felt there was no way to respond, or perhaps they simply couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him.

Ye Chen didn't mind and exited the chat interface with her.

As the announcement of the flight's arrival came over the loudspeaker, he picked up his backpack and walked out, casually opening the QQ group for dormitory 417.

There's a chat in the group.

Sun Haoyu: "If Lao Ye doesn't come back today, who will take attendance for him tomorrow?"

Lu Wenbo: "You, you have experience."

Sun Haoyu: "Get lost! Professor Zhou has his eye on me. If I do it again, that would be suicide."

Chen Zhiqiang: "My voice is so different from Ye Chen's that it's easy for people to tell the difference."

Sun Haoyu: "The main problem is that Zhiqiang is too honest. He blushes as soon as he lies, more obviously than a megaphone."

Ye Chen sent a message in the group.

"I'll treat you to barbecue on the back street tonight. Whoever signs for me can order two extra kidneys."

There was a two-second pause in the group chat after the message appeared.

Sun Haoyu: "You're still alive?!"

Lu Wenbo: "Missing persons have returned!"

Chen Zhiqiang: "You're back?"

Ye Chen: "Yeah, I just got back."

Sun Haoyu: "You think you can just fob me off with two kidneys? Do you know how much I practically castrated myself trying to get you to speak up for me?!"

Ye Chen: "Four."

Sun Haoyu: "What time does the boss serve dinner?"

Lu Wenbo: "Sun Haoyu, where's your backbone?"

Sun Haoyu: "When faced with four kidneys, one can put aside pride for now."

Ye Chen put away his phone and looked up at Han Yue sitting next to him.

Today she changed into a light gray fitted shirt and a knee-length pencil skirt, showing off her slender waist.

After several days of handling miscellaneous tasks, she looked tired, but her hair was still neatly styled.

"Mr. Ye, shall we go to the company first or back to the school?"

"Go back to the company first and give the documents you brought back to Su Ya."

Ye Chen handed over the briefcase.

"Do not make any new moves in the trading account for the time being. The remuneration for Li Zhiwei and the other two should be deposited into a separate account, with the note that it will be paid as a project reward. The contract should be completed."

Han Yue took the briefcase.

"Is all $165 million in offshore accounts?"

"Keep it for now."

"The company has a few expenses recently, including expanding the art team and purchasing servers. Should we transfer some of the funds back from our Hong Kong subsidiary?"

"Let the revenue from 'Angry Sparrow' and 'Temple Run' cover daily expenses."

Ye Chen loosened his seatbelt.

"Don't rush to move the overseas funds. First, complete the audit and legal documentation. The amount in the account has changed, and the original risk control level is not enough. Have the law firm come up with a new plan tomorrow."

Han Yue nodded and quickly jotted it down in her notebook.

She was not involved in the specific transactions; she was only responsible for the hotel, catering, and peripheral affairs.

She didn't receive the final settlement amount until just before boarding the plane.

One hundred and sixty-five million US dollars.

Upon seeing the number, she checked it three times in the airport VIP lounge.

Seven days ago, there were only ten million dollars in the account.

Seven days later, the funds had increased sixteenfold.

She still can't figure out what Ye Chen did.

"There's one more thing."

Han Yue closed the notebook.

"Li Zhiwei called me to ask when the company will officially establish a trading department. The three of them are willing to sign long-term contracts, and their salaries can be based on the current standards. They are not asking for any further increases."

"Trying to get a permanent position so quickly?"

Ye Chen smiled.

"We've already given out $200,000, are you worried we can't poach talent?"

Han Yue smiled too.

"They're probably afraid you'll replace them."

"Let them rest for a week first, and then we'll discuss the contract next week. The trading department will be located on Hong Kong Island, with a separate office space and tiered access control."

"Who should be chosen as the department head?"

"Not for the time being."

Ye Chen spoke casually.

"A single transaction cannot reveal the full extent of our capabilities. Let Li Zhiwei take charge of daily management for now, while you and Su Ya will have control over the funds. No large transactions are permitted without my authorization."

"clear."

The two parted ways outside the arrival hall.

Han Yue took a taxi to the company, while Ye Chen dragged his suitcase to the parking lot.

Before returning to school, he found a shop near the airport, changed out of the shirt he had been wearing for several days, and took a shower.