Chapter 95: "You're not working a job, you're investing."

Yu Yan had no brothers, but even if he hadn't eaten pork, he'd seen pigs run.

In his understanding, brothers with a bad relationship might fight, spit in each other's milk, turn off the other's alarm to make them late, or snitch to their parents.

But it was unlikely for one to cling on groggily while half-asleep, refusing to let go.

Unless he was trying to express terrible brotherly affection by strangling the other.

Let alone a strained relationship, even close brothers wouldn’t act like this.

Would Zhang Fei cling to Liu Bei?

Probably not.

Zu Qisheng had no intention of explaining.

His time was precious, and spending effort to brief the new nanny was already a net loss.

Yu Yan used every ounce of strength to finally drag the rebellious younger brother to the bathroom.

The rebellious brother reeked of alcohol.

If the smell didn’t dissipate even after a night’s sleep, Yu Yan couldn’t imagine how much he’d drunk.

It made sense humans who drank too much could do anything, and it wasn’t surprising.

Yu Yan observed closely, analyzed carefully, and concluded: this was indeed the real younger brother.

Not like those flashy “brothers” other bosses brought to social events with Boss Sui.

Yu Yan could only recognize people by memorizing details.

Like the shape of eyes, thickness of eyebrows, height of the nose, thickness of lips, jawline, and face shape.

Or the overall facial contour, height, build, hair color, and so on.

Upon close inspection, the boss’s younger brother looked identical to him.

Definitely the real younger brother.

Following the boss’s instructions, Yu Yan rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

If only the younger brother had distinctive features too, he thought. Zu Qisheng’s gold-rimmed glasses were quite unique.

“Hey, Little Boss, why are you climbing into the bathtub? Just washing your face is fine, isn’t it? Can’t we just wash your face and brush your teeth?”

Yu Yan grabbed him, but the boss’s younger brother glared fiercely, swatted Yu Yan’s hand away, curled up in the bathtub, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep again.

Yu Yan: “…”

The college student vaguely understood the boss’s troubles.

This didn’t seem like an 18-year-old teenage rebellion; it was more like an 8-year-old throwing a tantrum.

Water sounds came from the bathroom.

Chu Zu was reviewing data on three major companies sent by an intermediary.

Zu Qisheng regularly updated the information he had.

Though his clients trusted him, they wouldn’t fully expose their companies to him.

Otherwise, he’d be the most well-connected investment consultant in Financial Street, eating from multiple bowls a risk too great for companies.

Chu Zu had no analysts under him, but he had the system.

Give Little Yellow Chicken a fulcrum, and it could pry open an entire company.

System: “Are you planning to take on the three major companies?”

Chu Zu: “The market is already saturated.”

“With the union model of the three major companies, small businesses like Boss Sui’s are growing, all dealing in game data trading and commercial investments.”

“But without addressing the monopoly, the candidates leaving every three months remain the same few.”

System: “The monopoly issue wasn’t resolved even in the main story. Capital accumulation started long ago, from the first batch of players entering Financial Street.”

“That’s why I’m trying to fix the Economic Law.”

The Second Economic Law stirred up the investment market, dismantling both the upper and lower limits of investments.

Overnight riches or overnight ruin a single game could determine the outcome.

The system understood the logic but not the character:

“But Big Zu probably wouldn’t want to leave Financial Street. What do you need that slot for?”

“It’s not about the slot to leave, it's about the qualification to decide the slot.”

Chu Zu said, “Right now, Big Zu is just a Financial Street NPC. Essentially, earning commissions between companies is no different from Little Yu being my nanny.”

“The goal of fixing the Economic Law isn’t personal ‘riches.’ That’s just a means. The ultimate aim is to sell exit tickets ‘Even a newcomer, if they can offer what I want, I can let them leave Financial Street with a fortune.’”

“Is there a market for that?”

Financial Street drove everyone mad.

If games weren’t tied to life and death, staying in Financial Street forever might be fine.

But many games were still you-die-I-live, and even those who didn’t go bankrupt could die in a game.

When players realized that no matter how they played or gambled, those who wanted to leave could never escape, it’d be strange if they didn’t go crazy.

While the system pondered the host’s ambition, Chu Zu asked, “Why hasn’t Little Yu come out yet?”

The system glanced: “Almost done, almost done. They’ve reached the stage where Little Zu is beating up Little Yu, and Little Yu is working through the pain. College students are great so full of energy.”

Chu Zu: “?”

Chu Zu: “It’s just ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ not ‘Master Wang,’ right?”

System: “If ‘Master Wang’ was on, Little Yu would be dead already!”

“…How’s the recoding for ‘Catch Me If You Can’ going?”

Little Yellow Chicken checked the code: “Mostly done. Whether it follows logical deductions depends on test data.”

“Since many prior actions were written into the main story, we can’t change them abruptly, only gradually correct them.”

Little Yellow Chicken said, “Little Zu played three games in a row yesterday, then went to your wine cellar and chugged. As long as Little Yu stays fearless and keeps managing him, he can slowly be adjusted.”

Chu Zu was genuinely worried the new ‘Catch Me If You Can’ might kill Little Yu in the bathroom.

Even without ‘Master Wang,’ Little Zu’s physical stats were still far superior.

After some thought, since test data was still needed, he didn’t switch roles.

He set aside the nearly finished documents and headed to the bathroom.

Yu Yan felt like his arm was broken.

He’d done many college jobs, not just tutoring rebellious teens but also working at a pet shop.

The pet shop girls praised him, saying he was skilled at handling defiant silver-shaded cats.

If he couldn’t find a job after graduation, he could work as a cat-washing expert at their shop.

Yu Yan hadn’t washed a person, but he figured it was similar.

Reality was harsh.

Like when he thought brushing orders could make money and argued with scammers, saying he’d already paid the deposit, so why no refund?

The scammers thought he was nuts, spending 500 words explaining they were scammers.

Washing cats might get you scratched or kicked.

Washing a person, though, meant taking a beating without restraint.

When the rebellious brother clung to his older brother, it looked familial.

But the moment you touched him, he exploded.

Yu Yan was still holding the showerhead when his hand was yanked.

The next second, his face slammed into the ceramic bathtub wall.

The rebellious brother pinned him with a knee to his back, twisting his arm to a terrifying degree.

If the showerhead hadn’t sprayed water in the brother’s face, Yu Yan was sure he’d have died there.

The spray woke him up.

The rebellious brother squinted at Yu Yan: “Who’re you?”

Yu Yan wanted to run, but the bathroom door was blocked: “Mr. Zu’s assistant I guess.”

The rebellious brother’s expression grew more dangerous.

“Mr. Zu told you to wash me clean.”

Yu Yan softened the original words, avoiding mention of slaps, and said, “He’s probably worried you’re uncomfortable or might catch a cold. Why not put on some clothes first?”

The rebellious brother stared into his eyes, then squatted in front of him, arms resting on his knees, giving a half-smile.

“He told you he’s worried I’m uncomfortable?”

Yu Yan found his comfort zone.

One key to handling rebellious teens: familial care!

“Yeah,” he said.

“Very worried. He even paid me a high salary to look after you.”

The rebellious brother: “Did he tell you he made me play three games in a row at the game center yesterday?”

He counted on his fingers: “Lost one, won two. Afterward, he said I could’ve won all three and told me to get lost.”

He sneered, “Worried enough?”

Yu Yan: “…”

Oops, wrong direction.

But was Mr. Is Zu really that harsh?

He didn’t seem like it.

Yu Yan started to doubt.

Maybe the rebellious brother really was trying to express bad brotherly affection by strangling.

Financial Street’s brotherly bonds were too advanced.

Yu Yan didn’t understand, but he needed to work to support himself.

“Put on some clothes,” he said.

“It’s not quite right to talk to me naked like this.”

Rebellious brother: “What’s not right about it?”

Yu Yan: “…”

Rebellious brother, still asking: “What’s not right about it?”

“Shut up.”

A voice came from the doorway.

Yu Yan looked up.

The bathroom door had opened silently.

Blocked by the rebellious brother, he hadn’t noticed.

The boss was standing there, straight-backed, at some point.

Then he tossed a set of clean clothes from the door, covering the rebellious brother’s head.

“Little Yu,” Zu Qisheng’s tone softened noticeably when addressing Yu Yan, making him worry, “can you get up?”

Yu Yan: “Please wait a moment.”

He tried to push himself up using the bathtub wall, but his twisted arm had no strength.

Luckily, college students are sturdy.

With strong core muscles, he managed a sit-up to get upright.

“Change your clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital,” Zu Qisheng said.

The rebellious brother interjected from under the clothes: “Whose clothes? Mine?”

Zu Qisheng ignored him, waiting for Yu Yan.

This was bad, things were heading in a very bad direction.

Yu Yan’s scalp tingled: “Boss, how about giving me a three-hour break? I’ll go to the hospital myself. It seems like you and your brother have things to discuss…?”

Zu Qisheng still smiled faintly: “I’ll wait outside.”

Zu Qisheng had a car but didn’t like driving.

He preferred strolling slowly through the streets, where he could always look up and see the giant gold coin in Financial Street’s sky.

Yu Yan didn’t dare wear the rebellious brother’s clothes.

Half-wet, half-dry, he climbed into the back seat.

Ugh, what kind of first day at work involves the boss driving you?

Totally upside-down.

After the car started, Yu Yan secretly searched online for info on the two brothers.

There wasn’t much on Zu Qisheng.

But the rebellious brother?

A ton of info came up.

His name was Zu Qian, and nine out of ten comments about him weren’t good.

Yu Yan realized belatedly that Zu Qian not tearing him apart in the bathroom was already quite restrained.

Financial Street discouraged violence outside games.

Any detected violent behavior led to immediate penalties.

A life taken meant all assets confiscated.

Zu Qian never cared about these rules; online sources said his brain lacked basic common sense.

The boss suddenly asked: “What do you think of Little Zu?”

Yu Yan stared at the water-stained seat, wondering if he’d have to pay for it.

The boss probably wouldn’t care about something so small right?

“Pretty… lively,” Yu Yan said tactfully.

Zu Qisheng: “Are you bad at mediating fights?”

Yu Yan: “I mediated between roommates in college.”

“And then?”

“No idea. They usually sorted it out themselves.”

“Mind telling me about it?”

No problem there.

“Just trivial stuff. They’d argue, fight, start giving each other the silent treatment, then see each other’s computer wallpapers and call each other family. College is huge, but their tastes were the same.”

Talking about college, Yu Yan relaxed.

“My roommates were usually cheerful, always messing around with dorm genealogies, insisting on one grandpa, one dad, one son, one grandson calling it a thriving family tree.”

“When I got scammed and trapped in loans, they even offered to crowdfund for me…”

Zu Qisheng: “You liked college a lot?”

Yu Yan nodded, then remembered the boss was driving and couldn’t see, so he said: “Usually, yeah. Just the credits were pricey. Paying for too many made it less fun.”

“Little Zu came to Financial Street very young.”

Zu Qisheng said, “He didn’t go to school much, hates being restrained, but he won’t do anything to you. You can treat him like a kid with low intelligence. He doesn’t overthink.”

Yu Yan gently reminded: “…Boss, my arm was messed up by him.”

“He held back.”

Zu Qisheng said calmly, “That’s already quite rare.”

“Boss, uh… it wasn’t mentioned that being a nanny involves life-threatening risks…”

“Everything in Financial Street carries life-threatening risks, if not today, then tomorrow. High risk, high reward it’s just whether you dare to bet.”

Zu Qisheng said, “Of course, this counts as a workplace injury. I’ll compensate normally. If he makes a move again, contact me directly do you have my number?”

Yu Yan said no.

He kind of wanted to quit, but after thinking it over, there was nowhere to run.

Boss Sui wouldn’t take him back.

With Zu Qisheng around, other companies’ small roles wouldn’t either.

The boss probably wouldn’t make things hard, but HRs at other companies loved to play favorites.

He’d heard seniors complain that offending one HR could mean six months of being blacklisted.

The car stopped at the hospital garage.

An NPC stood at the entrance to greet them.

Zu Qisheng stayed in the car, rolled down the window, and held out his hand: “Phone.”

He entered numbers into Yu Yan’s cheap phone, labeling them one for Zu Qisheng, one for Zu Qian.

Yu Yan noticed he also added an unlabeled number.

“If you run into trouble and can’t reach me, call this one.”

Zu Qisheng handed Yu Yan to the NPC.

“Go. Get your arm fixed and return to work.”

He said, “Before you head back, buy what you need and charge it to my account. If I don’t get a payment notification from the wristband within half an hour, you didn’t remind me.”

“I won’t force you to work for me. If you want to go back, I’ll clear things with Boss Sui. You just need to decide to keep drifting, choose the college you love, or choose Financial Street.”

“Games have wins and losses. Investments are different. Bet on ten, win one, and you’re still ahead, you're not working a job, Little Yu, you’re investing.”

Yu Yan felt dizzy, dizzier than when he got scammed.

He vaguely understood why Boss Sui and former colleagues looked at Zu Qisheng like they were possessed.

This new boss was truly something else.

Generous, quick with money, great benefits, and a master of persuasion.

Aside from the job being a bit risky, there was hardly a flaw though the boss had an answer for that too:

Financial Street was high-risk everywhere, like the weekly games.

What college student could resist this?

Financial Street’s hospital was like a one-click restore device.

As long as you weren’t dead and had enough money, even a single breath could be brought back.

Yu Yan’s minor injury was nothing.

He bought some things and returned to his dorm.

Boss Sui moved fast.

In half a day, Yu Yan’s spot was already filled by a newcomer.

The newcomer looked at him in surprise, saying the old stuff was unclaimed and assumed trash, so it was all thrown out.

“You’ve got to pay,” Yu Yan insisted.

Even a mosquito’s leg was meat save what you could.

When moving to the boss’s place, Yu Yan and Zu Qian locked eyes.

The rebellious brother must’ve been warned.

Arms crossed, a cigarette dangling unlit in his mouth, he didn’t do anything extreme.

Yu Yan felt he needed to be bold.

He stepped forward and yanked the cigarette out.

The boss said to treat him like a low-intelligence kid.

What kid smokes and drinks?

Bad habits, all of them.

“The boss said no,” he said.

“Don’t hit me, or I’ll call.”

Zu Qian laughed instead: “Go ahead, call.”

Yu Yan quickly backtracked: “If you hit me, I won’t call.”

He set the bags he was carrying by the door and negotiated, “Look, let’s get along. You don’t hit me, and I’ll call the boss five times a week to get him back here. Deal?”

“This college student's way of thinking is pretty genius.”

The system watched, stunned, monitoring ‘Catch Me If You Can’ data.

‘Catch Me If You Can’ was running normally.

Zu Qian started sizing up Yu Yan, his gaze like he was picking where to cut first.

“Yu Yan can handle him.”

Chu Zu was busy with investments.

The wristband panel offered three options: Exchange, Game Center, Investment Center.

The Investment Center wasn’t the temporary bets in the Game Center.

It stood alone, allowing pre-bets on players besides instant games, a holy grail for reaping companies’ profits.

Boss Sui’s deal was a pre-bet.

He’d eyed a star player, assessed it wasn’t time for the company to turn on them, and aimed to cash in big at the edge.

Chu Zu wanted to use this chance to make a big move too.

“Financial Street barely has people like Yu Yan. Though we’re close in age, he hasn’t truly stepped into society. He’s worlds apart from Financial Street’s slick veterans.”

He said, “With ‘Catch Me If You Can’ following normal thinking, Little Zu won’t do much to him unless he snaps.”

When he snaps, Chu Zu would take over.

Little Zu’s character hadn’t been fully revised yet, giving more operational freedom than Big Zu.

Acting like a reckless dimwit wasn’t out of character.

Seeing the host swamped, the system wanted to help.

It reminded me of Peaches and Plums Speak Not, where the host struggled with a composite function.

Monitoring the Investment Center’s massive data was too much for him.

The host didn’t let it take over.

“Just keep an eye on ‘Catch Me If You Can’ and Meng Yu’an,” Chu Zu said.

“Calculate the time he should be getting anxious.”

Yu Yan’s work went smoothly.

Treating Zu Qian as an underage kid with low intelligence solved many issues.

Yu Yan only handled procurement.

He’d knock when Zu Qian slept till noon, wake him with noise, then slip away before his morning temper faded.

Then he’d serve the procured food.

The boss scheduled Zu Qian for many games.

Yu Yan couldn’t figure out his boss.

If he didn’t care about his brother, why hire a nanny to watch him?

But if he cared, why shove Zu Qian into the Game Center for two or three games a day?

The boss said his brother hated constraints, but wasn’t this the biggest constraint?

Games took up all of Zu Qian’s waking hours.

While he was gaming, Yu Yan waited at the Game Center.

The boss gave him a car to drive Zu Qian around, ensuring he didn’t go to bars or similar places.

Zu Qian, fresh from games, often couldn’t snap out of it.

Sometimes he was down, sometimes hyped, bouncing in the back seat.

When in a good mood, he’d chat with Yu Yan.

Yu Yan recalled college dorm days, how brothers reacted after ranked matches, and played the hype man.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Holy crap, that intense?!”

“That’s not a loss, it's a strategic retreat! They don’t get it, a bunch of mediocrities.”

After a while, Zu Qian seemed used to this mother-hen figure, even sharing game tips that didn’t apply to Yu Yan.

Sometimes Zu Qian came out covered in blood.

Yu Yan, trembling, didn’t dare say much and called the boss directly.

The boss was busy, rarely seen sleeping.

He was mostly out, or holed up in the study at home.

After the call, the boss said he knew.

Yu Yan, anxious, hinted that the boss needed to react, or Little Zu might actually kill him.

After much insistence, the boss made time, waiting in the living room before they got home, laptop in hand.

Yu Yan quickly stepped aside.

Zu Qian walked silently to his brother.

The boss didn’t say much, took off a glove, and reached out, likely to transfer funds.

Zu Qian hugged his brother tightly, a desperate grip.

Forbidden from other “bad” outlets, he could only cling to his brother.

The boss stayed calm, completed the transfer, and told Yu Yan to drag him away.

Yu Yan thought, your brother’s like this, maybe let him hug a bit?

Then he saw it was wrong.

Zu Qian’s hug was deadly, strangling his brother’s neck, thumbs digging into his throat.

Yu Yan had no choice.

With all his strength, he barely pried him off.

The boss’s neck was bruised purple, his voice hoarse and cold from the choking.

“Calmed down?”

Zu Qian: “I thought you’d cry out in pain. If you don’t, how do I know I went too far?”

Zu Qisheng: “You didn’t go too far.”

In a flat, almost mocking tone, he said, “You’re right, Little Zu. I can’t bear to kick you out.”

Yu Yan stood nearby, watching their bizarre dynamic.

The boss was both normal and not.

He wasn’t old, yet always carried a refined, calm, and efficient demeanor.

His brother was clearly abnormal, emotions swinging wildly.

After being stopped from strangling, he felt wronged, which quickly turned to accusations and anger.

Zu Qian’s way of showing anger went far beyond Yu Yan’s understanding.

The boss was right twisting his arm earlier and was restrained.

He was harsher with his brother.

What are you guys doing?

After Zu Qian went to rest, Yu Yan’s troubled expression was caught.

The boss asked what he was thinking.

Yu Yan shook his head: “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

He thought Little Zu should see a doctor too.

Did Financial Street have psychologists?

Maybe get the kid some counseling.

The boss always saw through unspoken words.

His back was straight, eyes on the laptop screen, speaking softly, word by word.

“This is the only way we can interact.”

Yu Yan: “Was it like this before Financial Street?”

He regretted asking immediately.

Online, there were wild guesses about the brothers’ origins.

Some claimed they were creations of veteran players who left Financial Street.

One excelled at games, the other at investments together, unstoppable.

Now a workplace veteran, Yu Yan could say anything to Zu Qian, who didn’t take it to heart, letting it go in one ear and out the other.

The boss was different.

He remembered every conversation and responded subtly, even when Yu Yan forgot.

Yu Yan wished he could rewind time.

Luckily, Zu Qisheng didn’t seem to mind.

At home, without a jacket, his frame looked thin, especially with his straight spine.

“I don’t remember,” he said casually.

“Did anyone come to the door looking for me today?”

Yu Yan sighed in relief, checking his notes.

“Seems like that Mr. Meng again. I said you weren’t in and to make an appointment if needed.”

Yu Yan recalled.

He couldn’t recognize faces.

After rejecting several meetings, he didn’t realize it was the same person.

It was Mr. Meng’s sigh, saying he’d come many times, that jogged Yu Yan’s memory.

The boss’s schedule was packed.

Too many people wanted to meet him.

He decided who to see, and Yu Yan rejected the rest.

It wasn’t hard, trivial compared to dealing with Zu Qian.

Mr. Meng suggested meeting Zu Qian instead.

Yu Yan thought, how could that be the same?

Little Zu was sleeping then.

Waking the ancestor would mean no way out.

“Hm,” the boss said.

“Is he causing trouble?”

Yu Yan said.

“He doesn’t even bring a budget. Who does business like that?”

Boss: “Maybe.”

He didn’t seem interested but advised, “Next time, just contact external security.”

Yu Yan agreed, then remembered: “I need a half-day off tomorrow, Boss.”

He was uneasy.

“Ugh, it’s game time.”

The boss wished him luck.

Yu Yan had some savings now and could afford to lose.

But intuition always kicked in when least wanted, caring little for human lives.

Seeing the game room was a dense jungle, Yu Yan’s heart sank.

The beautiful scenery was secondary.

Waiting for Zu Qian, he’d seen enough to know better.

No audience in sight meant hidden cameras for broadcasting.

Such a vast, primitive space always had a purpose.

Including Yu Yan, eight people stood in the jungle.

Their wristbands showed four colors, paired in twos.

Looking up, a giant screen displayed a ten-minute countdown and a long list of rules.

Hostage Score Battle

“Player Grouping”:

Eight players, split into four groups, each with two people, one “Warrior,” one “Hostage.”

“Game Objective”:

Killing a group’s “Hostage” scores 1 point.

Killing a “Warrior” scores nothing.

The group with the highest score wins.

“Game Duration”:

The total time is 12 hours.

Players can freely choose when to attack, hide, or devise other tactics.

More deadly than the rules was…

Yu Yan looked at the yellow glow on his wristband, then up.

Zu Qian stood five meters away, head down, expression unclear.

The distance was enough for Yu Yan to see his wristband.

Zu Qian’s wristband glowed blue.

The system immediately synced the game to the host using Big Zu’s role.

The focus wasn’t Little Zu facing his nanny, but—

“Meng Yu’an is in this game too.”

Little Yellow Chicken gritted its teeth: “He’s grouped with Little Zu!”

Chu Zu looked up from the massive investment data, glanced at the rules, and suddenly smiled.

He said: “Switch to Little Zu. Prepare ‘Master Wang.’”

“He chased me into the game. Time to play with him.”

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