As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 445: Backup

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“What? 958.8 billion! Is it in U.S. dollars?” Old Master Xiao couldn’t remain calm anymore. He stood up from his recliner, even with his current status; hearing this number felt unbelievable.

“Yes, it’s in U.S. dollars, and I’ve already transferred it all back to China,” Zhou Chao replied nonchalantly.

Old Master Xiao gave Zhou Chao a curious look. Nearly a trillion U.S. dollars was more than the GDP of some provincial capitals in China for an entire year.

“Zhou Chao, don’t look at me like that, or I might just eat you up,” Old Master Xiao said with a playful tone, aware of his own desires.

Zhou Chao chuckled, and Old Master Xiao returned to his recliner, asking, “So, how did this happen?”

Zhou Chao then proceeded to explain the situation, which was mostly true. He had intended to short the Dow Jones Index and coincidentally entered the market during a major index crash. He also mentioned the suspicion of internal fraud at Citigroup, which many high-level executives were aware of. Zhou Chao wasn’t foolish enough to tell Old Master Xiao that he knew about these matters because of a system, as Old Master Xiao might have considered him eccentric.

After hearing this, Old Master Xiao remained silent and began to contemplate. Seeing this, Zhou Chao could only lower his head.

After a while, Old Master Xiao broke the silence and said, “This time, it might be a bit tricky.”

“Are you referring to the retaliation from those corporations?”

“Of course, you took away their money; they won’t forget that,” Old Master Xiao replied, not concealing his annoyance.

“Well, after all the affairs are settled, 1 brought all the personnel back to China,” Zhou Chao boasted with pride.

“Stay low for a while, just stay in China, and don’t go abroad. Also, what are your plans for this money?” Old Master Xiao asked with a meaningful look.

Zhou Chao thought for a moment before replying, “I haven’t decided yet, but I have a few directions in mind. One is to invest in technological research, and the other is to continue charitable endeavors. Of course, if you have any good suggestions, I’m all ears.”

Zhou Chao wasn’t foolish enough to lay out his entire plan. He understood that it was better to let Old Master Xiao speak his mind. If he opened up first, the nature of the conversation might change.

“Zhou Chao, i know you’re a smart young man, and there are things you understand without being told. So, I won’t dwell on it. 1 just hope that your philanthropic endeavors expand, aiming to stimulate economic development in impoverished areas. Use the local resources wisely to create new opportunities. Zhou Chao, you are now a qualified entrepreneur, but being qualified isn’t enough; strive to be excellent, even more excellent. 1 hope you can shoulder this responsibility,” Old Master Xiao concluded, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at Zhou Chao.

“Old Master, rest assured, I will continue to shine and give my utmost effort to do what 1 can and should do,” Zhou Chao said earnestly, standing up abruptly in front of Old Master Xiao.

“Good, good,” Old Master Xiao smiled warmly.

Money had lost its appeal to Zhou Chao, echoing the sentiment of a certain saying: ‘I have no interest in money.’ At this moment, Zhou Chao’s feelings perfectly reflected his pursuit of realizing the value of life. When people mentioned his name a hundred years from now, they would always remember the contributions he had made to this land, the marks of his dedication.

Old Master Xiao laughed for a while before calming down. He looked at Zhou Chao with a contented expression and patted his shoulder, saying, “Alright, go back and see Jiang Li. The old man is waiting to hold his great-grandchild!” Upon hearing this, Zhou Chao’s expression changed dramatically. His serious demeanor instantly turned into a goofy smile as he scratched his head and said, “Okay, Old Master, I’ll be on my way then!”

Old Master Xiao chuckled and waved him off, saying, “Go on, go on!”

With that, Zhou Chao gave Old Master Xiao a respectful bow and left. He couldn’t wait to return home to his wife, Jiang Li, and perhaps hold his newborn grandchild in his arms.

Watching Zhou Chao’s departing figure, Old Master Xiao stopped smiling, his expression turning serious. He reached for the phone nearby and dialed a number. Soon, a confident voice came from the other end, “Lao Xiao, what’s going on?”

Old Master Xiao proceeded to recount Zhou Chao’s situation, ending with, “This boy is a good kid.”

The other end remained silent for a while before responding, “I understand. Keep an eye on him, and make sure he stays on the right path. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Alright, you can trust me. He won’t go astray,” Old Master Xiao replied with a hint of a smile on his face.

“Okay!” The voice from the other end confirmed and hung up the phone.

Old Master Xiao stood up with a happy demeanor, humming a tune. He sang, “Today is a good day, and everything we wish for can come true.”

As Zhou Chao stepped out of the alley, he realized that Xiao Yang’s car was nowhere in sight. He let out a sigh and muttered, “1 can’t believe that even as a trillionaire, I still have to take a taxi home. If people find out, they might laugh at me.”

Just as he finished speaking, an empty taxi approached from the opposite direction. Zhou Chao hurriedly ran to the roadside and shouted, “Taxi, please stop!”

“Hey, handsome, take it easy; no one’s competing with you for the cab,” the taxi driver said with a grin.

Zhou Chao smiled in response and didn’t say much. He opened the car door, got inside, and then said, “The courtyard by the canal!”

The taxi driver gave him a curious look but didn’t ask any questions. He simply started the car and drove away.

At 4 PM, Jingdu was still bustling with traffic. Zhou Chao’s journey took more than an hour, but eventually, he arrived home.

After paying the fare, Zhou Chao walked straight into the house. As he entered the courtyard, he saw Jiang Li lying on a recliner in the front yard, covered with a light blanket. There was a table nearby with some fruit platters and drinks.

Zhou Chao approached quietly and noticed that Jiang Li was chatting on her phone. She seemed to be in a group chat called “Baby Battle,” where expectant mothers shared their experiences.

“All, there are so many things to be cautious about. I feel like my brain can’t hold all this information; my head is spinning,” Jiang Li said to herself after reading all the mothers’ advice. She looked somewhat distressed.

Planning to surprise her, Zhou Chao was about to speak up when he heard a voice from behind, “Boss, you’re back!”

Turning around, Zhou Chao saw their housekeeper, Aunt Wang. Jiang Li also heard the voice and, upon seeing Zhou Chao, her face flushed. She hurriedly closed her phone and mumbled, “Brother Chao, when did you get back? You didn’t see anything, did you?”

Zhou Chao gently patted Jiang Li’s head, smiling as he said, “It’s not like 1 saw anything I shouldn’t have.”

Aunt Wang, noticing the couple’s interaction, promptly retreated into the house. She had originally intended to ask Jiang Li about dinner plans, but it seemed like she had unintentionally disrupted a sweet moment.

“Do you think less of me because i don’t know much about things related to children?” Jiang Li’s emotions suddenly took a downturn.

As soon as Zhou Chao saw Jiang Li’s state, he understood that it was a pregnancy reaction. He quickly walked up to her, crouched down, and earnestly held her face, saying, “You have me! Don’t worry too much. Whatever happens, you can rely on me!”

“Okay,” Jiang Li nodded and smiled.

With a gentle kiss on her forehead, Zhou Chao stood up and said, “Let’s go inside; it’s windy out here, and we wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”

Jiang Li got up, and although it was just two months into her pregnancy, she could still move quite comfortably. She followed Zhou Chao inside, and as they entered the house, he said, “By the way, Aunt Wang can take care of dinner tonight. You can relax, and i’ll keep you company.”

As they settled in the living room, Jiang Li asked with curiosity, “Brother Chao, what’s the story with that substantial sum of money? How did you manage to get so much?”

Zhou Chao glanced at the kitchen, where Aunt Wang was busy, and then whispered to Jiang Li, “I made quite a fortune this time, ruling the roost in the American stock market. I pulled in a staggering 9,580 billion U.S. dollars!” “What!!” Jiang Li screamed in astonishment. Even Aunt Wang in the kitchen poked her head out for a moment before quickly retreating.

“Shh, lower your voice, don’t get too excited, and don’t jeopardize the baby!” Zhou Chao hurriedly covered Jiang Li’s mouth.

Jiang Li took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

“Brother Chao, how did you earn so much?” Jiang Li, though composed now, still couldn’t believe it.

“Hehe, it was a stroke of luck!” Zhou Chao then recounted the same story he had told Old Master Xiao. Jiang Li listened with admiration on her face. “Brother Chao, your luck is really something else!”

Zhou Chao had expected Jiang Li to praise him, but her words surprised him.

“Can’t you at least say ‘my husband is the best’?” Zhou Chao said with a hint of disappointment.

Seeing Zhou Chao’s expression, Jiang Li smiled, held his hand, and said, “My husband is the best!”

Satisfied with his ego boost, Zhou Chao kissed Jiang Li on the forehead. After a while, he released her and stood up happily, saying, “Stay here, dear. I’m going to prepare something delicious for you and talk to Aunt Wang about something.”

“Brother Chao, don’t dismiss Aunt Wang, she’s experienced, especially with pregnant women!” Jiang Li thought Zhou Chao might be considering firing Aunt Wang and hurriedly spoke up.

“What are you thinking, little miss? I’m actually going to give Aunt Wang a raise. She used to take care of the Shoufu and now has to cook, do laundry, clean, and look after you. She deserves some extra payment for that!”

“Oh, Brother Chao, I misunderstood you!” Jiang Li said with a smile.

Zhou Chao playfully pinched Jiang Li’s nose and then turned to head into the kitchen..