Chapter 184 - 183: The Front Row of Kyoro’s Liuli Workshop Street

Chapter 184: Chapter 183: The Front Row of Kyoro’s Liuli Workshop Street

Besides, they had all seen their boss’s glorious track record online.

Not only had she dropped fortunes tipping streamers, but her stunt of blowing up the notorious shrine had cemented her as a hero to the Veridian people. Furthermore, Radiant Entertainment was currently filming a variety show specifically designed to purge the toxicity from the entertainment industry.

Not to mention, she owned a massive corporation that raked in cash daily. The minimum base salary for every single employee under her corporate umbrella was 11,000, and she even gave out houses and cars!

So the bonus she promised would be anything but small. If the boss wasn’t afraid, why should they, her subordinates, be worried? Hadn’t they heard her executive assistant say this was just pocket change?

Next, Rian Sinclair gave everyone a detailed breakdown of the projected times for the targeted stocks to plummet and hit their limits. Although she was wealthy, she had no interest in playing philanthropist to the foreign market.

Rian spent the better part of the afternoon in the conference room, hashing out the optimal trading strategies and anticipating potential issues with the team.

Once the meeting concluded, Rian rubbed her sore neck and looked at her team. The traders were brimming with excitement; her thorough breakdown had completely convinced them of the impending market crash.

Everyone was ready and raring to go. Naturally, Rian wasn’t about to let them leave the premises just yet. She had her staff prepare bedding and other necessities, then looked at the team somewhat apologetically.

"You’ll have to make do with sleeping on the floor for now. Just hand your phones over to Quentin later." She couldn’t risk any information leaking out prematurely.

The team understood. In their line of work, this lockdown protocol wasn’t a first, and they were well aware of the strict confidentiality rules. Rian nodded and turned to Quentin. "Make sure everything here is taken care of."

Quentin nodded. Rian then glanced back at Rose Young, the only woman on the team.

Rose looked up and offered a faint smile. "It’s fine, Boss. This isn’t my first time roughing it out. You get used to it."

The young man who had spoken first earlier chimed in with a grin. "Don’t worry, Boss. Rose is practically a senior mentor to us. We all have the utmost respect for her."

The other traders nodded in agreement. Rose just smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself. This group had been working with her for a long time; when she moved to Global, they had followed her without hesitation. She was truly glad to have a team of friends like them.

Navigating the financial world as a woman was no walk in the park. In truth, women faced an uphill battle in almost any industry, constantly bombarded with targeted, prejudiced questions simply because of their gender. Gender discrimination meant many companies either shut their doors on women or subtly—and sometimes not so subtly—suppressed their growth.

Rose had faced countless hurdles when she first entered the workforce. Even armed with stellar job offers from prestigious universities, top executives would dismiss her outright. Her gender was an automatic disqualifier, shutting her out before she was even given a chance to prove herself.

Seeing that Rose genuinely wasn’t bothered by the arrangement, Rian dropped the subject. After all, this lockdown had been a sudden decision. It was best to brief them early so they could mentally prepare themselves for the grueling task ahead. Time, after all, waited for no one.

After making sure everyone was settled, Rian left the conference room with Quentin in tow. Quentin was carrying a stack of confiscated phones, which he immediately handed off to a nearby bodyguard once they stepped outside.

Rian rubbed her stiff neck as they walked down the hall. "What time is it?"

"It’s a little past two in the afternoon, Miss."

Rian nodded. Her best friend had left with her team earlier today, and Ash Sinclair didn’t have any matches for the next couple of days. It was time for her to head back to Kyoro.

Shortly after landing in Kyoro, she barely had time to rest before a phone call from Wyatt Winslow and Noel Sutton dragged her back out.

She met up with them, immediately noticing the stark contrast between Wyatt—still sporting his loud, explosive red hair—and the sweet, soft-spoken girl standing next to him. After greeting Ruby and Noel, the group piled into a car and headed toward their destination.

"Rian, I’m telling you, this antique street is actually pretty fun," Wyatt chattered from the passenger seat, regaling her with interesting anecdotes about the place.

Noel joined the conversation, while Ruby chimed in occasionally to correct Wyatt’s exaggerations. The car cruised smoothly down the main road until it finally pulled up alongside a bustling street.

They stepped out of the car. Before them lay a sprawling marketplace. Glazed tile workshops lined the entrance, giving way to an endless row of antique stalls that stretched as far as the eye could see. Colorful signboards and banners fluttered above the seemingly infinite array of booths, each one displaying a chaotic assortment of trinkets and artifacts.

Wyatt stretched and rubbed his neck as he surveyed the busy street. Noel leaned out of the driver’s side window. "You guys go ahead and browse. I’ll go find parking."

Wyatt flashed him an OK sign before Noel drove off.

The three of them stood by the roadside. The sun was blazing overhead, and Rian noticed that Ruby’s cheeks were already flushing red from the intense heat. She glanced at Wyatt, who was fanning himself with his hand like a big, clueless lug. Rian scanned their surroundings before ducking into a nearby shop.

The sweltering heat was making Ruby a bit dizzy, but she pursed her lips and suffered in silence. A moment later, a crisp, refreshing fragrance drifted past her nose. A hat was suddenly plopped onto her head, bringing with it an immediate, soothing breeze.

Startled, Ruby looked up and caught sight of Rian’s elegant profile. Rian glanced down, her eyes landing on the girl’s soft, flushed cheeks.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. Amused by Ruby’s dazed expression, she reached out and gave her squishy cheek a gentle pinch. "Keep it on. It has a built-in fan, so it should help a little with the heat."

Ruby’s eyes curved into happy crescents, and she flashed Rian a sweet, bright smile. "Thank you, Rian."

Hearing the girl’s soft, sugary voice, Rian’s smile deepened. She shot a look at a dumbfounded Wyatt, suddenly feeling as though the oppressive heat had dissipated.

Despite sporting the fiery red hair of a typical bad boy, Wyatt’s tone and demeanor were remarkably pitiful. "Ruby, I..."

Ruby pointedly ignored him. Instead, she stepped forward and linked her arm affectionately through Rian’s. "Let’s go look around, Rian."

Rian looked completely relaxed, though the glance she threw Wyatt was laced with playful provocation. She always did enjoy this sort of drama—it reminded her of the time she used to compete with that Tang bastard for Selena’s attention.

Ruby continued to ice Wyatt out, chatting happily with Rian instead.

Wyatt clicked his tongue, ruffling his own hair in frustration. She was truly a pampered little princess. Rian took in their dynamic with a silent, amused chuckle. She took Ruby by the hand and led her deeper into the market. By the time Wyatt snapped out of his daze, the two girls were already walking away.

Wyatt lowered his head, chuckling softly to himself. Suddenly, a heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder, followed by a familiar teasing voice. "Yikes. Finally managed to ask your girl out, only for her to run off with someone else. Rough day, buddy?"

Noel’s highly punchable voice rang in Wyatt’s ear. Wyatt shot him a deeply unamused glare.

Noel chuckled, taking a step back with his hands raised in surrender. "Hey, I’m just messing with you."

Wyatt rolled his eyes and started walking in Ruby’s direction. Noel lingered behind, clicking his tongue. "You’re screwed, man. You’ve fallen head over heels." He paused. "Actually, scratch that—you’ve been head over heels for a while now."

Chuckling to himself, Noel quickly jogged to catch up with them.