Volume 1 Chapter 1 Death

  New York, USA

  The night was deep, Fang Mo Nan looked at the computer screen that had just ended the Asia-Pacific stock market trading. The few people in the office all let out a sigh of relief at the same time. She stood up from her chair, stretched her waist, and rubbed her tired eyes. After drinking the cold coffee, which tasted bitter, she puckered her mouth, still not used to the taste of coffee here, but managed to drink it anyway! The icy bitterness made her shiver, and then she sat back down again.

  Alas! Still have to continue today's work, she switched to another screen and took a look at the European situation that had just opened, it was dismal! Looking up at others, some were new arrivals, they mainly focused on Europe. Like her, they also worked with their heads down, the sound of keyboard typing came and went, smiled wryly, those who are capable have more work to do, still have to continue working.

  Fang Mengnan is one of the few Asian employees in a private equity investment company. Don't look at its small and unassuming appearance, to work here, you must have exceptional abilities. And wanting to be a client here isn't something that just anyone with money can do, the threshold is incredibly high, beyond your imagination.

  Here, people generally focus on their home country's financial market based on nationality. If you have the physical and mental energy, it's not opposed to observing multiple markets, so the pay is also generous.

  Due to the financial crisis, people here work alone, or in pairs or threes. During the day it's US stocks, at night it's Asia-Pacific, and at dawn it's European markets. There are many people who would rather have money than their lives, due to long working hours, looking around at the people present, their bodies are clearly in a state of sub-health for a long time, they will die from overwork sooner or later, but for the sake of money, no matter how tired they are, they still have to work, it's just unknown whether they have enough life to spend.

  When young, one exchanges life for money; when old, one uses money to buy back life. This is the most realistic portrayal.

  "Knock knock! Nan Nan, stop looking." The tall man standing in front of her shut down her computer. "Go home first, you've been working continuously for over ten hours for many days, take a rest and come back later."

  He knew she was still at work, sparing no expense because of the impending European debt crisis: it had become a sumptuous feast for these private equity sharks, leaving them with a huge appetite and very excited. Due to the urgency of the matter, they were all in a state of high-intensity work, only resting when they really couldn't hold on any longer.

  Fang Mo Nan reluctantly stood up, looked at him, smoothed out her long hair, put on the down jacket hanging behind the chair, she was also a bit exhausted, took a break. She intimately linked his arm, and they walked towards the elevator together.

  Fang Mo turned his head and looked at the man in front of him with a smile on his face.

  His name is Cheng Shifei, a first-rate trader, with a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking rough and unrefined, without the delicate features of southerners, but having the boldness and grandeur of northerners, a very straightforward person, maybe his ancestors were from the north.

  He looked down at her, the black long hair, originally as smooth as jade skin, had become somewhat dark and yellow. Next to the deep, black pearl-like eyes were dark eye circles that could rival those of a national treasure giant panda. Although she wasn't some great beauty, she was still a lovely person, but now her pale face clearly showed signs of sleep deprivation.

  Don't look at her delicate appearance, she's only 1.6 meters tall, but her abilities are extraordinary. Although she hasn't been here for as long as him, her work is top-notch. I really don't know why she works so hard!

  They walked into the elevator together, Fang Mo Nan pressed a number key and asked: "Do you have any plans after work?" He also playfully stuck out his tongue and tapped his own head, saying with embarrassment: "No need to ask, of course it's accompanying Tony!" By the way, don't look at the man in front who looks very masculine, but he is actually a homosexual. Now women not only have to guard against female rivals, but also male rivals. This is unbearable for women, it's unreasonable!

  He who had a smile on his face just now suddenly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost, and said in a low voice: "We've broken up." Then he regained his composure and dropped another bombshell as if nothing was wrong: "He's getting married, the bride is a girl."

  Fang Mo Nan was shocked by his words, "This...this...how is this possible. Isn't he a slave?" As fellow travelers in a foreign land and fellow drifters at the end of the world, they formed a revolutionary friendship, talking freely about everything.

  "It seems like he knew what she was thinking, and he continued: "Who knows? It's said to be for the sake of carrying on the family line. How ridiculous! As if we're our ancestors or something. The three unfilial acts, with no offspring being the greatest."

  "Are you okay?" she asked with concern. How could they be together for so many years and suddenly break up, it's not something anyone can easily accept.

  "What can be done, the days have to go on as usual, who leaves who, the earth will still rotate." He could only comfort himself, in fact he also had feelings, had thought of this day long ago, but it hadn't arrived yet, and he was just pretending to be an ostrich. However, when this shoe finally fell, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, maybe he didn't love as deeply as he imagined. Thinking like this might make him feel a little better.

  Then he patted his own cheek, cheered up and said "Nan Nan sister, you have to comfort my wounded heart." with a silly expression.

  She looked at his pretending-to-be-strong appearance and laughed, saying "You deserve a beating!" Pretending to raise her hand, "I'm older than you" to change the subject and dispel the oppressive atmosphere.

  "He's just one month older than me." He muttered unwillingly.

  Fang Mo Nan no longer worried about the age issue, looking at him pretending to be nonchalant, comforted him with a sympathetic tone: "Look at your pitiful appearance, order whatever dishes you want"

  "You made it with your own hands!" His eyes shone brightly, his saliva churned, and he had a treacherous look on his face.

  "Mmm!" She nodded.

  "Oh yeah, that's awesome!" He was so excited he almost jumped up.

  Cheng Shifei had known her for almost ten years, and they were university classmates. She was indeed the most hardworking student he had ever seen, earning a Ph.D. in finance and a master's degree in law through part-time study over five years.

  Apart from studying, she was like a spinning top, constantly on the go, doing all sorts of hard work to raise tuition and living expenses. She worked in Chinese restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, funeral homes, factories, as an office clerk... even one summer she went to a farm in Texas for two months, and when we saw her again, she was dark and thin, her skin cracked and peeling from the sun, it's hard to imagine how she endured.

  Her culinary skills were also honed from her part-time jobs, and when it came to cooking, he had no choice but to believe in innate talent, as she couldn't even tell sugar and salt apart. Every time she created a new dish, he was always the first to taste it. Bliss! But now it's rare. Staring at the constantly jumping data on his computer screen all day, US stocks during the day, Asian markets at night, and European markets in the dead of night, where did he have the time or leisure to cook?

  "Ding!" The elevator arrived at the underground parking lot. "Let's go... hurry up" He pulled her to rush towards the car quickly.

  The biting wind made Fang Mo shrink his neck, and New York's winter was colder than the northern cold winter.

  They sat in the car without a hint of warmth, he rubbed his hands and said: "Wait, it will be fine once we start driving" She nodded to show she understood.

  At dawn, there were almost no cars on the road. "Ha! It's definitely not going to be a traffic jam at this hour." Cheng Shifei drove along. He turned his head to look at the person in the passenger seat and said: "Why don't we go to my place today?" Before she could respond, he continued: "Forget it, why don't you just move in with me? I'm living alone now anyway. You're a girl living in Brooklyn, far from the company, not to mention the bad security." Afraid that she would refuse, he added: "Just think of it as keeping me company."

  Originally wanted to think of a way to tactfully decline his kind intentions, but listening to the desolation in his tone, couldn't say no.

  Not hearing her refusal, Cheng Shifei excitedly shouted: "Hurray!"

  "You! Every day it's just company, home, back and forth on the same old path. You don't even attend any social events. Why not find a boyfriend to liven up your dull life? At this rate, you'll become a nun!" Cheng Shifei lectured solemnly.

  "Go ahead and find a boyfriend! Not interested! Maybe the old moon god's red thread about me was left in some corner, it's not like I have time now, every day is busy to death." She said with a frown and an unwilling expression. "If I had a boyfriend, could I still live in your house?"

  He listened and said anxiously: "Let's just keep things as they are!" Jokingly, if she were to move away, who would satisfy his stomach? Overseas Chinese food is not authentic at all.

  In open-minded America, being single is a rare breed for her, perhaps it's just not her destiny yet. She doesn't want to compromise herself and settle for someone mediocre, she'd rather be alone than settle for less.

  Economic independence is what makes women not want to rely on men; it's better to rely on oneself than others.

  If a man is reliable, even a sow can climb a tree.

  "You say, that boss of ours is like a dragon that appears and disappears without a trace, what's his background?" He had an expression full of gossip, "Honestly, in this kind of environment, he's like a dragon swimming in the ocean, free and easy, earning a fortune, look at how many companies on this street have gone bankrupt in just these few days."

  "Who knows, I've been in the company for so long and still haven't seen the big boss. Besides, you introduced me to join, and I've been here for almost two years, your position is higher than mine. You haven't even seen him, let alone me." She recalled that when she joined the company, she underwent a strict review, not only of her abilities but also an investigation into her family background, all the way back to her ancestors. From what she could tell, her own family background was simple and clean, without any entanglements being best. Looking at some client information in her hand, it seemed that the boss's background wasn't simple either.

  "Look at how tired you are, I'm starting to regret bringing you here." He took a look at her current state and felt some pity.

  "No need, I should thank you instead. If it weren't for you, our family's financial situation wouldn't have improved slightly." She was fortunate to be naturally sensitive to numbers and had found a use for it.

  Fang Mo Nan felt the temperature in the car gradually rising, leaning against the backrest, stretching his legs and comfortably reclining, closing his eyes. He saw her tired look and didn't speak again to disturb her.

  It's been over a decade since Fang Mengnan came to the United States. With his intelligence and hard work, he has obtained his degree and green card. As a foreign student without a strong background or connections, he relied on his talent and perseverance to stand firm, becoming a modern-day indentured servant, where everything comes at a price.

  Everyone thinks the moon abroad is fuller than China's; yet the taste of this experience is like a person drinking water, knowing its warmth or coolness for oneself.

  She regrets not being cautious at the beginning. If she hadn't been blinded by the trend of going abroad, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Thinking back to her family's decent living conditions before, but after going abroad, everything turned out to be not as beautiful as imagined. To make ends meet and pay tuition fees, not only did she struggle herself, but also dragged her family into a difficult situation. She had thought of returning home, but unfortunately, the massive debt at home, combined with the economic downturn, made her stay. The salary here is quite substantial after all.

  "Here we are!" He braked and stopped the car by the roadside, then tossed her the keys saying: "You go upstairs first, I'll park the car!"

  Fang Mo Nan took over the key, "Alright" and pushed open the car door to walk out. While Cheng Shi Fei drove towards the parking lot.

  "Ding!" The elevator doors opened, and Fang Mo Nan walked in. Just as the doors were about to close, a tall, burly man wearing large sunglasses squeezed in. After the doors closed, he pulled out a fruit knife from behind his back. "Robbery! Hand over all your valuables!"

  Fang Mo Nan thought to himself: Bad luck, running into him at this time. The elevator doors had already closed and it was too late to run. Even with his large sunglasses, he couldn't make out his features, but his tall stature made it clear that he wasn't someone to be trifled with. In the temporarily enclosed space, calling for help was also impossible. Hopefully, he just wanted money, not her life.

  "Don't get excited, here you go." Fang Mo Nan hastily handed the backpack back to him. He held the knife in one hand, pointing at her, while his other hand held the bag and pulled it open with a "whoosh" sound, dumping everything inside onto the ground. "You, step inside," he said, half-crouching down to pick up the wallet, glancing at Fang Mo Nan from time to time. His hands shook as he opened it, and his face turned red with rage.

  He held the knife in both hands, waving it up and down, and said angrily, "Damn! How can there be only this little money? I've been waiting all night. I thought this was a high-end apartment, how could you, a poor devil, live here."

  "You damned yellow-skinned dog, if you don't have money, what are you doing living in a luxurious apartment!" This is really bullying!

  Fang Mo Nan looked at the robber's appearance, guessing that he was a novice, and also a bit angry and embarrassed, fearing that he would make dangerous moves in his excitement, planning to stall for time, slowly looking for an opportunity.

  "Ding!" At this moment, the elevator door opened and she bent down and rushed towards him with force.

  Estimated strength was too fierce, perhaps the other party did not expect her to resist, as a result, the two of them suddenly fell out of the elevator. "Ah!" The other party's sunglasses flew far away.

  "Save me! Robbery!" Next, Fang Mo Nan, ignoring the pain on his body, got up and ran.

  At this time, he reacted, "Damn it" can't be said, let her see his face. "Go to hell!" A figure rushed towards her, a shiny knife was inserted into the back of her neck, and blood spurted out suddenly.

  "Pain" Fang Mo Nan fell to the ground, her hand touched something sticky and bright red. Is it over? She felt her life slipping away with the flowing blood, gradually fading away, and she couldn't bear to die such a miserable death.

  But it seems like everything is too late, if she could do it all over again, she would want to stay with her family, even if it means being a homebody and wasting away, rather than going abroad and spending money for nothing. She doesn't want to be exhausted like a dog anymore, with her vision gradually turning black, yet still not noticing the purple glow of the blood-stained pendant around her neck.