You are my anchor

After Lin Yuan announced his plan to save Song Xiaoxiao to Xia Ye, Xia Ye, though not fully understanding, still habitually expressed her support.

Lin Yuan did not explicitly tell her about his deductions regarding Good Group's true intentions, only informing her that he planned to make money through stock trading.

He wasn't worried that Xia Ye couldn't keep a secret; rather, he was concerned about her intellect having vulnerabilities. Not letting her know too much was the best protection for her.

As for why he let Zhang Yan know instead? Because if he didn't tell Zhang Yan, he wouldn't be able to make her fully understand why he didn't want the commendation for exposing Good Group's intentions.

Even if Lin Yuan could use excuses like 'noble integrity,' what if Zhang Yan was too enthusiastic and acted first, then reported later? What would he become then? At least with his mentor, it would look very bad.

If it were a result of his independent analysis, that would be one thing, but he was inspired by the dossier Zhang Yan brought over.

That makes it sensitive.

It would be suspected of using public resources for personal gain. Even if it was just inspiration, he still couldn't clear himself of suspicion.

He might really be developed into a secret organization by his mentor in the future, and getting such a stain would be no joke.

Therefore, Lin Yuan could only be direct with Zhang Yan.

After doing all this, Lin Yuan calmed down and reflected.

For cleaning up Song Xiaoxiao's mess, for a million, taking such a risk seemed truly not worth it. Why didn't he just ask Good Group for an advance on next year's salary?

'So, what the heck did I busy myself with for all this time?'

He suddenly realized: he seemed to have almost done another blunder like forging an admission letter.

So, what exactly was the exchange between him and Zhang Yan about? What were the risks? What were the gains?

Lin Yuan picked up his phone, intending to call Zhang Yan and tell her he regretted it and didn't plan to risk it for a million.

He made a common mistake of young people in their early twenties—acting without thorough deliberation, often falling into self-doubt.

As Lin Yuan's thoughts continued to wander, he suddenly reflected: why was he so fixated on a million? Why didn't he aim for more?

Thus, two choices lay before Lin Yuan: either do nothing, or simply go all the way.

He stood in this small one-bedroom rental, listening to Xia Ye gently humming a tune.

'What the heck am I afraid of? Making this money isn't illegal. Earn a fortune, and if it's exposed, I can still live happily ever after with Xia Ye relying on the system. If my mentor doesn't like it, so be it. I'll just stop pretending.'

At this moment, Lin Yuan felt as if he were in a two-dimensional coordinate system.

The X and Y axes divided his personality into four regions. The two diagonal regions were: benefiting the world and sweeping one's own doorstep. These were two completely opposing personalities.

The regions adjacent to these two diagonal regions were a mixture of these two personalities.

Lin Yuan, once again, fell into an unstable state of constantly shifting Yin and Yang, like in Tai Chi.

...Inner struggle...

Finally, Lin Yuan looked at Xia Ye's back and steadied his mind. He found what he now considered his original intention. He remembered himself, clad in a yellow robe, riding a small electric scooter, busily roaming the streets and alleys of Purple Gold.

A voice shouted in his heart—Money, easily obtainable money. I'm taking this money. What justice, what ambition, let's talk about that after I have enough money.

He decided: he would go to extremes.

So, he dialed Zhang Yan's number.

"Hello, can you really lend me a million without anyone knowing?"

"Senior Brother, have you finally come to your senses? Don't worry, this money is from my New Year's money I've saved over the years, and my parents won't check my accounts."

Alright, New Year's money. Lin Yuan's New Year's money only differed from hers by a 'million,' and he hadn't received any after junior high.

"Are you sure there won't be any problems? For example: will your parents' phones receive any bank SMS notifications?"

"No. My parents don't manage my New Year's money."

"That's good. Senior Brother wants to borrow money from you to trade stocks."

"You... you... you..." Zhang Yan was momentarily speechless by Lin Yuan.

"Senior Brother thinks this way. Since we're doing it anyway, why not go big? After it's done, you can slowly give me a lecture."

"Senior Brother, you truly leave me speechless. You are now completely pursuing personal gain; it's not just about saving Song Xiaoxiao anymore."

"Yes, Senior Brother is laying it all out. To be honest, Senior Brother was still delivering takeout during the summer vacation three months ago. I forged that admission letter entirely so I wouldn't have to deliver takeout, so I could start tutoring earlier and earn money more easily.

Senior Brother asks himself, facing such an opportunity to make money, if he doesn't seize it fiercely, Senior Brother feels truly uneasy.

Senior Brother has confessed. You decide what you want to do."

"Aren't you afraid I'll report you?"

"If you report me, I'll say everything I told you was a joke."

"I recorded the call."

"No, you wouldn't do such a thing."

Zhang Yan was silent for a long while.

"You could at least pretend. I'd just pretend I didn't know."

"Sincerity is the best killer move against kind people."

"Senior Brother, you're taking advantage of me, aren't you?"

"This is me being honest."

"Senior Brother trusts me so much, aren't you afraid I'll report you?"

"Heh~," Lin Yuan jested, "You can just say I'm gambling."

"This concerns your entire future, isn't Senior Brother's gamble too big?" From Zhang Yan's perspective, she saw Lin Yuan as a public servant like herself, so she naturally thought Lin Yuan's gamble was too big. It was like putting his entire personal future and destiny into her hands. After all, this involved using public resources for personal gain (Lin Yuan was inspired by the dossier).

But in reality, this was her wishful thinking. Because Lin Yuan was just an ordinary person at this time.

...

"Alright. I'll lend it to you."

Lin Yuan practiced the Yin and Yang, the solid and the void, of Tai Chi.

He completely confessed to Zhang Yan.

If Zhang Yan insisted on not lending, then so be it.

Based on his understanding of Zhang Yan, she definitely wouldn't do something as low as snitching. The worst outcome would be that she no longer recognized him as her Senior Brother, and from then on, their relationship would just be casual acquaintances. This loss meant nothing to Lin Yuan.

But if Zhang Yan was willing to lend, it meant she truly cared about him as her Senior Brother. Through this matter, Lin Yuan and Zhang Yan's relationship would take a significant step closer.

Because lending money was no longer just about knowing a small secret about each other; it was about becoming de facto "accomplices."

This was what Lin Yuan meant by "going to extremes"; not only was he going to expose Good Group, but he was also going to expose the true nature of someone like Zhang Yan, a minor official's child.

So, Lin Yuan planned to max out his credit cards, get an advance on Good Group's salary, max out Xia Ye's credit cards, and add the money borrowed from Zhang Yan. All in, for a big score.

—

And why did Zhang Yan compromise step by step?

After hanging up the phone, she herself was in a daze for a long time.

She didn't realize: in her upbringing, she had never encountered someone like Lin Yuan, who was both righteous and wicked to her.

When Lin Yuan confessed to her without reservation, she already had the answer in her heart.

—

Lying in bed at night, holding Xia Ye, Lin Yuan felt a slight unease.

Because he had calculated Zhang Yan today, and almost openly.

He wasn't her Senior Brother; he had almost screamed it to Zhang Yan, but she just didn't believe him. The culprit behind this was the big shots who wanted to use him as bait.

His intention in asking her for money today was also completely undisguised, but she clearly, due to the mist of the 'Senior Brother' identity, wishfully elevated her expectations of him.

A sense of satisfaction suddenly arose in Lin Yuan's heart, a feeling of successfully counterattacking the big shots. After all, wasn't the identity of 'Senior Brother' forced upon him by those big shots?

Well, now, relying on the facade of 'Senior Brother,' he had successfully misled Zhang Yan, this young official's child. He made her believe that he had entrusted his entire future into her hands.

But Lin Yuan still felt guilty; his guilt was directed at Zhang Yan.

Yet, he also found such a life somewhat interesting.

The big shots are allowed to use me as a chess piece, but I, the chess piece, am not allowed to turn the tables on them?

This could perhaps also be said to be his growth after witnessing the conduct of the big shots—subtly, he was already practicing the Middle Way, a blend of Yin and Yang.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" Xia Ye woke up and found Lin Yuan still leaning against the headboard with his eyes open. "Thinking about something?"

"Mm." Lin Yuan nodded.

"Are you worried about raising money for Xiao Xiao?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, but ultimately didn't say. He instead hugged Xia Ye tightly, gently rubbing her forehead with the stubble on his chin.

"Hehe~~, that tickles."

"You are my anchor point."

"What, anchor point?"

"The anchor point that secures a ship. With an anchor, a ship won't drift aimlessly with the currents in the ocean."

Xia Ye thought for a moment, "That's so profound. Let's go to sleep." She then turned off the light and pulled Lin Yuan into the covers.

Whether by chance or by fate, when he held Xia Ye, Lin Yuan felt incredibly secure. As secure as an anchor holding a ship.