165: Chapter 165 What qualifications did he have to promote him?

In Jiangzhou in October, the osmanthus flowers were in full bloom.

Zhao Yang sat in front of the computer, looking at the K-line chart for ST Amoi, and took a deep breath.

This stock had risen all the way from 9.8 yuan to over 18 yuan; he had waited for five whole months.

After the market opened today, it surged on high volume, touching a high of 18.5 yuan during the session before starting to fall back—the market makers were dumping their shares.

He decisively placed a sell order at 18.3 yuan for all his shares.

Two hundred thousand shares, earning eight and a half yuan per share, totaling 1.7 million.

However, all of this belonged to Jiang Nan.

His own thirty thousand shares had earned him over 250,000 yuan.

Zhao Yang leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

In the evening, Jiang Nan returned home from work, changed into her slippers, and walked into the living room.

She saw Zhao Yang sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, a smug smile on his face.

"What's up? Did you find some money?" Jiang Nan tossed her bag onto the sofa and gave him a sidelong glance.

Zhao Yang turned the laptop around; on the screen was the balance page of the securities account.

Jiang Nan leaned in to look, and her eyes instantly widened.

"Zhao Yang! Did you rob a bank?"

"Could robbing a bank be this efficient?" Zhao Yang pulled her into his arms.

"I used all two million in your card to buy stocks. We made over eight yuan per share on two hundred thousand shares, which is nearly 1.7 million."

Jiang Nan was pleasantly surprised at first, but then she intentionally darkened her expression.

"Zhao Yang, you've got some nerve! Didn't we agree to keep one million?"

Zhao Yang laughed. "It's called either not acting at all, or acting without leaving any room for regret. Otherwise, would I be waiting to regret it now?"

Jiang Nan was stunned for a few seconds, then turned to stare at him.

"When did you buy them?"

"During our honeymoon. You slapped the card down in front of me yourself, remember?"

Jiang Nan opened her mouth but couldn't find the words for a long while.

She reached out and pinched Zhao Yang's face, pulling it from side to side. "Are you a human or a demon?"

Pinched by her, Zhao Yang spoke unclearly:

"Your husband is a dragon among men, not a demon."

Looking at the numbers on the screen, Jiang Nan suddenly said:

"Hubby, how about I buy you a car? I often work overtime and always have you pick me up; it's too hard on you."

Zhao Yang pinched her cheek. "Being able to pick up my wife is my honor!"

He paused and continued:

"If you really want to buy a car, buy a new one for yourself. We can hand down that Santana to my brother."

"Why not buy a new one for our brother?" Jiang Nan asked, puzzled.

Zhao Yang smiled. "You don't know my brother. If you buy him a new car, he'd probably carry the car back to you."

Thinking of Zhao Ze's stubborn temper, Jiang Nan couldn't help but laugh.

"Then what should we do?"

Zhao Yang leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Give the money to Mom and have her step in to buy it from you for him."

Jiang Nan's eyes lit up. "That brain of yours is really..."

"What?" Zhao Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Cunning." Jiang Nan kissed him on the cheek and got up to change her clothes. "Come on, let's go see Mom."

Zhao Ze's family lived in Guanlan International, in a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment that Zhao Yang had bought for them.

When Zhao Yang and Jiang Nan arrived, Du Lanxin was cooking in the kitchen. His sister-in-law, Liu Guifang, was playing with Er Ni in the living room, while Da Zhuang was doing homework in the study.

Zhao Yang and Jiang Nan went to the kitchen, where Du Lanxin was stir-frying while wearing an apron.

Zhao Yang leaned in. "Mom, I have something to tell you."

Du Lanxin turned off the stove and wiped her hands.

Jiang Nan quickly took a kraft paper envelope out of her bag and stuffed it into Du Lanxin's hand.

Du Lanxin opened it to see a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills, a full fifty thousand yuan.

Her hand shook, and she almost dropped it on the floor.

"Nan Nan, you... what are you doing!"

"Mom, you have no income here. You usually pick up Da Zhuang, and it's not convenient when you want to buy snacks. Please take this money," Jiang Nan said sincerely.

Du Lanxin pushed the money back. "No, no. Your brother's salary is plenty; there's no need for you to give money."

Zhao Yang persuaded her, "Er Ni is still small, and my sister-in-law can't go to work yet. My brother is supporting the whole family on one salary; things aren't easy."

"Besides, this money isn't just for your pocket money; we also need your help with something."

Du Lanxin looked suspicious. "What is it?"

"Mom," Jiang Nan took her arm, "I want to get a new car. No one will be driving the old one, but if I give it to Big Brother, he definitely won't take it. I'll set a price, and you help him buy the car."

Du Lanxin looked at Zhao Yang, then at Jiang Nan, and suddenly smiled.

"The two of you are just helping your brother in a roundabout way."

Zhao Yang chuckled. "Just tell us if you'll help or not."

"I'll help, of course I'll help." Du Lanxin tucked the money away, her eyes a bit red. "The two of you brothers have been close since you were little..."

A week later, Jiang Nan got a brand-new Passat.

It was silver-gray, understated and elegant.

Zhao Yang drove the Santana 2000 to the bottom of Zhao Ze's building and tossed the keys in his hand.

When Zhao Ze returned from work and saw the car parked downstairs, he was taken aback.

"Brother," Zhao Yang tossed the keys over. "Nan Nan got a new car, and no one's driving this old one. Could you help out by driving it for a while? It'll break if it just sits there."

Zhao Ze caught the keys, walked around the car once, and then opened the door to look at the interior.

"Er Dan, how are you two living? This car is eighty percent new, and you're just getting rid of it like that?"

"It's because it's eighty percent new that selling it would be too much of a loss. Jiang Nan's idea was to ask for your help."

Zhao Ze handed the keys back. "Are you stupid? Your wife wants to give the car to me. I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't take the car."

Although Zhao Ze was from the countryside, he wasn't stupid at all.

Zhao Yang didn't take the keys. "Give it to you? You wish. Jiang Nan wants to sell the car to you for 30,000 yuan."

Zhao Ze glared at him. "I couldn't afford it even if you sold me."

Just then, Du Lanxin came downstairs holding an envelope and stuffed it into Zhao Ze's hand.

"Eldest son, Mom will buy it for you."

Zhao Ze opened the envelope; inside was a stack of money and a note that read: "30,000 yuan, car money."

He looked at his mother, then at Zhao Yang, and suddenly understood.

"You guys planned this?"

"Stop dawdling," Zhao Yang patted his shoulder. "You work at a logistics company and take the bus every day, which takes over two hours round trip. Da Zhuang also needs to be picked up and dropped off for school. Having a car is convenient."

Zhao Ze gripped the keys and didn't speak for a long time.

After a long while, he said in a muffled voice, "I'll pay you back this money later."

Zhao Yang smiled. "That's the money I gave to show my filial piety to Mom; she can spend it however she likes. If you want to pay it back, pay it back to Mom."

...

November 7, 2002, Start of Winter.

That morning, the leadership team of the Provincial Government's General Office held a meeting.

There weren't many items on the agenda; the last one was about cadre personnel issues.

Zhou Shizhong sat in the main seat, flipped through the materials in front of him, and suddenly spoke:

"Zhao Yang from the First Comprehensive Section has served as a Section-level cadre for a full year. With a first-class merit to his name, he meets the conditions for promotion to Deputy division-level. I propose promoting him to Deputy Section Chief of the First Comprehensive Section."

The meeting room went quiet for a moment.

Song Daoli, Deputy Director of the General Office, set down his teacup, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Director Zhou, how exactly has Zhao Yang been serving the Governor? He doesn't pick him up in the morning or drop him off in the evening. On what grounds is he being promoted?"