Those who travel back in time

Chapter 35 Charity Luncheon

"Dr. Fang, why did you suddenly summon me back?" Chen Qing asked as soon as he stepped out of the time machine.

"Brother Chen, it wasn't Dr. Fang, it was me." Ah Jie looked apologetic. "Dr. Fang was teaching me how to operate the time machine, and I accidentally summoned you back."

"Did this affect your past affairs?" Fang Xiande walked over. "Should we send you back to the point in time you just left?"

"No need, I've already found a clue about Tuibeilou." Chen Qing handed the old newspaper to Fang Xiande: "Dr. Fang, this Zhao Dezhu is definitely from Tuibeilou."

"With only an elementary school education, no professional background or financial knowledge, he can become a millionaire by buying stocks..." Fang Xiande watched for a while, then sat down at the computer and began to conduct a more in-depth investigation.

He first retrieved all of Zhao Dezhu's transaction records from the backup data of the securities settlement institution to confirm that the 17 investments mentioned in the Jiangxin Daily article were indeed true. Then, he compared them with the market data of the same period to confirm that his operations had indeed repeatedly gone against the market trend and achieved great success.

To confirm that Zhao Dezhu was not a survivor bias, Fang Xiande also retrieved backup databases from Forbes and Hurun Global Rich List, as well as abnormal transaction monitoring reports from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, for cross-comparison.

In the end, Fang Xiande had to admit that Zhao Dezhu was indeed abnormal; his educational background and professional experience were completely inconsistent with his investment achievements.

"Aside from Yuan Tiangang telling him about future financial information in advance, his success is inexplicable." Chen Qing picked up the newspaper again. "This time, predicting the lottery is no longer a story on the internet, but a real event. It seems that Yuan Tiangang's prediction of the future is indeed true."

"Lottery winnings may simply be a matter of good luck, but as for his investment legend, it's not impossible if there's a top-notch financial team supporting him behind the scenes." Fang Xiande then searched for videos and photos using "Zhao Dezhu" as a keyword, and finally found a tiny Tai Chi symbol engraved on the cufflink of Zhao Dezhu's suit in a photo of him attending a charity luncheon.

This photo looks very amateurish; the time stamp is visible in the corner, suggesting it wasn't taken by the media but rather by a private individual who then uploaded it online.

"We can confirm that he is from Tuibeilou," Chen Qing said, looking at the Tai Chi diagram.

"June 30, 2025, Oriental Hotel, this charity luncheon is an opportunity." Fang Xiande swiped the mouse to read the brief text below the photo, "Chen Qing, you can go here to contact him."

Such high-end charity luncheons are not places that can be entered casually. The first thing Chen Qing did after traveling to 2025 was to find Li Qilin.

"Mr. Chen, I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Li Qilin met Chen Qing in a coffee shop. "Were the clues we found at Binhu Park useful?"

"Very useful." Chen Qing picked up his coffee and took a sip. "According to the clues, Zhao Dezhu of Dezhu Capital is a member of Tuibeilou."

"Zhao Dezhu, that stock market guru?"

"Does Mr. Li know him?"

"Dezhu Capital has no business dealings with my Qilin Group, and I've never had any contact with him, but I know who he is. He's a legend in many people's eyes. Many of his investments have gone against market consensus. At the time, I thought he had a keen eye for the future. If he has someone behind him who can predict the future, then it's not surprising."

"Zhao Dezhu will be attending a charity luncheon at 6 PM on June 30th. Mr. Li, is there any way to get me in?"

"I know about this luncheon and they invited me, but it conflicts with my schedule, so I have to decline."

"Schedule conflict?"

"On the afternoon of June 30th, I have to attend a symposium, which is personally chaired by the mayor of Jiangxin City. I cannot refuse."

"It seems I'll have to figure it out myself."

"Although I can't go, Mengfei can. I'll call the organizers of the luncheon right now and tell them to let Mengfei attend in my place." Li Qilin took out his phone, dialed a number, hung up two minutes later, and said to Chen Qing, "That's fine, Mr. Chen. You can go with Mengfei as her companion."

"Am I going to save the world again?" Li Mengfei was quite excited when she learned that she would be participating in another operation.

"Mengfei, I'm sending you on a mission, not to play around," Li Qilin said with a headache. "Be serious!"

"How am I not serious?" Li Mengfei took a sip of coffee. "I promise I'll bring Mr. Chen to the banquet!" She glanced at Chen Qing as she said this. "But speaking of which, we're already so familiar, calling you 'Mr. Chen' all the time feels too formal. How about I call you Brother Qing?"

"Mengfei!" Li Qilin slammed down his coffee. "You mustn't be rude to Mr. Chen."

"It's alright, Mr. Li. Actually, I also feel a bit uncomfortable with the sound of 'Mr. Chen'," Chen Qing said. "Mr. Li, please stop calling me 'Mr. Chen' all the time and just call me by my name."

"Chen Qing, you don't need to always call me President Li. We're already comrades-in-arms, calling me that sounds too formal," Li Qilin said.

"Then I'll call you Uncle Li," Chen Qing said.

The Oriental Hotel is not the tallest or most modern skyscraper in Jiangxin City, but it is undoubtedly one of the most significant landmarks. Unlike the Qilin Building, which exudes an aggressive futuristic feel, it stands quietly like a nobleman with profound heritage in the heart of the city's riverside area.

On June 30, Chen Qing and Li Mengfei arrived at the hotel in Li Qilin's private car. A doorman in a formal suit respectfully opened the car door and led the two to the entrance.

There is a registration table covered with dark green velvet, where several staff members greet guests with smiles and politely ask them to show their invitations.

"Hello, I am Li Mengfei, representing Mr. Li Qilin of the Qilin Group." Li Mengfei calmly stepped forward, took out the invitation from her handbag, and briefly introduced Chen Qing: "This is my male companion."

The staff quickly found Li Mengfei's information on the tablet and also provided two exquisite process manuals and seat cards.

The two passed through the registration table and entered the banquet hall, where dozens of round tables covered with pure white tablecloths were arranged in a staggered manner, with simple floral table decorations in the center. At the front was a simple stage, and a huge LED screen displayed the theme and logo of this charity project.

The melodious volume of the jazz piano was just right, creating the right atmosphere without interfering with conversations among guests.

There were already quite a few people inside. The men were mostly dressed in well-tailored dark suits, while the women wore various elegant daytime dresses or suits. Everyone looked extraordinary.