1.9 billion.

A fifty-times leveraged short on Stella's stock in the U.S. market.

To ordinary people, this might seem absurd.

Even to the financial giants of Wall Street, this would be considered the act of a madman!

At such leverage, given Stella's current momentum in the market, a mere ten billion would be wiped out with the slightest fluctuation.

A margin call could happen at any moment. Any volatility could sink those billions instantly.

From a certain perspective, calling it madness would be an understatement — it's sheer recklessness.

But the most astonishing part?

The reckless one isn't just Ye Chen.

Even the three heavyweights — Zhang Jingshan, Li Changfeng, and Zhao Jiwei — are in on it.

To be fair, Zhang and Li had previously profited by following Ye Chen's lead.

But Zhao Jiwei? He hadn't even had a taste yet, and now he was throwing in three hundred million without hesitation.

"Brother Ye, do you foresee some kind of crisis with Stella?" Zhang Jingshan, having resolved to follow Ye Chen's lead, inquired once more.

Before he could get an answer, Li Changfeng shot him a glare. "Don't ask what you shouldn't."

Ye Chen, however, smiled nonchalantly. "Just wait and see. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll close the net soon. A giant like Stella can't be taken down by small fries like us. Any crisis they face will just be a temporary shake-up, nothing more than seasoning for their stock."

"Brother Ye, how much do you think we can skim this time?" Zhang Jingshan, having profited before, couldn't help but ask again.

As his excitement gradually settled, Zhang found himself envisioning the profits despite the riskiness of shorting Stella.

Just like when they shorted Sihai Group or bottomed out Stella's stock previously.

Wasn't each of those moves insane?

But in the end, Ye Chen proved himself to be a genius.

"I can't give you a concrete answer. We could end up losing everything — don't celebrate too soon. Trust me if you want, but I can't guarantee every outcome will go our way."

Ye Chen sensed the blind faith his companions had in him.

He felt the need to address it.

For now, he didn't believe his actions would trigger any major deviations from Stella's original trajectory.

However, he worried that Zhang and the others' unwavering trust might become excessive. He didn't want them to place blind faith in him indefinitely. Even though he held insight into the broader trends of the next sixty years, there was no guarantee his actions wouldn't alter that future.

"Brother Ye, we're not kids. You don't need to worry about that. Even if we lose, we won't blame you, and it won't change the way we see you," Li Changfeng said with a chuckle.

No blame, even if they lost?

Once or twice, maybe.

But too many losses, and those words would become hollow.

A small favor earns gratitude; a large one breeds resentment. That's just human nature.

While Ye Chen didn't doubt Zhang and Li's character, he always kept that truth in mind.

"Brother Ye, Changfeng is right. We trust you without question, but let me be upfront — I prepare for the worst every time. Not because I'm pessimistic, but so there's no mental setback if things go wrong. Even if following you has become routine, I'll accept any losses without issue," Zhang Jingshan said solemnly.

Zhao Jiwei opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated, unsure of how to express himself. In the end, he stayed silent.

Ye Chen shook his head and decided not to dwell on the topic.

"If you're in, get your funds ready. We can't waste time. Changfeng, you'll initiate the leveraged short tomorrow night. Can you handle it?"

"Yeah, no problem. I've got this," Li Changfeng patted his chest confidently.

"Good."

As they spoke, Ye Chen's gaze deepened, growing curious about Li Changfeng's background.

Not just anyone could possess a global-level VIP black card.

Nor could just anyone leverage fifty times short in the U.S. stock market.

Such privileges were beyond the reach of an ordinary business executive.

Even if Li was the head of Huaxing Trading, it simply didn't add up.

Clearly, his background was far more complex than it appeared.

Perhaps even Zhang Jingshan didn't fully understand it.

If Zhang did, his loose tongue would have let it slip by now.

Curiosity aside, Ye Chen didn't intend to pry.

If Li Changfeng wanted him to know, he would tell him.

Thus, the dinner — which set the plan to short Stella in motion — ended amidst casual conversation.

Later, around 9 p.m., outside the Jiangnan Water Village entrance...

As Zhang Jingshan watched the departing G-Wagon, he retracted his gaze and turned to Li Changfeng.

"Changfeng, I'll add another hundred million to short Stella. Can you handle it?"

"Another hundred million? Are you planning to go all in without a backup?" Li Changfeng's eyes widened.

Based on what he knew of Zhang's assets, after investing in Ye Chen's previous ventures, the man was left with around four hundred million at most.

"I trust Brother Ye! If he can go all in, why hold back?" Zhang said matter-of-factly.

"Zhang, don't forget — even if Brother Ye goes all in, his core assets remain intact. His brand, Yiren Ruxue, is a money-making machine. No matter what, his foundation won't be shaken," Zhao Jiwei chimed in.

"That's where you're wrong. Even if I lose everything, I accept it. With fifty times leverage, you can't afford to hesitate. Sometimes you just have to go big," Zhang declared firmly.

Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Zhao Jiwei.

"Jiwei, don't tell anyone about this, not even your father. Uncle Zhao's a good man, but he tends to brag. If this gets out, it'll only cause trouble for Brother Ye. Keep it under wraps."

"You really think I don't know that? I'm not that clueless," Zhao Jiwei retorted with a glare.

"Good, just making sure."