Pei Wan, 27, is an analyst in the electronics group at Ruite Securities Research Institute, ranked second in XCF for seven consecutive years. He's the chief analyst's overworked junior and just another finance grunt.
One day, it was another utterly ordinary earnings season: a full day of traveling for a roadshow, a round of psychological manipulation from the chief analyst, fighting with analysts from other teams over coverage, and an intern's financial model full of #VALUE! errors...
At last, work was over. Pei Wan lay on his bed, staring into the darkness at the "02:00 AM" on his phone's lock screen. As he drifted off, his thoughts wandered: He'd worked himself to the bone for his GPA, research, and internships, and his resume looked far better than his mental state. He had long since given up on the dream of a high salary; his wallet was even thinner than his understanding of the world. Could he ever find the happiness, anticipation, and sense of achievement he'd once had?
When Pei Wan woke up, he discovered he'd entered another world...
A crystal ball the size of a soccer ball could project holograms and transmit information, allowing friends thousands of miles apart to truly talk "face to face";
Huge crystal slabs were built into machinery, where spirit energy and preloaded magic spells drove automated, capital-intensive production lines;
Traders waved their wands in the air as clients' trade requests transformed into glittering golden numbers and streamed past...
Before he'd even gotten over the novelty, Pei Wan discovered to his dismay that he'd be continuing his life as a finance grunt in this other world: he had to complete tasks one by one if he wanted to go home!
With his first work assignment, Pei Wan's life as a private equity fund researcher officially began...
To check whether Oya Magic Control was committing financial fraud? Search patents, call suppliers, inspect production lines, count loaded trucks; from desk research to on-site investigations, from upstream raw materials to end-user sales, from executives' eloquent speeches to employees' candid accounts...
Kicked out by the board secretary, who mistook him for a corporate spy? Climb over the wall and sneak back in! Chased away by security while observing shipment volumes, mistaken for a suspicious person? Find another corner and keep watching!
But why did he keep running into the same handsome guy whenever he got into trouble?
Turns out they were in the same line of work. No problem, then. He'd found another researcher just as clever (and as good at splitting hairs) and hardworking (and as good at getting hung up on details) as himself. They'd investigate together, short the stock together, and make a fortune!
What? The handsome guy says he's an inspector with the Financial Supervisory Authority? Better grab hold of him! No matter how interesting this other world is, it's only a temporary home. Speedrunning the tasks and going back to the grind is the top priority!
But as the tasks progressed, Pei Wan discovered that a massive conspiracy lurked beneath the seemingly tranquil financial system of this other world. And he, once an outsider looking on, was gradually drawn into the heart of the storm, becoming someone with a stake in it...
Steady, calm, maximum-security top x perceptive, sly finance-office-worker bottom. 1v1, mutual pining, happy ending.
Theme: Safeguarding financial stability
