Beijing, Nanluoguxiang.
Central Academy of Drama campus, June 27, Friday.
With final exams approaching and the recent public reprimand still fresh in their minds, the students of the 96th Acting Class had been on their best behavior. No one dared to skip classes or slack off. After finishing the day's lessons in the afternoon, a group of girls from the class, under the envious gazes of their male classmates, followed Zhu Momo out of the classroom and left the teaching building.
Today, the girl who, despite being an auditing student, was one of the most dazzling stars on campus, had invited everyone to dinner.
Unfortunately, the invitation was only for the girls.
As for Zhu Momo, everyone knew her as an internationally renowned supermodel who had also starred in Zhang Yimou's Keep Cool, making her a household name in China. Beyond that, however, all anyone knew was that she lived in a mysterious courtyard house not far from the school.
Even though many speculated that Zhu Momo was the type to be "kept in a golden cage," if someone could provide such a luxurious arrangement, well... it wouldn't be easy to refuse.
As they left the campus and entered the tree-lined hutong outside the school, the group of girls, led by Zhu Momo, chatted and laughed. Compared to the somewhat reserved beauty Zeng and a few others, Zhang Ziyi (International Zhang) had somehow managed to position herself next to Zhu Momo. Unfortunately, due to the significant height difference, she couldn't link arms with Zhu Momo and had to settle for holding onto another classmate instead. "Hey, do you think Teacher Chang is serious about expelling us if we don't do well on the exams?" Zhang Ziyi asked.
This topic clearly struck a chord with the girls. Mu Xiaowei, the girl Zhang Ziyi was holding onto, replied, "It's definitely true. I heard that some students from previous classes were expelled."
Hearing this, the girls' expressions grew more worried.
Then, another girl named Xun Mei, who had a somewhat rustic name but was one of the more attractive in the group, chimed in, "If anyone gets expelled, it'll probably be the guys at the bottom of the class, like Liao Yong. We're doing better than them."
The girls thought about it and felt somewhat reassured.
Zhang Ziyi turned to Zhu Momo, who was noticeably taller than the other girls, and looked up at her with a hint of unintentional flattery. "Momo, you're the one we're all envious of. You don't have to worry about this."
Zhu Momo, however, didn't feel proud of this. She frowned and said, "But I don't have a diploma either. And even without a diploma, if I don't study well, my mom will still come after me. Do you think I've been taking those cultural classes for fun lately?"
Zhang Ziyi said, "Your mom just wants what's best for you. It's never wrong to learn more. Besides, you don't even need a diploma now."
This sparked another wave of envy among the girls.
And some speculation.
Although Zhu Momo wasn't the best student in the class, she was far from lacking in intelligence or emotional intelligence. After spending nearly a year together, none of the girls had managed to pry much useful information out of her. As for the courtyard house where Zhu Momo lived, everyone's impression was that it was incredibly mysterious. Just a couple of months ago, the hutong where the courtyard was located had even been placed under martial law, with unauthorized personnel prohibited from entering.
Martial law.
Just thinking about it felt high-level.
Even on normal days, it was obvious that the hutong, just a few hundred meters away, had more patrol officers than other areas.
Additionally, Zhu Momo had occasionally mentioned that her mother was a government official. While some insisted that she was being "kept in a golden cage," others believed that Zhu Momo might be some kind of super second-generation elite with connections that reached the heavens.
In any case, it was something far beyond their reach.
Today, however, Zhu Momo had unexpectedly invited everyone to her residence for a gathering, finally giving them a chance to catch a glimpse of her life.
This was also the source of everyone's curiosity.
No one understood why Zhu Momo, who was usually friendly but very private, had suddenly invited them over. Still, given how well she got along with everyone, none of the girls objected. In fact, some even thought that if Zhu Momo could introduce them to certain people, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
As they passed through Beibingsi Hutong outside the north gate of the Central Academy of Drama, they came across a group of colorfully dressed community aunties marching down the street, banging drums and gongs. The girls stopped to watch for a while.
This had become a common sight in Beijing recently.
Even if you didn't understand what was going on, a glance at the banner hanging above the intersection that read "Warmly Celebrate the Return of Hong Kong" would make it clear why there was so much excitement.
After the parade passed, the girls crossed the street and entered Mao'er Hutong. Zhang Ziyi, seemingly casually, asked, "Momo, have you been to Hong Kong?"
Zhu Momo nodded, "Yeah, but only in passing. I didn't stay long."
Mu Xiaowei, standing next to Zhang Ziyi, said, "That's still better than us. I've never been anywhere except Beijing for school."
Zhu Momo smiled, "It's going to be returned soon. We'll all be celebrities by then, so we can go whenever we want. Besides, Hong Kong isn't that interesting."
Another girl named Luo Yan added, "That's true. Hong Kong can't compare to places like New York, Paris, or London. Momo's been to all of those."
Zhang Ziyi chimed in with a smile, "Yeah, I still have the Fashion Bazaar issue from the Four Major Fashion Weeks earlier this year. Momo looked so beautiful."
Zhu Momo shook her head with a smile, "If you try it, you'll see. Working over ten hours a day isn't fun. I was often carried back to my residence."
"If I had that kind of opportunity, I'd be willing to be carried back too."
As they chattered away, they soon arrived at the gate of No. 11 Mao'er Hutong.
Zhu Momo rang the doorbell, and soon a sharp-looking woman in a uniform with a ponytail opened the door. She gave the group of girls a quick, scrutinizing glance before offering a faint smile and nodding slightly, stepping aside to let them in.
The woman's imposing presence made the excited girls suddenly feel restrained, and they followed Zhu Momo into the courtyard like a flock of little quails. After passing through the screen wall and entering the second gate, they were greeted by a spacious courtyard. Zhu Momo led them toward a side covered walkway, and as they approached the third courtyard, a pair of strikingly similar sisters came out to greet them.
"Miss Zhu, you're back. Oh, and everyone, welcome."
Zhu Momo nodded to one of the sisters and introduced them to the group, "This is Jiang Shanwu and Jiang Yuanchi. They're the housekeepers here." She then turned to Jiang Shanwu, the older sister, and asked, "Is my aunt back? And how's dinner coming along?"
"Ms. Mo returned in the afternoon and has been in the garden study building ever since."
Zhu Momo thought for a moment and said, "Then we'll have dinner in the garden too."
Jiang Shanwu asked, "Right now?"
"Of course not. We'll wait until it gets dark. I'll take everyone to the garden first."
After saying this, Zhu Momo gestured for the group of quails to follow her into the third courtyard where she lived. Instead of going inside, she led them through a side door directly into the adjacent garden.
If the courtyard house they had just passed through felt solemn and grand, the Suzhou-style garden next door gave the girls a sense of sudden openness.
Zhang Ziyi watched as Jiang Shanwu and her sister left, pondering everything she had seen since entering. From the reactions of the people in the courtyard, it seemed that Zhu Momo was likely not the owner of this place. This made the theory of her being a super second-generation elite less likely, while the idea of her being "kept in a golden cage" gained more traction. Although, that didn't quite fit either. If she were being kept, why would her aunt also be living here?
But then again, who could say for sure?
Zhang Ziyi's thoughts drifted toward the salacious. Just the imposing female guard at the gate, the strikingly beautiful sisters they had just met, and the various things she had heard and seen over the past year were enough to suggest that the owner of this courtyard had connections that reached the heavens.
For someone like that, keeping a pair of blood-related women in a golden cage didn't seem entirely impossible.
Compared to the desolation of winter, the garden in summer was lush with greenery and blooming flowers. The classical ambiance of the garden lifted the girls' spirits as they walked along the pebble path, even as their thoughts wandered in different directions.
When Zhu Momo led the girls to the flower hall that spanned the small pond in the courtyard and gestured for them to make themselves comfortable, they quickly found places to sit.
Mu Xiaowei, with her delicate oval face and pure demeanor, leaned against the redwood bench by the window and gazed out at the garden. She couldn't help but say to Zhang Ziyi, "It feels like we've stepped into the Grand View Garden."
Zhang Ziyi didn't respond, but Xun Mei, sitting nearby, couldn't resist interjecting, "How could this compare to the Grand View Garden? That place was much bigger. This is just a small garden."
Mu Xiaowei, sensing the sourness in Xun Mei's tone, smiled and said, "Well, I could never afford a garden like this in my lifetime."
Zhu Momo picked up the intercom in the flower hall and asked the maids to bring some tea and snacks. Listening to the chatter around her, she smiled and said, "You guys chat for a bit. Someone will bring tea soon. I need to go say hello to my aunt."
Although the girls were curious about the two-story study building separated from the flower hall by the inner courtyard, they stayed put when Zhu Momo said this.
Zhu Momo left the flower hall and headed toward the study building. After entering, she glanced around and, seeing no one, went straight up the stairs.
On the second floor, she found her aunt, Mo Wuling, sitting at a large desk by the window, surrounded by piles of documents, deeply engrossed in reading.
Zhu Momo was about to tiptoe over and surprise her aunt when Mo Wuling, without looking up, said, "What are you planning, bringing so many girls over?"
Hearing the tone in her aunt's voice, which reminded her of her mother's, Zhu Momo stuck out her tongue guiltily and carefully approached the desk. She was surprised to see that the documents weren't about film or acting but rather finance materials and some newspaper clippings.
Zhu Momo picked up one of the clippings and read the traditional Chinese headline: "Thai Government Abandons Baht, Baht-to-Dollar Exchange Rate Drops 19% in a Single Day."
This...
What's going on?
As she wondered, Zhu Momo asked, "Auntie, why are you looking at this stuff?"
Mo Wuling, who had been slightly annoyed by her niece bringing so many classmates over, turned her attention back to the documents in front of her, masking the flicker of unease in her eyes. She maintained a composed demeanor and said matter-of-factly, "The Thai baht collapsed today. It's a big deal. Haven't you been paying attention?"
Zhu Momo shrank back a little.
What was all this about? If anyone should be paying attention, it should be the man far away in America, not her. She was just a little woman kept in a deep courtyard, more concerned about what to wear or what to have for dinner.
Thinking this, Zhu Momo voiced her thoughts aloud.
Unbeknownst to her, this made Mo Wuling even more uncomfortable. She waved her niece away, saying, "Go entertain your classmates. Don't bother me here."
Seeing her aunt's serious expression, Zhu Momo smiled and wrapped her arms around her. "Auntie, why don't you come down and say hello to everyone?"
"Why would I do that? I don't know them."
"Then I'll call you when it's time for dinner?"
"I'll eat next door."
Zhu Momo didn't understand why her aunt was suddenly in a bad mood, but then again, women had their days. She didn't dwell on it and went back downstairs.
Still, she couldn't help but think about the news headline she had just seen.
The Thai government had abandoned the baht's fixed exchange rate.
Hmm...
This seemed to have something to do with short-selling, hedging, or the Quantum Fund. She had seen some articles in the papers recently, and this had been a hot topic.
But she didn't think too deeply about it.
Nor did she consider whether this had anything to do with the man she knew in America.
Oh well.
It was best to just enjoy the evening.
As Zhu Momo brushed off the collapse of the Thai baht as a minor footnote in her life, she was unaware that the entire Southeast Asian financial market had been in turmoil that day.
Although George Soros had successfully attacked the British pound and the Mexican peso in previous years, this time was different.
Back then, the British government had only made some concessions regarding the pound's exchange rate, far from abandoning it entirely. As for the Mexican peso, given its proximity to North America, even the U.S. government had intervened to prevent its collapse from causing regional instability.
This time, however, there was no holding back.
Since May, international currency speculators led by Soros had launched multiple attacks on the Thai baht. Under immense pressure, the Thai government had gone from firm resistance to actively seeking compromise. When attempts at negotiation failed, and faced with relentless selling pressure on the baht in the international currency markets, the government finally ran out of foreign reserves to defend the currency.
At noon that day, the Thai government held a press conference and announced the abandonment of the baht's fixed exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, allowing the currency to float freely.
Likely influenced by the increasingly powerful butterfly effect, compared to the historical date of July 2, the baht's collapse had occurred five days earlier. Additionally, choosing June 27, a Friday, to abandon the fixed exchange rate was likely a calculated move by the Thai government.
The following Saturday and Sunday, most financial markets would be closed, giving the Thai government some buffer time to stabilize the situation.
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