Chapter 7 Why go all in again?
Zhou Yi, this person, has never really been into games.
It wasn't that he disliked them; he just found them…uninteresting.
What magic did those bizarre virtual worlds possess that could make people so engrossed, forgetting to eat and sleep, even losing track of time flowing like water?
He was utterly baffled and too lazy to delve deeper.
It felt like looking through an impenetrable mist.
However, ever since he stepped onto the silent battlefield of the stock market, he had strangely begun to understand the mindset of those gamers.
Because he himself, from the moment the opening bell rang, would have his mind tightly bound by the fluctuating curves, his soul seemingly drawn into the abyss formed by the jumping numbers and K-lines, until the market closed.
Today was no exception.
In a flash, the day's battle had concluded.
"Hoo—"
Zhou Yi let out a long breath, tinged with the smoke of the stock market, and glanced at a corner of the screen to confirm today's results.
+1%
One percent.
At first glance, it seemed insignificant.
But for a Trading Department like theirs, which lived on the edge, this 1% was no small sum.
Especially in today's market conditions.
"Manager Zhou Yi, your work today was truly steady, quite impressive!" a young subordinate approached, his voice carrying the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster.
"What about the others?" Zhou Yi's gaze remained fixed on the screen, his voice even.
"Don't even mention it…there's wailing everywhere. Not just our department, I heard other departments also suffered heavy losses, completely decimated by the market."
The recent market had been like a spastic monkey, jumping up and down erratically, making people utterly exhausted.
Stocks, by nature, were like this.
Even countless brilliant minds, adorned with elite halos, entering with the most precise models and the most detailed data analysis, could not accurately predict its next move.
Because here, it was the most naked projection of humanity's deepest greed and fear, a collective irrational carnival, where logic and data were sometimes fragile and Vulnerable in the face of absolute irrationality.
"At this rate, I'm afraid no department will meet their monthly target this month," Zhou Yi rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Yes, but…" The subordinate tried to inject some hope, "Manager Zhou Yi, isn't there still about a week left? Perhaps…perhaps we can make a final push at the last minute?"
Every Trading Department carried a monthly performance target, usually fluctuating between 5% and 10% depending on the department and market conditions.
Outsiders often misunderstood, thinking that Trading Department One, specializing in short-term trading, should have an astonishing monthly profit target of 50% or even 100%, believing this group of people were bloodthirsty gamblers who should lick the highest profits from the market's knife-edge.
However, quite the opposite.
Trading Departments, especially those in large private equity firms like theirs, fundamentally believed in two words—safety!
Stability first, survival was the hard truth.
Therefore, the department strictly prohibited any form of aggressive, risky investment, and even set up specific leverage limits and a strict risk control system.
It was precisely because of this ingrained caution that an end-of-day return of 0.1% or even lower was commonplace.
"As long as we don't lose, or lose less, it's a victory."
This was the iron rule of the Trading Department, a survival philosophy etched into their bones.
"Alright, just do your best," Zhou Yi tapped the desk, breaking the somber atmosphere. "Go get some coffee to perk up. Five minutes, meet in the conference room for a review meeting!"
"Yes, Manager Zhou Yi."
Zhou Yi also felt a dry throat and turned to walk to the pantry, planning to pour a glass of water and let his jumbled thoughts settle.
He was still bending down to get water when a figure, like a ghost, quietly approached him from behind.
"Yo, Old Zhou, you're good," a sarcastic voice sounded, carrying a hint of faint sourness, "This side you're on…isn't it a bit too deliberate?"
Zhou Yi didn't even need to turn around; just by the tone, he knew who it was—Ma Jun, who joined the company in the same year as him and was now the manager of Trading Department Two.
Zhou Yi's brow furrowed instantly: "What do you mean?"
"Playing dumb?" Ma Jun furtively glanced around, confirming no one was paying attention, then leaned closer and lowered his voice, as if afraid of eavesdroppers.
"You're pretending not to understand, aren't you? A few of the new recruits in my department, thanks to you today, were exhausted like dogs! The market is already tough enough, and they were running around everywhere, busy helping out 'that young master' from your department, weren't they?"
Oh, so it was about that.
Zhou Yi immediately understood.
"That young master personally placed by the Chairman! I heard you let him have a very relaxed day today? Sitting comfortably all day? Oh my, I never thought that Manager Zhou Yi, who always disdained scheming, would also start thinking about workplace survival, knowing to burn incense and pray in advance to pave the way for the future?"
"You're overthinking it." Zhou Yi's voice remained flat, betraying no emotion.
"I understand, I understand! After all, he's the 'Crown Prince' personally arranged by the Chairman, and he just happened to land in your department. Anyone would have to be careful serving him."
Ma Jun put on an "I know" expression, a meaningful smile on his face:
"If you don't burn some incense now, what if he becomes a senior executive above us one day? By then, it'll be too late to curry favor, right?"
These words…though unpleasant, from a realistic perspective, were not entirely without reason.
The 'connections' behind that kid were like an invisible thorn, pricking the heart of everyone who knew.
Even if you tried to ignore it, it would always subtly remind you of its existence, forcing you to be cautious and hesitant.
Ma Jun saw Zhou Yi remain silent and thought he had hit a nerve, so he became more eager, slyly asking:
"Have you talked to Crown Prince? What's his exact relationship with…that person? Most likely a relative, right? Otherwise, how would he get such treatment?"
Su Hao, that kid, had previously said himself that he had no relation to the Chairman.
This thought flashed through Zhou Yi's mind.
"I don't know."
"Tsk," Ma Jun pouted, looking unconvinced, "You, kid, want to keep it all to yourself, don't you? That's not right, Old Zhou."
"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Yi finally couldn't help but say irritably, "Someone like him is obviously here to gain experience. How many days can he stay in our small pond?"
"Hmm…that's true," Ma Jun stroked his chin, his eyes darting around: "But, even if he's just here to gain experience, before he leaves…shouldn't I also go make his acquaintance and pay my respects? Look how 'hard' you're working, Old Zhou. If I don't show some effort, wouldn't I seem out of touch?"
Zhou Yi was too lazy to argue with him further, shook his head, and walked straight out of the pantry with the freshly filled water glass, leaving Ma Jun there pondering something.
The reason he let Su Hao sit there calmly was not to curry favor, nor was it about choosing sides.
It was a test he was giving that kid.
He wanted to see how much real ability this 'connected' person with a mysterious background truly possessed!
Zhou Yi returned to his seat, tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and pulled up Su Hao's simulated trading record for the day.
His gaze fell on the holding details, and his pupils slightly contracted.
"Greenmei?"
This company's main business was mineral development and the recycling of new energy batteries.
In today's market environment…no, for a while now, this stock had been an absolute minefield that should not be touched.
It was highly volatile and extremely risky, even experienced veterans avoided it.
And that new recruit had poured all his simulated funds into it.
"Again…full position buying?"
Looking at the glaring "100%" holding ratio, a vein on Zhou Yi's temple couldn't help but twitch.
Was this kid…trying to provoke him in this way?
Using this suicidal operation to silently protest his 'test'?
Or was he…just a clueless rookie, stupid and lazy, habitually going all-in and relying entirely on luck?
"Forget it, what was I even expecting…"
Manager Zhou Yi felt a surge of powerlessness, mixed with a hint of self-mockery. He shook his head and closed the window.
He had harbored a faint glimmer of hope, thinking that perhaps this newcomer wasn't a good-for-nothing and might possess some unknown investment talent.
After all, he was someone personally looked after by the higher-ups...
Now it seemed, what nonsense!
Indeed, this newcomer was merely an ordinary, ignorant 'connected individual' who got in purely through connections.
He didn't even have the most basic awareness of risk diversification!
With an attitude that suggested he found it troublesome and couldn't be bothered to think, he threw all his eggs into a basket that was clearly about to be overturned.
His casual, careless operating attitude alone made it obvious.
This almost childish, perfunctory, and lazy attitude indeed ignited an unidentifiable anger in Manager Zhou Yi's heart, making his chest feel heavy.
But the next second, he forcefully suppressed that anger.
"Why should I get angry at someone like him? Is it worth it?"
He shook his head self-deprecatingly. In any case, the other party was here to gain experience and was destined not to stay long, bound to climb up the ladder through connections sooner or later.
He didn't need to lower himself to curry favor, but even less did he need to, for such a small matter, needlessly create a potential enemy with an unknown background.
It wasn't worth it.
Let it be. Just ignore him.
*** For Su Hao, today was probably the most awkward and boring day since he joined this company.
From the moment he stepped into this office, filled with tension and the scent of money, in the early morning, until the market closed at dusk, he was'stuck' in his seat like a log.
Except for a trip to the restroom in between, he barely moved.
Especially after he followed that unusually strong intuition in his mind, that impulse like an electric current coursing through his limbs, making his fingers tingle, and pressed the buy button for the stock named Greenmei.
The pitiful virtual funds in his account instantly bottomed out.
Not a single cent left. And again... all invested in one stock.
After doing all that, he had nothing left to do. He could only stare blankly at the computer screen, feeling completely out of place with the tense and busy atmosphere around him.
"Su Hao, how was your trading today?" Li Huilin's cheerful voice came from beside him.
"Uh, it was... like that," Su Hao replied vaguely, a bit embarrassed to say he had 'gone all-in' again.
"Oh? Let me see?"
"That... maybe don't look, it's a bit..."
Li Huilin had already sharply glimpsed the holding interface in the corner of his screen. The glaring "Greenmei 100%" made her freeze completely.
Then, her eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Oh my goodness!! Su Hao!!" She suddenly raised her voice, causing people at nearby cubicles to turn and look. "You! What in the world are you doing?!"
"Is it... particularly unpresentable?" Su Hao smiled awkwardly, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head.
"It's more than just unpresentable! Did you just ignore everything I told you before? Investment! What's the most basic principle of investment? It's risk diversification! Diversify! Diversify! Important things are said three times!"
Li Huilin put her hands on her hips, her expression serious, like a puffed-up pufferfish:
"Last time you went all-in, you said it was a slip of the hand, which was understandable! But what about this time? You actually went all-in again?! And! And you bought... Greenmei?! Oh my goodness! Tell me! Why did you buy this stock? Could it be... could it be another slip of the hand?!"
Su Hao was speechless. He could only maintain that awkward yet polite smile, while scratching the back of his head even harder, trying to alleviate the heavy atmosphere.
He couldn't very well say he bought it based on some mysterious 'intuition,' could he? Who would believe that?
He quickly and stiffly changed the subject: "Then... Sister Huilin, how about you? What were your earnings today?"
Sure enough, as soon as her own achievements were mentioned, Li Huilin's attention was immediately diverted.
She instantly dropped her 'heart-wrenching' expression, straightened her back, proudly put her hands on her hips, and slightly lifted her chin, her face instantly filled with a little pride that screamed, "Come praise me."
"Hehe! When this young lady takes action, it's naturally a piece of cake! Let me tell you, my final return rate today was as high as... 2%! A full 2%! Looking at our entire Trading Department One, in this terrible market, to still steadily earn a 2% profit, I'm afraid... besides me, there's no one else!"
As she spoke, her spirits soared, and her smugness, far from being annoying, exuded an indescribable charm.
"Wow! Amazing! That's incredible!" Su Hao unreservedly gave two thumbs up, praising with an exaggerated tone, "Sister Huilin! You'll definitely pass the assessment this time!"
"Ahaha... Oh, wait, now's not the time to talk about that!"
She quickly reined in her smile, put on a stern face again, trying hard to look serious, and glared at Su Hao:
"Su Hao, listen to me! Next time! Absolutely! You are not allowed to put all your money into one stock like you did today! Do you hear me? You need to learn to diversify your investments. Even if the market is bad, you absolutely won't be like this... the risk is too great! Did you remember?"
"Yes! Sister Huilin! I remembered! I definitely won't make that mistake again!"
Su Hao nodded quickly, his attitude incredibly sincere.
As the two were chatting animatedly, with "hahahas" and "heehees," a distinctly displeased, somewhat stern voice, like cold water, poured over them.
"Li Huilin, Su Hao! You two! Are you very idle right now? Do you still have the mood to be laughing and joking around here?"
It was a senior trader passing by their cubicle. His name seemed to be... Liang Haiyuan?
Su Hao remembered his face, always stern, looking very unapproachable.
"Ah, I'm... I'm sorry!" Li Huilin was startled and quickly apologized. Su Hao also quickly reined in his smile.
"Hurry up and prepare the meeting materials!" Liang Haiyuan snorted coldly, then dropped another cold remark and walked away without looking back.
"Yes..."
Although he had only been there for a few days, Su Hao had already figured out a pattern: the office atmosphere was highly positively correlated with the day's stock market performance.
When the market was good, everyone had smiles on their faces; when the market was bad, everyone acted as if they had taken gunpowder, ready to snap at anyone.
"Su Hao, don't take it to heart. The market fell too sharply today," Li Huilin explained softly, seeing that Su Hao seemed a bit dazed.
"I heard Liang Haiyuan lost particularly badly today, so he must be in a bad mood. It's not just him; today, probably very few people in our entire department made money. Most people are losing... So, it's inevitable that everyone's faces are grim and their tempers are short."
Even so, Su Hao still felt that it was illogical to vent one's anger and resentment on innocent bystanders just because one lost money.
But then he thought, damn it, this is probably the adult world, the so-called 'workplace,' full of all sorts of inexplicable rules and indignities one has to endure.
"However, relatively speaking, our department's atmosphere is already pretty good."
Li Huilin seemed afraid he would be scared off, so she quickly added,
"You haven't been to other teams; that's where the real struggle is... Sigh! I have a few friends who joined the company in the same year as me, and they just couldn't stand that kind of pressure and infighting, and in the end, they all couldn't bear it and resigned!"
Hmm? Su Hao was momentarily stunned by her words.
He had always thought that because of the stern, formidable Manager Zhou Yi presiding, their department was the most solemn and oppressive place in the entire company.
After all this time... it turned out their department was actually a 'gentle haven'?