Chapter 16 If you're going to play, play big!
"Damn! The market today is like a mad dog!"
"Damn! The market's closed. Let's go grab a smoke, I'm dying to smoke!"
"Ugh... This ridiculous rule is so bad! We can't even smoke while monitoring the market, it's practically a forced smoking ban!"
"Then why don't you go upstairs and trade futures? I heard those guys are always smoking."
"Get lost! Futures trading is even scarier, my heart can't handle it! I'd rather quit smoking..."
At 3 p.m., the closing bell finally rang, and the trading hall, which had been suppressed all day, instantly erupted with all sorts of vulgar complaints and curses.
The air was filled with a mixture of anxiety and exhaustion, like burnt electrical wires.
Today's sharp, one-sided decline was indeed a disaster for most traders.
Even if put options were purchased as required to hedge, it would be difficult to fully cover the losses caused by such a sharp decline.
Many people's accounts triggered the stop-loss line early on, and were forced to liquidate, turning a day's efforts into nothing.
What's even more frustrating is that the market direction is currently unclear, and these days of high volatility are likely to continue.
"Well..."
However, amidst this widespread despair, there was one person whose mind was completely elsewhere, not on the market's ups and downs.
He was fidgeting, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were unfocused.
Liang Haiyuan.
'Ahhh... I'm so crazy! How could I have...' He was filled with intense regret.
In the workplace, especially in large companies with strict hierarchies and complex relationships, there is an unwritten rule that serves as a survival guide for all lower-level employees:
Never provoke "royal relatives".
Never get involved with those who have powerful connections.
No matter how much you dislike them or think they are unworthy of their positions, you have to put up with it.
Because from the first day you join the company, you and they are on completely different starting lines, and the resources and connections you rely on are worlds apart.
What's even more frightening is that once you actually clash with this kind of person, you won't be able to stay there any longer.
Even if you want to switch to another company, they most likely won't accept you.
After all, no company would want to offend a powerful family that could potentially influence the entire industry landscape just for the sake of a "troublemaker".
Even if this "troublemaker" has excellent professional skills.
And he, Liang Haiyuan, committed this major taboo in the workplace.
Not long ago, I offended that seemingly harmless but actually unfathomably powerful "royal relative"—Su Hao.
To put it bluntly, this time, he's probably really... stirred up a hornet's nest. He's doomed!
'No...that's not right! There's still a chance! There's still room to salvage the situation!'
Liang Haiyuan took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down and suppress the panic in his heart.
His fingers trembled as he opened his transaction history.
Today's return: -1%.
Phew... not bad. Not too bad. In fact, you could say it's quite good.
In today's dismal market, a loss of only 1% can even be considered "outstanding performance".
Ironically, the reason he didn't suffer much loss was precisely because he was restless all day, spending most of his energy figuring out how to deal with Su Hao, that troublesome person.
Instead of focusing on trading, I inadvertently avoided several major downturns... Could this be considered a blessing in disguise?
"Cough cough cough! Su Hao ~"
Adjusting his facial expression, Liang Haiyuan forced what he considered to be his warmest and most friendly smile, adopting the demeanor of a senior employee caring for a newcomer, and walked towards Su Hao's seat.
Su Hao, who was looking down at the screen, seemed to be startled by his sudden enthusiasm. His body shrank almost imperceptibly, and a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes.
"Oh, Su Hao, I was a bit too harsh with my words before, please don't take it to heart, okay?"
Liang Haiyuan's voice carried a hint of obsequiousness, a stark contrast to his previous attitude:
"I'm so sorry. As you know, the market hasn't been doing well lately, and everyone's under a lot of pressure. I was also a bit anxious because of the pressure to meet my targets, and I... well, I lost control of my emotions. You can understand, right?"
"Ah... um, I understand." Su Hao responded hesitantly.
"I knew you'd understand!" Liang Haiyuan immediately seized the opportunity, his smile growing even brighter:
"The moment I saw you, I felt you were a very kind and easy-going person. From now on, we'll be a team, so let's help each other and get along well, okay?"
"Yes, thank you." Su Hao nodded.
"By the way," Liang Haiyuan asked casually, his tone full of concern, "with the market in such a mess today, you... must have suffered quite a loss, right?"
He had heard that Li Huilin, who had a good relationship with Su Hao, had his positions forcibly liquidated today.
Even if Su Hao has connections, he'll probably still suffer losses in this market.
This is a good opportunity to comfort him, show my "generosity" and "care," and mend the previous rift.
"Don't worry too much. It's okay to lose a little. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn it back later. I'm here for you. I'll earn more money in the future and help you make up for what you lost!"
He patted Su Hao on the shoulder and said in a seemingly generous manner:
"Besides, if you have any questions about trading in the future, feel free to ask me anytime! I've been in this market for several years now, so I have some experience..."
As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Su Hao's trading screen, seemingly unintentionally but quickly.
He was prepared to see a bleak expanse of green.
"Um?"
However, the smile on his face froze the next second.
His eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.
What happened?
In Su Hao's trading window, there was no green or negative number representing losses as he had expected.
Instead... it was a glaring, profit-driven bright red!
"+8%?!!" Liang Haiyuan's voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and somewhat distorted, attracting the attention of several colleagues who hadn't yet left.
" Su Hao! This...this is your account?! Are you sure you're not mistaken?!"
"Ah, yes." Su Hao seemed a little puzzled by his reaction, still maintaining that slightly shy demeanor.
"I was lucky; the market rallied just before the close, so I managed to avoid losing money today."
No loss?! This is what you call not losing money?! This is making a killing, okay?!
Liang Haiyuan could hardly believe his eyes.
His gaze darted back and forth between Su Hao's still somewhat bewildered face and the glaring red numbers on the screen, as if trying to confirm whether he was hallucinating.
'And... he didn't even short sell! Nor did he buy any put options! He purely made money by buying stocks... in such a crashing market... an 8% profit?!'
What's going on?!
Wasn't it said he got the job through connections?!
Wasn't he supposed to be a member of the royal family?!
So what's the deal with this 8% return?!
And this is happening in a market where even seasoned investors are losing money hand over fist?!
'What kind of monster is this?!' Liang Haiyuan felt his worldview shatter at that moment.
"Eight percent..."
Zhou Yi leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping the table unconsciously, his gaze fixed on the back of the young man in the distance with a complicated expression.
Today, among all the traders on this floor, I'm afraid... not a single one can achieve Su Hao's rate of return.
The only regret is that the amount of money he is currently managing is still too small, and this amazing rate of return has not been able to translate into a more impactful absolute amount.
But this does not diminish its terrifying potential.
"And... when all stocks were falling, they precisely picked three... the only ones that rose against the trend, and bought them with their entire investment?"
This newcomer named Su Hao once again gave him a sense of absurd shock today.
Normally, in a clear downtrend like today, a rational trader would either choose to remain on the sidelines or buy a small amount of defensive assets for risk hedging purposes.
The main way to make a profit should be by using the "short selling" mechanism, following the general trend, and profiting from the decline.
But this guy completely ignored these so-called "iron laws of the market" and "rational choices," as if he lived in another dimension.
He stubbornly adheres to his own investment logic, which is incomprehensible to others and almost "goes against the grain."
" Manager Zhou Yi, how are things on your end today?"
A middle-aged man in a well-pressed suit and gold-rimmed glasses walked over; he was Zhang Wei, the risk control manager of the Risk Management Department.
He wore a formulaic smile, but his eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible searching.
"Ha, you know perfectly well what I'm asking." Zhou Yi glanced at him, her tone flat: "Don't you in the Risk Management Department know everything?"
"Haha, this is just a routine greeting, as is customary," Zhang Wei laughed, trying to cover it up.
Zhou Yi's gaze returned to Su Hao's direction, and Zhang Wei followed his gaze, understanding dawning on him.
"I heard that a lot of people were forced to liquidate their positions today?" Zhou Yi asked.
"Yes. Even Li Huilin, who was just promoted here, has had his trading privileges suspended by us."
Zhang Wei nodded, a hint of helplessness on his face.
"That girl... isn't today her first day using the privileges of a full-fledged trader? This is probably quite a blow to her; I hope it doesn't leave her with psychological trauma."
"There's nothing we can do; the market is just that cruel. This kind of market will probably continue for some time to come. Whether they can weather it depends on their own resilience."
Zhou Yi's voice was flat: "Speak, what brings you here?"
"Ah, is that so?" Zhang Wei's smile faded, and his expression turned serious.
"Besides the newcomer who was suspended from trading just now, don't you have another newcomer in your group?"
As expected, they came for Su Hao.
"That child... made a rather astonishing profit all by himself today."
Zhang Wei's tone was complex, containing both surprise and deep doubt:
"In such a bear market, without shorting or hedging with options, you can make an 8% profit just by buying stocks... I really don't know whether to call him incredibly audacious or... someone who doesn't even understand the most basic common sense about the stock market."
"Is there a problem with that?" Zhou Yi asked in return, his tone still calm.
"Of course there's a problem! You know, risk control is the cornerstone and highest principle of all our private equity operations! But this kid…"
Zhang Wei raised his voice slightly:
"According to our back-end monitoring data, his actions today were completely and utterly devoid of any risk management! He simply...recklessly poured his funds into just three stocks! Only three!"
Only three!
Diversification is a fundamental principle written into textbooks and ingrained in traders' minds, aimed at mitigating risk.
Developing a sound trading strategy involves diversifying your funds across at least 10, or even 30, different assets.
Even when aiming to capture so-called "event-driven" trading opportunities such as restructuring, it is usually necessary to monitor and trade at least 5 to 10 related stocks simultaneously.
But Su Hao only bet on three.
Like a gambler who is betting everything at a roulette table.
Ironically, he won the bet.
" Manager Zhou Yi, if I may be so bold, even if he wins this gamble, isn't it more like... pure luck?"
Zhang Wei frowned deeply:
"Moreover, judging from his behavior of completely ignoring risk management and buying stocks like a clueless retail investor... could it be that he doesn't even possess the most basic investment knowledge?"
"Really? You really think it's just luck?"
A subtle, enigmatic smile curved Zhou Yi's lips.
"Furthermore, do you really think someone who has no basic knowledge can pass through layers of assessments and approvals to become a full-fledged trader?"
"Huh?" Zhang Wei was speechless for a moment.
"That's just how this kid is." He doesn't like casting a wide net; he prefers to put all his chips on a few points he's convinced of.
Zhou Yi's voice carried a subtle hint of amusement:
"It's not that he doesn't understand investing; quite the opposite, I'm sure he understands diversification and risk management better than you think. But he still chose to do it this way..."
"...That can only mean that he has absolute and unquestionable confidence in the stocks he has chosen!"
There is no other explanation that can justify this insane behavior.
If any other trader dared to do this, even if they succeeded by chance this time, Zhou Yi would not hesitate to kick them out of the team.
This disregard for discipline and near-suicidal behavior is extremely irresponsible towards the company's funds.
The company has never been a place where personal relationships or logic matter.
However, the most important thing here is the rate of return.
Cold, hard numbers are the only standard by which everything is judged.
"You came to me because you wanted me to warn that kid to behave himself and stop causing trouble, right?" Zhou Yi asked.
"Ah, yes. It's good for young people to be confident, but they still need to have a basic awareness of risk management; it's a matter of principle..."
"Don't worry about him for now," Zhou Yi waved his hand, interrupting him.
"Hmm? But even if his rate of return is high, this kind of operating model…" Zhang Wei wanted to argue.
"If you still don't understand why I say this," Zhou Yi's gaze deepened, "go back and ask the head of your Risk Management Department. He'll tell you the answer."
Zhang Wei stood there, his face full of confusion and bewilderment, but seeing Zhou Yi's unwavering expression, he finally nodded and left with a belly full of doubts.
Zhou Yi watched Zhang Wei's departing figure, her eyes flickering.
Su Hao.
This kid completely disregarded the company's core risk management principles, and didn't even bother with the most basic diversification, pursuing only the ultimate, purest profit.
There are likely two reasons why he dared to do this.
First, he possesses a unique analytical model or algorithm that outsiders cannot understand.
Second, and more importantly, is his unfathomable background.
Behind him stands the company's top executive.
Perhaps in his view, even if he lost a million, it wouldn't be a loss for him personally.
This sense of confidence and complacency is a huge advantage in trading.
'So that's how it is...'
Manager Zhou Yi pulled up a list of his team members' fund allocations and slowly swiped his finger across it.
As is customary, newly appointed official traders are initially allocated one million RMB in operating capital.
But today, the only one in the entire team to achieve positive returns is that "newcomer" who is just starting out.
"..."
After a brief silence, Zhou Yi's eyes suddenly sharpened.
Without further hesitation, he quickly tapped a few keys on the keyboard and adjusted the allocation of funds.
"Since you insist on playing, then let me build you a bigger stage. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste?"
Starting tomorrow, the operating funds allocated to Su Hao will no longer be one million.
It's actually—five million!