Chapter 31 Whether it's a blessing or a curse, we have to keep going!
That single word was like a depth charge dropped into a seemingly calm lake.
"hiss--"
A collective gasp filled the conference room.
"No... Manager, are we really going to short A-shares?"
Currently, the stock market is viewed favorably by many, with the core driving force being the policy guidance and strong intervention of regulators.
The result was a nationwide stock market frenzy.
From retired seniors to wage earners, almost everyone was eager to rush into the stock market, and the whole society was filled with an irrational frenzy.
To support this narrative, the national fund also began actively intervening in the market, forcibly pushing up the stock prices of a number of state-owned enterprises to reassure retail investors and create a sense of security that "the government is vigorously promoting the stock market."
This left everyone in the conference room in disbelief.
"Manager, to be honest, even if we force a reason to attribute this to negative news, we can't see any clear triggering factors at the moment!"
"Yes!" a regular trader named Liu Bo immediately added:
"The only possibility is that the government's attitude has suddenly changed, but aren't they releasing a series of favorable policies? And aren't all the major media outlets and public opinion strongly optimistic about the market outlook?"
really.
This is how the research department's report was written.
That's what those elites, graduates of prestigious universities and with extensive experience, thought.
It's likely that colleagues in the financial industry, as well as those elderly retail investors who sit in front of their computers with their retirement savings and grocery money, all share this view.
But when has Su Hao ever played by the rules?
From the very first day he entered this industry, what he relied on for survival and success was never rational analysis or model deduction.
The only thing he trusted, and the only thing proven effective by cold, hard combat results, was the wild intuition within him that would occasionally jump out and cause trouble, completely irrational!
Every major victory in the past, every decision he made at a crucial moment that left everyone speechless but was ultimately proven to be absolutely correct, was not based on his brain, but on this damn, inexplicable yet incredibly accurate intuition!
"Alright," Su Hao interrupted the team members' enthusiastic discussion:
"I have my own considerations. Let's do something now, based on the most extreme and exciting premise that 'the stock market will crash tomorrow,' and create a detailed investment plan!"
The people in the conference room froze, their expressions filled with terror.
"Manager!"
"Are you serious?! You really want to short it?! That's completely going against the trend!"
"Yes." Su Hao nodded calmly.
"Currently, the main ways we can easily short the market are stock index futures and options, right? Let's all make a plan on how to configure specific investment and hedging strategies."
His thinking was very clear: if a major crash really occurred, how could he maximize his chance to make a lot of money?
"So...Manager, what about today's transactions...?" someone asked hesitantly.
Su Hao waved his hand dismissively: "Let's wait for the new investment plan to come out! No rush! Let's do the preparatory work today!"
The first formal meeting of Trading Department Seven ended in this shocking atmosphere, leaving all members feeling their values were being challenged.
As soon as the meeting room door closed, everyone who had been trying so hard to maintain a professional expression immediately lost their composure once they were out of the manager's sight.
Most people were shaking their heads and sighing, their expressions as if they had just attended a mobilization meeting hosted by a cult leader who was advocating for the imminent end of the world.
"No, I really don't understand! What's wrong with our new Manager Su's brain? With the market in this state, everyone is going crazy with bullish sentiment, and he actually wants us to short? Am I crazy or is he crazy? Am I the only one who thinks this is so absurd it's like a fairy tale?"
Liang Haiyuan, a senior trader who had worked his way up in the company for many years and seemed very experienced, but was clearly a bit confused at the moment, fired the first shot, his face full of despair.
Liu Bo, who was wearing glasses and looked quite refined, immediately nodded in agreement like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Indeed...it's outrageous! I bet you can't find another private equity manager in the whole country who would dare to publicly predict a stock market crash right now!"
Just then, a slightly sharp but protective voice rang out, carrying obvious dissatisfaction.
" Liang Haiyuan! Liu Bo! Are you talking about the manager behind his back?"
It's Li Huilin.
She had clearly positioned herself as a staunch supporter of Su Hao; at this moment, her eyebrows were raised and her almond-shaped eyes were wide open.
"Hey, no, Huilin, don't get agitated,"
Liang Haiyuan was a little intimidated by her aggressive demeanor and quickly waved his hands to explain:
"We're not criticizing, we're...we're having a reasonable discussion, right? Let's be realistic. Put your hand on your heart and tell me, isn't the manager's decision strange?"
That's really strange. It couldn't be stranger.
What's the current market trend? Just look at what other trading departments are doing!
Everyone! Almost everyone!
Everyone is frantically building positions, strongly optimistic that the stock market will surge forward and soar to new heights!
Orders to go long were flying into the order system like snowflakes, and the whole company was filled with a frenzied atmosphere of "time waits for no one, it will be too late if we don't act now".
But their new young manager, who was supposedly handpicked by the Director, insisted on doing the opposite!
We must go against this surging tide of the times and boldly short sell!
In the cruel meat grinder of the capital market, how tragic is the fate of those who go against the tide and defy the general trend?
Do I need to waste any more words?
At best, they'll lose their underwear; at worst, they'll be bankrupt and lined up on rooftops...
Haven't we learned enough lessons from history?
"Yes…it is a bit strange." Li Huilin admitted, but her tone was unusually firm. "However, I choose to believe the manager."
"What?" Liang Haiyuan and Liu Bo exclaimed in unison, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets.
"Although I haven't known the manager for very long, do you know what? From what I've observed and understand, he has never made a wrong investment decision so far! Not even once! And,"
She emphasized her words:
"Think about it carefully. He's a newcomer who hasn't been with the company long and doesn't have any impressive professional experience, yet he's been promoted to manager at lightning speed, like a rocket. Do you really think it's just good luck, or like the rumors say, just because he has a strong background? There must be a reason behind this! There must be something extraordinary about him that we don't know about! Maybe...maybe he's one of those once-in-a-century investment geniuses?"
"A prodigy my foot!" Liang Haiyuan almost blurted out. He preferred another explanation, "That's because the manager was parachuted in…!"
The words were on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly realized the weight and potential risk of them, especially with the manager's "eyes and ears" present. He quickly swallowed the rest of his sentence, forcibly changed his words, and lowered his voice by eight octaves:
"Ahem! Alright, alright, stop speculating! There's no point in making baseless accusations! Since the manager has given the order, we soldiers have to carry it out. Don't just stand there, get to work on the documents! I... I'm going out for a smoke to calm down."
After saying that, Liang Haiyuan fled the oppressive office area as if escaping, and hurried towards the smoking room.
Nicotine may be the last and cheapest refuge for middle-aged men.
Liang Haiyuan lit a cigarette with trembling hands, took a deep drag, and tried to numb his throbbing nerves with the choking smoke, dispelling the restlessness and unease in his heart.
Yes, there is no such thing as perpetual rise in the stock market; what goes up must come down sooner or later.
This is an irrefutable iron law.
But! But!
How long is "sooner or later"? Who the hell knows?! Maybe tomorrow, maybe next year, maybe three or five years from now!
What department are they? They're the trading department of a private equity firm!
They are "quick-draw" traders who make a living by quickly entering and exiting trades, capturing short-term fluctuations, and profiting from price differences!
Here, holding a stock for more than a week is considered a long-term investment!
Their performance evaluations are conducted monthly!
Every month, profits and losses are settled, which directly determines whether you will be well-off or starving next month, and even whether you can stay in this position!
Now, are we letting them gamble on a "major crash" that might not happen for who knows how long?
And it's even going against the mainstream market trend to gamble?
This is an absolute joke! They're playing with their careers and livelihoods!
What if this bull market lasts for a year or two before finally declining?
By then, they will have been repeatedly proven wrong by the market for their continued short selling against the trend, and will have lost everything, not even their underwear!
Even if they were right in the end and the market finally crashed, they would have already packed up and left!
They could only watch helplessly as others rushed in to pick up those bloody, ridiculously cheap chips, while they themselves couldn't even get a sip of soup!
This is arguably one of the most tragic ways to die in the financial market: you see the right direction, but you perish in the long darkness before dawn.
"Pfft—"
Liang Haiyuan exhaled a thick smoke ring, his eyes filled with melancholy and struggle, like a gambler who had lost all his wealth.
The smoking room was empty; he was the only one there.
That's true. The market has only just opened, and it's currently at its most active and competitive time.
Colleagues in other trading departments must be working like crazy right now, glued to their computer screens, eyes gleaming, fingers flying, desperately trying to make money in the market until their hands cramp.
Damn it! While everyone else is busy printing money and making a fortune, enjoying the feast of the bull market, Liang Haiyuan is stuck here like a lost soul, miserably puffing on cigarettes and pondering philosophical questions like whether he'll be unemployed tomorrow! He can't even get a hot bowl of soup! What kind of situation is this?!
"How about... I take the plunge and submit a report right now, requesting a transfer to another department?"
This tempting thought, like the devil's whisper, rose again from the depths of his heart.
But in just one second, he ruthlessly extinguished it himself.
Running away? You make it sound so easy!
Use your brain and think about it!
That's a genius who parachuted directly into the manager's position using a "parachute"!
what does that mean?
This means that the powerful backer behind them is so strong that they can be used to crack walnuts!
He might just be some rich and powerful young master experiencing life, or perhaps the illegitimate son of the Director...
In short, they are definitely at the level of "Celestial Dragons" that ordinary working people and miserable office workers like them don't even have the right to look up to!
Did I offend such a powerful figure with immense influence?
Do you want to continue working at this company?
Forget about promotions and raises; you'd be lucky if your ancestors didn't find a reason to make your life miserable and eventually kick you out!
You might get blacklisted by the entire industry!
"Ugh... what the hell am I going to do..."
Liang Haiyuan took another puff of his cigarette, feeling so worried that his hairline had receded by another 0.5 millimeters.
"What if we really do what he says and lose all our department's capital? Will our Seventh Department just disband and be shut down? Wouldn't I be finished too? I have elderly parents and young children to support, and the mortgage is suffocating me! Do you know how hard it is for me?!"
All sorts of tragic futures played on a loop in his mind like a revolving lantern, making him more and more desperate and frustrated the more he thought about them.
Finally, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray with a soft "hiss," as if extinguishing the last embers of resistance in his heart.
He sighed deeply, as if resigned to his fate:
"Damn it, what else can I do? He's the big boss, whatever he says goes! Whether it's a blessing or a curse, I have to accept it! Even if I have to be a grandson, I still have to finish my shift today!"
I've accepted my fate.
What else can we do?
Who could blame them when the other party was a "celestial being" with an unfathomable background, while they themselves were just a mortal struggling in the mundane world?
Ultimately, you can't fight city hall.