Chapter 15: Not losing is winning!

The opening bell rang out with a dull thud, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating invisible ripples in the trading hall filled with numbers and anxiety.
Manager Zhou Yi glanced up at the dazzling array of monitors, the screens displaying frantically scrolling data. This should have been the focus of his attention, his battlefield for strategic planning.
However, his gaze seemed to have a will of its own, uncontrollably drifting again and again to a figure in a corner.
“…”
Su Hao.
The name flashed through his mind, carrying an indescribable sense of scrutiny and curiosity.
To make it easier to observe, Zhou Yi had even deliberately adjusted the angle of his desk.
But the strange thing was, ever since the opening bell rang throughout the floor, that newly promoted official trader named Su Hao had done almost… nothing.
‘This guy… just staring blankly at the screen?’ Zhou Yi frowned slightly, suspicion creeping into his mind like vines.
What investment secrets does Su Hao possess?
What unpredictable methods does he use to generate such astonishingly high returns on the demo account?
More importantly, can that method truly work in the ever-changing, brutal real-world market where real money is at stake?
Can it withstand the relentless erosion of the market?
“…”
With intense curiosity and scrutiny, Zhou Yi's gaze, like a searchlight, was almost penetrating, fixed unblinkingly on Su Hao's profile.
However, time ticked by.
The man remained motionless, like a silent statue, completely out of place in the surrounding noisy and tense atmosphere.
Indeed, he did nothing.
***
Meanwhile, Su Hao was inwardly groaning.
'Damn it, what is all this...'
The number of monitors in front of him had increased dramatically from one in the demo account to a full six!
On the six screens, densely packed numbers and colorful curves twisted and intertwined like living things, forming a dazzling torrent of data.
It felt even more chaotic and dizzying than when he had previously conducted simulated investments.
He needed to precisely pick out the "right" option from this vast sea of ​​stock codes.
But how easy was that? It was like finding a needle in a haystack.
'Strange...' He habitually rubbed his chin, a strange, stagnant feeling making his heart sink slightly.
'Last time, as soon as I started browsing these stocks, that... that 'snap' feeling, it appeared almost instantly, like I had gained supernatural insight.'
But this time, it was completely different.
Nothing happened.
His fingertip swiped the mouse wheel, the stock list on the screen scrolling rapidly, like a fleeting moment.
But that premonition, that sudden flash of inspiration, was nowhere to be seen. Not a single sign.
Time slipped away silently in his aimless daze, like sand through his fingers, impossible to hold onto.
When he finally snapped back to reality, the digital clock on the wall had mercilessly jumped to 11:00 AM.
"Su Hao… how's it going on your end?"
A weary and frustrated voice came from behind him.
Su Hao turned around and saw Li Huilin, a woman usually full of energy, now looking ashen-faced, as if she had just suffered a defeat, as she dragged her feet toward his desk.
“Sister Huilin? Is it alright for you to leave your seat?” Su Hao was somewhat surprised. During trading hours, traders are usually strictly prohibited from leaving their posts.
“Sigh, don’t even mention it…” Li Huilin sighed softly, her voice full of frustration, like a deflated balloon:
“Today… just this morning, I’ve already lost 2%, and the risk control department forcibly stopped my trading.”
“Huh?” Su Hao was taken aback: “Just a 2% loss… and you’re immediately stopped trading?” This number didn’t seem particularly large.
“Absolutely! 2% is a significant amount for our company.”
Li Huilin gave a wry smile, a hint of self-deprecation in her tone:
“Those ‘eagle eyes’ in the risk management department monitor the profits and losses of every trader’s account in real time. Newcomers like us with limited experience are said to get a red card and have our trading privileges suspended if losses reach 2%.
Only seasoned veterans get a slightly more lenient treatment; they can tolerate losses up to 5%.”
She paused, as if recalling something, her gaze drifting into the distance:
“Didn’t Buffett say? First rule: Never lose money.
Second rule: Never forget the first rule.
This is practically an ironclad rule hanging over our heads in the company; it’s emphasized repeatedly in every meeting.”
That’s true.
Zhou Yi breaks down and emphasizes the words “risk management” in detail in almost every meeting.
After all, they’re not dealing with their own money, but the company’s funds!
To the layman, it's laughable: you short-term traders, what kind of risk management are you talking about?
But rules are rules.
Here, even the most aggressive short-term trading must be conducted within the permitted, minimum risk exposure.
It's a… dance in shackles.
Once someone tries to break free of these shackles, to cross that red line.
Then, the omnipresent "risk management department," those hidden monitors, will mercilessly wield the hammer called "sanctions."
The entire system is precise and ruthless.
“Sigh…” Li Huilin suddenly let out a long sigh:
“I’m usually very good at theoretical discussions, but when it comes to real-world trading, I still lose a lot of money, and even my trading license was suspended…
Am I really useless, Su Hao? I’ve been so careful and focused on risk management, but it still turned out like this…”
“No, not at all, Sister Huilin,” Su Hao quickly comforted her, his tone sincere:
“Nobody can be perfect on day one. Today was a mistake, but we can definitely make up for it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Su Hao.” Li Huilin forced a smile, then looked curiously at his screen: “By the way, how about you? How were your profits today?”
“Ah, I…” Su Hao instinctively wanted to answer, but hesitated for a moment.
Li Huilin's gaze fell on his empty trading window, devoid of any open positions. Her clear eyes blinked, seemingly in disbelief.
"Wait a minute… Su Hao," she leaned closer, her voice tinged with surprise, "You… you haven't made a single trade since the market opened, have you?"
"Uh…" Su Hao felt a little embarrassed by her gaze and subconsciously scratched the back of his head. "…Yes."
However, to his surprise, Li Huilin's reaction wasn't mockery or doubt, but rather as if she had witnessed something incredible.
"Wow!" Her eyes lit up, her tone filled with amazement, her face instantly radiating shock and…admiration?
"Su Hao! You really are a master!"
"…Huh?" Now it was Su Hao's turn to be completely dumbfounded. What… was going on?
"You must have seen the market was going to fall today, right?!"
Li Huilin looked at him with an "I get it" expression, her eyes filled with admiration, and explained to herself:
"I've heard those old-timers say that in a bear market like this, the truly capable people do nothing! 'Unmoved as a mountain,' not losing is winning!"
"..."
Su Hao opened his mouth, realizing that things seemed to be... developing in a completely unexpected direction.
How could this be salvaged?
But no matter what, sitting there doing nothing wasn't a solution.
The problem was that the "feeling" he relied on for survival was now completely gone, like a stone sinking into the sea.
This was the first time since he gained his abilities that he felt this way, and it made him vaguely panicked, starting to wonder if something had gone wrong.
It felt... like he'd overlooked something crucial. A strong sense of unease lingered.
“Intuition is certainly important,” Li Huilin nodded, then, as if remembering something, suggested,
“However, when things aren’t clear, it’s worth taking another look at the research report we distributed at this morning’s meeting.”
“Research report?”
“Yes. Didn’t I mention it to you before? In the stock market, hot topics are extremely important.
You need to clearly understand the current mainstream trends and where the hot topics are.
And our company’s research department, which can be described as ‘super elites,’ has already compiled this information into reports for us.
As long as you thoroughly understand that data, even if it doesn’t guarantee a profit, you can at least grasp the general direction, which is equivalent to more than half the battle won.”
Her reminder jolted Su Hao awake.
Yes!
Today, because he was suddenly promoted to a full-fledged trader, his mind was completely preoccupied with it throughout the morning meeting.
Nervousness, excitement, and a touch of apprehension—a mix of emotions swirled within him, causing him to barely hear a word Zhou Yi said at the meeting!
Which sectors should we focus on in the market today?
Which areas pose potential risks that need to be avoided?
He completely missed this crucial information!
He was like a soldier who was unarmed and hadn't even glanced at a map, thrown haphazardly into a brutal battlefield filled with gunfire.
"Phew..." Li Huilin let out a long sigh, as if she had released some of the frustration in her heart.
.
“Alright, rant over. I should head back now. Sigh, I hope I don’t mess this up on my first day as a full-fledged trader and get demoted back to assistant?” she said half-jokingly.
“Of course not. Everyone has a rough start,” Su Hao reassured her again.
“Anyway, I’m going back now,” Li Huilin waved her hand.
“I need to thoroughly review today’s trades and reflect on where I went wrong…
Even though I lost money, Su Hao, you have to make money today! No, even just breaking even is fine! Good luck!”
“Okay! Good luck!”
Watching Li Huilin’s dejected figure disappear behind the partition, Su Hao immediately turned his attention back, pulled up this morning’s news report, and began to read it carefully.
‘International oil prices fall… dragged down by this, US stocks decline… Fed rate cut expectations and declining real interest rates… my country’s stock market also performed weakly… foreign capital continues to flow out…’
The information in the news report was concise and cold.
"Manager Zhou Yi seemed to have mentioned something in the meeting... In this market situation, instead of stubbornly holding on against the trend, it's better to take advantage of the downtrend and profit through short selling..."
Su Hao recalled a few keywords he'd gleaned from the morning meeting.
But... how exactly does short selling work?
He knew very little about the concept.
Li Huilin had said that while shorting, to control risk, one also needs to buy specific stocks for "hedging" to reduce potential losses...
Such a complicated process, calculating ratios, choosing hedging targets...
'My knowledge is simply insufficient.'
Risk management, short selling, hedging... these terms were like gibberish to him, who was practically a "stock market novice" in terms of professional knowledge, fraught with unknown risks.
What if he made a mistake in any step and lost all the company's money?
'Forget it, I'll just do what I do best.'
He only ever relied on one thing.
That is, trust your lightning-fast, elusive yet infallible intuition!
After quickly skimming the morning news, Su Hao minimized it.
Then, he took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the densely packed list of stocks.
'Huh?'
Almost the instant his fingertip brushed over the first stock code—
'Sizzle!'
A familiar sensation, like a faint electric current, suddenly surged through him!
It traveled along his nerve endings, instantly reaching his cerebral cortex! That throbbing feeling… was back!
'Nothing worked before, but now…'
Could it be because he just read the morning news?
This was too much of a coincidence. Almost eerily coincidental!
But thinking back carefully, it seemed… every time he conducted simulated investing before, he always meticulously read the relevant market analysis and data reports before that special "feeling" would follow.
Furthermore, the stocks that ultimately gave him a strong intuition and led to successful profits all seemed to be intricately linked to the materials he had read at the time.
'Obtaining data and information in a specific field can stimulate intuition within that scope... I see.'
Today, he learned another lesson.
'Okay, buy now... wait!'
Just as he was about to place the order, another principle that Zhou Yi and Li Huilin had repeatedly emphasized echoed in his mind:
'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.'
Diversify your investments!
Yes, diversify! This is also a crucial part of risk management!
Only in this way can you avoid the devastating impact of a single failed investment, ensuring the stability of overall returns through hedging different portfolios.
Even if one investment loses, the others can compensate.
'Diversify...diversify...' Su Hao muttered to himself. 'But, to what extent should I diversify?'
He pondered for a moment, his fingers hesitating on the keyboard.
'Hmm...dividing into three, that should...be about right?'