Chapter 21: A Magical Realism Drama!

Trading futures is like dancing on a volcano—exciting, yes, but one wrong step and you're burned to a crisp.
It comes with leverage of ten times, giving you a rollercoaster ride in no time.
And the price movements are incredibly volatile, like a seizure.
Yesterday's rock-solid crude oil contract can skyrocket today at the sound of gunfire in the Middle East.
Tomorrow, a few coughs from the Federal Reserve and the price plummets beyond recognition.
There's a joke going around:
The futures market is a "financial version of Russian roulette." Veterans clutch technical charts in one hand and a margin call calculator in the other, their screens plastered with stop-loss and take-profit orders, practically strapping their accounts with eighteen seatbelts.
Even so, a sudden black swan event in the middle of the night can still wipe you out!
Think you've hit the bottom?
"Hmph, the market retaliated with a swift and decisive blow, the numbers on his account evaporating faster than lard on a stove."
Logically, a seasoned veteran like Zhou Yi, with years of experience in the market, should have noticed the signs of stabilization in gold prices.
As long as his position size was light, his hand speed fast, and his timing precise, quick in-and-out trades could easily net him a small profit.
"..."
However, that day, Zhou Yi remained motionless, not making a single trade.
It wasn't that he was afraid his skills had waned and he couldn't handle the "quick in, quick out" trick.
What truly made him wary and hesitant was that newcomer named Su Hao!
From the moment the opening bell rang, this kid was like a man possessed, frantically diving into gold futures contracts.
His reckless, ruthless approach made Zhou Yi's eyelids twitch and his heart pound.
"What's this guy's method?" Zhou Yi's mind was racing, practically tearing his hair out:
"He just cleared out his entire position thirty seconds ago, and less than a minute later he's back with everything? Is he trading with a stopwatch? What's he basing his trades on? Is he some kind of precognition, some kind of fortune teller?"
Could it be technical analysis?
This stuff sounds pretty impressive, supposedly the culmination of countless years of painstaking research and analysis by seasoned investors and masters.
Traders like them do start with some fundamental analysis to lay the groundwork, then plunge headlong into the ocean of technical analysis.
To put it bluntly, the foundation of technical analysis is: market prices already contain all the information.
So, they stare at those red and green, flashy candlestick charts, trying to decipher the elusive "market sentiment" and "mass psychology," and predict whether the unpredictable market will soar to the heavens or plummet to the depths.
Anyone who's weathered the storms of the market knows what's going on.
Technical analysis—the theories sound amazing, but can you really predict prices perfectly with it? Dream on!
If it were that powerful, why not just run a program on a supercomputer?
What would be the point of having these salaried traders?
They should all be laid off and home with their kids.
So, don't be fooled by all those seasoned veterans rushing into the market with such confidence; very few of them actually make it out unscathed.
Most people, aren't they just being played like madmen by candlestick charts, a tangled mess of human greed, fear, and all sorts of chaotic emotions, ultimately ending up battered and bruised, forced to sell at a loss and exit the market in despair?
Just look at the trading screens of the other traders in the office right now—a sea of ​​green, like a grassland, not a single account in the red.
A scene of utter devastation, a truly pitiful sight.
"But… how do you explain Su Hao?"
Zhou Yi felt his worldview being shattered like never before.
Because, in this wailing "field of韭菜" (a metaphor for easily exploited investors), stood a towering, unyielding money tree!
And this guy was really going all in!
He actually poured his entire five million RMB principal into gold futures without batting an eye: "Bang!"
This wasn't trading anymore; it was like flipping the table and gambling!
What's even more chilling is that he's engaging in ultra-short-term trading, the kind that could cause a heart attack!
He buys and sells with seconds on the line, at a dizzying pace.
Just like that, seemingly "randomly"... no, just like that, seemingly "divinely"!
And he manages to consistently and steadily!
Scrape off layer after layer of profit, accumulating it rapidly, piece by piece, without interruption!
Zhou Yi stared and stared, rubbing his throbbing temples, feeling like his brain was about to explode.
This isn't scientific! This isn't reasonable!
This is completely beyond his understanding of trading!
Is he based on technical analysis?
But the candlestick chart is a complete mess! What's the point of analyzing it?!
Or is he some kind of secret, hidden technique?
Never mind!
The most important, the most crucial, the most enviable fact right now is—Su Hao is making money!
And at an almost insane, unbelievable speed, he was frantically raking in money from the market!
“Holy crap, it’s already broken 8%…”
Zhou Yi’s heart pounded with each number, his palms sweating.
However, 8% was clearly just an appetizer.
Not long after, the number shot up like a runaway horse!
“15%…20%…25%…Holy crap! Is this guy a reincarnation of a money-printing machine?!”
Even though Zhou Yi wasn’t actively trading, his hands were shaking like he had Parkinson’s, cold sweat soaking the back of his shirt.
If it were him, let alone 25%, even a 5% profit on such high-risk futures would have been more than enough!
How could he dare to be as reckless as Su Hao?
Dancing tirelessly on the edge of a knife?
Besides, who the hell would dare to bet all five million yuan of company-provided capital on a highly volatile futures market, going all in and repeatedly trading it?
Isn't that pure suicide?
But Su Hao, on the other hand, kept betting his winnings, principal and interest!
His frenzy was like that of a gambler blinded by greed…
Oh no, he kept winning, like a gambling god with epilepsy and Parkinson's who just couldn't stop?
“Isn’t this guy afraid of a slip of the hand, a misjudgment? All that hard-earned money would vanish in an instant, all gone! A huge profit or a huge loss is just a thought away!”
Zhou Yi had even forgotten he should be trading too; his mind was a complete mess, a battle raging within him.
Should he rush over and earnestly tell him:
“Auntie, stop! It’s all… no, I should tell him to quit while he’s ahead! Don’t be reckless! He’s already made so much! Wouldn’t it be better to play it safe?”
“But the problem is… what reason do I have to persuade him?”
Zhou Yi suddenly realized a despairing fact:
From the opening bell until now, several hours had passed, and Su Hao hadn’t lost a single penny!
Not a single mistake!
How can this scene be described accurately?
No, it can’t be described! “Incomprehensible!”
Or to put it more bluntly—“It’s like seeing a ghost in broad daylight!”
Today, Zhou Yi witnessed firsthand a surreal, almost magical, spectacle that would shatter his twenty-plus years of professional experience!
“…”
Time flew by in Zhou Yi's extreme shock and self-doubt.
When he finally came to his senses, a blindingly bright number, almost glaringly obvious, was displayed on Su Hao's computer screen:
[+40%]
“Holy crap! This beast!”
Zhou Yi couldn't hold back any longer. His emotions erupted like a volcano, and a curse, a culmination of his shock, jealousy, confusion, and even a touch of fear, escaped his lips uncontrollably.
He felt he couldn't find a more concise, precise, or fitting expression of his complex feelings.
In the world of business, there are those crazy people who go all-in and recklessly invest, perhaps achieving miraculous profits in the short term.
But it can't last.
Over time, the mean will inevitably revert, and all profits will be lost.
But now, in a large, legally compliant private equity firm with a robust risk control system, someone is managing to achieve a 40% return on extremely risky futures trading purely through intraday short-term trading and T+0 reselling…
Zhou Yi swears to God, in all his years in the industry, having dealt with countless shady characters, he's never seen a monster like Su Hao before!
Everyone knows that futures trading involves high leverage and volatility; with good luck and timing, it's possible to make a fortune.
But the risks are terrifyingly high!
For someone like Su Hao to go all in with the five million yuan principal provided by the company, repeatedly buying and selling like a perpetual motion machine, and still manage to generate a 40% return…
Is this even a human being capable of such an operation?
"Huh? Finally... it's stopped!"
The market had just opened in the afternoon, and while Zhou Yi was still questioning his existence, Su Hao suddenly moved the mouse, closing out all the positions in his account in one fell swoop!
The action was incredibly clean and efficient!
Then, he casually closed all the trading windows!
And then... he simply and comfortably leaned back in his large, comfortable chair and closed his eyes.
"No way? He's... done? Or... asleep?! That can't be!"
Zhou Yi stared wide-eyed at the figure in disbelief.
The afternoon session hadn't even closed yet, and he'd already quit?
He thought he wouldn't be satisfied with that astonishing 40% and planned to push the limits of human capability, aiming for 50%—
"Ah... I see!"
Shortly after Su Hao retreated, Zhou Yi subconsciously glanced at the gold price chart.
He noticed that the previously erratic, wildly fluctuating curve had finally begun to "calm down."
The volatility had noticeably decreased, and the trend was becoming more "normal" and "rational."
The once-surging trading volume, like a flash flood, also began to shrink rapidly, and the market gradually entered a narrow consolidation period.
That's why Su Hao stopped!
He precisely sensed the subtle signals that the market's "frenzy" was about to end, and without the slightest hesitation, decisively chose to take profits, running faster than a rabbit!
The timing of his entry was perfect!
The timing of his exit was equally perfect!
This decisive retreat was truly awe-inspiring!!
The entire operation was clean and efficient, like something out of a textbook…
No, even more impressive than a textbook! It was practically like…
"This guy definitely has supernatural powers, or he's simply a stock market god descended to earth!"
Just as this absurd thought flashed through Zhou Yi's mind, a notification popped up on his desk's OA system.
[Manager Zhou Yi, the chairman is looking for you. Please go to his office immediately.]
Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat.
There was still some time before the afternoon closing.
According to the rules, unless something catastrophic happened, the chairman wouldn't call a trader to his office at this time, especially not the manager of the trading department.
Furthermore, even if something truly serious happened, they would usually approach his direct supervisor, the head of the trading department, first. Why would they bypass his level and directly accuse him?
There's only one possibility…
"Sure enough… no, it's one hundred percent, it's definitely because of that kid Su Hao!"