Chapter 23: How dare you disturb the big boss's peaceful sleep!

"Ahem." Huang Fengwen cleared his throat, forcefully steer the conversation back to the main topic, turning to the Risk Management Director who had been mostly silent:
"Old Pan, what's your Risk Management department's opinion on this matter?"
"Chairman, esteemed leaders. To be honest, from a risk management perspective, I... believe Su Hao's current actions are extremely, very, extremely dangerous and reckless!"
Pan Xun from the Risk Management Department stood up with a serious expression:
"His trading behavior completely violates our company's internal risk control regulations and trading principles! It's like someone walking alone on a narrow bridge over a precipice without any safety measures! He's completely abandoned all risk control, blindly charging forward! This is gambling!"
"I disagree with Director Pan's opinion." However, Zhou Yi immediately stepped forward to refute Pan Xun's statement.
All eyes turned to Zhou Yi again.
“I believe Su Hao has his own reasons and confidence for daring to do this!”
Zhou Yi met Pan Xun's gaze, his tone firm:
“I’ve carefully observed his investment model and entry/exit timing. I believe he definitely possesses his own unique trading algorithm, one that we can’t yet understand!”
“Trading algorithm?” Pan Xun frowned. “What algorithm? Can it be quantified? Is there a model? Can it be explained?”
“Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Pan, even if we brought Su Hao here right now and had him explain it to us for an entire day,”
Zhou Yi shook his head:
“I’m afraid none of you here, including myself, would truly understand his ‘algorithm.’”
“Of course! Because it’s completely illogical!”
Liu Zhuo couldn’t help but interject, his tone dripping with sarcasm:
"It's pure blind luck! There's no such thing as a magic formula for this kind of stroke of luck!"
"Mr. Liu, please remember, he's someone who can earn 8% in one day and 40% the next through short-term trading!"
Zhou Yi turned to look at him, his eyes sharp:
"You yourself said it, this is definitely not something that can be achieved by luck alone! Since it's not luck, then it can only be—skill!"
"..." Liu Zhuo was speechless.
Silence fell again in the office.
Su Hao's unique "algorithm."
Something that no one could understand, perhaps not even he himself could clearly articulate, yet it truly existed and could bring astonishing returns.
It sounded like the "no moves are better than moves" in martial arts novels, or the "realm of heaven and man" in fantasy novels...
In short, it was very mystical, but also very tempting.
“Zhou Yi insists that this is skill, not luck, and based on an ‘algorithm’ we can’t understand.”
Huang Fengwen broke the silence, looking around at everyone: “So, everyone, what do you think?”
Everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances, each with their own thoughts.
The chairman personally placed this person in through connections.
It turns out this person wasn't a fool, but a formidable individual, almost like a prodigy with cheat codes.
This…is a bit difficult to handle.
Finally, the seasoned and prudent Pan Xun spoke first, offering a relatively safe suggestion:
“Chairman… in any case, I still maintain that we need to observe him for a while longer.
After all, he's only been here two days, right?
And this Friday is the final performance settlement day for this assessment cycle.
How about… we wait until Friday and see his final results? If…”
As expected of someone in risk control, he's incredibly steady, always prioritizing risk avoidance.
“What if the results are still so impressive by Friday?” Huang Fengwen pressed.
Pan Xun took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind:
“Then… if he can really maintain this momentum until Friday, then I think the company should immediately, without hesitation, promote him to the next level! Use all available resources, do everything possible to keep him firmly in the company!”
Traders are also ranked. What's above a regular trader?
It's a senior trader, or even an investment manager.
Once promoted, not only will you receive more resources from within the company, but you'll also have access to larger funds for more diversified and higher-level investment operations.
More importantly—your performance-based profit sharing will increase significantly!
Simply put: the more money you generate for the company, the more you'll get!
“Okay.” Huang Fengwen nodded, his gaze sweeping across the room: “Does anyone object to Pan Xun’s proposal?”
Silence.
Are you kidding me?
Who would object to promoting someone who can generate massive profits for the company like a money-printing machine?
Unless they’ve lost their mind or hate money!
“Very good. It’s settled then.”
Huang Fengwen inwardly chuckled bitterly.
He'd gone to all that trouble to get Su Hao into the company, just wanting him a relaxed job, a way to slack off and retire, so he wouldn't quit gaming.
It was also a way of repaying the favor of their shared experiences (mouse and keyboard) back in the day.
Who the hell could have imagined that in just two days, this kid would single-handedly turn the entire company upside down and become the center of attention?
This script…'s gone a bit off track!
***
His eyelids were tingling, and his head was buzzing from prolonged concentration. Su Hao had genuinely just wanted to close his eyes, to relieve some eye strain, and let his burning brain cool down.
He simply wanted to… take a short nap.
“Su Hao! Su Hao! Guess how much I made today~? Hmm? Where is he? Su Hao!”
A clear, excited voice rang in his ears, accompanied by a gentle shove on his shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Su Hao jolted awake, still a little groggy. He remembered falling asleep shortly after the market opened that afternoon…
And so… his planned "snap" somehow turned into a "sleep like a log."
"No way, Su Hao?" came Li Huilin's incredulous voice from beside him: "You…you were asleep?!"
Holy crap!
He actually slept from a little after 1 p.m. until now?!
Slept until the market closed?!
And in the office?!
At his workstation?!
Su Hao instantly snapped awake, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!
He wanted to slap himself right then and there!
What kind of mental state am I in?!
Sleeping during work hours?!
Caught red-handed?!
If this gets reported, writing a self-criticism will be the least of my worries; I might get a disciplinary action, or even be fired!
How the hell did I fall asleep?!
Did I overexert myself and force myself to shut down?
“How could you fall asleep? When did you start sleeping?” Li Huilin’s voice carried a hint of reproach.
“Uh, well, that…” Su Hao stammered, unsure how to explain.
"Let me tell you, I worked incredibly hard today! I watched the market from opening to closing! I toiled all day, and finally made... well, a full 3%!"
Before he could answer, Li Huilin excitedly began reporting her results:
"I have to thank you for reminding me to watch gold futures this morning, otherwise I probably wouldn't have dared to touch them! And you, on the contrary, actually..."
Su Hao was so ashamed he wanted to disappear.
He was utterly humiliated!
"But, it's okay! In this industry, what matters in the end is the result, the rate of return, right?"
Li Huilin's tone shifted, becoming more magnanimous:
"As long as you make money for the company, forget about sleeping at work, even if you just lazed around at home all day, the chairman would treat you like royalty!"
As she spoke, she habitually leaned closer to Su Hao's computer screen to see his trading results.
"Come on, let me see how your trade went today... Hmph, if you just slept and didn't make any money, or even lost money, then today, I'm going to give you a good 'lesson'... Wait... wait a minute..."
Li Huilin's expression froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
She blinked, then leaned closer, scrutinizing the glaring number, tilting her head, her face blank and confused:
"Su Hao... is your... trading software bugged? 40%? This... this can't be, right? The system must be malfunctioning!"
However, Su Hao knew perfectly well that the thing wasn't broken.
Oh, so today's final profit was 40%, not bad.
So, he answered Li Huilin in an almost indifferent tone:
"Uh, it should... not be broken."
"Not... not broken?!?!"
Li Huilin's voice suddenly rose, sharp enough to pierce eardrums!
Then, she froze, as if petrified, her eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, frozen in that posture of peering at the screen, completely still.
"Um... Sister Huilin? Are...are you alright?"
Su Hao, seeing her like this, was a little worried and waved his hand in front of her eyes.
No response.
Completely frozen, like a stone statue staring at the screen.
Until Su Hao reached out and grabbed her shoulders, gently shaking her a few times, Li Huilin seemed to be suddenly released from her seal, gasping sharply and coming back to life.
Then, in a tone Su Hao had never heard before—respectful, even tinged with obsequiousness and fear—she cautiously spoke:
"Su Hao... Boss!"
Su Hao: "...Huh?"
"No, no, no, it's Brother Su Hao! You! Please sit still! Don't move!"
Li Huilin said, frantically trying to run out:
"I'll get you a blanket to cover your legs! And make you a cup of hot tea! No, no, no! It's 'I'll go make you a cup of the finest Longjing tea right away!'"
Su Hao was completely bewildered by her sudden 180-degree turn: "No... Sister Huilin, what's this all about..."
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I disturbed your peaceful slumber, Boss! And I said so much nonsense! I'm so sorry!"
Li Huilin wanted to slap herself twice; her face was filled with regret.
"No, I just dozed off for a little while..." Su Hao tried to explain.
"Please wait a moment! I'll be right back! Oh, by the way! I'll go downstairs to the convenience store to buy you some snacks to tide you over!"
Li Huilin didn't listen to his explanation at all and turned to rush towards the elevator:
"What flavor of potato chips do you like? Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Coffee or cola for your drink—?"
Su Hao hadn't even had a chance to say no.
"Ahhhhhh~~~~" Li Huilin rushed out of the office like a gust of wind.
He was left sitting there alone, watching her hurried, even slightly unsteady, figure, which looked particularly...disorganized in the afterglow of the evening.