Chapter 235: Holographic AR with Motion Sensing

Upon hearing this, Su Hao was somewhat dazed.
He recalled his early days in the industry; the US stock market was incredibly volatile, with shocks every three days and storms every five.
Every day was like a thrilling rollercoaster ride.
But as the saying goes, after the storm comes calm.
Now, after weathering countless storms, the US stock market seems to have truly entered a period of calm, with all its data indicators incredibly stable.
"The VIX index, the so-called 'fear index,' has reportedly dropped to an all-time low.
The executives' idea is that instead of buying safe-haven assets and letting them sit idle, it's better to take advantage of the current market good and diversify their investments in several high-performing stocks for a steady return."
It seems these executives have done their homework to spend this money.
Huang Fengwen casually handed over a list of investment targets.
The list begins with an ETF tracking the inverse VIX index, followed by a long string of blue-chip stocks widely favored by the market and expected to provide stable long-term returns—a dazzling array.
Given its size of tens of billions, diversification is a sound strategy, as one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket.
"Indeed," Su Hao nodded, "the US stock market right now seems 'safer' than ever."
Even with numerous uncertainties, the market remains remarkably stable.
The reason is simple.
While the new president wields supreme power, he is not an emperor and cannot act arbitrarily.
This has rendered many of his desired policies futile.
Although the Republicans have secured some seats, their arch-rivals, the Democrats, are locked in a fierce struggle; the two sides are evenly matched, and neither can gain the upper hand.
This creates a brilliant irony:
It's precisely because of the infighting between the two parties, creating an effective check and balance, that the new president couldn't act arbitrarily, allowing the stock market to escape its volatile fate and move steadily forward.
"So, they think now is a good time to buy blindly, throw money into US stocks, and they'll be fine..."
Huang Fengwen hadn't finished speaking.
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
Just as Su Hao was about to pick a few relatively reliable stocks from his list, the thin A4 paper in his hand suddenly burst into flames with a "whoosh" right in front of him!
Su Hao's pupils contracted sharply, his heart skipped a beat, and he slammed the scalding paper onto the table with lightning speed.
He could even smell the pungent odor of burning paper!
"W-what's wrong with you?" Huang Fengwen was bewildered by his sudden reaction.
Su Hao stared intently. The paper on the table was perfectly intact, without a trace of scorch, not even a crease.
It was as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
But a cold sweat broke out on Su Hao's back.
An illusion? No, the scorching touch, the palpable terror that burned his brow, was terrifyingly real!
"..."
Should he pick it up again? He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then decisively gave up.
He knew that if he picked it up again, he would likely see that incinerating flame again.
The important thing was the illusion itself, not verifying its reality.
The longer he used this intuition, the more elaborate and convoluted its prompts became, but Su Hao already understood its meaning.
“Brother Huang,” Su Hao’s voice returned to calm,
“Don’t touch this money yet. Don’t invest a single penny; just let it sit in the account.
I need some time. I’ll go back and discuss it with my department, and then give you a definite answer.”
His intuition, or rather, his mysterious “cheat code,” was likely iterating and upgrading itself with increased use.
Its methods of “manifesting” were becoming increasingly unique and creative.
‘But this is too realistic! It’s practically the real thing!’
His intuition used to be at most a vague “premonition,” an inexplicable sixth sense.
Now, it had directly upgraded to a holographic AR version with haptic feedback; whether it was good or bad was immediately clear, practically like a warning or a “windfall” pop-up window was about to appear on his forehead.
'At this rate of evolution, who knows what other crazy things they'll cause in the future?'
***
VIX Index.
The full name is the Volatility Index, but on Wall Street, it's more commonly known as the "Fear Index."
The lower the VIX index, the calmer and more undisturbed the market;
Conversely, the higher the index, the more intense the market panic.
Generally speaking, above 40 indicates extreme panic, 30 indicates high tension, and 20 is considered normal.
And what is the VIX index for US stocks right now?
11.
An outrageously low number, the lowest record ever seen in the history of the US stock market.
Fanghuan Investment, Trading Department.
The office was deathly silent, broken only by the suppressed yawns of the traders.
"My God, the VIX is down to 11! Is that even possible? I've never seen a number like this in all my years in the industry."
"Of course! None of us have. This is unprecedented in US history.
What does this mean? The market isn't just stable, it's stagnant!"
The current US stock market is like a giant tree that has weathered countless storms, finally growing into a towering giant—thick, stable, and convincing everyone that it will stand forever.
Everyone is extremely optimistic about the future of the US stock market.
"That's why products like XIV are so popular."
XIV is a financial derivative that shorts the VIX volatility index.
It's an extreme speculative product, betting that the market will always be this calm, or even calmer than it is now.
As the VIX index plummeted to an all-time low, everyone frantically poured money into inverse ETFs like XIV.
In the past, who would dare buy something like this? They'd be laughed at by their peers.
But now, it's become Wall Street's hottest commodity, with countless funds pouring in like mad.
"Speaking of which, our Chairman Su must be bored to death lately, right?
The market's like a stagnant pool; all his dragon-slaying skills have nowhere to be used."
A trader stretched, looking utterly dejected.
"That's why you see, he hardly ever looks at the market lately; he's focused entirely on mergers and acquisitions."
“I actually think things are pretty good now,” a veteran employee said with lingering fear.
“You guys haven’t seen it. Back when Chairman Su personally led us through the trading, we were working day and night. We were all completely drained, practically dying.”
Another seasoned trader shook his head, a hint of nostalgia and fervor in his eyes:
“That’s true… but fucking, I really miss those days.
I miss the days when Chairman Su would call us all together, personally overseeing the operations, treating the entire market like a hunting ground, leading us to dominate the market!”
These words silenced everyone around.
Indeed, the body was exhausted, like a dog.
But the adrenaline rush, the dopamine party in the brain;
the thrill of trading with every second counting, stirring up billions of dollars—that’s something no comfort can replace!
So, in this stagnant period lately, they've actually started to miss the former tyrant, Su Hao.
They miss the days when, at his command, the entire department would operate like a precisely tuned war machine, engaging in ultra-short-term battles measured in seconds, creating a storm in the market before gracefully exiting.
But lately, Su Hao hasn't convened those tense "pre-battle meetings" with them in a long time.
Unless something earth-shattering happens, he doesn't even bother coming to the company.
Last time, he set a record of not showing up for an entire week.
"I doubt Chairman Su will be coming today.
Last night's US stocks and this morning's A-shares were stagnant, not even a ripple."
"Bitcoin's the same, hardly any movement.
Before, I always felt like the whole world was having problems every day, it was so annoying, I just wanted things to calm down.
Now that things are actually calm, I'm itching to trade, I wish something exciting would happen to get me excited."
There were even rumors circulating in the industry that the top traders on the entire financial district were practically unemployed.
Just as everyone was considering whether to encourage the company to organize a group, company-funded trip—
"Director Liang!!"
A young trader burst into the office, panting, as if his pants were on fire.
"What's all the fuss about? Did the sky fall?" Department Director Liang Haiyuan looked up, frowning.
"Chairman Su...Chairman Su is here!"
"What?!" Everyone in the office looked up in unison.
"Chairman Su is here?"
"Yes! And he ordered all members of the 'Top-Tier Trading Department,' without exception, to assemble in the trading room immediately!"
"...!"
In an instant, the air in the entire office seemed to freeze.
All the traders' gazes met in the air, shock, astonishment, then coalescing into a raging fire!
They all smelled that familiar, chilling aura.
For so long... Chairman Su has finally gathered his core team once again!
That man, silent for so long, has sounded the rallying cry at the market's most stagnant moment!
They knew better than anyone what this meant.
It meant that a cataclysmic storm was about to break!
"What are you all standing there for!" Liang Haiyuan slammed his hand on the table, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Everyone, prepare immediately, upstairs!"
"Yes, sir!"
The stagnant office was instantly shattered by a bombshell; the long-dormant wolfish instincts within everyone were rekindled!