Chapter 237: Russian Roulette

Inside Fang Huan Investment's trading room, the air was thick and heavy, like a pot of porridge left on the stove; the oppressive tension almost felt tangible.
Even Liang Haiyuan's palms were already clammy with sweat, his heart pounding like a drum.
But he had to hold on!
As the director of the elite trading department, it was his inescapable responsibility to stabilize morale and boost the spirits of these youngsters at this critical juncture.
"Have you all had a nap? You all look like wilted eggplants, where's your energy?"
Liang Haiyuan cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more relaxed.
The US stock market opened at 9:30 PM Beijing time and closed at 4:00 AM.
To prepare for this all-night battle destined to go down in history, theoretically, everyone should have gone to sleep first to recharge.
However, just looking at this group of guys with panda-like dark circles under their eyes, their faces etched with the philosophical questions "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?", it's clear they're all tossing and turning in bed, not a single one sleeping soundly.
“Sleep? Mr. Liang, you must be joking,” a young trader replied listlessly.
“The moment I close my eyes, all I see are candlestick charts jumping around in my head, more exciting than a raucous party! How can anyone sleep like that!”
“Exactly! Just thinking about taking a whopping 50 billion to Wall Street to dump stocks makes my dopamine surge like crazy!
But as soon as I calm down, my heart starts pounding.”
An older employee chimed in, his voice trembling.
“My goodness, that’s a multi-billion dollar operation!
Even if we lose money, just a minor mishap could mean hundreds of millions disappearing! How can we not be nervous?!”
“Hey, hey, hey, can we not be so pessimistic? Say something a little more positive!” Liang Haiyuan quickly interrupted this gloomy atmosphere.
"But Chairman Su's strategy this time is too... too extreme!" someone weakly retorted.
"VIX futures, and all sorts of derivatives we've never even seen before—it's like a series of time bombs.
If any one of these areas trembles even slightly, the money we couldn't earn in several lifetimes could vanish in an instant!"
That's right, the root of all the panic comes from their Chairman Su.
This guy not only withdrew billions of idle funds from the company's accounts, but also poured in the group's reserve funds and this quarter's profits, creating a staggering 50 billion yuan!
Furthermore, when everyone thought US stocks were the strongest safe haven globally, he brazenly announced:
He's going to short sell! And it's a short-term gamble!
Su Hao had already ordered the team to build up the basic positions.
The problem is, all the positions they hold are high-risk products.
Especially those derivatives betting on the fear index—frankly, it's high-stakes gambling!
If you bet wrong, you won't just lose money, you'll lose everything.
"What about the rest of the money? How's it going?" Liang Haiyuan continued to ask.
"Chairman Su used the rest of the money… to buy all those blue-chip stocks, like Apple and Microsoft, those industry leaders, he didn't miss a single one."
"Buy it all?" Liang Haiyuan was taken aback, then realized, "...Short it?"
"Yes, short it all. Not a penny left."
The reply carried a tragic, almost resolute, determination.
At this point, even a fool could see how certain their Chairman Su was to dare make such a reckless decision.
He firmly believed an unprecedented financial tsunami was imminent!
Otherwise, who would be so foolish as to bet their entire fortune on a group of steadily rising blue-chip stocks and short them like crazy?
"Mr. Liang...can we really pull this off?" a new trader muttered softly, his face filled with the fear of having stumbled into some mysterious organization.
"What are you afraid of! You newbies don't know, Fanghuan Investment has done this kind of thing countless times. Living on the edge is our daily routine!"
Liang Haiyuan patted his shoulder, feigning composure, even though his own legs were trembling.
"Have you all forgotten our department's motto? — 'Abandon thinking, execute orders!'
We are the sharpest knife in Chairman Su's hand, cutting wherever he tells us to. Enough with the nonsense! Just execute orders!"
Despite his words, even Liang Haiyuan, Su Hao's most devoted "number one lackey," the one who wouldn't flinch even if Su Hao ordered him to jump into a fire pit, was incredibly nervous this time.
His unease was clearly noticed by his subordinates.
No matter how he tried to reassure them, the expressions on the employees' faces remained as if they were heading to their execution.
“President America gave a speech on TV yesterday,” someone whispered.
“She said the market is the safest it's ever been! It's all thanks to her! She told everyone not to worry, to confidently invest their money in the stock market…”
Upon hearing this, Liang Haiyuan's mind went blank for a moment, inexplicably recalling an incident from many years ago.
Wasn't it the same somewhere back then?
How… how come the current situation is so similar to that time?
“Speaking of which, Chairman Su must be under immense pressure, right? After all, the die is cast, and there's no going back.”
In their eyes, Su Hao possessed the heart of a beast. But in this matter, a beast's heart alone isn't enough!
This is 50 billion yuan, about to flood into the heart of global finance—Wall Street—where it will unleash a bloody battle in a short-term struggle!
And the prerequisite for victory in this war is that the US stock market must crash.
What if?
What if the market were calm, or even saw a slight rise?
Then their current derivatives holdings would instantly become worthless, their shorted stocks would surge in the opposite direction, a resounding slap that could blow their skulls off, resulting in astronomical losses.
This kind of pressure is simply unbearable for a normal person.
Even the veteran employees who have fought alongside Su Hao for years are on the verge of a mental breakdown. What must Su Hao, as the commander-in-chief, be like, bearing all the responsibility alone?
“Good evening, everyone.”
A calm voice came from the doorway, and the office fell silent instantly.
“Ah! Chairman Su, you’ve arrived!”
Everyone turned around in unison, only to see Su Hao stroll in leisurely, carrying a steaming cup of coffee.
He glanced around, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"Hmm, it's been a while since we had a pre-battle meeting in the trading room. It's quite nostalgic. Alright, five minutes from now, the meeting will begin promptly."
"Yes, sir!"
The traders stared dumbfounded as Su Hao walked into the internal command room. After a long pause, someone finally spoke, albeit tremblingly.
"I...I didn't see wrong, did I? Did you see Chairman Su's face?"
"Yes...that rosy complexion, that vibrant energy...he looks like he's had a good night's sleep!"
"Holy crap! He can actually sleep at a time like this?!"
"Sleeping is an understatement," another added,
"There's not a trace of worry on his face. Not only that, there's even a hint of...excitement?! Like..."
Like a prehistoric beast that's been starving for three days and three nights, finally catching the scent of flesh and blood!