Chapter 31: Whether it's a blessing or a curse, we have to keep going!

That single word was like a depth charge dropped into a seemingly calm lake.
"Hiss—"
A collective gasp filled the conference room.
"No…Manager, are we really going to short A-shares?"
Currently, the stock market's overwhelming optimism is driven by regulatory policy guidance and strong intervention.
The result is a nationwide stock market frenzy.
From retired seniors to wage earners, almost everyone is eager to rush into the stock market, a irrational frenzy permeating society.
To reinforce this narrative, the national fund has also actively intervened in the market, forcibly driving up the share prices of a number of state-owned enterprises to reassure retail investors and create a sense of security that the government is strongly promoting the stock market.
This left everyone in the conference room in disbelief.
"Manager, to be honest, even if we force a negative reason, we can't see any clear triggering factors right now!"
"Exactly!" a regular trader named Liu Bo immediately added:
"The only possibility is a sudden change in the government's attitude, but aren't they releasing a flurry of favorable policies? And aren't all the major media outlets and public opinion strongly bullish on the market outlook?"
Indeed.
That's what the research department's report said.
That's what those elite graduates from top universities with rich experience thought.
It's estimated that his colleagues in the financial industry, and those retail investors who rushed in with their retirement savings and grocery money, probably think the same way.
But for Su Hao, when has he ever played by the rules?
From the first day he entered this industry, what he relied on for survival and success has never been rational analysis or model deduction.
The only thing he trusted, and the only thing proven effective by cold, hard facts, was this wild intuition within him that would occasionally "stir things up," completely irrational!
Every major victory in the past, every crucial decision made that astonished everyone yet ultimately proved to be absolutely correct, wasn't based on his brain, but on this damned, inexplicable yet incredibly accurate intuition!
"Alright," Su Hao interrupted the team's heated discussion:
"I have my own considerations. Let's do something now, based on the most extreme and exciting premise that 'the stock market will crash tomorrow,' and create a detailed investment plan!"
Everyone in the meeting room froze, their expressions filled with horror.
"Manager...Manager!"
"Are you serious?! You really want to short the market?! That's completely going against the trend!"
"Yes." Su Hao nodded calmly:
"Currently, the main ways we can easily short the market are stock index futures and options, right? Everyone, let's make a plan on the specific investment strategy and hedging strategy."
His thinking was clear: if a major crash really occurs, how can we maximize this opportunity to make a fortune!
"So...Manager, what about today's transactions...?" someone asked hesitantly.
Su Hao waved his hand dismissively: "Let's talk about it after the new investment plan is finalized! No rush! Let's focus on preparations today!"
The first formal meeting of Trading Department Seven ended in an atmosphere that was nothing short of shocking, leaving all members feeling their worldviews were being shattered.
The moment the meeting room door closed, the group, who had been striving to maintain professional expressions, immediately broke down as soon as they were out of the manager's sight.
Most of them were shaking their heads and sighing, their expressions as if they had just attended a mobilization meeting personally presided over by a cult leader, proclaiming the imminent end of the world.
"No, I really don't understand! What's wrong with our new Manager Su's brain? With the market in this state, everyone is going crazy bullish, and he actually wants us to short? Am I crazy, or is he crazy? Am I the only one who thinks this is so absurd it's like a fairy tale?"
Liang Haiyuan, a senior trader who had worked his way up in the company for many years and seemed very experienced, but was clearly a bit bewildered at the moment, was the first to speak, his face filled with despair.
Beside him, Liu Bo, a bespectacled man who looked rather refined, immediately nodded in agreement like a chicken pecking at rice:
"Indeed...it's outrageous! I bet you can't find another private equity manager in the whole country who dares to publicly predict a stock market crash at this point!"
Just then, a slightly sharp but protective voice rang out, tinged with obvious dissatisfaction.
"Liang Haiyuan! Liu Bo! Are you gossiping about the manager behind his back?"
It was Li Huilin.
She had clearly positioned herself as a staunch supporter of Su Hao, her eyebrows furrowed and her almond-shaped eyes wide.
"Hey, no, Huilin, don't get agitated,"
Liang Haiyuan, a little intimidated by her aggressive demeanor, quickly waved his hands to explain:
"We're not gossiping, we're...we're having a reasonable discussion, right? Let's be honest, isn't the manager's decision strange?"
It's truly strange. Absolutely bizarre.
What's the market sentiment right now? Just look at what the other trading departments are doing!
Everyone! Almost everyone!
They're frantically building positions, strongly bullish on the stock market's meteoric rise, soaring to new heights!
Buy orders are raining down on the order book like snowflakes; the entire company is filled with a frenzied atmosphere of "time waits for no one, or it'll be too late!"
But this new, supposedly handpicked young manager from the chairman's inner circle, is determined to do the opposite!
He's going against this surging tide, boldly shorting the market!
In the brutal meat grinder of the capital market, how dire are the consequences for those who go against the tide, those who defy the prevailing trend?
Need I say more?
At best, they lose everything; at worst, they're bankrupt, ending up on the rooftops…
Haven't history taught us enough lessons?
“Yes…it is a bit strange,” Li Huilin admitted, but her tone was unusually firm. “However, I choose to trust the manager.”
“What?” Liang Haiyuan and Liu Bo exclaimed in unison, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
“Although I haven’t known the manager for very long, do you know what? From what I’ve observed and understand, he has never made a wrong investment decision so far! Not even once! And,”
she emphasized:
"Think about it carefully. He's a newbie who just joined the company, with no impressive professional experience, yet he's been promoted to manager like a rocket. Do you really think it's just good luck, or like the rumors say, just because of a powerful background? There must be a reason behind this! There must be something extraordinary about him that we don't know about! Maybe...maybe he's one of those once-in-a-century investment geniuses?"
"Genius my foot!" Liang Haiyuan almost blurted out. He preferred another explanation, "Isn't it because the manager was parachuted in...!"
But the words caught in his throat. He suddenly realized the weight and potential risk of his words, especially with the manager's "eyes and ears" present. He quickly swallowed the rest of his sentence, forcibly changing his tone, his voice dropping eight octaves:
"Ahem! Alright, alright, stop speculating! Making things up is pointless! Since the manager gave the order, we soldiers have to carry it out. Stop standing around, get to work on the documents! I... I'm going out for a smoke to calm down."
With that, Liang Haiyuan fled the oppressive office area, hurrying towards the smoking room.
Nicotine, perhaps, is the last and cheapest refuge for middle-aged men.
Liang Haiyuan, his hands trembling slightly, lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag, trying to numb his pounding nerves with the choking smoke and dispel the restlessness and unease in his heart.
Yes, there are no perpetual rises in the stock market; what goes up must come down.
This is an irrefutable law.
But! But!
How long is "sooner or later"? Who the hell knows?! Maybe tomorrow, maybe next year, maybe three or five years from now!
What department are they? The trading department of a private equity firm!
They are "quick-draw" traders who survive by buying and selling quickly, capturing short-term fluctuations, and profiting from price differences!
Here, holding a stock for more than a week is considered a long-term investment!
Their performance evaluations are monthly!
Monthly profit and loss calculations directly determine whether you'll be living the high life or starving the following month, and even whether you can keep your position!
Now, are they asking them to gamble on a "major crash" that might not happen for who knows how long?
And against the market trend?
This is simply a joke! They're gambling with their careers and livelihoods!
What if this bull market lasts for a year or two before finally crashing?
By then, they'll have been repeatedly proven wrong by the market for their continuous short selling, losing everything!
Even if they're right in the end, and the market finally crashes, they'll already be out of a job!
They'll just be watching others rush in to pick up those ridiculously cheap shares, while they don't even get a sip of the soup!
This is practically one of the most tragic ways to die in the financial market: you saw the right direction, but you perished in the long darkness before dawn.
"Pfft—"
Liang Haiyuan exhaled a thick smoke ring, his eyes filled with melancholy and struggle, like a gambler who had lost his entire fortune.
The smoking room was empty; he was the only one there.
That's true. The market has only just opened; it's the busiest time of day, the most intense competition.
His colleagues in other trading departments are probably all on fire right now, glued to their computer screens, eyes gleaming, fingers flying, desperately trying to make money until their hands cramp.
Damn it! Everyone else is printing money and raking in gold, enjoying the bull market feast, while he, Liang Haiyuan, is stuck here like a lost soul, miserably puffing on his cigarette, contemplating philosophical questions like whether he'll be unemployed tomorrow! He can't even get a hot bowl of soup! What kind of situation is this?!
"Maybe… I should just go all out? Submit a report right now and apply for a transfer to another department?"
This tempting thought, like a devil's whisper, resurfaced in his mind.
But he ruthlessly extinguished it in a second.
Running away? Easier said than done!
Use your brain!
That's a genius who practically parachuted into the manager's position!
What does that mean?
It means his backer is incredibly powerful!
He might be some rich kid experiencing life, or the chairman's illegitimate son…
Ahem, in short, he's definitely a "superstar" level that ordinary workers and struggling office workers like them can't even dream of!
Offending such a powerful figure?
Want to stay at this company?
Forget promotions and raises, you'll be lucky if they don't find a reason to make your life miserable and get you fired!
The entire industry might blacklist you!
"Sigh… what the hell am I supposed to do…"
Liang Haiyuan took another drag of his cigarette, feeling his hairline recede another 0.5 millimeters.
“What if they really do what he says and lose all our department's capital? Will our entire department just disband and be shut down? Wouldn't I be finished too? I have elderly parents and young children to support, and the mortgage is suffocating me! Do you know how hard it is for me?!”
Various bleak futures played out in his mind like a revolving lantern, making him increasingly desperate and resentful.
Finally, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray with a soft "hiss," as if extinguishing the last embers of resistance in his heart.
He sighed deeply, as if resigned to his fate:
“Damn it, what else can I do? He's the boss, whatever the boss says goes! Whether it's a blessing or a curse, I have to accept it! Even if I have to be a coward, I have to finish today's shift first!”
He resigned himself to his fate.
What else could he do?
Who can argue with someone whose background is unfathomable, a "celestial being descended from heaven," while one is merely a mortal struggling in the mundane world?
In the end, you can't fight city hall.