Chapter 46: The Endless Rainbow Flattery

In the office of Trading Department Seven, the faces of the department members were filled with relief at surviving a close call and… an undisguised joy.
“Oh my god, thinking about it now still gives me chills!”
A young trader patted his chest, still shaken:
“Luckily, the manager acted decisively and reacted quickly, letting us liquidate our positions and run! Otherwise, we would have definitely lost a fortune!”
“Not really a loss, the options price is still about three times our cost basis…”
Another slightly more meticulous trader muttered quietly.
“Dude! When we ran, it was a full twenty times! Twenty times!”
The first man immediately retorted excitedly, emphasizing the result:
“Twenty times turned into three times, isn’t that a huge loss?!”
To outsiders, these guys in suits must have been holding some tense, strategic investment research meeting.
But in reality…
They were just chatting, gossiping, and joking around.
Since they precisely followed Su Hao's instructions and miraculously cleared out all their positions near the market's peak before the crash,
they now hold a mountain of heart-pounding cash, yet are completely sitting on the sidelines, watching the show!
They spend their days chatting, doing absolutely nothing!
“I already told you all last time,”
Su Hao looked at his group of men, who were clearly bored and overflowing with energy, and smiled faintly:
“Anyone who feels itchy and can’t sit still can jump in and try to make some money anytime. Don’t worry about me, just be responsible for your own profits and losses.”
“No way!” someone immediately shook their head vigorously. “I’m definitely sticking to the manager! I’ll stay put!”
“Me too! Me too!” another quickly chimed in:
“Manager, you’ve worked so hard to help us make so much money, it’s all hard-earned!
How could I dare to mess around! What if I lose it all? I… how could I face you?
I’d feel like jumping off a building!”
“Exactly! Besides, according to the rules of our industry, if you exceed your monthly performance target ahead of schedule, shouldn’t you lock up the funds and start taking paid breaks?”
Indeed.
In the highly competitive trading department of Fanghuan Investment, once a team achieves its monthly or even quarterly profit target ahead of schedule, it's basically time to "slack off."
They might come to the office each day to clock in, give a token glance at the market;
or simply not come to the office at all, just relax at home—it's up to them.
This is an unwritten special reward for "excellent" teams.
Of course, some ambitious individuals, confident in their abilities, might want to challenge for even higher returns, and theoretically, they could continue trading.
But generally speaking, after already making a significant profit, reckless trading increases the probability of losing money far outweighs the chance of further gains.
Therefore, most experienced teams choose to take profits and secure their gains.
'Actually, I haven't had any particularly strong feelings lately, which is why I've been holding back.'
Su Hao leaned back in his comfortable office chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the desk, silently calculating in his mind.
Why haven't I felt any trading impulse or inspiration?
He vaguely felt it might be related to the size of the funds he could now mobilize.
250 million!
That was already a massive sum.
Back when he only had five million, his stock trading, unless targeting extremely small-cap, illiquid stocks, had a negligible impact on market prices.
Small boats are easy to maneuver, allowing for flexible operations.
But now it was different. With 250 million in hand, did he still want to engage in the old-fashioned, quick-in-and-out short-term trading or even high-frequency trading?
What a joke!
With his current capital, a single buy or sell order was enough to create significant market turmoil.
It would instantly make him the subject of gossip as a "major player" or "market maker."
Want to keep a low profile? Absolutely not!
Imagine the scene: 250 million in capital, frantically buying and selling in the market, measured in seconds…
The scene was too much for him to bear.
Leaving aside whether there are enough counterparties in the market to instantly absorb such a massive buy or sell order,
the sheer force of this buying and selling activity alone would be enough to drastically alter the target stock's price, making it impossible for him to execute a trade at his ideal price.
The likely outcome would be that he himself has distorted the price, resulting in exorbitant transaction costs, rendering him unable to make a profit, and possibly even incurring losses.
"Then… Manager," a trader asked Su Hao tentatively, looking at him.
"Can we... take a break early and relax?"
"Oh? Really, Manager? Is that okay?"
Upon hearing this, the others' eyes instantly lit up, like a pack of huskies seeing a bone, filled with longing.
"Yeah, I know. Following me around like this, your hearts are probably about to give out, right?"
Su Hao looked at their eager expressions, like they were saying, "Let me out and have some fun!" and found it a little amusing. He nodded:
"Your nerves have been on high alert. You've all worked hard; it's time to rest and relax. Go back and recharge."
"Wow—!"
A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the office, almost lifting the roof off.
It seems these guys were really going stir-crazy from just sitting here slacking off at work.
Letting them take their hard-earned fortune and plunge back into this turbulent, crisis-ridden market to fight their way through.
He was also afraid of accidentally falling into a trap and losing all his hard-earned money, principal and interest, down the drain.
So he could only forcefully suppress his inner restlessness, staring blankly, his heart itching with anticipation.
'Perfect, I haven't played games properly in ages,' Su Hao thought, a hopeful smile playing on his lips.
Since becoming a department manager, he'd been like a tightly wound top, weekdays and weekends alike.
He was constantly monitoring market trends and analyzing various data reports, especially during the period leading up to the stock market crash, when he was working non-stop, afraid of missing even the slightest development.
The pressure was immense; he hadn't even had time to properly touch his beloved game!
If we don't go back to playing soon, the equipment in the guild warehouse will probably get moldy!
We should take advantage of this "technical adjustment" to rest for a few days and catch up on all the "game homework" we've missed!
Daily quests, raids, new events...
Grind! We have to grind like crazy!
"Um... Manager..."
Just then, Li Huilin, usually the quietest member of the team, hesitated and raised her hand, speaking softly.
"We... our department hasn't had a single get-together since it was formed."
"Eh? Oh right, now that you mention it..."
"It's true! Ever since you came, Manager, it's been like a Hollywood blockbuster every day, full of thrills and drama. We haven't had time to think about get-togethers!"
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes subtly conveying a message, quickly achieving a consensus through their glances.
Finally, all eyes, like searchlights, focused on Su Hao, filled with anticipation.
Su Hao's heart skipped a beat; he immediately understood their meaning. Remembering something, he reached into his wallet.
"Ah, found it! It's here."
"What's that, Manager?" someone asked curiously, craning their neck.
Su Hao smiled slightly smugly, waving a card that gleamed with a faint black light.
"My salary card!" he winked. "Tonight, it's on me! Swipe away! Swipe as much as you want!!"
***
Some say the ultimate form of a dinner party is about high-end ingredients, elegant surroundings, and a lot of class.
But in Su Hao's opinion, that's all just empty fluff.
What could compare to sitting at a smoky barbecue stall, listening to the crackling of charcoal and the sizzling of meat skewers on the grill, enjoying cumin-sprinkled skewers, and gulping down an ice-cold beer?
"Come on! Brothers and sisters! To the glorious past and even more glorious future of our Trading Department 7! Cheers!"
"Hey, wait a minute! Just a dry toast like this isn't very interesting!"
Liang Haiyuan, his face flushed, deftly raised his glass, a hint of obsequiousness on his face:
"Manager, forgive my intrusion, but may I say a toast?"
"Of course, please." Su Hao smiled and nodded, gesturing for him to proceed.
Liang Haiyuan immediately perked up, cleared his throat, and stood up.
The manner was more like an inaugural address than a toast:
"Our wise, handsome, wealthy, exceptionally capable, and charismatic Manager Su!"
His voice boomed, brimming with emotion:
"The best thing I, Liang, have ever done in my life!
Without a doubt, it was joining our glorious Trading Department Seven and having the opportunity to serve under your command!
As the saying goes, 'Different perspectives lead to different levels of achievement!'
These words are practically tailor-made for our manager!
Your vision is as vast as the ocean and as expansive as the sky, allowing us, your subordinates, to glimpse the true world of trading!
Therefore, I propose! For our great Manager Su!
For his continued support, care, encouragement, and leadership of us..."
“Ugh…” Su Hao’s eyelids twitched, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
The others also stood up and pulled Liang Haiyuan back, trying to interrupt this endless, incessant flattery:
“Brother Haiyuan, that’s enough, that’s enough…”
“Cough cough cough!” Liang Haiyuan seemed to realize he’d gone a bit too far and quickly toned it down.
But his enthusiasm remained undiminished. He raised his glass high and shouted hoarsely:
“In short! A thousand words can be summed up in one sentence! To be a manager’s subordinate is a blessing from our ancestors! We are incredibly fortunate!
Come on! To our great, invincible Manager Su Hao! Cheers—!”
“Yay! Cheers!!”
The crowd responded enthusiastically, the clinking of glasses filling the air, instantly pushing the atmosphere to a climax!