“Yezi, you’re really something!” Bai Ou’s soft voice came through the receiver, quite pleasant to hear.
“What, are you laughing at me for being foolish, even a bit stupid?” Fang Qingye retorted with a laugh.
“Not at all. I just got off the phone with Da Hai and felt like you’ve changed.”
“Changed? Into what?”
“More carefree than before, and more mature!”
“Mature? Then why are you still making bets with Jiang Chen in front of so many classmates?”
“That Jiang Chen is too bullying! I can’t stand him! You’re so confident, you must have your reasons, right? I believe in you!”
Huh?
“If you really lose, don’t be discouraged. I can chip in for the treat!” Bai Ou added.
Fang Qingye found this somewhat strange. “You’re still a student, relying on your family for support. Where would you get money?”
“Don’t underestimate me! My mentor recently took on a civil case and won, earning a hefty lawyer’s fee. As his assistant, he gave me 6,000 yuan. Should I transfer it all to you?” Bai Ou said from the other end of the line.
Sigh…
Still thinks I’m going to lose.
Fang Qingye sighed inwardly but said aloud, “Keep the money for yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t lose!”
“Alright then, when you make money from stocks, you have to treat me when I’m back for summer break.”
“No problem!” Fang Qingye agreed readily.
After chatting a bit more, they hung up.
Fang Qingye checked the group messages again. Jiang Chen was still boasting there, but he couldn’t be bothered to reply and simply went offline.
After work in the evening, the group remained lively. Some busybodies had already detailed the standards for tomorrow’s treat, even posting the menu in the group!
Jiang Chen had agreed, and that Song Da Hai actually overstepped and accepted on his behalf!
Whatever.
Fang Qingye shook his head and paid it no mind.
He still had important matters to attend to.
He opened “Benchmark Analysis Methods in Mathematical Finance” and began reading again.
The next morning at work, Fang Qingye spent his time reading. Work had been light recently, so he seized the opportunity to review the theoretical knowledge in the book, aiming to finish it today and start modeling tomorrow.
After lunch in the unit cafeteria, Fang Qingye headed back to the office to continue reading. In the courtyard, Chen Meimei stopped him.
“Fang Qingye, your bet with Jiang Chen has spread through our school’s alumni group. Everyone’s discussing it.”
Fang Qingye and Song Da Hai attended Nanxin No. 1 High School, while Chen Meimei went to Nanxin No. 2 High School.
Hearing this, Fang Qingye smiled. “Do they all think I’ll lose?”
“Well, the situation isn’t optimistic. Longping High-Tech dropped another two points this morning,” Chen Meimei said quietly.
Chen Meimei worked in the Comprehensive Finance Department, and her office computer had external internet access, so she could check.
Fang Qingye’s expression remained unchanged:
“It’s fine, there’s still half a day left in the afternoon.”
Chen Meimei tilted her small face up, staring at him in a daze.
How could he be so calm?
Seeing the girl’s adorable expression, Fang Qingye joked.
“If by any chance I lose and don’t have enough money, Chen Meimei, could you lend me some?”
“Sure, I’ve saved up some. I’ll lend it all to you,” Chen Meimei agreed readily.
She could save money?
Fang Qingye was basically living paycheck to paycheck.
“Thanks then.”
With that, Fang Qingye headed upstairs.
At 1:30 PM when the stock market opened, the Nanxin No. 1 High School Class of ’03 alumni group became even more lively. Everyone was discussing today’s stocks, with even the usual lurkers popping up to join the conversation. Some even started learning how to trade stocks on the spot—topics like limit up and limit down, orders and executions, bulls and bears—turning the class group into what resembled a stock trading forum.
“Wow, it’s still falling! Already down 3 percentage points!”
“It just won’t stop dropping! This reminds me of a poem by Li Bai: ‘The waterfall flies straight down three thousand feet, I wonder if it’s the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven.’ Jiang Chen is definitely going to win!”
The group was full of people supporting Jiang Chen, while very few were cheering for Fang Qingye.
Facts speak louder than words.
With the stock falling like this, what more was there to say?
Jiang Chen was even more smug, tagging Fang Qingye several times, but there was no response from the other side.
Because Fang Qingye wasn’t even online.
He was busy.
Not with studying, but because he had just received the latest news: early tomorrow morning, leaders from the municipal branch would be coming to inspect work at Nanxin Branch. The branch leadership demanded all departments immediately prepare for the inspection.
All departments were instantly thrown into a frenzy.
The credit department’s workload was especially heavy. Xia He required them to immediately prepare materials, including: changes in the branch’s deposit and loan scale over the past two years, the proportion of corporate and retail intermediate business revenue, net profit situation, and the list of top 20 loan clients with amounts, pricing, guarantee methods, and yields. For non-performing loans, they needed to specify corporate non-performing loans and the watch list under the five-category classification.
It was said that Section Chief Zhang Qunying turned pale upon hearing Xia He’s demands.
Fang Qingye also felt overwhelmed when he saw the preparation requirements.
This Xia He was going a bit crazy.
Was it really necessary to make such a big fuss just because a branch president was visiting?
When leadership speaks, subordinates must obey unconditionally. The entire credit department was in chaos.
Fang Qingye was assigned to input and organize the processed data. Seeing his colleagues bring over piles of materials, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This afternoon—no, probably tonight—was going to be wasted. They might even have to work overtime.
While the various departments within the branch were bustling with activity, the atmosphere in the online QQ group suddenly turned strange.
Right at 2:30 PM, with half an hour left until market close, Longping High-Tech’s stock price, which had been as wilted as frostbitten eggplant, suddenly perked up slightly.
“Signs of a rally!”
“Large orders! Big buy orders appearing at the second bid level!”
Those in the group who knew something about stocks immediately typed these lines.
Sure enough, the previously sluggish stock suddenly surged like it had taken performance enhancers, rapidly approaching yesterday’s closing price and quickly turning positive!
Trading volume also expanded rapidly.
“Holy shit, it’s rising! It’s really rising!”
“Broke through the 11.0 yuan psychological barrier, already up to 11.05 yuan—a 1.0% increase!”
“Still climbing! 11.2 yuan now!”
“Jiang Chen, quickly analyze this for us! What’s going on?”
By this time, Jiang Chen was panicking!
He had specifically taken half the afternoon off to watch the market, staring at his computer at home all afternoon.
Now seeing people in the group asking for technical analysis at this moment, he became furious.
Analyze my ass.
If it keeps rising like this, I’m going to lose!
Now he could only hope the stock price would rise slightly without exceeding 11.32 yuan—meaning no more than a 4% increase—so he could still win!
Watching the continuously climbing stock price, Jiang Chen felt for the first time that seeing gains in red could be so detestable.
The stock price had already surpassed 11.25 yuan! Nearing the 11.30 yuan mark!
11.30 yuan!
11.31 yuan!
Damn, it broke through again. But like a fiery serpent, the stock price showed no signs of stopping, continuing its upward surge!
11.35
11.40 yuan.
11.45 yuan.
One psychological barrier after another was shattered, until the stock price finally settled at 11.62 yuan, a staggering increase of 5.7%! A long dragon soared upward, trailing a lengthy tail.
Lost. Completely lost.
Jiang Chen collapsed into his computer chair.
Losing money was one thing, but where could he hide his face now?
Over on Fang Qingye’s end, his phone suddenly started ringing incessantly. All were close classmates who, seeing his victory and getting no response from their QQ congratulations, decided to call directly.
The first call came from Song Da Hai. As soon as Fang Qingye answered, he heard roaring laughter: “Yezi, awesome! So damn satisfying! Tonight I’m gonna enjoy watching Jiang Chen’s miserable face! We’re drinking till we drop!”
“You go ahead and drink. I don’t have time!” Fang Qingye replied lazily: “I’m working overtime tonight.”