The temperature in late October was already quite chilly, with a cold wind constantly blowing, swirling dust and fallen leaves in the air. Although the trees still had some leaves hanging on, they had long lost the vitality of spring and summer. Winter was fast approaching.
Ancient City had four long-distance bus stations. At around 9 a.m., during her work hours, Rui Xiaodan drove a police car to the North Long-distance Bus Station to see Ding Yuanying off. Rows of buses heading to various destinations lined up, and ticket sellers were shouting to attract passengers. Rui Xiaodan bought a ticket for Ding Yuanying to Wutai County, securing a window seat. The bus was scheduled to depart in over 20 minutes, and she carried his bag, standing by the bus to keep him company.
Rui Xiaodan said, "You should smoke a cigarette while you can. They won't let you smoke on the bus."
Ding Yuanying lit a cigarette and remarked, "You were just disciplined recently, and now you're using a police car for personal reasons during work hours."
Rui Xiaodan replied, "Last time was crossing the line. This time, it's just a quick favor. It's getting cold, and it'll be even colder in the mountains. Don't forget to dress warmly. Keep your phone with you, no matter how annoying it gets, and contact me immediately if anything happens. I checked the calendar—today is the 19th day of the 9th lunar month, Guanyin Bodhisattva's ordination anniversary. You might catch some of her divine aura on your trip."
Ding Yuanying chuckled, "You're becoming quite the mystic."
Rui Xiaodan said, "Yuanying, have you thought about it? If that stock doesn't double in value, the investment amount you set for Ouyang will seem high, putting pressure on her."
Ding Yuanying replied, "That's possible, but the likelihood is low, and there are ways to mitigate it."
Rui Xiaodan asked, "How do you know the stock will more than double? Why must it be sold by next May? Many believe that Hong Kong's return and the 15th National Congress will be positive for the stock market."
Ding Yuanying explained, "It's complicated—technical factors, institutional aspects, industrial structure, and more. It's like Zen: knowing is not knowing, not knowing is still knowing."
Rui Xiaodan said, "The bookstore is full of books teaching stock trading. How come you can't explain it?"
Ding Yuanying said, "If there were a foolproof way to make money, would anyone share it? If they could make money that way, they wouldn't need to write books."
Rui Xiaodan nodded, "True."
Ding Yuanying continued, "Hong Kong's return is a political issue, a matter of national sovereignty, not an economic one, at least not in the short term. The 15th National Congress will address fundamental political and economic strategies. Reforms like state asset restructuring and debt-to-equity swaps are inevitable. This involves political economics and market economics, paving the way for reform while easing its pain. In this context, the stock market will be full of falsehoods and volatility. You have to watch the manipulations of big players and the swift actions of regulators. You need to strike when there's meat in the wolf's mouth and pull back before the regulators' knife falls."
Rui Xiaodan laughed, "That's even more confusing. It just gives me chills."
As they chatted by the bus, time passed quickly. The ticket seller shouted again, announcing the imminent departure for Wutai: "The bus to Wutai is leaving soon! Those with tickets, please board now. If you haven't bought your ticket yet, hurry up!"
Rui Xiaodan handed Ding Yuanying his bag and watched him take his seat. She stood there, watching the bus leave the station, her eyes following it until it was out of sight.