Chapter 19: Let's Mix Together
It was past two o'clock in the afternoon when Changjiang Investment unexpectedly surged. As the stock price soared to nearly 4% in the red market, Fang Hong began to distribute his shares and exit his position, with Cao Chenghui closely following suit.
Without wasting any time, Fang Hong immediately turned his attention to a stock in Shenzhen—Yongan Linye, with the transaction code 000663. He secured an average transaction price of 7.10 yuan, positioning his cost line at +5.65% above water. In the last three minutes before the market closed, the stock hit its upper limit.
By the end of the trading day, today's intraday profit exceeded 8%, marking the first time it had dropped below 10%.
Once Fang Hong finished his transactions, Big A, Cao Chenghui, logged into Tianya Forum and crafted a new post:
> "I feel like I was targeted today, but maybe I'm just overthinking it. Either way, I won't be issuing overnight position delivery orders moving forward. Instead, I'll share updates on different trading days. The market was terrible today, and I barely managed to make 8 points. It's just enough to get by."
After carefully reviewing his post, Cao Chenghui hit "send."
Despite his concerns, he couldn't resist the urge to maintain his image. After all, making money without showing off felt incredibly frustrating.
A few minutes later, he refreshed the page and was met with a flood of responses:
"Great God, please accept my humble admiration!"
"Earning over 8% in a market like this and still not satisfied? I don't even know what to say..."
"I'd be thrilled with just 2% gains per day!"
"If you didn't lose money today, you already won big."
"Damn, did he just flex on us without even trying?"
"The market is at an all-time low! Can the master analyze when it will bottom out?"
"Experts say 80% of institutions believe the market has already bottomed out."
"Don't listen to the so-called experts. They'll lead you straight into disaster!"
"Look at their track record: At 6124 points, they said it was 'hard to buy a bull.' At 5500, they called it a 'short-term correction.' At 5000, they urged 'bold buying.' At 4500, they claimed 'the market has stabilized.' At 4300, they warned that 'shorting is dangerous.' At 4000, they said it was 'a great mid-term buying opportunity.' At 3500, they cautioned against 'blind selling.' And now? We're at the bottom again! Do you still believe them?"
"Experts are just clueless old investors who got left behind."
"They're just mouthpieces for big institutions. Half-truths mixed with lies to deceive retail investors."
"Whatever the experts say, just do the opposite."
---
The Puppet Master Behind the Scenes
Meanwhile, Fang Hong had quietly left the Internet café where he had been trading. However, instead of heading home, he entered another Internet café nearby, logged in, and navigated to Tianya Forum.
As soon as he refreshed Cao Chenghui's post, he immediately felt relieved.
"This guy really knows how to put on a show." Fang Hong smirked as he checked his social reputation system, noticing that his reputation points had increased significantly.
The more buzz and admiration generated online, the higher his reputation value climbed.
After confirming that Cao Chenghui was successfully boasting and exaggerating his earnings, ensuring it wouldn't affect his real profits, Fang Hong logged out and left the café.
---
Fast Forward – 14 Trading Days Later
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, 14 more trading days had gone by. It was now Friday, August 29, with the new school season just around the corner.
During this period, Fang Hong and Cao Chenghui's capital had expanded exponentially due to the continuous compounding effect. Fang Hong's portfolio had officially broken into seven figures within this short time.
However, as their funds grew, their overall return rate began to decline. The market in 2008 had limited liquidity, with some stocks only trading a few million yuan per day. Even those with good liquidity had volumes of only 100 to 200 million yuan.
Large-cap stocks with "China" in their names had stability but lacked volatility, making them unsuitable for short-term gains.
For the last 14 trading days, Fang Hong's average daily return rate had stabilized around 10%, down from the previous 15% or more. This was despite him making at least one major trade per day.
However, while the daily return rate declined, the absolute profits soared due to compounding interest.
By August 29, Fang Hong's total account balance had skyrocketed to 2.46 million yuan.
It had been exactly 36 trading days since he entered the market on July 11, and his cumulative return rate had reached a staggering +3491.67%, multiplying his initial capital by 34 times.
Accounting for the five days where Cao Chenghui had skipped trading, Fang Hong had effectively only been active for 31 days, meaning his average daily return rate was an astonishing +112%.
Even Cao Chenghui, who had merely copied Fang Hong's trades, saw his account soar past 1.02 million yuan.
---
A Millionaire's Lunch
At noon, Fang Hong and Cao Chenghui met at a restaurant in Xincheng, with Fang Hong treating the meal.
Since it was Friday, and he had liquidated his stocks from the previous day, Fang Hong had not bought any new positions. In fact, he had even transferred all his funds from his brokerage account back into his bank card.
With the new school season approaching, he planned to take a break from trading and instead focus on setting up five new companies—a move that required Cao Chenghui's involvement.
Cao Chenghui, while eating, couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
"It's unbelievable… It feels like a dream. I still can't believe it—I actually made over a million yuan in just one month."
With this money, he could now buy a new house in the city without taking a loan—a reality he never imagined possible.
However, as the conversation unfolded, a sudden realization hit him.
Something about Fang Hong felt different.
Although only in his twenties, Fang Hong carried an aura of authority and confidence, unlike anyone his age. His words and demeanor had an undeniable weight, surpassing even those of the wealthy businessmen Cao Chenghui had encountered before.
Just as he was deep in thought, Fang Hong spoke casually yet profoundly while picking at his food:
"I'm planning to set up an investment firm, but I need the right people. If you follow me, yesterday's city apartment will turn into a villa tomorrow. If you stick with me, changing cars and houses will be child's play. Hell, even if you want to change wives every year, it won't be a problem."
Cao Chenghui froze mid-bite, completely stunned.
His mind went blank.
Was this really the kind of conversation a twenty-year-old should be having?
---
(PS: Please support us with recommendations, votes, and collections!)