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The next day, Xiao Yun arrived early at the big family room. A new round of stock IPO’s[1] will be launched next week, and no negligence could be tolerated.

After entering the big family room, as expected, Chen Yuanming was already sitting on the sofa, drinking this morning’s first cup of new tea. Xiao Yun smiled and walked up quickly.

“Well, did you have a good time with Junyi yesterday?”  After sitting beside Chen Yuanming, Xiao Yun also picked up his cup. The temperature of the hot tea was just right. He took a sip and looked at the teenager whose face was still calm.

“It was very good. We had lunch at the Peace Hotel, went out for a while in the afternoon, and then went to KFC.”

Hearing the words KFC, Xiao Yun also laughed, “Only you, young people, can play together because I can’t imagine myself accompanying you there.”

Chen Yuanming did not respond. He simply smiled and sipped his tea. Yes, indeed, it was true that only young people could play together, but was he really a young man? He was 32 years old when he died in his last life. Back then, he had wandered in society for more than ten years. What kind of things had he not seen and what kind of people had he not been exposed to? In this life, he had also even travelled from Zhuhai to Shanghai and had played an even more beautiful and dangerous game than in the past.

Though he wouldn’t say that his mental age was old, being in his 30’s and 40’s, he had already long passed the age of frivolity. However, Xiao Junyi’s group of young people, in their 20’s, were born in the 1970s and were just becoming mature. They had encountered reform and opening up as teenagers, and as they became adults, the early 1990s ushered in great economic changes. Not to mention that they were enjoying life with the innocence and indulgence which was unique to this era. In their eyes, Chen Yaunming felt that there were no difficulties or dangers, or worries worthy of concern. The money and prestige provided by the family gave them the greatest freedom and a reason for their pride.

They had never been the same. Neither in his past life nor even in this life. Without a common language, a similar mentality, or even similar growth experiences, how could he play with those fops?

Seeing Chen Yuanming’s smile and his silence, Xiao Yun realized that his nephew was right. Last night, he had actually asked Xiao Junyi the same question and the boy had answered in two ways.

“Uncle, where did you dig up this monster? What do you know about his family? Don’t try to fool me. Having lived till this big age, what kind of big courtyard child have I not seen before? But I have never seen such a person. How old is he and when was he born? No matter how difficult things are at home it would be redressed by others. Even if there was no one left at home would a big courtyard be so lacking to the extent that as a teenager he would be forced to come out to fight in Shanghai on his own? Which family would allow such an unorthodox thing?”

“Not to mention how strange his personality is. If you say he has never seen the world before, then how could he order from the menu of the Peace Hotel so smoothly, play snooker with one hand, and not be a stranger to the dance hall?  The strangest thing is that in the evening at KFC, although the boy seemed to be in a good mood, he was not interested in eating there. This was not a pretense. With him, it was not so much that we were taking out him out to play, it was rather that he was accommodating us. It’s really impossible for us to get along.”

After thinking about it further, Xiao Junyi rolled his eyes and added a sentence. “But if he really isn’t from our circle, then how does he have so much knowledge, and from where did he get such a large amount of capital to invest in stocks? Even if he is capable and a genius, things like money cannot be faked, right? Didn’t you say that he even entrusted you with obtaining an ID card? If we really are not from the same circle, then the source of kid’s net worth is worth studying carefully …”

Quietly putting down the teacup in his hand, Xiao Yun leaned back on the sofa. In fact, thinking about it now, this child’s behavior was indeed strange. At the beginning he had not noticed this problem. People from his own generation had really experienced hardship. They had gone into the mountains and the countryside and suffered through labor reform and re-education. It was only after the years had gotten better that they were able to strive forward. But how old was Chen Yuanming? It was weird for a child of this age to behave in a manner that he felt so comfortable with. It was just that … did he really want to get to the bottom of this?

After accepting the newspaper offered by Chen Yuanming, Xiao Yun smiled. In the stock market, this child had never cheated him or caused him to suffer a loss. He was slick and sly, but he had still done his utmost on Xiao Yun’s behalf. This was a good partner. A truly win-win partner. Was there anything more important for a businessman?

Xiao Yun unfolded the newspaper in his hand and leaned back heavily on the sofa.

On August 20, two new stocks from Chlor-Alkali Chemical and Yongsheng Pens were listed. Because it was a big day, Xiao Junyi had once again been dragged into the big family room again by his uncle. He had played till late last night and did not wake up until after 9’o clock so he just sat drowsily on the sofa.  With his sleepiness his pair of peach blossom eyes appeared even more lazy and provocative.  

But Chen Yuanming did not even lift his eyelids. Now, August had come to an end and it was time for the stock market to embark on a downward trend. This time a lot of shares had been listed so they had to work hard to deal with them.

“The market is open.” Xiao Yun shouted as soon as the TV screen flickered. The large family room was riotous with the sound of chatter.

“290 …” After looking at the figures in front of him, Xiao Yun took a cold breath and the hair on his body stood up. The opening was not low! There were not many stocks in the entire stock market that were priced at 300 yuan per share. Could the new stocks maintain this price?

Awakened by this commotion, Xiao Junyi finally rubbed his eyes and sat upright. “Opening? Which ones are up? …”

These days, he had been forced to read a few books on the stock market by his uncle.  Now Xiao Junyi could also be counted among those who could understand the things on the board. It was just that he had heard that his uncle had purchased some new stocks, but he could not remember their names.

“Chlor-alkali chemicals and Yongsheng Pens.” Xiao Yun said with a low voice. “I and Yuanming purchased 10,000 shares.”

Looking closely at the stock prices on the board, Xiao Junyi woke up completely. Hell! That was 56 million yuan, right?!! what a powerful gamble?!! Suddenly, the jumping numbers on the board seemed terrifying. His heart slammed in his chest and the hair on his body raised. He could not help but clench his fists. In a short moment these simple numbers seemed to turn into a tidal wave of money that made him uneasy.

The entire large family room had also become a mess. Some people screamed loudly, while others cursed their mothers. The whispers and the abrupt shouts were like a symphony that caused one’s heart to beat faster. Xiao Junyi swallowed his saliva and looked at the two people around him. His uncle’s expression was similar to his own. He was also clenching his fists while staring at the board with an extremely focused expression. And the boy next to him …

The expression in Xiao Junyi’s eyes changed. It was as if he had seen the most unreasonable monster appear in this big family room. Why did this boy not react at all? No panic, no haste, just drinking tea so calmly while looking at the board as if the terrifying jumping numbers did not concern him. Even if you were rich you wouldn’t be like this, right?!! Wasn’t he nervous at all?!!

Just then, Chen Yuanming raised his hand. “Traders!”

Xiao Junyi shivered, and suddenly found that most of the eyes in the entire room were now directed to their side. Xiao Yun also turned his head and looked at Chen Yuanming with surprise.

“So fast?”

A murmur passed into Xiao Junyi’s ear, but at this time he could not tell who had said it. He saw Chen Yuanming speaking to the red vest trader who had sweat on his face, ” Yongsheng Pens, cash it all out.”

Ah … even if he had seen the world, he had never seen such a big thing! Xiao Junyi only felt that his eyes were fooling him. Was the market still not rising? It has just passed the 300-yuan mark. Why toss it after earning just 10-yuan?!!

Who knew that immediately after Chen Yuanming, Xiao Yun would also hand over his stock account card, “Cash it all out as well.”

It was August and though the presidential suite was air-conditioned, the beads of sweat on the red vest trader’s face still dripped down onto the marble floor. After the stock transfer entrustment form was quickly completed, under Xiao Junyi’s lowered gaze, a number that could shock most people was written on the paper. A not so white hand picked up the pen and signed a name.

The transfer was done quickly. After a short while, a password was entered, the stock was sold, and the delivery form was placed on the coffee table. For a while Xiao Junyi could not hold back and grabbed the form to look at it. The number on it rendered him speechless.

“What do you think?” At this time, Xiao Yun at the side had finally calmed down and quietly bragged in the ear of his nephew, “Bought at 63 yuan per share, sold at 305 per share, 10,000 shares. Can you calculate the profit? “

Xiao Junyi only felt dizzy. It had been less than an hour after the market had opened and he had just sold it off? But the board was still clearly… He stretched out his trembling fingers, and pointed at the red number, “But uncle, isn’t it still going up? It’s at 307 now…”

His words stopped abruptly because the moment after he spoke the number jumped to 306, then 303, and then back to 305. It changed 3 to 5 times in ten minutes, and then it went down a little bit.

As if stirred by a large invisible hand, there was a commotion in the room. The calls for traders came one after another, and those sweeping gazes were finally withdrawn after their transfers were completed. Xiao Junyi was speechless at this time, was everyone crazy?!

Xiao Yun patted his nephew’s shoulder cheerfully, “You had best get used to this. Now in this room, unless you are a fool, you won’t doubt Yuanming. I was greedy the last time, and cashed out a day late, I lost 1 million in one breath…”

Could one million be spoken about in this tone?!! He clearly remembered his mother saying that his uncle had taken two million yuan in family funds to buy stocks, but now the figure of one million could be held in contempt? Taking a deep breath, Xiao Junyi lowered his voice and asked his uncle, “Uncle, honestly how much have you earned now …?”

Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes with a smile, and replied in the same low voice, “You can’t tell anyone but it’s just over 100 million yuan, just a little worse than Yuanming …”

After dropping the delivery order form in his hand, Xiao Junyi slumped on the sofa. What else could he say … doubting the kid’s identity? Mocking him as old fashioned and inflexible? Resenting his weird attitude? On what basis?!! Even if he was a real psychopath and a murderer, many people will still rush to protect him. This was a real cash cow, a treasure pot!

Xiao Junyi laughed twice and run his hand through his messy hair. He was really convinced. He had to throw away all his preconceived notions. What did he count for in front of Chen Yuanming? He was a dandy who could not do anything, a stupid young master who could only squander his ancestral property. Could he blame others for not paying attention to him and not being interested in running out to play? Uncle, this shock therapy was too successful!

Leaning back against the sofa, Xiao Junyi suddenly asked, “Why do you have to cash it all out? Is it not possible for people to come together to trade? I heard that many dealers have joined the stock market recently. You and uncle xiao both have enough capital, if you combine it and re-enter the …”

Chen Yuanming’s eyes swept over him for a moment, then moved away. “No one can manipulate this. The downward trend has begun, anyone who tries will fail.”

On the other side of the city, almost at the same time, a voice rang out.

“Boss Hu, this stock is really out of order. Now is not the time to enter the market. The downward trend is inevitable. It can’t tolerate the manipulation of several big players …”

With two bloodshot eyes, Hu Yongcai stared at the board unwillingly and cursed. With his own eyes, how could he not see the overall situation of this stock. But wasn’t the board always unstable? A few days ago, he had failed to listen to the boy and had gone south to Shenzhen where he had lost a lot. But now he had managed to earn back a million yuan so how could he bear to let go …?

“Since the new stocks really won’t work, let’s find other entry points …” Seeing his boss’s gritted teeth, how could Shen Jiankun not understand? This mouse was shortsighted and lacking in courage. Simply an idiot!! When he had first come into Hu Yongcai’s employ, he had been optimistic that with his crude techniques and some hard work he could make a fortune and become an investment consultant. Who knows what went wrong, but now he was stuck in a quagmire and tied in the same boat with this kind of thing …

“You shut up!” Hu Yongcai finally shouted. After earning 3 million yuan some time ago, he had forgotten himself and now that the market was shaky, his original nature was immediately revealed. Things like stock market trading was just fucking gambling. He really can’t play anymore.

Shen Jiankun immediately shut his mouth and reached out under his eyes to massage the bridge of his nose, while suppressing the disdain in his eyes. With such a person at the helm, this boat will overturn sooner or later. It would be nice if he could keep himself from falling into the water, but he could only do so much. Although, he had lost more than 5 million yuan because of his defeat last time, did he not earn back more than half in these two months? Now this rich landlord was more polite to him and showed a little respect to him as the commander of this operation. But how could he stay longer in this place that was showing signs of decline!

“Whatever! Let’s go after it first. ” Looking at the rising and falling prices on the board, Hu Yongcai finally gritted his teeth. After so long the new stocks had not yet fallen to the bottom. He really did not trust this demon! Shen Jiankun’s little white face was about as bold as a grain of rice. If you only listened to him, you will sooner or later miss an opportunity.

Though the corner of his mouth was raised in a sneer, Shen Jiankun said nothing. It was better to sit back so that the plans he had made could be realized sooner. In order to get out of Hu Yongcai’s small team, he had already met up with the previous bosses who had been trading together. They were only waiting to find an opportunity to swallow Hu Yongcai’s money. When the bosses achieve their goals, he would also be able to return to campus safely and read his books.

Now that the stock market was in this state, it was foolish to go in again. Anyway, he had gained enough fame, and in the future, he need not worry about no one looking for him to consult. His talents should have been used for more valuable and expensive trades, rather than this one million dollar deal.

However, before quitting, he still wanted to find out who the son of a bitch that had caused him to fall into this situation was! There were only three securities companies in Shanghai who could cater to the million-yuan households, and the number of people who could compete with him could be counted on one hand. Besides the mouths of those red vest traders were not as secure as one would think. As long as he was willing to spend money, did he need to worry about not finding the troublemaker?

Thinking silently, Shen Jiankun flashed a cold smile. I may not be able to face you head on but in the shadows, you wait and see!

That morning, the price of the Yongsheng Pens stocks finally stopped at the price of 294 yuan, and then fell all the way to the bottom over the next few days. It would be difficult for it to get back to its previous high values.

With that day’s amazing trade, Xiao Junyi finally became interested in the stock market and in Chen Yuanming. However, with the school term approaching he was only able to stay in Shanghai for a few days before heading back north for school.

On the matter of his return, Chen Yuanming and Xiao Yun didn’t pay much attention. After all, with the recent wave of new stock listings it had been an intensive period, and to maximize short term potential there could be no delays.

In the midst of the market’s drop, they had just made a few trades on several new stocks, but the drop turned out to be an actual market decline. The Shanghai Stock Exchange which could finally no longer hold up fell from more than 700 points to less than 400 points in one breath. The entire city of Shanghai was dismal. One after another, in the newspapers, there was news of people committing suicide and jumping off buildings because of failed stock market speculation. This sent people into a panic.

Under such circumstances, even people in this million-dollar family room withdrew from the market one after another, looking for other investment avenues. Only Chen Yuanming still maintained enough confidence to wait until mid-November, when the Shanghai Stocks bottomed out at 370 points. He and Xiao Yun both re-entered the stock market. Subsequently, favorable policies were successively introduced, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange began to move upwards. Soon after entering the new year, the Shanghai Stock Exchange also started to rebound in what was perhaps the last upward trend for the bull market in the next few years.

At this time, many big investors who had once dominated the stock exchange had already withdrawn from the market because of the failure of the new share listings. Among them was a real estate developer named Hu Yongcai from Anhui Province.

The author has something to say:

At the end of 1992, the K-line chart of another wave of bull market also soared rapidly, but the duration was very short.

After finishing this wave, we will temporarily exit the stock market ~ ~ haha, the main story line is about to unfold, and about who the partners are… keep waiting .. = W=.

Translator Notes:

Xiao Junyi has now seen how impressive CY is …his blood is now stirring.

[1] An initial public offering (IPO) refers to the process of offering shares of a private corporation to the public in a new stock issuance. Public share issuance allows a company to raise capital from public investor

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