bullyxtreme Chapter 6 Securities Trading Hall
Chapter 6 Securities Trading Hall
Ling Yun stopped dwelling on his past relationship of three years, which ended in an instant. People with different values could never be together. He walked into the Qilu Securities branch with the China Construction Bank savings card containing the "huge sum" of money in his hand.
A wave of heat, mixed with the smells of smoke, sweat, and printing ink, hit me. It was more like a bustling market than a business office.
The hall was packed with people, almost all of them men. They were either standing or sitting, their eyes fixed on the huge electronic display screen on the wall, which was made up of red and green light bulbs.
The screen continuously scrolled through stock names, codes, and real-time prices, each scroll eliciting a buzz of discussion.
"It's falling! Shenzhen Development Bank is dropping again!"
"Damn it, I refuse to believe it can't get up!"
"Look! Changhong! Changhong has been breached!"
A tense, desire-filled atmosphere hung in the air. In a corner, several elderly men in t-shirts huddled together, arguing heatedly over a hand-drawn candlestick chart spread on the ground. Staff in uniforms weaved through the crowd, their faces etched with exhaustion.
There is no self-service trading system here; all buying and selling must be done in person at the counter, with orders filled out manually. Online stock trading will have to wait until next year. Nationwide rollout of online stock trading is not expected until 2000, after the widespread adoption of the internet.
Ling Yun took a deep breath, the unfamiliar scene making him slightly dazed. He steadied himself, ignoring the dazzling large screen, and walked straight to the account opening counter.
The account opening process was relatively simple: fill out a form, show your ID card, and obtain a shareholder code card. The teller, a young woman, saw Lingyun's student-like appearance and kindly reminded him, "Young man, the stock market is risky; please invest with caution."
"Thank you, I understand." Ling Yun smiled calmly. His practiced manner surprised the teller, as if he were not a novice but a seasoned veteran with many years of trading experience.
After opening an account and receiving the paper card that served as his admission ticket, Lingyun walked to the transaction counter. There was a long queue there, with people holding completed forms in their hands, their expressions varying—some excited, some nervous, and some numb.
Lingyun stood at the back of the line, observing silently. An old man in front of her had mistakenly checked "sell" instead of "buy" and was pointed out by the teller. He became flustered, sweating profusely and rambling incoherently, which caused laughter from those around him.
Finally, it was Ling Yun's turn. He calmly took out the red purchase order form he had just filled out from his pocket and handed it into the window along with his shareholder code card and ID card.
The woman at the window took the form, glanced at it habitually, and then stopped. She adjusted her reading glasses, leaned closer, and looked at it carefully again. Then, she looked up and stared at Ling Yun with an incredulous gaze.
"Comrade...are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" The aunt's voice rose eight octaves in surprise. "All in...buy...Shenzhen Technology? Stock code...000021?"
Her voice wasn't particularly loud in the noisy hall, but the keywords "full position" and "deep technology" still stirred up ripples like pebbles thrown into calm water.
Several sharp-eared investors immediately gathered around.
"What? All in? This young guy?"
"Shenzhen Tech? That company that makes hard drives? They haven't been making any moves lately!"
"Kid, do you know what 'all in' means? It means putting all your money in!"
An elderly man in a white undershirt approached Ling Yun, his face saying with an air of "I've seen more of the world than you've ever known anything," and earnestly advised, "Young man, don't be impulsive! Shenzhen Technology has been languishing for ages; look at its stock chart, it's like a dead fish! Take my advice, buy Shenzhen Development Bank or Changhong; those are the real leading stocks!"
A bespectacled man standing nearby, who looked like an intellectual, chimed in, "Yes, young comrade. Investing requires diversification; putting all your money into one stock, especially such an obscure one, is too risky!"
Despite the well-meaning but discouraging advice from those around him, Ling Yun remained unmoved. He even smiled at the old man and said firmly, "Thank you, sir, I'll buy it."
The auntie at the window couldn't help but confirm again, "Comrade, your order price... buy at the current price? Aren't you going to wait and see? This isn't a small amount!" She saw the amount Ling Yun filled in; although the exact number was covered by his hand, the several zeros at the end made her heart skip a beat. These days, anyone who dares to invest so much money in a single stock is either crazy or...
"Confirmed. Buy 5.8 shares at the current price of 4.6 yuan." Ling Yun's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable calmness.
His composure, so unusual for his age, stunned everyone around him. The once noisy area fell silent for a moment. Everyone stared at this young man, whose face was still youthful but whose actions were so bold and even "reckless," as if he were a monster.
Seeing that she couldn't persuade her otherwise, the teller shook her head, muttering to herself, "These young people nowadays..." as she began operating the system. She entered the information, confirmed it, and then handed the receipt out the window.
"Alright, deal done. Remember to bring all your documents next time you buy or sell."
Ling Yun took the thin receipt that determined his first step in the future, glanced at the words "Deep Technology" and "Transaction Quantity" on it, calmly folded it in half, and put it in his pocket. It was as if he hadn't just made a huge gamble, but simply bought a bottle of soda.
He turned and left the counter, leaving behind a murmur of discussion.
"Oh no, this kid's money's probably going to be wasted..."
"A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, sigh..."
"Let's see how long he can stay calm. We'll know when he starts crying!"
The old man fanning himself watched Ling Yun's retreating figure, clicked his tongue, and said to the person next to him, "That kid, either he's recklessly bold, or... he has a master mentoring him?"
The "reckless fool" he was referring to was now easily weaving through the crowded streets towards the sales office entrance. The sunlight outside shone warmly on him. He reached into his pocket, touched the receipt, and a slight, uncontrollable smile curved his lips.
A master?
Ling Yun silently thought to himself, "I am the expert who knows the script."