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During his time working as a bouncer at Paradise KTV, Chen Qiming outwardly behaved himself.

I get off work from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day, then catch up on sleep during the day, day after day.

Seeing that he was indeed behaving himself, Liu Yuan gave him a raise a month later, from 800 to 1200.

But only Chen Qiming himself knew that he had not given up.

Every afternoon after waking up from his nap, he would go to the stock exchange to check the market.

I'm not just watching for the spectacle, I'm really watching...

Look at the candlestick chart, the trading volume, and the flow of funds.

He didn't have much money in his pocket, so he could only look, not buy.

Occasionally, when he gets the urge to try his luck, he'll spend a few hundred yuan to test the waters.

Buy one or two lots, and you won't be greedy if you make a profit, nor will you feel bad if you lose money.

Through these small-scale experiments, they gradually figured out some tricks of the trade.

One afternoon, he met an old stock investor at the exchange. His surname was Zhao, he was over fifty years old, and he had been trading stocks for seven or eight years.

Chen Qiming offered him a cigarette, and the two started chatting.

"Uncle Zhao, look at 'Shenzhen Technology,' it hit the daily limit yesterday, why is it falling again today?"

Old Zhao took the cigarette, glanced at him, and said, "Young man, are you a newbie?"

"I guess... I lost money before."

"I see," Old Zhao said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "'Shenzhen Technology' rose yesterday just because of market trends, without any real positive news. Today, funds have flowed out, so it naturally fell. When investing in stocks, you can't just look at the rise and fall; you have to look at the underlying logic."

"Then how do we look at the logic?"

Old Zhao got interested and pulled him to sit down in a corner of the trading hall, teaching him step by step, "First, look at the company's fundamentals: how good its performance is, and what the industry prospects are. Second, look at the policies: which industries does the government support? Third, look at the capital: where is the big money flowing? Once you understand these three things, you'll have a better grasp of stock trading."

Chen Qiming listened attentively.

He was a proper graduate of a 211 university, majoring in economics, so he understood these theories very easily.

I didn't study it seriously before, but now that I've calmed down and started learning, I'm making rapid progress.

For the next month, Chen Qiming spent his days at the stock exchange, consulting with Lao Zhao and studying books on his own.

I went to work at a karaoke bar at night, and my mind was still reviewing what had happened during the day.

Liu Yuan noticed it and asked him one day after get off work, "Qiming, what have you been doing during the day lately? You've been acting all mysterious."

"I didn't do anything, just... wandered around." Chen Qiming gave a vague answer.

"Don't go back to investing in stocks!" Liu Yuan reminded him. "Have you forgotten the lesson you learned last time?"

"I didn't cook it, I was just looking at it."

Liu Yuan was skeptical, but didn't ask any further questions.

After all, he's not Chen Qiming's parents, and interfering too much will only make people resentful.

In fact, Chen Qiming didn't make any money – he didn't have any.

I lost over 20,000 last time, and I don't dare touch the little money left; I have to save it for food and rent.

But the fire in his heart burned ever brighter.

Watching others make money every day, seeing those red and green numbers jumping around, made his hands itch unbearably.

The turning point came a month later.

That afternoon, Chen Qiming was at the stock exchange monitoring the market as usual.

Old Zhao suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Xiao Chen, I have some news. 'Shenzhen Energy' will be issuing an announcement next week, which may involve asset restructuring."

Chen Qiming's heart skipped a beat. "Is it reliable?"

“My nephew works in the finance department of that company, so it can’t be wrong,” Old Zhao said. “The stock price is currently 2.8 yuan, but if the restructuring news comes out, it will rise to 4 yuan without any problem.”

Chen Qiming quickly did the math in his head: he still had 15,000 yuan left. If he bought Shenzhen Energy with all his money and it rose to 4 yuan, he could make more than 6,000 yuan.

If we roll it over again, we can quickly make back the money we lost before.

"Uncle Zhao, are you buying it?"

"Buy it! I've already invested 50,000." Old Zhao patted him on the shoulder. "Trust me, this is a sure thing."

Chen Qiming hesitated for a whole day.

I was so distracted while working at the KTV at night that I almost spilled a customer's drink.

The foreman scolded Chen Qiming a few times, but he didn't talk back; his mind was full of Shenneng Energy's candlestick chart.

After getting off work, I returned to my rented room, looked at the 15,000 yuan in my savings account, and gritted my teeth.

Take a gamble!
If I lose, I'll just consider the money lost and continue working at the KTV to pay off my debts.

If we win, we can turn things around!
……

The next morning, Chen Qiming withdrew all 15,000 yuan and opened a new account at the exchange...

He dared not use his old account, fearing that Liu Yuan would find out and come over again to nag him to stop.

The market opened at 9:30 AM, with Shenzhen Energy's opening price at 2.85 yuan.

Chen Qiming didn't hesitate and bought in with all his funds.

For the next few days, he was obsessed, staring at the stock market every day.

Shenzhen Energy's stock price fluctuated between 2.8 and 2.9 yuan, neither rising nor falling.

On the third day, Old Zhao started to panic. "Why is there still no movement? Could the information be wrong?"

Chen Qiming was also anxious, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Uncle Zhao, let's wait a little longer. If the news is true, the stock price should move before the official announcement."

On the morning of the fourth day, Shenzhen Energy suddenly began to rise sharply with increased trading volume.

From 2.9 yuan, it rose to 3 yuan, 3.1 yuan, 3.2 yuan...

By the close of trading, it had risen to 3.3 yuan.

The stock exchange was in an uproar.

Chen Qiming's hands trembled as he looked at the numbers in his account...

I earned over three thousand in one day!
Old Zhao patted him on the shoulder excitedly, "See? I told you it was a sure thing!"

"Uncle Zhao, will the price go up again tomorrow?"

"It's definitely going to go up! The official announcement hasn't even been released yet!"

Sure enough, on the fifth day, Shenzhen Energy continued to rise, reaching a high of 3.6 yuan.

Chen Qiming decisively sold his shares when the price fell in the afternoon, with a transaction price of three yuan and fifty cents.

Including the handling fee, he made 8,700 yuan in this round.

The principal increased from 15,000 to 23,700.

Chen Qiming took out the money, clutched a wad of cash, and stood at the entrance of the exchange for a long time.

The wind blowing on my face—this was the first time I'd ever felt truly refreshed in Shenzhen.

But this is only the beginning.

Having tasted success, Chen Qiming became even more dedicated.

They stopped just listening to news and started doing their own analysis.

Every evening after get off work, he would stay in his rented room to look at financial reports, draw candlestick charts, and study the flow of funds.

Chen Qiming discovered that the economic theories he learned in college were actually useful in the stock market.

Supply and demand, market expectations, policy impact...

These abstract concepts become concrete and vivid through the red and green numbers.

A month later, he caught another stock – Shenzhen Development Bank.

This time, it wasn't based on inside information, but on my own analysis.

It was discovered that Shenzhen Development Bank's performance is improving, but its stock price has not kept up, indicating potential for a rebound.

So I invested 20,000 and earned 4,000 a week later.

Meanwhile, Chen Qiming's money kept growing.

From 23,000 to 30,000, then to 40,000, 50,000...

Chen Qiming began to pay attention to controlling his position size, avoiding going all-in easily, and learning to cut losses.

Don't be bothered by small losses, and don't be greedy when making big profits.

Three months later, his account balance reached 80,000.

Not only did they recover the 50,000 yuan they had lost, they also made an extra 30,000 yuan.

That evening, Chen Qiming made an exception and treated Lao Zhao to a meal.

The two of them ate at a roadside food stall, ordered a few dishes, and drank a few bottles of beer.

"Xiao Chen, you're got the makings of stock trading," Old Zhao said sincerely. "You learn quickly and have a good mindset. Unlike me, I get carried away when I make money and stubbornly hold on to losing stocks."

"It's all thanks to Uncle Zhao's excellent teaching." Chen Qiming poured him a drink.

"I only taught you the basics; the real work comes from your own efforts," Old Zhao remarked. "I've seen too many people invest in stocks, most of them with a gambler's mentality. There aren't many like you who are willing to study and learn."

Chen Qiming smiled but didn't say anything.

In truth, he knew very well how much he had sacrificed over those three months...

I watch the stock market during the day and work at night, sleeping less than six hours a day.

Her hair was falling out in clumps, and her eyes were bloodshot.

After finishing his meal, Chen Qiming returned to his rented room and looked at the more than 80,000 yuan in his savings account. For the first time, he felt that the city of Shenzhen had opened its doors to him.

I took out my phone, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed the number back home.

"Mom, it's me."

"Qiming! How have you been lately? Is work going well?" "Yes, it's going well," Chen Qiming said. "Mom, I've wired you 20,000 yuan. You and Dad can buy some good food."

"Twenty thousand? That much? Where did you get so much money?"

"The company gave out bonuses," Chen Qiming lied. "Don't worry, it's all legitimate money."

"That's good, that's good... Don't work too hard out there, take care of yourself."

"I know."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Qiming lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

I knew I couldn't stay in the karaoke bar any longer.

Stock trading requires time and energy, and the work of guarding the venue, which involves working day and night, affects his ability to monitor the market during the day.

I'll tell Liu Yuan my resignation tomorrow.

This time, Chen Qiming didn't run away or admit defeat.

It's time to truly begin and walk our own path.

Shenzhen remains vibrant even at night.

Chen Qiming's life seems to be finally about to take a turn for the better.

……

Chen Qiming has recently become famous in Shenzhen's stock market circles.

Since turning his fortunes around in the stock market, he has never kept a low profile.

Wearing a newly bought leather jacket, sunglasses, and always carrying an Ericsson phone...

Even though it's secondhand, it's still impressive enough.

Every afternoon, he would appear at the teahouse near the stock exchange and engage in lively discussions with several other stock traders.

"I made another three thousand yesterday with 'Shenzhen Zhenye'!"

"Old Zhang, your stocks aren't good. You have to follow the policies. I bought 'Shenzhen Energy,' which is supported by the government and is guaranteed to make money!"

"If you ask me, you still have to time it right. I bought in last Wednesday and sold this Monday, making eight thousand in five days!"

The teahouse was filled with smoke, and Chen Qiming became the center of attention.

He certainly has the right to boast...

In three months, the initial investment of 15,000 yuan grew to 120,000 yuan, an eightfold increase.

In 1995, this was absolutely a legend.

Huang Renfa also frequented this teahouse.

He's a veteran stock investor, having traded stocks for three years, experiencing both gains and losses, but overall breaking even.

I recently heard that Chen Qiming has made a lot of money. At first, I didn't believe it, but after seeing him drive a Santana to have tea, I had no choice but to believe it.

That afternoon, Huang Renfa sat down at Chen Qiming's table with a teacup in his hand.

"Young man! I heard you've been doing quite well in the stock market lately?"

"good!"

"My surname is Huang, and I am the village chief of Lanyuan Village."

"Uncle Huang, hello! I'm Chen Qiming."

"Good job, young man! You're got spirit."

When Chen Qiming saw the unfamiliar Huang Renfa, he was still quite polite. "Uncle Huang, do you also trade stocks?"

“Speculation has been going on since the stock market was established,” Huang Renfa said. “But I’m not as good as you. You’ve made more in the last few months than I have in the last few years.”

"I'm lucky, I'm lucky." Chen Qiming said modestly, but his face couldn't hide his pride.

"Which school did you graduate from?" Huang Ren asked.

“Agricultural University.” Chen Qiming emphasized, “Graduated in 92, a proper 211 university.”

Huang Renfa nodded. "No wonder, you have a formal education and solid theoretical foundation. But Qiming, I have to remind you—the stock market is risky, so take your profits when you can. You've made so much money now, you should consider cashing it in."

Chen Qiming laughed, "Uncle Huang, what are you saying? The market is booming right now, it's the perfect time to make money, how can we stop now? Look at the stocks I've recently traded, haven't they all gone up?"

“Just because it’s rising now doesn’t mean it will always rise.” Huang Renfa said earnestly, “I’ve been trading stocks for three years and I’ve seen too many people who make money but don’t stop, and end up losing it all. You’re young and educated, so you should understand this even more.”

Chen Qiming was inwardly unconvinced, but remained polite on the surface, saying, "Thank you for reminding me, Uncle Huang. I understand."

The teahouse owner came over to refill the water and chimed in, "Old Huang, are you just jealous that these young people are making money? If you ask me, Qiming is capable, he deserves to earn it!"

"Exactly!" someone chimed in. "The stock market is doing so well right now, why not take advantage of it! Qiming, next time you have any good stocks, please share them with us!"

Chen Qiming became even more smug, "Great! Let's all get rich together!"

Huang Renfa shook his head at Chen Qiming's smug look and said no more.

After finishing his tea, Huang Renfa walked out of the teahouse and happened to meet his eldest son, Huang Da, who had come to pick him up in his car.

"Dad, going for tea again?" Huang Da got out of the car and opened the door for him.

"Yeah, I ran into a young man, who's also a college classmate of Suning." Huang Renfa got into the car. "That kid got cocky after making some money and won't listen to any advice."

"Is it Chen Qiming?"

"Yes! That's the kid."

"Isn't he a bouncer for Liu Yuan's KTV?"

"He no longer works at the venue; he's a full-time stock trader now, and I heard he's made hundreds of thousands."

Huang started the car, smiled, and said, "Stock trading! That stuff relies on luck. You can make money today and lose it tomorrow; it's not reliable."

“I said the same thing, but he wouldn’t listen.” Huang Renfa sighed. “You guys are more reliable when it comes to real business.”

When the topic of business came up, Huang Da perked up. "Dad, the electronics retail chain store that the three of us brothers run is booming. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong mobile phones are selling so well; they're sold out as soon as they arrive. Suning said they'll give us an extra two thousand units next month."

Huang Renfa smiled and said, "Work hard. Following Suning is better than anything else."

"Well..." Huang Da hesitated for a moment, "Dad, what did Suning say when we talked to him about getting into Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics' supply chain to make mobile phone parts?"

Huang Renfa's face darkened at the mention of this. "Suning did not agree."

"Why? We're relatives, we shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders!"

He said that mobile phone components are the core of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics, and quality control must be strict. Relatives are relatives, and business is business. It's fine to let everyone make some money in the retail sector, but the supply chain absolutely cannot be compromised. If problems arise, no one can bear the responsibility.

Huang Da was somewhat indignant. "Hmph! Isn't this just because they don't trust us? Would we do anything to them?"

"What do you know!" Huang Renfa glared at him. "Suning is a smart man. It's easy for relatives to cause trouble when they get involved in core business—if the quality is bad, they'll criticize you, which will affect relationships; if they criticize you, it will hurt feelings. It's better not to let them in at all, so everyone can have peace and quiet."

"So we're destined to be stuck in retail forever?"

"What's wrong with doing retail?" Huang Renfa said. "Earning over 100,000 a month isn't enough? You need to know how many people want to sell mobile phones from Shenzhen and Hong Kong but can't get their hands on them! We're only able to get them because of your sister!"

Huang Da fell silent.

When Huang Renfa got out of the car after driving back to Lanyuan Village, he saw a brand-new motorcycle parked in front of Old Wang's house next door, and Old Wang's son was proudly showing it off to someone.

"Old Wang's son also made money in the stock market," Huang Da said. "I heard he bought some stock and made five thousand in a week, and immediately bought a motorcycle."

Huang Renfa shook his head, "Money earned from stock trading comes quickly and goes quickly."

Then he went inside and saw his wife cooking in the kitchen, while his two sons were in the living room…

The second brother, Huang Er, and the third brother, Huang San, also returned.

When the family sat down to eat, Huang Renfa told them about the teahouse incident.

“I really can’t persuade Chen Qiming,” Huang Renfa said. “He thinks that just because he went to university and understands economics, he can run rampant in the stock market. He’ll suffer a big loss sooner or later.”

"Who cares?" Huang Er shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth. "Whether he makes a profit or a loss is none of our business. As long as we run the shop well, that's more important than anything else."

"Dad, why doesn't President Su let us into the supply chain?" Huang San asked again.

Huang Renfa put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "I've figured it out today. Suning is doing this for our own good, and also for his own good."

His three sons were all looking at him.

“Think about it, mobile phone components are related to the quality of the entire phone. If we make them and there are quality problems, and the phone breaks, consumers will blame Shengang Electronics and Suning. Will they hold us accountable? If they do, we're relatives, and we'll fall out; if they don't, the company will suffer losses.”

"Then we just need to guarantee the quality, right?"

"Guarantee?" Huang Renfa smiled bitterly. "Of you three brothers, who understands mobile phone parts? Who understands quality control? We're just ordinary farmers. We can do some foreign trade and retail, but production? We don't have that ability!"

These words were harsh, and all three sons fell silent.

“Suning sees things clearly, so they don’t let us touch their core business. They let us do retail and make stable money, which is taking care of us,” Huang Renfa summarized. “You should be content and stop thinking about getting rich overnight. Focus on running your stores well and earning a few hundred thousand a year. That’s considered being among the elite in Shenzhen.”

After finishing his meal, Huang Renfa went out into the yard and lit a cigarette.

He looked at the Shenzhen night sky, recalling Chen Qiming's smug expression and Su Ning's perpetually calm face.

Suddenly I realize that young people like Suning are more reliable.

Stay grounded, avoid arrogance, and proceed steadily and surely. Give opportunities where they are due, and never cross the line where they shouldn't be crossed.

Only people like this can achieve great things.

As for Chen Qiming?
Huang Renfa exhaled a puff of smoke and shook his head.

Money in the stock market is like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water—it looks beautiful, but it shatters at the slightest touch.

He bet that it wouldn't be long before Chen Qiming would fall, and fall hard.

Only then will this kid understand what the real path is.

Unfortunately, some truths are hard to heed until you hit a brick wall.

Huang Renfa stubbed out his cigarette and turned to go back into the house.

Out of respect for Suning, he decided to try to persuade Chen Qiming again tomorrow.

It would be best if he could listen to it; if he couldn't, that's his own fate.

...(End of this chapter)