Starting with a fully invested A-share portfolio to become a capital...

Chapter 266 Year-End Sprint Among Peers: China Unicom's Situation Is One-Sided

Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University.

International Department.

The International Department of Huashan Hospital was established in 1989. Its predecessor was the International Medical Center, which is one of the earliest institutions in Shanghai and the whole country to carry out international medical services.

The biggest difference between the international department and the regular outpatient department is that it can provide one-stop high-end medical care. From appointment, consultation, examination to payment, medical staff will accompany you, and there is basically no need to queue. It is equivalent to having a green light for medical treatment.

The advantage is exclusive access to medical resources, while the disadvantage is the lack of medical insurance reimbursement and the cost of seeing a doctor is five to ten times that of a regular outpatient visit.

"boss Zhang."

As soon as Zhang Yang parked the car, Yang Wei, who was slightly overweight, immediately stepped forward.

"Is Ms. Xu alright?" Zhang Yang asked, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the Mercedes-Benz door.

"There's nothing seriously wrong at the moment, but the doctor recommended a full physical exam and a few days of rest," Yang Wei replied.

"Okay, let's go to the ward first."

Zhang Yang took a bold step forward.

Upon hearing this, Yang Wei quickly led the way, saying, "President Zhang, please follow me."

The international department of Huashan Hospital is similar to that of other hospitals; it is very quiet and gives the illusion that there are more medical staff than patients.

Upon arriving at the VIP ward, the other senior executives of Caiyan.com all stood up when they saw Zhang Yang.

"boss Zhang."

"boss Zhang."

Zhang Yang nodded slightly and looked at Xu Zhirou on the hospital bed, asking, "How are you feeling?"

"It's nothing serious, it's probably just low blood sugar from not eating lunch." Xu Zhirou didn't mention being tired, but instead used a different approach.

Zhang Yang nodded slightly, then looked at the international department doctor beside him and said, "I heard the hospital recommends a full-body checkup?"

"Yes...yes, it's mainly for Mr. Xu's health, and also to give him a couple of days of scientific recuperation."

Dr. You Botao from the International Department, who was standing to the side, looked somewhat excited. He knew Zhang Yang's identity, and he himself also traded stocks and had made over 100,000 yuan by following the trend of "joker master" posts.

In Shanghai, most high-income earners invest; some trade stocks, some government bonds, and some foreign exchange or futures. Very few people put all their money in the bank.

"No need for that. I had a physical exam at Peking Union Medical College Hospital at the beginning of the year, and I'm fine. Just make sure you eat and rest properly when you get home."

Xu Zhirou didn't want to waste time. It was already the end of the year, and peers such as Eastmoney, Tonghuashun, and Penguin Finance were all making their year-end sprint. NetEase Finance, which had always been ranked outside the top five financial websites, had even invested heavily to have Fang Sanwen establish the "Snowball Investment Community".

What are the differences between Xueqiu and NetEase Finance?
To understand this, we need to start with Fang Sanwen.

Fang Sanwen was born in Wuping, Fujian Province in 1975. In 1992, he was admitted to the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University as the second-highest scorer in the liberal arts category of the Fujian-Fujian college entrance examination.

After graduating in 1997, he joined Southern Weekly, where he served as a reporter and front-page editor. He also co-founded Oriental Morning Post. In 2005, he joined NetEase, where he served as the deputy editor-in-chief of NetEase Finance.

Fang Sanwen's years of experience as a journalist and editor have honed his content creation and resource integration skills.

Witnessing how Caiyan.com outperformed its competitors such as Eastmoney, iFinD, Sina Finance, and Tencent Finance in less than six months, and then acquired Baidu Finance, Fang Sanwen keenly realized that if NetEase Finance wanted to break through, it had to professionally integrate fragmented financial information.

To put it bluntly, he wants to strive for excellence and create a professional investment community, and the user profile of this investment community highly overlaps with the users of the market research report section of Caiyan.com.

Besides Xueqiu Community's challenge to Caiyan.com's market research report business, Eastmoney, Tonghuashun, and Sina Finance have also increased their investment, inviting various industry experts to conduct live broadcasts, further vying for market share among internet financial websites.

As for Penguin Finance, although it hasn't made any major moves, there have been rumors in the industry that Penguin is going to pay more attention to its financial business, and its funds may still be going through the approval process.

Besides the things mentioned above, another thing that made Xu Zhirou not want to rest was the "Double 11 Online Shopping Festival".

Starting October 30th, Alibaba invested heavily in marketing this online shopping extravaganza.

After Zhang Yang proposed the collaboration last time, Xu Zhirou contacted Alibaba, and the two companies hit it off immediately and reached a cooperative relationship.

On "Double 11" day, users who spend 1 yuan on Taobao will receive a monthly membership to Caiyan.com worth 120 yuan, those who spend 3 yuan will receive a quarterly membership worth 299 yuan, and those who spend 5 yuan will receive an annual membership worth 999 yuan.

If you are a user of Caiyan.com, you can get exclusive "Double 11" coupons by subscribing to monthly, quarterly or annual memberships. You can also get shopping coupons by subscribing to research reports and accumulating a certain amount.

Caiyan.com needs Taobao's traffic, and Taobao also needs Caiyan.com's high-net-worth users; it's a win-win situation for both parties.

However, as a joint investor in Caiyan.com, Eastmoney, and Tonghuashun, Alibaba not only collaborates with Caiyan.com but also with Eastmoney and Tonghuashun. After reaching a certain spending threshold, consumers can also receive paid vouchers from Eastmoney and Tonghuashun, which can be used to subscribe to paid research reports.

With the year-end sprint underway, Xu Zhirou dared not be careless, fearing that all her achievements would be in vain.

However, Zhang Yang had a different opinion. He looked at Xu Zhirou and said, "No matter who is missing, Caiyan.com should at least maintain normal operation 24/7. You should rest for two days, and I will temporarily take over all the business."

"It was just a fainting spell due to low blood sugar, it's not as serious as you think." Xu Zhirou was still a little worried, a hint of concern flashing in her eyes.

Although Zhang Yang was initially in charge of all aspects of Caiyan.com, he has been away from the company's business for too long and may not be able to adapt.

“I don’t want Uncle Xu to come all the way from Yanjing to Shanghai to confront me. Alright, listen to the doctor.” Zhang Yang brought up Xu Yan’an, then looked at the others and said, “Go back, everyone. You have to go to work tomorrow, don’t be late.”

"Okay, Mr. Zhang."

"Mr. Zhang, you should also get some rest."

Yang Wei, Deng Ruifeng, and other senior executives of Caiyan.com turned and left, leaving the previously cramped VIP ward incredibly spacious, with only medical staff, Xu Zhirou, and Zhang Yang remaining.

"Doctor, what procedures are required for the physical examination?" Zhang Yang asked, looking at You Botao.

“I’ll go register. Let Mr. Xu rest for the night. If you’re busy tomorrow, Mr. Zhang, we’ll have someone accompany you for the medical check-up.” You Botao responded quickly, then smiled and said, “Actually, I’m still a fan of yours, Mr. Zhang. I’ve been following your investment channel and made some money by following the trends.”

Zhang Yang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "The investment circle is really small. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I never expected to have the opportunity to speak with you in person, Mr. Zhang. Your bullish comments have helped me capitalize on this six-day winning streak."

You Botao's tone was extremely sincere.

Since the sharp drop on October 29, the A-share market has staged a super rebound, with the index rising from 2960.47 on the 29th to 3164.04, an increase of more than 200 points.

“You seized the opportunity, but it doesn’t really have much to do with me, because there are at least eighty or a hundred experts who are bullish.” Zhang Yang didn’t take credit for it, but he could tell that the other party was eager to know the answer, so he reminded him: “Since you’ve made a profit, you need to manage your positions well. Before the economic turning point appears, do not invest blindly.”

"I've learned a lot. I've been reading your posts lately, and improving your understanding is the first key to making money," You Botao replied.

"Yes, knowledge is the foundation of making money."

Zhang Yang nodded.

After chatting for a few minutes, You Botao tactfully left, saying, "Then I won't bother you any longer, Mr. Zhang. I'll go register for the medical examination first. Tomorrow around 8 o'clock, someone will accompany Mr. Xu to complete the full medical examination process."

Zhang Yang: "Yes, thank you for your hard work."

“It’s all what should be done.”

After saying that, You Botao left the VIP ward with the nurse.

Once only Zhang Yang and Xu Zhirou were left in the ward, Zhang Yang casually took out his Nokia phone, opened the memo function, and said, "I'll write down anything that needs to be explained in the next two days."

"Two senior executives we've recruited will be joining the company in the next two days, and we need to coordinate their work," Xu Zhirou replied.

"anything else?"

"Website advertising fees are going to increase. We need to have a meeting to discuss how much to raise. We also need to consider raising membership fees, since the number of website users has increased."

"Well, what else?"

"We need to coordinate with the people at Alibaba. With Singles' Day approaching, we can't afford any mistakes."

Before Zhang Yang could speak, Xu Zhirou added, "Also, there is a safety hazard in the elevator that goes directly to the front desk in Building A of Changtai. I plan to change the office location."

"There's no rush. I've already contacted Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and we plan to rent or buy the entire building."

Zhang Yang responded quickly.

While taking the elevator directly to the front desk is convenient, it does pose certain safety risks.

Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park also offered a solution: replacing the elevators with access control cards. However, this approach would require setting up a reception desk on the first floor, and since there are other companies in the building, they might not be willing to implement it.

"You're really rich." Xu Zhirou glanced at Zhang Yang, then asked with some curiosity, "By the way, were you the one who went to Hong Kong a few days ago to short China Unicom?"

Zhang Yang did not answer, but simply smiled faintly, which was tantamount to admitting that it was him.

"As expected." Xu Zhirou closed her eyes. She knew it was Zhang Yang, that madman. She then waved her hand and said, "Go back and get busy. You're right. The company needs to optimize its management team. No matter who is missing, we can at least ensure that things don't fall apart 24/7."

"Then you should get some rest early."

Zhang Yang nodded in agreement. In VIP wards like this international department, there is basically no need for a bedside companion. The nurses will check on patients every half hour, and can promptly handle any needs such as hunger, drinking, or needing to use the restroom.

It's no exaggeration to say that the international department is like a hotel with a hospital theme.

Just as Zhang Yang was about to leave, Xu Zhirou opened her eyes again, her expression somewhat complicated, and asked, "By the way, what are you planning to give as a year-end bonus?"

"Um……"

Zhang Yang thought for a moment and said, "Everyone has worked very hard during this period, so performance bonuses and holidays will be arranged."

"holiday…"

Xu Zhirou hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "How about we organize a trip abroad?"

"Europe and America, Southeast Asia, or Africa?" Zhang Yang asked, a hint of interest in his voice.

Traveling abroad is indeed a great choice; it not only allows you to experience different cultures but also helps you relax your tense nerves.

"Africa is for watching animal migrations?"

Xu Zhirou calculated the time and realized that the animals were indeed migrating south.

"Have you been there?" Zhang Yang asked in return.

"Of course! My dad took my sister and me to see it when we were 12 years old. It was spectacular, and we even rode in a hot air balloon," Xu Zhirou said nostalgically.

Having witnessed the African animal migration, one will likely lose interest in zoos. The sheer scale of the spectacle—watching thousands upon thousands of animals pass by up close—is something zoos can never replicate. It's like witnessing a massive army marching past, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

"Then let's choose Africa?"

Zhang Yang sought opinions.

"Let's forget about it. There are so many people in the company, it's not worth it, and the journey is too far." While carefully calculating, Xu Zhirou added, "How about going to Japan to see the fireworks festival?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she gave her reasons: "Japan is close by, and most of the people in our company are young, so we can let them bring their partners along. If they don't want to go, they can get a cash incentive, which will be paid out through performance bonuses and year-end bonuses."

"It will be all right."

Zhang Yang nodded in response.

He also needed to go to Japan, but not for sightseeing; rather, to prepare for the "Zhangjiang gang's" foray into international investment.

……

Monday, December 11nd.

When the weekday arrived, the A-share market reopened after a two-day hiatus. Perhaps due to the over-six-day winning streak and the lack of "explosive" news over the weekend, both major indices opened slightly lower today. The Shanghai Composite Index opened at 3162.15, a decrease of 0.05%, while the Shenzhen Component Index opened at 12996.29, a decrease of 0.12%.

The index's apparent inability to rise further has caused concern among retail investors.

[Big Shrimp Isn't Shrimp]: The market has been fluctuating around the horizontal line, which is not a good thing. It can't go up or down, it's just a useless market.

[Arm circumference killed someone]: It's really tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away. I don't know if it can get seven consecutive positive days. The A-shares have not had seven consecutive positive days for a long time. I would trade 10 years of my ex-girlfriend's life for it, or even 20 years.

[Monks use Pantene to wash their hair]: This kind of stagnant market is the most boring. But you can't blame the A-shares for being weak. The main reason is that November is a policy vacuum period. Now it's just the same few words going around, and the funds are already immune to them.

[The guy who's been working himself to the bone]: Teacher Da Xiao said that sideways consolidation is when the market is about to choose a direction, so I suggest reducing your position size and not being greedy.

As retail investors have pointed out, November is a policy vacuum period, with virtually no particularly important meetings being held.

The stock market is not only a barometer of the economy, but also a measure of the strength of policy.

The economy has not yet shown a clear turning point, with only the manufacturing PMI index remaining. Coupled with the policy vacuum period, it is normal for the stock market to stagnate.

Unlike other retail investors who were relaxed, retail investors in China Unicom were terrified after the market opened.

Since China Unicom and the Chinese version of the iPhone 3GS were named and criticized on CCTV's "News Broadcast," their predicament is predictable.

Huaguo Unicom, which closed at 7.52 yuan last Friday, opened 3.59% lower at 7.25 yuan, with the majority of sell orders coming from retail investors and small and medium-sized institutions.

The reason they sold off their shares wasn't because of the news broadcast, but because the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 3GS was squeezing out the market.

Almost every user who bought the mainland China version of the iPhone 3GS now regrets it. Not only did they spend an extra 2000 RMB, but it also lacked WiFi functionality and was inferior to the Hong Kong version in every way.

Some investment banks and securities firms, after investigation, have also quietly lowered their future stock price forecasts for China Unicom, because the mainland China version of the iPhone 3GS cannot compete with the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 3GS.

It's worth mentioning that since the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 3GS was sold in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, related concept stocks, such as Shenzhen Huaqiangbei and Shenzhen SEG, have all seen significant increases to varying degrees.

China Unicom's A-shares opened lower, and its Hong Kong-listed shares were no exception, falling by 4.77% to HK$11.26.

Unlike A-shares, Hong Kong stocks do not have foreign exchange controls, and money from all over the world can flow in and out freely. Therefore, the vast majority of funds invested in Hong Kong stocks are foreign capital.

Foreign investors have a habit of not buying promises but looking at performance to drive up stock prices.

The Chinese version of the iPhone 3GS is currently facing a double crisis, so how could foreign companies possibly have a say in it, and have no reason to do so?

Institutions such as Citibank, HSBC, Jaguar Fund, Morgan Stanley, Bank of East Asia, and Manulife Group, which signed option contracts with the "Zhangjiang gang," dare not make any rash moves and can only wait silently for the market to digest the negative news.

It is also worth noting that short selling is permitted in Hong Kong stocks, and most brokerage firms can directly provide short selling opportunities.

China Unicom's investment has clearly failed, and many small and medium-sized institutions, as well as domestic and foreign retail investors, are thinking of shorting the market and taking a share of the losses.

In the CEO's office at Goldman Sachs' Hong Kong branch, David Smith frowned and said with some unease, "If we don't intervene proactively, China Unicom's stock price may fall below HK$10 within 10 trading days. Who exactly is that Mr. J? How can he predict the future so accurately?"

Not only David Smith, but also Riley Bruce, the president of Citibank's Hong Kong branch, frowned deeply. Holding a cigar in his right hand, he took a deep drag and exhaled, saying, "People with this kind of power shouldn't be short of money."

Based on the known information, the mysterious Mr. J opened more than 10 billion in options with an exercise price of 100 yuan, and also borrowed nearly 30 billion in short selling. Taking 30% as an example, the maximum profit would be 39 billion Hong Kong dollars.

A big shot who can draw candlestick charts shouldn't be short of money, right?

He didn't understand.

He really couldn't figure it out.

Even if that important person really needed money, he shouldn't have been so high-profile.

Riley Bruce was well-informed and knew that there were people in Washington, D.C. who would draw lines and have their own people place bets in secret, but the matter was very discreet and most ordinary people would not know about it.

The presidents of financial institutions such as Citibank, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, and Manulife are all paying attention to China Unicom. At this moment, they are all thinking about one question: who exactly is Mr. J?
Aside from Hong Kong and foreign capital, Zhao Danyang, who has returned to Shenzhen, is sitting at his office desk, intently watching the intraday chart.

7.21 yuan.

HK$11.17.

7.19 yuan.

HK$11.12.

7.16 yuan.

HK$11.08.

China Unicom's stock price continues to decline, and retail investors and managers of small and medium-sized institutions are rushing to sell.

"no!"

Zhao Danyang made up her mind.

He is not an indecisive person. Although he went to Hong Kong Island to open call options, things have now gone beyond his expectations and become completely out of control.

Blindly holding on and stubbornly resisting?

Only retail investors would blindly hold on to losing positions!

The essence of holding onto losing positions is to bet on medium- to long-term gains. Zhao Danyang sees no hope for China Unicom right now, at least not in the short term, and the risks are particularly high in the medium term.

Why is the risk so high?
To this day, apart from top executives at China Unicom, no one knows exactly how much money China Unicom paid to reach the agreement with Apple.

Since the loss was inevitable, Zhao Danyang had no choice but to give up.

He picked up the desktop phone and dialed Xu Xiang's number.

"Dududu-"

Not a moment.

The call was answered.

"Hello, Manager Zhao."

Upon hearing Xu Xiang's voice, Zhao Danyang didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "I want to withdraw. I will sell all my shares within 10 trading days."

This indicates that he sold all his shares within 10 trading days and even called to inform them. Zhao Danyang felt that he had done everything he could.

In the past, he would have dumped the shares long ago, regardless of the fate of others.

"okay, I get it."

"that's it."

"Bye-Bye."

"Talk to you later."

The two didn't talk much. As Xu Xiang hung up the phone, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. This was the third "all we can do" call, and they all said they wanted to sell their chips.

Seeing Xu Xiang's helpless expression, Xu Haiou had already guessed what was going on and suggested, "Let's talk to public funds to stabilize the market and use time to create space so we don't lose too much."

China Unicom is a blue-chip stock and one of the few network operators in China. Given enough time, it is unlikely to lose money.

Some less capable fund managers who only dare to invest in large-cap blue-chip stocks should be able to stabilize the market by injecting liquidity into them.

Upon hearing this, Sun Guodong asked with some curiosity, "By the way, Brother Xu, haven't you heard any new inside information about China Unicom?"

"No, China Unicom is in a mess right now. Signing an exclusive agency agreement for the mainland China version of the iPhone 3GS was a terrible move. Not only is there no compatible application software ecosystem in China, but the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 3GS is also cheaper than the mainland China version. I guess they're holding the relevant people accountable now," Xu Haiou guessed.

"We can't advance, we can't retreat, it's a dead end," Ma Xinqi sighed, shaking his head.

Will China Unicom dare to lower the price of the Chinese version of the iPhone 3GS?
They dare not!

I wouldn't dare, at least not in the short term!

If a price reduction is announced just a few days after the product launch, it's a betrayal of the first batch of users, no wonder they protest.

If we don't lower the price, the remaining market share will be taken away by the Hong Kong version of the iPhone 3GS, which is also a bit too much for us to handle.

"What's the background of that damn Mr. J? How can he be so prescient?" Shu Yimin asked Xu Xiang.

They now know that Zhang Yang and Liao Guopei are from "Fuchun Road," and Liu Hua is most likely a minor leader in the mysterious poker organization, but they have no clue about "Mr. J."

"Who knows? The most important thing now is to cut our losses. Fortunately, China Unicom is a blue-chip stock, so it won't fall too much," Xu Xiang replied, shaking his head.

"By the way, Brother Xiang, when are we going to expose Zhang Yang's affair? Let him experience what it's like to be plagued by negative publicity."

Sun Guodong suddenly asked.

“No rush. I’ve arranged to meet Tao Yuang tonight to sound him out. He should know a lot of things,” Xu Xiang replied.

He is not one to suffer losses, and he never holds a grudge overnight.

Now that Zhang Xiaolong has confirmed that Zhang Yang was the one who caused Rhine Biologics to collapse and made them work for nothing, the situation has now reversed, and it's time for them to take action and destroy this "hypocrite's" reputation.

(End of this chapter)