Chapter 15: Late Trading Changes

Words : 1412 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 15: Late Trading ChangesForty minutes later, the delivery arrived, and three hot dishes and a soup were laid out on the table. There was steamed pork ribs, braised shrimp, stir-fried vegetables, and oyster soup—ordinary home-cooked dishes. “You’re beautiful and cook so well. Whoever marries you is really lucky.” Lu Liang couldn’t help but compliment her, and it wasn’t mere flattery. He used to cook often himself and could tell that Zhang Qian genuinely knew her way around the kitchen. “Brother Liang, stop teasing me. Here, try this shrimp.” Zhang Qian peeled one and held it up to his mouth. “It’s delicious,” Lu Liang praised. He did find it odd, though. Zhang Qian was from Guizhou Province, yet her cooking leaned toward southern flavors. “Well, I’ve been in Shanghai so many years now that my tastes have adapted,” Zhang Qian said, pausing for a moment. Then she added, “If you like stronger flavors, Brother Liang, I’ll make some traditional dishes from my hometown next time.” “No need; I like light flavors too.” After lunch, Lu Liang took Zhang Qian downstairs to the riverside promenade for a walk to help digest. The breeze lifted Zhang Qian’s hair, and she smiled sweetly, making Lu Liang feel momentarily lost. For an instant, he felt a sense of “home,” not like his previous home but the one he’d always imagined. Once upon a time, his dreams were simple. Get married, settle down, work hard, and run a household. He wanted a child before turning thirty, to begin providing for the next generation. But after he brought his wife, Lin Wenjing, to Shanghai, everything changed. She grew vain, competitive, always talking about how much others made, and how wonderful their lives were… “What’s wrong?” Zhang Qian asked, sensitive to Lu Liang’s mood shift. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “Nothing. Let’s head back.” Lu Liang put his arm around her slender waist as they turned back. The past was like smoke, better left drifting away. He had cut ties with it, starting a new chapter. Over the following days, Zhang Qian left occasionally for errands but spent most of her time at Tomson Riviera. During the day, she made all kinds of dishes for Lu Liang; at night, the bathroom, sofa, balcony, and kitchen all became their “battlefields.” Meanwhile, Chinese Online’s stock price kept climbing. Zhang Qian was ecstatic; the day after their first trade, she had invested an additional 500,000 yuan, going all-in just like Lu Liang. Her cost basis had risen to 20.25 yuan, but now the stock had soared to 32.72 yuan. She held 29,600 shares, now worth 968,000 yuan, with a profit of 387,000 yuan. When Zhang Qian looked at Lu Liang, her affection seemed almost tangible. Her feelings grew more intense, and she wished she could merge with him completely. РäNՕᛒЕŝ On Thursday, Chinese Online opened high and continued to rise. By 2 p.m., it hit the limit-up. The latest price was 34.85 yuan, with 125 million yuan in locked-up funds, signaling that the main players were firmly in control. Retail investors were highly optimistic about its future, hailing it as “the next Baofeng Technology.” After a long contemplation, Lu Liang left his study and called Zhang Qian, who was watching TV in the living room. “Sell everything.” Zhang Qian glanced at the stock’s performance. “It’s at the limit-up again today; are you saying I should sell?” “Who told you that a limit-up today guarantees a rise tomorrow?” Lu Liang asked, smiling. Zhang Qian paused, then quickly opened her phone, looked down as she completed the transaction, and looked up with a smile. “Done. I sold it all.” “Good. I have some things to take care of; I’ll see you in a bit.” He patted her cheek and closed the door to his study. Something felt off. The voice had said, “June 2, Chinese Online, 39.82 yuan.” Today was May 28, leaving four trading days in the next six days, so the stock shouldn’t have risen this fast. Moreover, the stock’s run seemed to be reaching its peak, and the main players’ firm stance felt oddly resolute. Sensing something unusual, Lu Liang took advantage of the aggressive limit-up to start selling at 34.85 yuan. All 585,000 shares, worth a total of 20.38 million yuan. He almost broke the price cap himself, but the main players quickly restored it. Aside from his suspicions, Lu Liang also wanted to see if his actions would affect market behavior. Two million yuan was no small amount; in a smaller market, he could probably even act as a major player himself. “The main players must be feeling it now.” Lu Liang chuckled as he sipped Zhang Qian’s lemon tea, a sudden inspiration sparking in his mind. He thought of Baofeng Technology. When that stock had neared its peak, there had been a similar situation. In the end, it had swung dramatically, rising again the following day to attract a swarm of retail investors. By cashing out two million yuan, Lu Liang had interrupted what would have been the main players’ hand-off strategy within the limit-up. He had captured part of what was supposed to be their trade. Lu Liang spun his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen. If his analysis was correct, the stock should show unusual movement before the close. At 2:40 p.m., twenty minutes before the market closed, Chinese Online broke through its price cap. Of the original 125 million yuan in buy orders, over 90 million yuan vanished in an instant, with the remaining 30 million quickly sold off. 10.05%… 6.56%… 3.15%… A massive sell-off ensued, sending the stock price plunging. Because it had been at the limit-up, no support had formed below, and the price dropped by 13 points in a flash. The market was stunned, and those who had bought at the peak were in shock. Today’s trading had opened with a 5.6% gain and stayed in the green until 2 p.m., with a three-hour limit-up that had lured countless retail investors. Some had bought in at 6%, others at 8%, and still others at the limit-up price. With the stock locked at the limit-up, most people assumed tomorrow would see a high opening. Zhang Qian’s thoughts reflected those of most people. Many investors didn’t get to enjoy any gains and took a heavy hit instead. In the living room, Zhang Qian was also watching the market. Seeing this, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she quickly covered her mouth, careful not to disturb Lu Liang. “He’s amazing! It’s like his words became reality—he told me to sell, and now the price is plummeting.” Zhang Qian patted her chest, relieved. If she hadn’t listened to Lu Liang, she would have missed out on at least 80,000 yuan in gains. Her original 580,000 yuan had now grown to 1.02 million. In this wave, she had made 440,000 yuan, more than a year’s salary. Humming a little tune, Zhang Qian went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks, planning to reward Lu Liang for helping her make money. In his study, Lu Liang fell into deep thought. After a few minutes of turbulence, support reappeared below, with the price stabilizing around 31 yuan, down by 2.1%. He speculated there were three possible outcomes: one, a high-low reversal like Baofeng Technology. But that would be risky, especially since Baofeng had recently crashed, triggering four consecutive limit-downs. It was rumored that some institutional managers were now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, so no one would dare take that approach now. The second outcome was a flat close today, with continued minor declines tomorrow, and a steady climb next week as the main players began exiting. The third possibility was a bait-and-switch: a slight rally at the end of today’s session to attract retail investors, a minor dip tomorrow, followed by a significant surge next week. Based on his research, there were at least three institutions involved in this stock, having accumulated shares over a twenty-day period. His cash-out might disrupt the course somewhat, but it wouldn’t make a substantial difference.

Chapter 15: Late Trading Changes

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