sinovels Chapter 97: Someone Has Other Intentions
Chapter 97: Someone Has Other Intentions
After lunch, Huang Xiaochuan took Yu Xiang back to the Second Military Medical University, and then rode his bike south, from the Second Military Medical University to Lu Gong, which was a short distance away.
Along the way, they received pagers from Wu Duo and Ding Yi, who had already arrived at Lu Gong.
Well! These guys are even more enthusiastic than Huang Xiaochuan right now.
The Lu Gong Market at noon is not as crowded as it is in the morning and afternoon. The midday sun is warm, and the postal vendors, who rarely have a break, either eat their boxed lunches or take a short nap in the midday sun.
When Huang Xiaochuan arrived, he went inside and saw several people strolling around the market.
Ding Yi, who was looking around, spotted Huang Xiaochuan from afar and waved to him, beckoning him over.
As Huang Xiaochuan approached, he asked, "Why are you all here so early in the middle of the day instead of staying home and sunbathing in a corner?"
Zhang Gaolei replied, "I can get some sun here, and I can't stay in the dorm anyway, so I might as well come out and get some exercise and sunshine."
Wu Duo gave the same answer.
The winter in Shanghai was extremely difficult for several northerners who were experiencing winter in the south for the first time. At least they had a heated kang bed or something similar in their hometown, but things were different in Shanghai.
To keep warm, one must shiver; those who are shivering from the cold must shiver.
This is because Shanghai is located south of the Yangtze River, where rivers and lakes are dense, and is close to the ocean. The air humidity is high, and with the invasion of cold air from the north, it is cold and damp in winter. It is better when the sun is out at noon, and you can find a wall to bask in the sun with your hands tucked in.
Staying in the dormitory is unbearable. To exaggerate, these northerners have to wrap themselves in blankets even in the room. Going to the toilet is like torture for them. They are all shivering and wincing from the cold.
Because at that time, the toilets in the university dormitory buildings were long, narrow concrete pools with a sewer at one end and a water tank at the other. Whenever the water tank was full, it would automatically flush.
When it wasn't flushed, the cold wind whistled around his crotch. But if the water tank was flushed, according to Wu Duo, it was absolutely brutal.
So the group was particularly afraid of getting up at night to go to the toilet to play, and even a quick pee at night would make their noses sniffle from the cold.
Huang Xiaochuan and Ding Yi, on the other hand, were used to it, after all, they had grown up in this climate and were much more resistant to cold than the four northerners in the dormitory.
They basically only need to wear sweaters in the dormitory, and when the cold air comes, they only need to add a thin cotton-padded jacket.
This made the four northerners extremely envious. Since the beginning of winter, these four people would go straight to bed as soon as they returned to their dormitory and dare not drink too much water.
Huang Xiaochuan is more afraid of heat than cold, but this only applies to the area where he has lived for a long time. If he were to go to the north without heating, he wouldn't be able to survive.
After exchanging pleasantries, Huang Xiaochuan asked the group, "Have stamp prices gone up again?"
Zhang Gaolei's smile was almost overflowing: "It's gone up. The JP21 is now four yuan and fifty cents."
Wu Duo asked, "Xiao Chuan, we've discussed it and we'd like to buy a few more. What do you think?"
The saying "money moves people's hearts" is absolutely true. Ever since they came to Lugong Market, they have often seen stamp dealers conducting large-scale stamp transactions. The thick stacks of money are treated like paper and are casually thrown into the stamp dealers' handbags.
Moreover, this kind of situation is common in the market, making the group feel that the money is easy to earn, and they suddenly have the thought that if it were them, they could do it too.
When desires arise in the heart, thoughts naturally follow.
Therefore, the three, including Wu Duo, planned to increase their stake, but they still wanted to consult Huang Xiaochuan's opinion beforehand.
Huang Xiaochuan replied, "Don't ask me about this. Make your own decision. Whether to buy or not depends on your own judgment. Others' opinions are just for reference."
"I told you so! If you want to increase your bets, don't hesitate. Stop asking Xiao Chuan all the time. What if you lose money and Xiao Chuan has to take responsibility?" Ding Yi disapproved of the others' approach.
Huang Xiaochuan would not offer any advice to the group regarding their desire to continue buying, as it would be of no benefit to him.
The market situation is already quite clear, and it's not too late to enter now. However, the holding cost is much higher, and the returns will be much lower compared to the cost of establishing a position two months ago.
During a market uptrend, you can enter at any time for short-term trading. Buy today, sell a few days later, and then switch to another asset class and repeat the process. This can yield substantial profits, although the final outcome—whether you make a profit or a loss—is uncertain.
After all, once human greed takes hold, it's hard to control, and very few people know when to stop. Even if you initially make money following the trend, greed can lead you to want even more, potentially resulting in massive borrowing to enter the market. If you end up holding the bag at the peak, the sudden price collapse will leave you helpless. Huang Xiaochuan knows what freefall is like—here, he's referring to a price crash.
The main reason why Huang Xiaochuan doesn't engage in short-term trading is that he doesn't have that much energy and time. Moreover, even if he were to sell his current stamp holdings at half price, it would still amount to an astonishing sum.
There's no need to keep venturing into the game out of greed. Huang Xiaochuan never forgets one thing: the bottom line. He must learn to control his greed. Once he loses control, the consequences will be unimaginable. After all, Huang Xiaochuan is a reborn person with cheat codes. He knows that not knowing how to restrain himself will result in premature reincarnation.
He was confident in his ability to manage himself, but not in his ability to control other people's greed, so he directly refused Wu Duo's request for advice.
Hao Zhidu visibly reacted negatively to Huang Xiaochuan's words: "Fine, fine, if they don't want to talk about it, we'll see for ourselves. Does that mean we can't eat meat even without a butcher?"
"Old Hao, say less!" Wu Duo stopped Hao Zhidu.
Ding Yi was about to stand up for Huang Xiaochuan when Huang stopped him, saying, "Alright, alright, Lao Ding, come with me for a walk."
The six people in the dormitory naturally split into two groups: Huang Xiaochuan, Ding Yi, and Chen Zhe were in one group, while Wu Duo led the other two in the other.
Chen Zhe has a very Zen-like attitude towards buying or not buying; he's fine with either way.
He had already bought 200 yuan worth of Japanese porn last time, which was all his savings. Fortunately, Huang Xiaochuan was in the dormitory, and he would occasionally take everyone out to improve their meals, otherwise he would have to eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day.
Although on paper his 204 JP films had increased in value, it hadn't yet translated into real profit. Chen Zhe also didn't have a concept of overspending and was still used to saving money.
Wu Duo and the other two discussed in hushed tones. The Japanese films and stamps they had purchased had all risen in price to varying degrees, so all three of them were considering buying more.
Hao Zhidu was still grumbling about what had just happened: "What was he so arrogant about? I was just asking him for advice, and look at the way he talked to me. It was so annoying, like he was afraid someone else would get rich."
Zhang Gaolei spoke up for Huang Xiaochuan, saying, "Xiaochuan is right. If you think you can buy some, then buy some. Don't listen to others. What if he makes you lose money on the stamps? Do you think you'll blame him later? Alright! Lao Hao, make your own decisions. Xiaochuan isn't your father."
Wu Duo also said, "Old Zhang is right, we still have to make our own decisions."
Finding himself unable to find common ground with others, Hao Zhi simply stopped saying anything, but a sense of urgency lingered within him.
The online sensation "1990, I'm Back," a heartfelt work by author Four Seasons Leeks, is available on Cola Novels.