Chapter 131: The Stock Market, the Ultimate Challenge for the Wealthy
The villa door opened.
Yang Tianming dragged his weary body inside.
"Still awake? It’s so late."
Yang Tianming smelled faintly of alcohol.
He had clearly just returned from a business dinner.
Yang Qingqing yawned and said, "I was just about to go to bed, but then I saw my brother had fallen asleep on the sofa..."
Hearing this, Yang Tianming paused. "Your brother... what has he been busy with these past couple of days?"
Yang Qingqing rubbed her sleepy eyes and said, "I know he and Brother Feng seem to be hashing out something about stocks!"
"I guess they’re investing!"
Yang Tianming heard this and gave a slight nod.
Yang Tianming had heard some things about Lin Feng and the others starting to invest in the stock market recently.
Originally, Yang Tianming had let his son get involved in hopes that Yang Qiniang would gain some experience.
But seeing Yang Qiniang truly exhausted and asleep on the sofa...
Yang Tianming couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.
"Do you know how your brother’s investment is doing now?"
Yang Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "I heard my brother mention yesterday that it seems like everything was in the red..."
"I don’t really know what that means, though."
"As for today, I haven’t spoken to my brother yet, so I have no idea."
When Yang Tianming heard that everything was "in the red," he had a pretty good guess what was happening.
"Looks like their investment isn’t going very smoothly!"
"But that’s normal. The stock market isn’t something the average person can handle," Yang Tianming said with a frown.
However, Yang Tianming was also well aware that the two kids were just starting out with their investments.
They were probably in an exploratory phase, so it was too soon to tell.
So even though Yang Tianming was a little disappointed, he knew he had to give these young people time to grow.
Besides, Yang Tianming felt he could still afford to cover the losses from their little venture.
"You should get some rest."
Yang Tianming picked up his suit jacket and went upstairs.
Yang Qiniang had no idea that his father already had some misunderstandings about him and Lin Feng.
Although Yang Qiniang had slept on the sofa, it was a far more comfortable sleep than the one he’d had in his bed the night before.
Naturally, it was because he now had some peace of mind.
A night of sweet dreams restored Yang Qiniang to his usual lively and energetic self.
Just before seven in the morning, Yang Qiniang finished washing up.
He was sitting in the dining room waiting for breakfast when he ran into the equally early-rising Yang Tianming.
"Did the sun rise in the west? You’re up early," Yang Tianming said, picking up a newspaper.
Yang Qiniang chuckled. "Dad, I just rested well. Early to bed, early to rise!"
Yang Tianming had already been discreetly observing Yang Qiniang’s expression.
Unexpectedly, Yang Qiniang seemed to be in pretty good spirits.
He didn’t seem troubled by the temporary investment losses.
Yang Tianming sighed inwardly. ’Perhaps this is what they mean by the carefree ignorance of youth.’
Then again, he remembered that Yang Qiniang had always been a bit carefree and thick-skinned.
So, Yang Tianming wasn’t surprised.
’I’ll just consider these setbacks as life’s way of tempering my son.’
"Are you going to the office in a bit?" Yang Tianming asked after finishing his breakfast.
Yang Qiniang nodded vigorously. "Brother Feng is already there waiting for me. I’m heading over now!"
Before Yang Tianming could even finish speaking, all he saw was Yang Qiniang’s disappearing back.
Yang Qiniang rushed to Lin Feng’s office in the morning.
Lin Feng was already waiting in the office, along with the other staff members.
Compared to the listless atmosphere from yesterday morning, everyone’s expressions were much brighter now.
You could tell that everyone had, at the very least, gotten a peaceful night’s sleep.
When the stock market opened in the morning,
They saw a sea of red.
And though they were a bit worried,
most of them just waited quietly.
This time, they had all chosen to trust Lin Feng.
Lin Feng, however, didn’t seem to care at all about the lines dipping into the red.
By the time the market closed in the afternoon,
although the three stocks had entered the green,
each had only risen by a few tenths of a percent.
A rate of growth like that was enough to make anyone anxious.
However, the market for today was already closed.
"Ah, this..."
Yang Qiniang stared at the barely fluctuating lines, finding it hard to believe.
"Brother Feng, isn’t this a little too stable?" Yang Qiniang said tactfully.
Lin Feng tapped Yang Qiniang on the head. "A couple of days ago you were complaining I was too high-risk, and now you think I’m playing it too safe?"
"I’m starting to think you’re pickier than our clients."
Hearing this, Yang Qiniang clutched his head. "This is my first time in the stock market! Seeing those lines jump all over the place is really making me anxious!"
"Honestly, I think the stock market is way more thrilling than gambling!"
Lin Feng, standing to the side, nodded.
On this point, Lin Feng completely agreed with Yang Qiniang.
The stock market really was that thrilling.
Some people lost everything, crashing and burning until they were black and blue.
And yet, they were still willing to keep charging ahead.
They always believed that the incredibly low odds of success would somehow land in their favor.
Then there were others who would win a small amount and cash out in time.
It was just a small-time venture, a way to earn some pocket money.
But some things are just like gambling.
Those who get a taste of success in the stock market rarely manage to control the funds in their hands.
In the end, it’s like the saying goes: a little gambling is a pleasure, but a lot will break you.
The final result is the same: an experience of losing every last penny.
Only a tiny fraction of people in the stock market are like those standing at the top of a pyramid.
They view the entire market from a higher perspective, with a more farsighted vision.
These very few are the ones who can truly profit from the stock market.
They take high risks for high returns.
They can spot the right opportunity and act decisively.
Only people like that can truly seize opportunities and make money.
It’s just that such people are exceedingly rare in the stock market.
In fact, sometimes Lin Feng even felt that it wasn’t that the market was bad.
It was that most investors were simply too reckless.
They dive in headfirst without understanding a thing,
trying to fight fate for that minuscule chance of getting lucky,
praying that Lady Luck will smile upon them.
Little do they know, the odds of that are even lower than winning a multi-million dollar lottery.
Mentality, vision, and method—in the stock market, you can’t succeed without all three.
The rising and falling lines are enough to fully stir up one’s emotions.
The stock market is not short on cases of people having heart attacks or strokes from too much excitement or anger.
So, in Lin Feng’s eyes, the stock market was really just an alternative form of extreme sport for the rich.
Lin Feng smiled and looked at the day’s closing prices.
"Don’t worry, it’s just a small gain."
"These three stocks still have potential. We’ll just have to see if the lines can be pulled higher tomorrow or the day after!"
Lin Feng patted Yang Qiniang’s shoulder.