Chapter 49: No. 88, Punan Road

At the birthday luncheon, Lu Liang did not drink. After finishing the meal, he went home for a short nap before setting off on his return journey.

Zhao Haisheng called to inform him that the leasing procedures had been completed. As long as he signed the authorization the next day, the institutional account would become active immediately.

Over the past two days, the stock market had also begun to show signs of recovery, with the Shanghai Composite Index stopping its free fall at the 4,000-point mark.

Today marked the first time the index closed in the green since the stock market crash.

However, Tele-A continued its slow, grinding decline, losing fractions of a yuan every day in a truly agonizing fashion.

Lu Liang had been closely monitoring the capital movements of individual stocks and had keenly sensed that certain institutions were building positions at the bottom. He had no intention of falling behind.

As it neared ten o'clock, Lu Liang arrived back in Modu.

Instead of going to Zhang Qian's place or returning to Tomson Riviera, he drove directly to Sheshan Club.

Last week, Meng Changkun had brought him here once. It was a very, very respectable men's wellness club.

Having driven for half a day, Lu Liang felt a bit tired.

He planned to rest here for the night and return to the city the next morning.

Driving smoothly into the parking lot, he spent 8,800 yuan on a package that included a full-body physical therapy session and overnight stay.

After taking a sauna and soaking in the hot spring to soothe his body and mind, he was thoroughly worked over by a robust and powerful Thai female masseuse.

The 120-minute therapy session could be summarized in a single phrase: painful yet blissful. The ancient art of tendon-stretching massage was simply peerless, showing remarkable efficacy in improving prostate function.

After the massage, the masseuse reminded him to retain his vital energy for the next 12 hours without leaking, or else the effects would be counterproductive.

It was precisely because of this ancient technique that Meng Changkun frequented the place every few days and had even become a long-term member.

As the session concluded, all his joints were wrapped in ginger-infused hot towels for a hot compress. At that very instant, Lu Liang felt as though he were about to ascend to immortality...

Early the next morning, feeling full of vigor and vitality, Lu Liang drove to the Cathay securities business department on Punan Road.

Zhao Haisheng was already waiting at the entrance. The two of them headed to the VIP lounge to process the lease agreement and then went to the bank to complete the transfer.

The nine-digit sum in his account instantly dropped to zero, and President Liu looked at Lu Liang with pleading eyes, much like a newlywed bride who had been abandoned.

Lu Liang remained resolute, acting just like a heartless cad who loved and left.

Having completed the large-scale remittance, the two returned to the brokerage.

"Director Lu, congratulations! From now on, Seat No. 88 on Punan Road is exclusively yours. I wish you sweeping victories, rolling wealth, constant gains on every purchase, and a streak painted entirely in red."

Zhao Haisheng was all smiles and immense excitement. If Lu Liang traded frequently enough, it would generate sufficient revenue for the branch.

Next year, he would likely be promoted to vice president, shedding his status as a regular wage earner and officially entering management.

"Seat 88. That's a good number."

Lu Liang's lips curved upward as he entered the exclusive trading room.

Five or six years ago, or even a decade ago, internet technology wasn't as advanced, and all buy and sell transactions had to be conducted in the main hall.

Consequently, there were VIP trading rooms and institutional trading rooms where some teams would stay for days, or even weeks on end.

Although times had changed and trading could now be done without visiting the stock exchange, the trading rooms had been preserved.

Five computers were lined up in a row, complete with a bathroom, lounge, and restroom, resembling a business suite in a hotel.

"Haisheng, you can head out first. If I need anything later, I'll call you."

Lu Liang took out his personal laptop and logged into the institutional account. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cathay, but caution never hurt.

Even for his internet connection, he used his own portable WiFi rather than connecting to the branch's network.

Unlike regular accounts, institutional accounts could begin participating in pre-market call auctions at 9:15 AM.

However, Lu Liang chose not to use this feature, waiting instead until 9:30 AM for the market to officially open.

Based on his observations, there were only one or two institutions building a bottom position in Tele-A, and the two might even be acting in collusion. If he intervened too abruptly, he might attract their attention.

His current task was to lurk. Only by gathering enough chips would he earn a seat at the poker table.

Unlike his previous, almost brute-force trading style,

this time, Lu Liang was exceptionally cautious. The 79 million yuan in available funds in his account was played with as if it were a mere 790,000 yuan.

The current stock price was 9.58 yuan. One lot consisted of 100 shares, costing just 958 yuan per lot.

Lu Liang was very patient. Every time, he bought in batches of a dozen or several dozen lots, with a single transaction never exceeding 50,000 yuan.

This stock wasn't going to peak in a single wave; it would span over four months with multiple distinct waves of movement.

He had plenty of time to learn and accumulate experience.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Before he knew it, it was 11:30 AM, and the market closed for the midday break.

Lu Liang had initiated a total of 58 transactions, averaging one transaction every two minutes. His holdings amounted to only 2.32 million yuan, comprising 2,426 lots of shares.

Though small in scale, he was very satisfied. The institutions lurking within the stock had not noticed his presence at all.

Meanwhile, the stock price continued its slow, grinding decline...

Although he had lost tens of thousands of yuan—mostly due to transaction fees—Lu Liang didn't care in the least.

"Happy times always pass by so quickly. Time to go eat," he murmured, rubbing his stomach.

"Director Lu, I've booked a private room at a Cantonese restaurant. Do you have time at noon?" Zhao Haisheng seemed to have been waiting at the door the whole time. Seeing Lu Liang come out, he extended a warm invitation.

"Is it far? If it's too far, forget it."

"Not far at all, just a little over a kilometer."

"Alright then, get in my car."

Lu Liang packed up his things and drove Zhao Haisheng to the restaurant.

Zhao Haisheng had no ulterior motive; he simply wanted to express his gratitude for Lu Liang's mention last time, which allowed him to continue serving Lu Liang.

Lu Liang ate this meal with complete peace of mind.

Moreover, he left immediately after finishing, having no intention whatsoever of staying behind to idle or make small talk with Zhao Haisheng.

After all, the market would reopen at 1 PM. Lu Liang hadn't been to the office for the past few days, so it was about time to show his face.

Area E, 16th Floor, Yongfeng Building, Tianxing Capital.

"So sleepy, so bored, I want to sleep."

Chen Jinchun rested her chin in one hand, yawning, looking completely drowsy. The office air conditioning was too cold, so she had even draped a blanket around her waist to avoid catching a chill.

"If you have nothing to do, read more books, prepare for the postgraduate entrance exams, or take an accounting certificate exam."

Tang Caidie smiled gently, sipping her coffee as she flipped through the newly promulgated commercial tax laws.

An outstanding financial officer needed not only to understand bookkeeping but also to plan the company's capital, which included reasonable tax avoidance.

She was not only a Ph.D. in Management from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, but also held a Master's degree in Law from East China Normal University. If she hadn't resigned back then and wasted a few years, she would at least be a vice president by now.

However, Tang Caidie had no complaints about her current situation.

The boss was frequently away from the office, and there was basically no work to do—it was even more relaxed than running a guesthouse in Caina.

"I want to, but ever since I finished my graduation thesis, my head swells just looking at a book."

Chen Jinchun whined, burying her head in her arms and wailing softly.

Suddenly, she recalled a phrase from the internet that described people like her best: "I'm probably the kind of person who is intermittently full of ambition, yet chronically waiting to rot and die."

After all, if she had even a shred of career drive, she wouldn't have graduated from a tier-two university only to take a front-desk receptionist job.

She had chosen it precisely for the 9-to-5 hours, the two-day weekend, the 5,000 yuan monthly salary during the internship, and the unexpected generosity of the boss.

There was a 600-yuan meal allowance and an 800-yuan housing subsidy.

Her internship salary was as high as 6,400 yuan.

Chen Jinchun had posted her benefits and job duties in her college classmates' chat group, turning all of them green with envy.

Some of her classmates were working themselves to the bone at major tech giants, earning only two to three thousand during their internships while worrying whether they would pass probation.

Yet she had prematurely entered the retirement life of an elderly person. How could they not resent her?

"You certainly possess a good deal of self-awareness."

A voice rang out with a chuckle. Chen Jinchun assumed the guy from next office had come over to flirt again, and retorted indignantly, "What business is it of yours..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she froze upon seeing the person who had just walked in. Her speech became halting and stammering: "L-Director Lu, good afternoon. Have you eaten?"

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I thought it was the guy from next door coming over to make trouble again," Chen Jinchun hurriedly explained.

"Someone has been coming over to make trouble while I was away?"

Seeing that Lu Liang was about to misunderstand, Tang Caidie smiled and said, "It's not making trouble. It's just a modest, virtuous maiden—a gentleman's graceful pursuit."

Lu Liang understood instantly and laughed it off.