Rebirth in a Shura Field, but in an Abstract Version

028 Be greedy when others are fearful

Braving the scorching afternoon sun, the two arrived at the digital plaza.

Instead of going to the opulent Apple store, Wang Zhe pulled Jiang Di straight to the domestic mobile phone counter.

"Boss, bring out those Zhongxing and Huawei models for us to take a look at," Wang Zhe said, pointing to the demo units on the counter.

While domestically produced smartphones at this time weren't as stunning as those of later generations, they were already quite respectable. Large screens, Android systems, and perfectly capable of running games like Fruit Ninja and chatting on WeChat.

Wang Zhe chose two models with reasonable configurations: a black Huawei and a white Zhongxing.

"How much for both of these?" Wang Zhe asked.

"You have good taste, handsome! These two models are the best value for money. If you're really interested, I'll give you three thousand for both!" The shopkeeper said, pressing the calculator.

"Two thousand eight hundred, screen protector and case included. If it's okay, I'll swipe my card; if not, I'll go to another store." Wang Zhe bargained swiftly and decisively.

The shop owner, with a pained expression, said, "Handsome, you're too ruthless... Fine, fine, I'll take your business as a gift!"

Jiang Di stood to the side, watching Wang Zhe skillfully bargain and inspect the machine, still a little dazed.

Two thousand eight hundred for two mobile phones. That's an average of fourteen hundred per phone.

Although it's not cheap, compared to those idiots who would sell a kidney to buy an Apple product, Wang Zhe's approach is much more pragmatic.

"Take it."

After leaving the digital mall, Wang Zhe handed the white Zhongxing phone to Jiang Di.

"Thank you..." Jiang Di hugged the box, feeling a warmth in her heart. Although it wasn't the kind of apple she could show off, it was the first decent gift Wang Zhe had ever given her.

Moreover, the first gift wasn't a flower cake that cost a few dozen yuan, but a mobile phone worth over a thousand yuan. If word got out that this kind of treatment, it would probably make all the girls in the circle so envious they'd pop their eyes out.

What's more, this boyfriend is also good-looking... but there's one problem: he keeps bringing up the issue of seniority, which makes Jiang Di quite helpless.

At this moment, Wang Zhe, while fiddling with his new phone, casually said, "It's not that I can't afford an Apple phone; after all, this European Cup has earned me quite a bit. But I have a big use for that money, and I can't spend it so quickly."

Jiang Di asked curiously, "Da Yong? What are you going to do with it? Buy a car?"

"Buying a car is something for later," Wang Zhe said with a mysterious smile. "As for now, of course, we're making money with money."

"Making money with money?" The girl tilted her head, looking puzzled.

Wang Zhe hailed a taxi, shoved Jiang Di inside, and said, "Go home first. Put the SIM card in, download WeChat, register, and add me. I'll pay the fare. Be good when you get home, and don't talk back to my brother."

Jiang Di: "...Who's your brother?!"

Wang Zhe replied matter-of-factly, "Of course it's your dad."

Jiang Di held back, not wanting to argue with him about this, and instead asked, "So what are you going to do now?"

"Of course I'm off to take care of business. Bye-bye."

After the two finished talking, the taxi driver stepped on the gas and drove off.

As the taxi drove away, Wang Zhe's smile gradually faded, and he turned to walk towards the securities company across the street.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

This summer has been a season of despair for Chinese stock market investors.

The Shanghai Composite Index is struggling around 2000 points. The long bear market seems bottomless. Brokerage firms are deserted, and the monitors in the lobby are all green. Occasionally, a few elderly people sit there dozing off, not even interested in chatting.

When Wang Zhe pushed open the door and entered the branch of Huaxi Securities, he was treated like a VIP.

Because there were no other customers doing business with them.

"Do you want to open an account?" The staff member at the counter's eyes lit up, as if they had spotted a rare animal.

"Yes, open an account." Wang Zhe took out his ID card and bank card.

The process was quick: filling out forms, taking photos, and risk assessment.

While operating the machine, the staff member kindly reminded him, "Young man, you just finished the college entrance exam, right? The stock market is doing terribly right now; many veteran investors have lost everything. This money... is it from your family?"

"I earned it myself," Wang Zhe replied calmly.

"Wow, that's impressive," the staff member chuckled, clearly not taking it seriously, assuming it was some kind of New Year's money. "It's good that young people are financially savvy, but they need to be cautious when investing. With the current market conditions, anyone who enters will get trapped."

Wang Zhe simply smiled and did not refute.

Whoever enters gets trapped.

This is certainly true for ordinary people. But for those who have been reborn, the current A-share market is practically a wasteland overflowing with gold.

It is now February 1963.

If memory serves me right, the infamous "plasticizer incident" will erupt a few months later, at which point the liquor sector will experience an epic crash, which will be the last golden opportunity for Moutai.

Prior to this, a sector was quietly launching: the ChiNext board, and the upcoming mobile internet boom.

"It's done. Here's your account card," the staff member handed the documents to Wang Zhe. "You can use it tomorrow, on the trading day."

"Thanks."

Wang Zhe walked out of the business department, glanced at the still gloomy sky above, and took a deep breath.

330,000.

This amount of money might be enough for a down payment on a small apartment in Chengdu, but if you throw it into the stock market, it won't even make a ripple.

But he doesn't need to splash. He just needs to lie in wait like a crocodile, lurking at the bottom of the water, waiting for his prey to take flight.

"What should I buy first...?"

As Wang Zhe walked toward the bus stop, he searched his mind for a list of the most volatile stocks of 2012.

Huayi Brothers? Enlight Media? These film and television stocks are expected to see their value increase several times over in the next few years, driven by the boom in domestic films.

Or Wangsu Science & Technology? LeEco? Although LeEco later collapsed, it was the undisputed leader of the ChiNext board in recent years. As long as you ran fast, making money was no problem.

Of course, the safest option is to wait until next year and go all in on Moutai. At that time, Moutai's stock price will have fallen to around 100 yuan. However, Moutai is a long-term investment, more suitable for recommending to others; for myself, the profits wouldn't be substantial enough…

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Back home, Wang Zhe locked himself in his study, turned on his old, somewhat laggy desktop computer, and downloaded trading software.

He transferred all 330,000 yuan into his securities account.

Looking at the string of numbers in his account, Wang Zhe's fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard.

Then, he found a stock that would be both loved and hated in the years to come.

"Gree Electric Appliances..."

Wang Zhe certainly couldn't remember the stock market trends every month; before his rebirth, he had only bought a few stocks. However, he remembered some key events very clearly. For example, just last month, the government launched an energy-saving subsidy program, which would become a great opportunity for Gree.

"I'll use you as a practice subject."

Wang Zhe has formulated his trading plan for tomorrow: buy half of his position in Geli, and keep the other half for day trading or to wait for other opportunities.

After finishing all this, he shut down his computer and stretched.

My phone vibrated.

It's a WeChat message notification sound.

He picked up the black Huawei phone, and a new friend request popped up on the screen.

The profile picture is a cigarette, and the name is a string of unconventional characters.

The verification message read: "Uncle, I'm your niece, please approve!"

Wang Zhe couldn't help but laugh.

This girl has finally started cooperating?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.