6: Rich

Not long after Alex returned to his school dormitory, his trusty old feature phone with a measly 30MB of monthly data allowance let out a notification chime. The mobile Instagram function on his phone was rather basic.

It's worth noting that smartphones were still a rarity in the country. The true smartphone revolution was about three years away when the Samsung mobile phone made its debut. Its affordability would be the catalyst for the widespread adoption of smartphones in the USA. Samsung phones had indeed made a significant contribution to the advancement of the domestic mobile internet.

Alex glanced at the Instagram message on his phone. It was from George: "Brother, something major just went down. Upshaw Industry just dropped an announcement, revising their first-half performance forecast. They're suspending trading for an hour in the afternoon. Feels like we're walking into a minefield!"

In that moment, George was in a state of panic.

Seeing the message, Alex quickly crafted a reply and asked, "Have you checked the announcement?"

George responded rapidly, admitting that he hadn't read it yet, fearing the contents.

Alex found this amusing and replied, "Let's read the announcement first. What's the revised performance? I'm not near a computer, so I can't conveniently check on my phone."

In reality, they didn't have a computer in the dormitory. As a top player in the financial world, maintaining discretion and sharing minimal personal information was a fundamental skill for Alex unless necessary.

George, still at the internet cafe, saw Alex's reply and gathered the courage to read the announcement's content. After he reviewed it, he was surprised to find that it wasn't as bad as he had feared; in fact, it seemed better.

George snapped back into action and quickly sent the revised performance details: "The net profit attributable to the owners of the parent company, as disclosed in the previous performance forecast, is expected to increase by 80%~110% compared to the same period last year. The revised estimated performance of the net profit attributable to the owners of the parent company will increase by 520%~550%... Brother, what do you make of this revised performance?"

Alex quickly read the message and replied, "Stock will hit the daily limit when trading resumes. Be ready to get rich."

After sending this message, Alex took a moment to edit a few more words and sent them: "Only reach out if it's necessary."

This message was intended to establish a sense of aloofness in George's eyes. It was important to convey this message to prevent his friend from inundating him with questions, which would surely get annoying. That would be unbearable, right?

On the other hand, George, still at the internet cafe, saw Alex's latest message. It immediately dawned on him that Alex didn't appreciate being bothered incessantly.

"Let's try not to disturb Alex unless necessary in the future," George secretly decided. Alex was already a symbol of wealth in his eyes, and he hoped to follow in his footsteps.

As time ticked away, George didn't leave the cafe, play games, or board his flight. Instead, he eagerly awaited the resumption of trading for Upshaw Industry at 14:00. His greed and fear were locked in a fierce battle inside his mind, constantly triggering bursts of dopamine and raising his anticipation.

Finally, at exactly 14:00, Upshaw Industry resumed trading after an hour-long afternoon suspension. George was locked onto the stock's intraday chart, anxiously waiting.

True to Alex's prediction, the stock shot straight up when trading resumed! George stared at the price action on the screen. It was a nearly vertical ascent. He was so thrilled that he couldn't take his eyes off the screen, repeatedly muttering, "Up to the limit! Come on!"

As Upshaw Industry's intraday chart rocketed upward, there was a surge in trading volume and turnover rate to match. One minute, two minutes, three minutes... by around 14:05, Upshaw's stock price had risen to $27.08 per share, a gain of 9.99%, and it hit the daily trading limit. The volume had surpassed 30 million Dollars!

"Damn, that's unbelievable!" George's excitement peaked as soon as the daily limit was reached. He had reached a daily limit for the first time in ten years of dabbling in the stock market. It was more thrilling than playing games and was a welcome change.

"A decade of part-time jobs is merely a warm-up; real wealth is attained through a single all-in!" George said with a wide smile.

Two minutes after Upshaw Industry hit the daily limit, it surged again, but it didn't plummet. Instead, it held steady at a high level and closed again around 14:26. Following this second daily limit close, it remained locked at the limit and didn't open again.

"It's incredible. People like this exist in the world. It won't be long before the A-share market becomes dominated by Alex, thanks to Alex's unmatched short-term trading skills."

After the market closed, George, who had witnessed Upshaw Industry's daily limit close and thought about it, couldn't help but praise Alex in his mind. After observing him for two days, he realized he couldn't possibly replicate Alex's trading skills. So, he decided to use talent as an explanation for this incredible short-term skill.

"It's okay if I can't learn it. As long as I stick with Alex, and leverage his superb technical abilities, becoming rich and free isn't just a dream. I need to treasure every day I spend copying his trades."

George contemplated for a moment and nodded to himself. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt, and he muttered to himself, "When fortune arrives, nothing can stop it."

At this point, George was more than eager to regard Alex as a financial wizard and god of wealth.

After the market closed, Alex's stock account positions were as follows:

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Holding: Upshaw Industry (002041)

Number of Shares Held: 400 shares.

Average Transaction Price: $24.43 per share

Current Market Price: $27.08 per share

Position Market Value: $9,772

Daily Profit/Loss: $1,902 (+16.62%)

Floating Profit/Loss: $984 (+9.99%)

Total Assets: $13,340.35

Cumulative Return: +54.22%

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The following day, Wednesday, July 16, Alex returned to the internet cafe as usual. He took his usual seat, but this time George was already there, waiting for him with two bottles of water.

"Brother, you surprised me yesterday. You've got nerves of steel!"

George talked and boasted, but he wasn't speaking as loudly as before. He knew that Alex preferred to keep a low profile. Additionally, George didn't want others to discover that he understood the importance of staying discreet when accumulating wealth.

If more people caught wind of this, it was likely that Alex would withdraw. Masters of this caliber were rare and encountering one could exhaust a lifetime's worth of luck. Such opportunities were to be cherished.

Yesterday, George experienced a rollercoaster of excitement akin to the market's 6124 universe top plummet. Despite the market's overall decline, he managed to secure a full limit gain by following the big players.

At this moment, George felt refreshed and content. The market opened at 9:30, with Upshaw Industry's price opening over 2 points higher. George, seated next to Alex, was prepared to follow the boss's lead. This sensation of steadily earning money was truly marvelous. There was no fear or hesitation; it was the confidence that steady profits brought.

It was a feeling he had never encountered before, and it could only be described as wonderful.