Chapter 35: Showing You a Way Out

Zhou Ming and Lin Muqing arrived at a café across from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. They chose a window seat, and Wang Yunlong sat opposite them. Zhou Ming, seeing Wang Yunlong's excitement—his hands even shaking while holding his cup—couldn't help but tease, "Manager Wang, the Hong Kong stock index has only just begun to drop, and you're already like this? Your psychological resilience as a stock god of Hong Kong seems a bit lacking!"

Wang Yunlong gave a wry smile and said, "Mr. Zhou, please don't mock me. Who would dare call themselves a stock god in front of you? Moreover, today the Hong Kong stock index has been plummeting since it opened, influenced by the American stock market. It has already dropped more than a hundred points, which no one could have anticipated except for Mr. Zhou. Look outside; it's a disaster. Only Mr. Zhou remains calm here, which is truly admirable."

As Wang Yunlong spoke, Zhou Ming and Lin Muqing looked out the window. They saw that the area in front of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was packed with people. They were all hoping the market would recover, but unfortunately, the index was falling like it was diving off a cliff, showing no signs of rebounding, leaving everyone heartbroken.

Desperate cries and heartbreaking sobs came from the crowd below, and Zhou Ming, in the café on the second floor, could hear them clearly through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The contrast between the cries below and Zhou Ming's detached view from above was striking. Wang Yunlong subconsciously remarked, "Mr. Zhou, you seem like a ruler of the financial empire, looking down on those foolish speculators!"

Hearing Wang Yunlong's praise, Zhou Ming said, "You're overestimating me. By normal standards, I'm actually the speculator."

Wang Yunlong shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, Mr. Zhou. If you were a speculator, there would be no true investors left in the world. Remember when you told me about the fragility of Hong Kong's financial market and that the world's financial system would face a major crash? We, who thought we understood the market trends, believed you were joking and that the current global economic situation was too good for a crash to happen. But now, it turns out we were wrong. We were the foolish speculators, while Mr. Zhou, you are the true sage who sees through the market's patterns!"

"Alright, enough with the flattery," Zhou Ming waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about your views on the future of Hong Kong's financial market."

"In front of you, Mr. Zhou, I don't dare say much. I'll just follow whatever you say," Wang Yunlong replied.

Zhou Ming furrowed his brows and said seriously, "When I tell you to speak, you should speak. Don't forget you lost the bet to me and are supposed to be my trader. If I start a fund, you'll need to be my fund manager. As my fund manager, isn't it your job to withstand such shocks and make basic market predictions? Unless you plan to go back on your word."

Wang Yunlong was momentarily stunned and speechless. Zhou Ming said, "Do you think I'm joking? Do you think I'm being unrealistic? I'm telling you, that's my plan!"

Wang Yunlong looked at Zhou Ming's resolute face, feeling an overwhelming shock. He remembered when Zhou Ming first arrived in Hong Kong with only a few tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars and proposed that Wang Yunlong be his fund manager. He had thought Zhou Ming was just joking or even insane. But who could have predicted that Zhou Ming was serious and actually capable of pulling it off?

Now that Zhou Ming had successfully predicted the market crash, it was clear he could make several million Hong Kong dollars. With that money, Zhou Ming would indeed be capable of starting a fund.

Realizing this, Wang Yunlong resolved to follow Zhou Ming and be his fund manager if given the opportunity.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou. I shouldn't have belittled myself. Please be assured, I won't go back on my word. If you really start a fund company and still trust me, I'm willing to be your fund manager," Wang Yunlong said sincerely. "As for the future of the Hong Kong financial market, due to the impact of the American stock market crash, I believe it will continue to decline for a while until the global economic situation stabilizes."

"So, what do you think the extent of the drop in the Hong Kong stock market will be?" Zhou Ming asked.

Wang Yunlong thought for a moment and answered, "It's hard to predict, but conservatively, I estimate the Hong Kong stock index could drop by four to five hundred points in this crash."

"What if trading is halted?" Zhou Ming suddenly asked a provocative question.

Wang Yunlong's eyes widened in surprise as he muttered, "No... It couldn't be! Although this crash is severe, it shouldn't reach the point of halting trading. But if that were to happen, it would definitely exacerbate the market's pessimism and cause the index to fall even further, possibly over a thousand points."

Zhou Ming was very satisfied with Wang Yunlong's analysis. According to Zhou Ming's memory, the Hong Kong stock index indeed fell over a thousand points, with a decline exceeding fifty percent.

"So, as my fund manager, what do you think I should do?" Zhou Ming asked again.

Wang Yunlong sighed and said, "Although it may seem redundant, I suggest you continue with the Hong Kong stock index futures contracts until the index hits the bottom."

Zhou Ming nodded and was about to say something when a familiar figure hurried into the café. It was none other than Zhou Ming's futures account manager, Sun Wei.

Sun Wei came straight to Zhou Ming's table and pleaded, "Mr. Zhou, please save me! You're the only one who can help me now! I beg you!"

Zhou Ming glanced at Wang Yunlong, who lowered his head apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou. I told him you were here."

Zhou Ming responded, "If I'm not mistaken, the ten contracts you placed involved a lot of money that wasn't yours, right?"

Sun Wei's face suddenly turned very pale. Wang Yunlong explained, "To be honest, Mr. Zhou, the ten contracts Sun Wei placed didn't have a single cent of his own money; it was all on behalf of a big shot from Causeway Bay. With the market crashing, it's impossible to close the positions. At this rate, all ten million Hong Kong dollars will likely be lost, and the big shot won't let him off. So, even though it's a bit forward, I hope Mr. Zhou can help him."

"The Causeway Bay big shot? Could it be Brother Hao Nan?" Zhou Ming asked.

Hearing this, Sun Wei's face lit up with hope. "Yes, it's Brother Hao Nan. Do you know him, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Ming almost laughed out loud. He had asked the question out of habit, as Brother Hao Nan from the movie series was so famous that Zhou Ming's impression was strong. He never expected that there was indeed a Brother Hao Nan in Causeway Bay, which was a surprising twist.

In the financial world, it's not uncommon for account managers to handle transactions for clients to earn commissions. Although account managers usually sign risk agreements with clients, stating that the market is risky and they're not responsible for losses, in the event of significant losses, clients often come looking for trouble, especially with a figure like Brother Hao Nan. Knowing that ten million Hong Kong dollars had gone down the drain, he would likely send his men to deal with Sun Wei.

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, "I don't know him, just heard of such a person. Maybe in a few years, this person's fame will grow even bigger."

"Mr. Zhou, since you've heard of Brother Hao Nan, you know his temper is quite bad. He'll definitely have me killed! Please, Mr. Zhou, you must save me!" Sun Wei pleaded with tears and snot, even going as far as to kneel before Zhou Ming and Lin Muqing.

Lin Muqing, already displeased with Sun Wei, was even angrier seeing him in this state. "Manager Sun, what are you doing? Do you remember how you insulted us before? You acted spitefully and refused to listen to Mr. Zhou's advice, using other people's money to trade. You're getting what you deserve! Now, trying to come to us with your problems, it's ridiculous!"

"Sorry, Mr. Zhou, Miss Lin. I know I was a fool before, and I'm truly sorry. Please don't hold it against me. Please, you must save me, or Brother Hao Nan really will kill me! I'm begging you!" Sun Wei sobbed, kneeling before them.

Seeing the café staff approaching, Zhou Ming signaled them to hold off and then patted Lin Muqing's hand to calm her down. He turned to Sun Wei and asked, "Do you genuinely understand your mistake?"

Seeing Zhou Ming's question, Sun Wei's hope reignited. He nodded vigorously, "Yes, I truly understand!"

"Your fate is not really my concern, and I'm not a philanthropist obligated to give ten million Hong Kong dollars to a stranger," Zhou Ming said, then shifted his tone, "But since you're Wang Yunlong's friend, and I have a good relationship with Wang Yunlong, and seeing that you're genuinely remorseful today, I'll show you a way out."

Sun

 Wei thanked Zhou Ming repeatedly.

Zhou Ming calmed him down and said, "You're not in a hopeless situation. You've only lost ten million Hong Kong dollars. If you can cover that with another ten million, you'll be fine."

"But I don't have ten million Hong Kong dollars," Sun Wei said.

"That's why I said you're stupid!" Zhou Ming said. "Tell me, how do the commissions work for futures account managers? And how many contracts have I traded in the futures market? How much has my capital increased?"