Chapter 78: Who's in charge?

Wall Street's New York Mercantile Exchange is still abuzz with activity, especially in the international crude oil futures sector. Countless people are staring up at the ever-rising numbers while shouting about selling their contracts, but unfortunately they are just shouting.

In the trading hall, the most relaxed one has to be the Hong Kong City United Investment Fund. Sun Wei is sitting in his seat, his eyes constantly scanning the situation in the room. His subordinates are basically gathered around him. Although they occasionally go down to the floor to shout to see if they can place an order, basically this is just for show, just to shout a bit, because they don't think that in the current situation of a near collapse in global oil prices, there are still orders that can be placed.

Suddenly, Sun Wei's eyelid twitched. He saw his subordinate return and asked, 'What's the situation? Have you been able to place any orders?'

The man shrugged, 'Boss, you know the answer. Don't ask me. Everyone is placing orders right now, but there aren't really that many to go around. You're lucky to be able to place a single dollar call order on crude oil futures! Look at the companies next door to us, they have been shouting in the market all day, and not a single order of one cent has been placed.

'Someone else said with a sneer, 'Isn't that what they deserve? When we sold off our orders, didn't they laugh at us? Now the tables have turned, they won't be laughing anymore.'

Sun Wei's deputy continued, 'Not only will they not be laughing, I think they will now be following our every move and picking up the scraps.'

Listening to the discussion of his subordinates, Sun Wei, who had been sitting there the whole time, let out an arrogant smile, because what his subordinates had said was all true. Ever since he had started buying up stocks yesterday and then buying them back at the last minute, despite going against the market trend, he had successfully judged the situation correctly. As a result, he and the Gangcheng Joint Investment Fund had become the bellwether of the stock exchange. Many companies had come to him to inquire about the news, as if he knew insider information and would tell them.

Of course, Sun Wei knew that those who came to inquire were just small fry. The real big conglomerates and families all had their own investment channels and would not be so conspicuous. But even so, Sun Wei still felt very good.

Sun Wei had a sense of control over everything. In his eyes, the stock exchange hall at the moment was a dark jungle, with the traders desperately screaming in the middle like beasts fighting in a group, and he was a hunter wandering outside, waiting for an opportunity to reap the benefits.

At this time, a voice sounded in his ear: 'Hey, China Sun, today's scene is really spectacular, you haven't made a single trade, have you?'

Sun Wei turned his head and saw the trader who had bought his contract the day before. He was now standing next to Sun Wei, holding a cup of tea. Sun Wei smiled casually and said, 'Joseph, you really know how to joke. You didn't miss the news this morning. Under the current situation, global oil prices are rising desperately. Look at all these people in the hall, where is there any chance of getting a deal done?'

'Sun, I know that Chinese people like to drink tea. This is a gift from my friend, but I can't drink it. I thought you could, so I brought it over to give it to you.'

Joseph said as he placed the teacup on Sun Wei's desk, then continued, 'Although the current situation is like this, the situation will always change, especially for some special people, isn't it?'

Sun Wei just raised an eyebrow and looked at Joseph without saying a word. Joseph continued, 'Just like yesterday, when the war in Kuwait broke out, everyone thought that international oil prices would definitely rise. But you, Sun, were certain that they would fall, and you even sold your contracts in public. That was a very bold decision, but in the end, it turned out that you were right!

'So I believe that Sun has a special Chinese judgment that is above everyone else. I think maybe you can tell me something,' Joseph tentatively said.

In response, Sun Wei laughed a little and said, 'So Mr. Joseph has come to me to inquire about news. But what I'm curious about is that your investment company is much larger than ours, so why do you still come to us for news?'

'A large company does not necessarily have complete information, and a small company may not be able to obtain secret information,' Joseph said. "Especially someone as capable as you, Sun, who is always able to surprise people.'

'I see," Sun Wei said. 'Then I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you, because the current situation is not likely to change.'

Hearing Sun Wei's words, Joseph's face was full of enlightenment: 'So that's it, as long as you, Sun from China, say so, it's enough for us to feel at ease and get on with our work. I believe that your clever mind will definitely not deceive us.'

Joseph left after saying that, and after he left, Sun Wei's subordinates said one after the other, 'Mr Sun, it seems that you have really become famous in the trading floor this time! Because I used to spend a lot of time in this place, I know very well that this place is often used as a meeting point. It is usually the big investment companies that use it, including Joseph's company. I never thought that even he would come to you for information!'

At this time, another person exclaimed, 'Look over there, Joseph has been stopped!'

Sun Wei and the others looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw that Joseph was indeed surrounded by several people. Sun Wei's deputy said, 'Those people must be trying to find out what Sun Zong is thinking through him. After all, we are not familiar with those companies, and it is not good for them to speak to us rashly. So Sun Zong is in control of the situation in the entire trading hall!'

Sun Wei sat there, shaking with pride, and said, 'It's too much to say that I control the situation, but this feeling of everyone waiting for me to make a decision is still very good.'

Then Sun Wei changed the subject again: 'But even so, I hope you don't become too arrogant and complacent. As employees of the Gangcheng Joint Investment Fund Company, we still have to work hard to ensure the company's profits, so you still have to do your own work well.'

'We must do our jobs!' Sun Wei's deputy said, 'With you, Mr. Sun, giving the word, how can we be passive?'

While he was talking, he waved his hand to let the people around him continue to pretend to trade on the trading floor. This situation made Sun Wei feel very happy, as if he were a king high above everyone else, and everyone else was at his feet, whether they were his subordinates or traders from other investment companies.

The trader who had been sent down to the trading floor soon returned and excitedly reported to Sun Wei, 'Boss, good news, I just placed a buy order for $100,000!'

This statement shocked everyone, and it was hard not to be shocked, because you have to understand that it was right after the end of the Gulf War, the situation in the Middle East was chaotic, and international oil prices were skyrocketing worldwide. How could there still be a buy order?

Even Sun Wei was surprised and looked at him and asked, 'How did you manage to get in?'

Sun Wei had hit the nail on the head with just one question, because being able to get in meant that someone was selling contracts, and at the same time placing sell orders, which meant that they believed that the price of oil would fall in the future.

However, the truth slapped him in the face, because the person pointed to the side and said, 'Over there, someone is selling contracts!'

It was true!

After Sun Wei had said this in his heart, his phone immediately rang. Sun Wei did not have time to think much and immediately answered the phone.

It was Zhou Ming calling. On the phone, Zhou Ming did not beat around the bush and asked right away, 'Has anything strange happened on the exchange?'

'Of course there is! I was just about to call you, Mr. Zhou Ming! Just now, someone quietly sold contracts to short oil futures!' Sun Wei replied.

Zhou Ming was not surprised by Sun Wei's answer. He simply said, 'Good, from now on, let's start selling contracts too, sell them all without exception, but do it quietly, don't take in too much at a time, don't be too conspicuous.'

'Is something going to happen? Or do we sell the contracts and short them like they did over there?' Sun Wei asked.

After listening to Sun Wei's question, Zhou Ming did not answer, but instead asked with a meaningful tone, 'Does Sun always plan to make decisions for me?'

Zhou Ming said this in a very ordinary tone, but in Sun Wei's ears it was like a thunderbolt, causing him to suddenly jump in fright, because he then remembered who was really in control.

Perhaps he is enjoying a glorious time at the exchange. After yesterday's incident, it seems that everyone is paying attention to him. Not only do his subordinates admire him, but other major investment companies also value him. However, the source of all this is not himself, but Zhou Ming's ability. Because if Zhou Ming had not ordered him to do so yesterday, he would never have thought of it, and he would never have chosen to go against the market.

In addition, there is an even more important point, and that is that although people call me boss, in reality I am just an employee, and it is Zhou Ming who really controls the funds.

With these thoughts in mind, Sun Wei immediately said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou Ming, I don't have such thoughts. I will do whatever you say. I will immediately instruct my people to quietly sell those contracts as you have instructed. Please rest assured, Mr. Zhou Ming.'

'Then go do it quickly,' Zhou Ming said, hanging up the phone.

The subordinates next to him saw Sun Wei slowly put down the phone and came forward one after the other to ask, 'Boss, what's going on? Did the gentleman from above know that there are idiots selling contracts here, and tell us to quickly take them all?'

Hearing this, Sun Wei immediately slapped him and then angrily yelled, 'Take what?'

Afterwards, Sun Wei remembered Zhou Ming's words, and then lowered his voice and gathered everyone together and said, 'The gentleman from above has given us a new task, to get rid of all the contracts in our hands without affecting the market.'

Although Sun Wei had spoken as quietly as possible, he still surprised everyone. Everyone looked at Sun Wei in disbelief and asked, 'Boss, why do this? Isn't the futures market in a good situation? Is it that guy Zhou Ming again who came up with this rotten idea...'

Before the man could finish his sentence, Sun Wei slapped him again and emphasised, 'Please call Mr Zhou Ming!'

Sun Wei's words surprised everyone once again, but this time no one dared to speak up again. Sun Wei then continued, 'I will say it again, what I am saying now is not a consultation, but an order. I need you to quietly sell the contracts immediately. I don't want you to sell too much, I just want you to sell a little bit at a time. As long as the final result is that you can sell them all and it does not affect the market, that's fine.'

Everyone looked at each other, and Sun Wei directly asked, 'Do you all understand?'

Everyone then desperately nodded, and then dispersed and left the trading floor, going about their own business. Sun Wei also left the trading floor, walking in the opposite direction of Joseph and approaching a group of people and asking, 'Everyone, my boss urgently needs to cash out, and there are some contracts to be sold. I wonder if any of you would like to take them over? It's a crude oil futures order.'