Chapter 24: I Want to Be a Market Raider

As the final bell rang, the professor did not prolong the lecture. Instead, he looked at the students and said, "That is all for today. We will see each other again on Wednesday afternoon. Class dismissed."

"Let's go, time to eat."

"Food, food!"

"I'm exhausted. I stared at the market all day only to net a 0.7% return; it’s not even a tenth of what Lai Weijie made."

"Teach us some tricks, brother Jie!"

With the dismissal, the lecture hall became a sea of movement as students scrambled to leave for lunch. Lai Weijie, previously an invisible figure, had suddenly become the center of attention.

As he packed his belongings, he remained humble. "You guys are joking. I just got lucky and picked a stock with potential. Oh, right, I have something to take care of, so I won't chat anymore."

He hurried out of the hall, terrified that someone might see through his facade. Zhang Yang, by contrast, remained composed. He saved his data files, shut down his computer, and tucked it into his bag.

"I heard the chicken wing rice rolls at Cafeteria No. 3 are great. Let's go, guys, let’s go feast," Chen Chuan said to his three roommates.

"I'm starving, let's go!" Wang Liu responded quickly.

Xu Jiafeng, still mired in the shadows of his "failed romance," pulled a long face and waved his hand. "I’m not going. I have no appetite."

Seeing the dejected Xu Jiafeng, Wang Liu and Chen Chuan exchanged a glance. Having guessed the situation, they immediately switched to their "bad friend" mode.

Wang Liu: "You didn't get dumped, did you?"

"She didn't even say yes, so how can it be a breakup? What do you call it... what was it again?" Chen Chuan feigned deep thought before adding, "Right, it's called unrequited love, a secret crush!"

"Feng, pull yourself together. So Xu Zhiruo rejected you? Don't worry, someone else will take care of her for you."

"Exactly. I saw an ad on the school forum from a woman named 'Sister Feng' looking for a husband. Why don't you give that a try?"

Wang Liu and Chen Chuan traded barbs, stabbing at Xu Jiafeng’s heart with every word. A sudden, nameless rage welled up in the latter’s gut.

"Damn it!"

"Can you two shut up for once?"

Xu Jiafeng roared, instantly drawing the attention of the entire class. Xu Zhiruo, He Jing, and others turned to look at him, while students who had already exited the hall turned back to gossip about the commotion.

Under so many gazes, Xu Jiafeng’s face turned bright red. He hissed, "You two sons, just you wait."

"Chicken wing rice rolls. If you don't go, I'm going to keep talking," Chen Chuan laughed.

Wang Liu added, "Someone confessed..."

"Fine, fine, I'll go!" Xu Jiafeng cut him off, nearly reaching out to cover his "sons'" mouths.

"What about you, house monitor?" Chen Chuan asked, looking at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang checked the time on his phone. "I have something to attend to. You guys bring me a portion back to the dorm."

"No problem," Chen Chuan agreed.

Bringing back food was simple enough. Except for the mornings when he couldn't get out of bed, grabbing lunch, dinner, or late-night snacks was just a matter of a single sentence.

"What's up? Is it with the little sister..." Wang Liu, ever the gossip, raised his eyebrows with a knowing smirk.

"Professor Wang Xingbang wants to see me. Want to join?" Zhang Yang replied with a calm smile.

Upon hearing it was Wang Xingbang, Wang Liu quickly declined. "You go ahead. I have a phobia of teachers; I get a headache just looking at them, let alone that old man Wang Xingbang."

"I won't keep you. I'm going to see what he wants."

"Alright, we're heading to the cafeteria."

Zhang Yang grabbed his computer bag and walked out the door, while his three roommates quickly left for lunch.

...

Meanwhile, at Faculty Office 4-3-101.

This was Wang Xingbang’s private office, roughly 20 square meters. Besides the desk, chairs, and cabinets, there was a simple cot on the right side, likely for naps.

Tao Yuang, dressed in a white shirt, black dress pants, and polished crocodile-skin shoes—the quintessential image of a financial elite—glanced at his Rolex, seemingly wondering why Zhang Yang hadn't arrived yet.

Noticing his impatience, Wang Xingbang said, "Investment Theory has two sessions this afternoon. The bell just rang; sit down and wait."

"I'm going out for a smoke." Tao Yuang pulled out a pack of cigarettes, preparing to head to the hallway to curb his craving.

A second later, Zhang Yang appeared at the door. He knocked on the open frame and said, "Professor Wang, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I have something to discuss with you." Wang Xingbang stood up.

Tao Yuang tucked away his cigarettes and looked Zhang Yang up and down. He actually had an impression of Zhang Yang, not just because he was handsome, but because he was the top student in the major. A top-tier student’s reputation on campus was no less significant than that of an entrepreneur in society.

"Student Zhang Yang, right? I’m Tao Yuang. We met last time. Do you remember?" Tao Yuang reached out a hand in a friendly gesture.

"Senior Tao, of course I remember," Zhang Yang said, shaking his hand politely.

The moment Tao Yuang spoke, he knew it was Tao who wanted to see him, not Wang Xingbang. Considering Tao was a fund manager at Huaxin Securities in charge of the university's "Huaxin Simulated Trading Competition," he feared his role in Lai Weijie’s trading might have been exposed.

However, Zhang Yang didn't flinch. He remained calm, waiting for the other party to speak.

"Glad you remember. I was afraid my average face hadn't left an impression."

"Senior, you're too modest. You're quite handsome."

"You're too kind, Junior. I have enough self-awareness to know if I'm handsome or not."

The two exchanged hollow pleasantries. Suddenly, Tao Yuang changed the subject. "By the way, Junior, I heard you’re producing and selling research reports. Are you planning to become a financial analyst?"

Before he could respond, Tao added, "I have an internal recommendation spot here. Would you like to try your luck at Huaxin Securities?"

As these words were spoken, Zhang Yang’s brain raced. The situation became clear with every passing sentence.

*So, it’s not about the proxy trading,* Zhang Yang thought to himself. He looked at Tao Yuang and politely declined. "It’s just a side job. I actually want to be a 'hot money' investor."

"Hot money investor?"

"Hot money investor?"

Wang Xingbang and Tao Yuang exclaimed in unison. They had imagined Zhang Yang joining a brokerage, an investment bank, or a commercial bank, but they never expected him to aim for the life of a speculative trader.

What is a hot money trader? Simply put, a retail speculator.

The income of a full-time retail trader is highly unstable, much like a sales job; in a good market, you might make hundreds of thousands a month, but in a bad one, many struggle to even cover their living costs.

Crucially, sales jobs have a base salary; retail traders not only lack that, but they also risk losing their own capital.

Wang Xingbang hadn't wanted to interrupt, but upon hearing Zhang Yang's goal, he advised, "Zhang Yang, you need to think clearly. A hot money trader is not like a fund manager. You lose your own money, and there's no base salary. Also, if you aren't a fresh graduate, it becomes incredibly difficult to enter a top-10 brokerage. You must consider your future carefully!"

Tao Yuang, who had come to persuade Zhang Yang to stop selling his research reports, also offered earnest advice: "Zhang Yang, don't be impulsive. Being a fund manager isn't less profitable than being a hot money trader. You might even transition into private equity, where earning millions a year isn't a problem. Most importantly, the income is relatively stable!"