Chapter 13: New friends, retail investors curse "Lu Liang, want to grab breakfast together?" For the past two days, Lu Liang had been showing up at the gym at the same time, and he’d made a new friend there. His name was Meng Changkun, seven years older than Lu Liang, a shareholder in several companies, and a notable figure in Shanghai’s venture capital scene. Despite the age difference, they hit it off after meeting in the gym’s swimming pool, bonding over similar interests. "Sure, Brother Kun. Give me a moment to change." After a quick shower, Lu Liang changed and handed his workout clothes, neatly packed in a numbered bag, to the staff. Having just moved to Tomson Riviera, he had signed up for a year-long membership at the Tomson Club’s gym and rented a small locker room. Now, after each workout, he didn’t need to haul sweaty clothes back home. The staff would launder and dry them, placing them neatly in his locker by the next day. "What do you think of that lady’s figure?" At the restaurant near the complex entrance, Meng Changkun’s small eyes were constantly darting to the attractive women passing by. To Meng, Lu Liang seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, young, living in Tomson Riviera, and driving a multimillion-yuan Bentley. After some digging, he’d found no connected business holdings, so he couldn’t gauge Lu Liang’s background and hoped this would help him figure it out. Lu Liang raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Are these auditioning girls ‘goldfish’ or ‘woodfish’?” Meng paused, then burst into laughter. “Well, that depends on your skill.” Goldfish are just for admiring, but woodfish are approachable. Feigning sincerity, Lu Liang said, “Brother Kun, please show your little brother the way.” “Will do, I’ll call you when casting starts in a few days.” “Looking forward to it.” They exchanged knowing smiles and dropped the topic. Then Meng’s phone rang. After taking a quick call, he turned back to Lu Liang. “Something came up at the company. I’ll grab the check and take off.” “Alright, take care. See you soon.” Lu Liang smiled, waving as Meng left. Living in Tomson Riviera wasn’t just about the lifestyle; it was also about expanding his social circle. Even renting here, with a minimum monthly rent of 72,000 yuan per unit, served as a high entry point. Anyone who could afford to spend half their income on rent would need an annual salary of over 1.8 million yuan. Everyone who lived here was either an elite or an heir to power or wealth. Lu Liang wasn’t sure where his path would eventually lead, but he knew that money alone wouldn’t be enough. “Almost 9:30—it’s time to check the market.” Lu Liang took a sip of his soy milk, picked up the half-eaten sandwich from his plate, and started walking home, unbothered by the curious glances around him. 𝖗𝖆ＮȏᛒΕŜ Over the weekend, he’d been busy setting up his home office, purchasing a computer worth over 10,000 yuan along with several smaller monitors to improve his ability to monitor and trade. Lu Liang had a hunch that last Friday’s failure of Chinese Online to surge might have been partly his fault. His trading approach had been sloppy; he shouldn’t have set standing orders. Instead, he should have gradually bought in, like the big players, leaving no visible traces. But he’d been using his phone and couldn’t respond as quickly, which was why he’d set up his study this way. One computer, three monitors—this would be his personal “battleground” for the foreseeable future. What retail investors fear most isn’t losing money but being shaken out, right before the stock soars. The stock forums were in an uproar, filled with curses directed at the big players. Many had held on for a week, two weeks, or even longer, only to sell off before the big gain. From the current results and the buying strength, it was clear this wasn’t just one limit-up. The main players had big plans, or they wouldn’t have spent so much time building up their position.