Chapter 3: Monster Stocks Are Coming “Multiple unexcused absences, blatant disregard for company rules—I’m reporting your misconduct to headquarters.” “Manager Liu, you feeling nervous? That soft tone of yours isn’t exactly convincing. Let’s wait until you have an actual termination notice before making a fuss.” Their words clashed like two blades. Lu Liang was unrestrained, while Liu Jianchun, who’d spent most of his time in his office, was visibly flustered, his face turning red as if he might explode any moment. Lu Liang had been fed up with Liu Jianchun for ages. A connected man sent from headquarters, all Liu ever did was put on airs. Back then, with a family to provide for and a mortgage to pay, Lu Liang had to endure, swallowing his pride time and time again. But now? He was a free man, with no obligations. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Xiao Wen watched in alarm, whispering softly, “Brother Lu, maybe it’s better to tone it down a little?” Ignoring her, Lu Liang smirked, provoking Liu into a fit. “What are you standing around for? Get out there and chase sales instead of waiting for lunch!” Liu roared. “I’ve been waiting for you. You were out all day,” Li Manli said hesitantly. She had changed into a white blouse, black leather skirt, and had a black ribbon around her neck. Her makeup was carefully done, with eyeshadow, blush, and a faint shimmer over her eyelids. She looked young, stylish, and brimming with youthful charm, a mix of sweetness and allure. “Is there something you need?” Lu Liang asked, pausing. “Thank you for helping me last night.” She mustered the courage to offer the fruit to him again. “Would you please accept it?” “My name’s Lu Liang, not ‘Hey you.’” He replied calmly, his anger mostly dissipated after a day. “Brother Liang, would you please take it?” She asked, her face flushed with embarrassment. “Next time, don’t drink so much.” He took the fruit, feeling no guilt. Relieved, Li Manli hurried off. “What kind of nightlife job does she have?” Lu Liang stroked his chin, watching her leave. Coming home drunk at 2 or 3 a.m. on a weeknight, dressed up at night to go out again—it wasn’t hard to guess her line of work. The next day, Lu Liang kicked off his fitness plan. He started with a slow, untimed one-kilometer jog, aiming to build up to a seven-minute-per-kilometer pace over ten kilometers. For lunch, he stuck to quality proteins like beef and shrimp, with fiber-rich foods like corn and sweet potatoes. His daily routine involved a half-hour walk after lunch for digestion, followed by a 90-minute nap. But at 1 p.m., the results for his Baofeng Technology IPO application were coming out, so he skipped his nap to wait. By 1:05, his stockbroker Zhao Haisheng called to report that his 5,000 entries had yielded 68 successful shares. On the ChiNext board, each share meant 500 stocks—he now had 34,000 shares, each priced at 7.14 RMB, totaling 242,700 RMB. After completing the payment, Lu Liang pooled his remaining funds, ending up with 307,300 RMB left. Over the following days, he kept up his new routine of exercise, healthy eating, and regular sleep. On March 24, Baofeng Technology was listed as scheduled, and like all IPOs, it hit the price ceiling immediately. One week, two weeks, three weeks… It gained the maximum 10% daily increase for fifteen consecutive trading days. The stock’s trade volume remained tight, with a turnover rate still below 5% on the fifteenth trading day. The market started to sense something unusual. Something felt... magical. By the last trading day, the stock price had risen to 29.82 RMB, a 4.16x increase from its IPO price. Lu Liang’s 34,000 shares, initially worth 242,700 RMB, had skyrocketed to 1,013,800 RMB. “Fifteen consecutive price limits, now at 29.82 RMB. Telling people it’ll go tenfold wouldn’t be easy to believe.” Lu Liang had dabbled in stocks before, but he always ended up losing and had to cut his losses. But now, with knowledge of future events, it was an excellent chance to learn. He carefully monitored capital inflows and outflows, read every news article, and sought to understand the patterns within. If he could just grasp a bit of this knowledge, even if he no longer received hints from the future, he could still use his experience and this first windfall to live a comfortable life. Lu Liang firmly believed that financial markets had their patterns, especially a closed system like the A-shares market. Just as with the domestic entertainment industry, where capital sought predictability, producing homogeneous films and churning out similar stars. Capital wanted stability—akin to a hit production or a breakout star with mass appeal, reaching values between 50 and 100. But if steady output was ensured, capital was willing to accept lower, more predictable values, even down to 80 or 70.