These past few years, everyone has held a misconception: technology is the primary productive force. Any tech company that goes public via IPO is destined to be a high-growth enterprise, enjoying a stock price surge of two to five times.
Analysts, investors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and banks were all caught in a frenzy. Everyone was a winner; everyone made a fortune.
People's outlook on tech stocks grew increasingly optimistic. Merely holding tech stocks or receiving company stock options upon joining a company could quickly turn ordinary individuals into "millionaires."
For an ordinary person to defy fate and achieve greatness, it usually requires arduous effort and acquired skills.
A normal trajectory would be this: first, work and earn some small capital. Once a certain amount is accumulated, start a small business, ensuring the initial capital can withstand ten or even eight failures.
Your small business should be a modest venture, requiring no further investment. Ideally, transactions should be settled immediately in cash. Who would have imagined that twenty years later, a particular auntie would audaciously declare:
"I'm selling egg crepes here, and I earn thousands a month. I won't short you an egg; you must be mistaken."
Then, engage in small businesses, identify promising projects, and subsequently establish a factory. Through the exploitation of workers' surplus value, one could accumulate wealth, thereby achieving a leap in social class.
The fourth tier is investment and stock trading. It's generally not advisable to jump straight into this.
The stock market is a blade that kills without drawing blood. If you directly enter the fourth tier, you're likely to lose everything you invested, down to the last cent.
The stock market is designed to humble the arrogant. There might be one in ten thousand investment geniuses globally, but they are always other people's children.
Ordinary individuals should be down-to-earth and progress step by step. If a fortunate opportunity arises, establishing your own factory by the age of forty would be considered a fundamental change in your destiny.
These past few years, stock investors have profited considerably, especially with the NASDAQ's recent forty-five-degree ascent, which has shattered investors' last line of defense.
"Get on board quickly," they urged, "Companies going public now are opening high and rising higher, consistently trending upwards."
Analysts, investors, and venture capitalists could no longer hold back. By the time they spoke, those who had invested early were already feasting.
If they didn't participate now, they would likely just watch others profit. This was a mad era that created countless millionaires.
...
Zhang Tianxing's words quickly spread and were published in Fortune magazine, just as quarterly earnings reports were due.
Upon reading Zhang Tianxing's article, the vast majority of stock investors began to curse.
"This Oriental kid is too wicked, actually trying to wreck internet companies. The future belongs to the internet; this is a sunrise industry. This Zhang Tianxing is just a whippersnapper still in college."
"But he seems to have made quite a bit of money. I feel like what he's saying has some truth to it."
"Right, isn't it time for company quarterly reports? Let's take a look at these internet companies' financials and see for ourselves."
"Damn it, I'm stunned. This Zhang Tianxing is right; these internet companies have disappointed me terribly."
"Heck, after investing for so long, I only invested in a new economic concept, coupled with user growth, a seemingly decent revenue, and another fanciful business story."
"I'm such an idiot, a complete fool. How did I not see this coming? After all this, the pets.com company only owned a domain name, yet it dared to go public. It's even more unbelievable that it managed to raise eighty-two million US dollars. Such a thing happening in America is utterly comical."
People began to panic. Based on their understanding, Zhang Tianxing was most likely telling the truth.
So, where should they go from here? Their hopes still rested on these company stocks.
"Are these internet companies like biotech companies, all under the guise of technology, but with deeply hidden schemes?"
"Sister, you've hit the nail on the head. I'm liquidating everything tomorrow. At least I have substantial unrealized gains right now."
"I'm liquidating too. Let those risk managers play among themselves."
"Casinos are always open, but our chips are limited. Once lost, they're gone. It's always better to play it safe."
After Zhang Tianxing returned home, Li Dan, in a rare gesture, prepared a sumptuous meal for him.
"What's the occasion for such a feast?" Zhang Tianxing asked curiously. Li Dan, whom he had only seen cleaning before, had never entered the kitchen. He hadn't expected that Li Dan, who was quite attractive, also had decent cooking skills.
"My body has almost recovered, and I'm grateful for your care during this time, as well as your legendary stock market comeback. Rongrong mentioned that your maneuvers could be written into financial history books. Today is destined to be a stock market crash; such a massive drop is historically unprecedented," Li Dan said, her bright eyes sparkling.
"It was nothing, just a favor between friends," Zhang Tianxing replied, avoiding any mention of the stock market.
"Zhang Tianxing, you're so brilliant at stock trading, can you take me along? I'm short on cash lately," Li Dan pleaded pitifully.
"No, I never bring anyone along," Zhang Tianxing flatly refused Li Dan's request.
"Why is that? Why don't you want to help me?" Li Dan's eyes welled up, tears threatening to spill over, as if she might cry at any moment.
Zhang Tianxing couldn't bear to see women cry. "It's like this. No one can predict the stock market. If you love someone, let them enter the stock market, because it's a place where dreams can come true."
"If you hate someone, let them enter the stock market, because it's a nightmare for countless people, where families are ruined and souls descend into hell."
Zhang Tianxing's voice was low. Li Dan shivered slightly, pulling her clothes tighter. "Zhang Tianxing, just help me this once. I'm truly at my wit's end."
"How about this, tell me what the problem is, and I'll see if I can offer some advice," Zhang Tianxing said after a moment's thought, still not agreeing to lead Li Dan in trading.
"It's like this: my younger brother got into a fight at home and seriously injured three people. The other party is demanding two million from our family. We've borrowed from all our relatives and sold everything we could, but we're still short by five hundred thousand. I need an additional five hundred thousand, or my family will be ruined. I've spent a lot of my family's money these past few years; I shouldn't have, or the deficit wouldn't be this large," Li Dan cried, clutching her head. Countless times she had woken up in tears, her pillow soaked, wondering what it was all for.
"By the way, Zhang Tianxing, you're so rich, can you lend me five hundred thousand? I'll do anything for you," Li Dan suddenly remembered Zhang Tianxing was loaded and her mind began to consider him.
He's handsome and wealthy, perfectly fitting her definition of a prince charming. Perhaps she should just make do with Zhang Tianxing. This thought began to stir within Li Dan.