Chapter 36: Not the Fear of Scarcity, but of Inequality

Daybreak, Sunday.

Zhang Long rose early and took the shuttle bus to the driving school. Obtaining his license soon was key to buying a car, so he never missed a session unless absolutely necessary.

Last night, after he returned home, Luo Man happened to call for a video chat. After saying goodnight, he took a cold shower and went straight to bed.

Young and full of vigor, he had to cool down somehow.

...

“Morning, Dragon,”

“Morning, Boss,”

Such was the greeting among Blizzard team members as they returned to work on Monday, exchanging friendly good mornings. Zhang Long and Liang Xue’s gazes briefly met before drifting apart, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

But in truth, Liang Xue had woken up early Sunday morning and, upon seeing him asleep on the bed, understood everything at once.

Saturday night, naturally, she hadn’t pretended to sleep.

Yet she found it somewhat inexplicable that Zhang Long truly acted the gentleman. As she drifted into a tipsy slumber, some thoughts flitted through her mind—vague expectations, perhaps—but she couldn’t quite recall them.

If Zhang Long had actually taken advantage of her in her drunken state, would she have been angry? She didn’t know; there was no answer. She hadn’t figured it out all Sunday.

“End-of-month sprint...”

Monday began with the department's morning meeting. October had only one week and three days left. Yesterday, five other teams had come in for Sunday overtime, all striving for a strong finish at month’s end. The Blizzard Falcon Expansion Team was fortunate—not required to work overtime.

Their performance was stable and consistently fruitful. Whether or not calls were made on Sunday, Monday morning’s deposits would be the same. Proper groundwork and stimulation meant those who were meant to deposit would do so naturally.

If the groundwork wasn’t solid, confirming again on Sunday wouldn’t help; this work couldn’t be rushed.

“Let’s go, sprint to the finish!”

Zhang Long gathered the three trading supervisors and outlined today’s maintenance strategy. The short-term trading guide was ready; all that remained was to execute.

For the last eight working days of October, everyone needed to give 120% of their energy and dedication.

Team Three versus Team Five—the victory wasn’t yet secured.

Until the final day, anything could happen, unless a clear, insurmountable lead was established. The Falcon Expansion teams had always been weaker; despite catching up significantly in the past two weeks, their effective resources were still fewer.

In the last seven days, another burst of effort was essential!

...

“Hello, Sister Zhang...”

Zhang Long placed a call. Zhang Lizhen’s account had already bought two stocks, but he couldn’t shirk the necessary calls. Communicating confidence and reminding her about risk control was crucial.

Of course, some clients under his name were highly independent traders, following every stock recommendation bulletin without needing a call—saving him time and effort.

A conversation every two or three days was sufficient. Daily calls would annoy these clients; better to let things be quiet.

“Brother Chen, today...”

He dialed Chen Youwei. This guy hadn’t sold his Tohai Energy stock on Friday. Though Monday’s opening didn’t plunge straight to the limit, it still closed lower—a bad sign, indicating weak upward momentum.

Zhang Long, having anticipated the trend, knew Tohai Energy would drop back to 2.5 yuan, rebound briefly, and then fall again to 2.5 yuan on Friday. Such movement was truly frustrating.

At the closing price, hovering at a key support level, not buying might cause regret if a rally began Monday. But buying, only to see a steep drop, would be even more regretful.

A classic trap: Tohai Energy had previously used a similar harvesting tactic near 5 yuan. But gamblers in the stock market tend to forget—they see only the potential gains and profits, subconsciously ignoring the risks.

Sometimes, trading stocks is no longer about profit or loss, but rather the psychological thrill of betting right or wrong. Win or lose, it’s always a rush.

As they say, the process is more exhilarating than the outcome!

“Hello, Brother Wang...”

Zhang Long took a deep breath. “Brother Yin’s trading habits are problematic. You made good money last week, but he lost again—maybe try to talk to him.”

“It’s fine otherwise, but if it affects your cooperation and friendship, that’s not good.”

“Brother Yin isn’t suited for stock trading.”

...

In October, several clients had referred new customers to Zhang Long, totaling seven or eight. Only Mr. Yin had poor trading habits, and refused to change.

He was adept at quickly cashing in on profitable trades, which was fine, but refused to sell losing trades even when losses exceeded -3.5%.

Unwilling to accept losses—how could he ever win?

Zhang Long had coached him for half a month, warning and advising countless times, all to no avail. This was the third time he’d asked Brother Wang to intervene, and after this, he wouldn’t ask again. After all, repeated advice only annoys people; perhaps they regret making the introduction.

Some people are wealthy, but in the stock market, unwilling to accept defeat and insisting on fighting their losses—the outcome is never pretty.

“Manager Zhang, lunchtime...”

Unknowingly, midday had arrived. As usual, Liang Xue invited Zhang Long downstairs for lunch, her gaze calm and indifferent. Zhang Long noticed nothing unusual—everything seemed normal.

However, during lunch...

“Is there something on my face?”

Zhang Long wiped his face in confusion. Liang Xue, sitting opposite, let her beautiful eyes sweep over him occasionally, making him feel shy amid the busy cafeteria.

“Yes, there’s something,”

Liang Xue nodded, then her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I see a beautiful flower in your eyes. Looking closer, isn’t that me? When did I move into your eyes? Could it be you like me?”

Uh—Zhang Long broke into a cold sweat, speechless.

Seriously, sitting across from someone, of course there’s a reflection in your eyes. Such teasing—a proper man being flirted with!

“Ahem, Manager Zhang...”

Liang Xue leaned forward slightly, blinking, a playful curve at her lips. “From now on, you’re my guy best friend. We’ll chat, have a drink now and then, OK?”

“Working people have it tough, let’s support each other!”

...

The Investment Department had split in two at Shengxin, which was no secret. Lately, more people sensed something was amiss. The first half of the month passed quietly, but in the second half, the senior board members showed clear signs of unrest.

Originally, dividing the department so trading operated parallel was fine. Previously, the whole department was under Director Zhu’s control—even split, nothing changed.

But now, things were different. After years of a bear market, many directors who hadn’t made much profit began to stir.

Director Zhu was a company veteran, but so were other directors. Competition was inevitable, with no favoritism.

After much debate, ultimately, the wishes of the majority in the Investment Department prevailed. Led by Supervisor Sun and a few team managers, a full-fledged rebellion was underway.

Director Zhu wanted trading to be both independent and parallel to front-end development, which hurt many interests.

But Director You and his senior allies insisted the trading division remain under the Investment Department. Without front-end development, there’d be no back-end maintenance; one could not forsake the foundation for the branch. The five other teams in the department fully supported this.

“This path leads nowhere!”

At the board meeting, Director Zhu shook his head. “If the trading division isn’t parallel and independent, what’s the point? Just to gather a few trading supervisors for maintenance?”

“Only as equals can front-end and back-end face each other fairly, not be dominated. Isn’t this clear?”

Faced with Director Zhu’s questioning, some directors secretly agreed—the logic was sound. If the trading division abandoned independence, then parallel status was essential; otherwise, it was meaningless. Why bother at all?

But the battle for profit is ever-present, from the lowest ranks to the highest leadership, in every company.

The difference is whether the struggle is peaceful or fierce.

“Old Zhu, you’re wrong...”

Director You, somewhat overweight, spoke calmly. “Trading is back-end maintenance, serving the front-end. Otherwise, how can the developers feel balanced? They work hard to secure clients, and the trading division instantly takes half the profits?”

“The number of trading employees is surely less than those in development. Look at the commissions earned by Zhang Long’s group—much higher than the development staff. It’s already unbalanced.”

“The problem isn’t with scarcity, but with inequality!”

“Zhang Long earns too much.”

Director Zhu paused, ready to retort, but as he glanced around at the other directors’ expressions...