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"You don't know what you're talking about!" The seasoned investor snapped, clearly irritated by Li Han's challenge. "I've been in the stock market longer than you've been alive! This stock has been on an upward trend for a whole month and even maxed out its daily gains recently! Don't listen to this guy; he's clueless!"
Despite the tension, some in the crowd were curious about Li Han's perspective and asked, "Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?"
Li Han couldn't offer any concrete proof; he had a secret ability to predict the market. Still, he knew better than to reveal that. So, he played it cool.
"If you're skeptical, just wait and see," Li Han responded with a confident smile. "The stock will peak in about two days, and then it's going to tank. If you own shares, consider this your warning. When the stock starts to nosedive in two days, you'll know I was right."
Without offering any more details, Li Han used the momentary confusion in the crowd to make his exit.
"Man, dealing with these savvy investors is such a hassle," Li Han muttered to himself as he walked away.
However, Li Han knew that once he demonstrated a consistent track record of picking winning stocks, gaining the trust of these seasoned investors would be a breeze.
For the time being, he opted for a strategic retreat. Once the stock dipped as he predicted, he'd research the company to understand why it failed. Armed with this information, he could later coax these wily investors into following his investment advice.
All he needed to do was sound convincing. With his big-data app, it was like having the answers before even formulating the questions---it wasn't hard at all.
In the meantime, Li Han had already diversified his portfolio by investing in various financial products. Since the number of high-profit opportunities was dwindling, he spent 800 big data points to recommend five lucrative projects to Wang Zhenyu. Each project had an investment of two million, and the likelihood of success for all of them was over ninety percent.
If all five projects panned out as expected, the clients would definitely see a profit, and in turn, Li Han would earn an additional 2,000 big data points.
While 4,800 big data points might seem like a comfortable cushion, it wasn't enough for the long haul, especially since he planned on leaving his job at the car dealership. Building up his data points was vital for his future financial stability.
With this in mind, Li Han set a goal for himself in June: sell as many cars as he possibly could. His coworkers noticed his increased efforts and assumed he was making a final push for a promotion to sales supervisor.
Judging by Zhang Jing's nonchalant response, Li Han felt confident about what was to come.
Two days later, he joined Wang Man to review the new coffee sets they were planning to introduce. In addition to the original Corgi cupcakes, Wang Man had incorporated a Japanese Daifuku and a Chinese Osmanthus Cake to go with the coffee. Each of these culturally distinct desserts was both exquisite and Instagram-worthy.
"What do you think? Are they good enough?" Wang Man inquired, her eyes shimmering with a blend of hope and anxiety. It was the kind of look that made it hard for anyone to offer any criticism.
"They're great. Go ahead and add them to the menu," Li Han affirmed. He then activated his curve calculation feature to project the shop's growth over the next three months, while Li Jia and Wang Man got busy taking photos for promotional purposes
Thanks to Li Han's strategic input, the future profit curve he now saw was markedly different from his earlier projections.
Initially, the shop was expected to maintain a stable profit through June but then sharply decline between July and September. However, post-intervention, June's profitability did dip slightly, but not dramatically. The curve then showed a rise starting in July, continuing through the end of the forecast period.
"So, it worked..." Li Han exhaled a sigh of relief and looked at Li Jia and Wang Man with a smile. "Once the shop starts doing better, how about we celebrate?"
"What if the business deteriorates?" Wang Man raised an eyebrow and questioned.
"If the business takes a hit, we'll look for part-time jobs. No big deal," Li Han replied, half in jest.
"Sounds like a plan!" Li Jia chuckled. "Deal!"
"Let's all give it our best effort, okay? I've got some big decisions to make myself," Li Han said, standing up and facing his two friends. "I'll be counting on your support down the line."
"Is it about your job?" Wang Man asked, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Yes," Li Han assured her, appearing nonchalant. "But don't stress too much about it. I've got a backup plan in place."
"Okay," Wang Man replied, biting her lip, a subtle spark of allure dancing across her face.
"Don't sweat it, Xiaoman," Li Jia reassured her, placing an arm around her. "We're Li Han's safety net. He invested two hundred thousand in our business, remember? As long as we do well, we can help support him, right?"
"Really?" Wang Man finally cracked a smile. "If that's the case, you're welcome to help out at the shop or take on some odd jobs."
"A security guard, you say?" Li Han grinned confidently. "No sweat. I'll hit the gym and bulk up!"
True to his word, Li Han went to the gym shortly after. Once he finished the beginner's course, he started picking up some basic combat moves, like Muay Thai punches and knee strikes.
"Okay, let's call it a day. Wind down with a 20-minute jog," Coach Ke said, patting Li Han on the back before chuckling.
"You want me to jog for 20 minutes after an hour-long workout?" Li Han couldn't believe his ears.
"Look, combat demands top-notch physical fitness. You've got to keep up with your training every day," Coach Ke explained, then turned to assist other students.
Feeling wiped out, Li Han stepped onto the treadmill and started his jog. Just then, a news headline flashed across the gym's TV screen: "Company's 'Miracle' Alzheimer's Drug Linked to Severe Side Effects, Including Strokes and Fatalities. CEO Accused of Covering Up the Truth..."
Li Han felt a twinge of déjà vu as he watched the news. It took him a moment to realize why: the Alzheimer's drug was from the same company touted by that seasoned investor in the stock market.
He had noticed the stock's downward trend earlier today and had planned to research the company later. But he never expected the issue to blow up on live TV.
The news report stated that the adverse effects had actually been known for a while. However, the company had gone to great lengths to suppress this information---until it was finally exposed today.
During this time, some of the company's shareholders had already sold their shares, an action requiring board approval. Clearly, this was a premeditated move.
In stock market terms, this kind of damaging news is known as "bearish news," and it could seriously hurt the company's stock value. Investors would likely start dumping their shares in a panic, which would send the stock price spiraling downward---just as Li Han had observed earlier.
'Did that guy take my advice after all?' Li Han wondered while continuing his jog on the treadmill.