Chapter 125: A Net Profit of 100 Million from Spot Trading; A Warning from the Golden Finger? (Bonus Chapter for Cumulative Tips 3)

Zhang Long felt a sense of relief.

He was quite eager to purchase this top-floor duplex luxury property. At the very least, he could pay the full price of 23.8 million yuan as soon as possible to expedite the transaction. While the current price was sixty to seventy thousand per square meter, it could soar to one or two hundred thousand in the future.

The water is deep in ordinary commercial housing, but it is even deeper in luxury real estate, especially when wealthy or powerful people are involved in potentially setting a trap.

...

"Phew, that's impressive."

Zhang Long left. Before departing, he took one last look at this high-quality luxury complex. He no longer saw any profit rate figures above the heads of the staff, as if his vision had just been playing tricks on him when he looked at the sales agent earlier.

Unable to see how much the prices might rise—likely because they were destined to skyrocket just like on Earth, making a display unnecessary—he realized that being able to see potential losses was the real key to avoiding pitfalls. After all, deep traps are rarely easily detected; there are countless ways to swindle someone out of their money.

In this era of social media, aren't disputes over buying cars, houses, and haircuts the most frequent? They are exploding in number. At least now, he wouldn't have to worry about being scammed when buying property.

"Big brother, are you buying or not?"

After leaving the luxury residential complex, Zhang Long went to a nearby lottery shop to check on scratch-offs, but unfortunately, after staring for a long time, there were no profit rates visible. He had visited lottery shops several times since arriving in this world in early September, but there had been no reaction. His predecessor had used up his entire lifetime's luck to win 5 million, but he couldn't hold onto the sudden wealth and ended up dead.

"Sir, which one do you like?"

At the gold and jade counter in the mall, Zhang Long wandered around for a long time without seeing any profit rates. Even though there were certainly fake jade pieces here, there was no reaction. Either his "Golden Finger" didn't have that function, or it simply wasn't necessary. Did things have to reach a certain level of value?

The new function that had suddenly appeared in his "Golden Finger" today had reignited his interest, but unfortunately, he hadn't discovered any "new continent" and it had faded away.

"Please wrap this up."

Men wear Guanyin, women wear Buddha. He bought a jade Buddha necklace for Luo Man to give to her next time they met. It wasn't expensive, but women are usually very happy when they receive gifts, which makes men feel even better. It’s all about the tactics and methods.

...

"Brother Zhang, is it still not working out?"

In the afternoon, Zhang Long followed the agent he had an appointment with to look at two more large flat-floor apartments. They weren't bad, but they weren't particularly great either. Having seen the top-floor duplex in the morning, he found the standard large apartments a bit underwhelming and stifling.

It was just like Gu Jia in the show *Nothing But Thirty*, who, despite moving into a luxury apartment, pulled strings to get her son into a prestigious kindergarten, only to be left wide-eyed and speechless upon entering the top-floor duplex of Mrs. Wang. Truly, there is no "most luxurious," only "more luxurious."

"Let me know if you find another top-floor duplex."

Zhang Long sighed and shook his head. A luxury home is meant to be lived in, so he didn't need to buy too many. If he could be selective, there was no need to settle. One top-floor duplex plus one high-quality detached villa would be enough. He would have a small nest in the Bund, a top-floor duplex for luxury living, and a detached villa with a garden. Top, middle, and bottom—he would have it all.

"Uh, alright then."

The young female agent smiled and nodded, though she couldn't help but wonder to herself: can he really afford it? A top-floor duplex starts at 20 million.

And so, Zhang Long decided not to look at the remaining few ordinary large apartments he had planned to see. He would wait for a duplex or a villa; it was a matter of luck. At the same time, he wouldn't focus solely on the Lujiazui or Bund areas anymore; the city center would do just fine. To be honest, after living in the Bund for a long time, the river view was just "so-so." There was no need to insist on staying in that area. As long as the luxury property was of high quality, it didn't matter where it was.

...

"Hmm?"

In the southern suburbs, Luo Man, who had just finished work, was startled.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to treat you to a good meal."

Zhang Long, having nothing else to busy himself with, had come straight to find her. "Don't take any part-time jobs tonight."

"Um, I'm not really..."

"Hmph, listen to yourself." Zhang Long waved his hand, interrupting her. "Can't I come see you without wanting to hit the sheets? Let's go. Let's just have a nice dinner and chat tonight. We won't do anything else."

Hearing this, Luo Man felt a warmth in her heart. Since they had defined their relationship, this was the first time they were meeting without it being about sex.

"Here, this is for you."

Zhang Long took out the box with the jade Buddha necklace. He opened it and put it on her right there at the bank entrance. Whether her colleagues were envious or jealous, he didn't care; if someone should be pampered, he would pamper them. Luo Man blushed, feeling a bit shy and embarrassed in front of everyone.

"Next time, I'll give you something."

It was a random, nonsensical sentence, but it made Zhang Long perk up. Looking at Luo Man's delicate red lips and thinking about a different kind of "tasting" next time... hiss. Oh boy, may the next time come soon.

...

"Zhiqing, come sit here."

Inside a manor in Magic City, the elder of the Ling family called his granddaughter to his side after dinner. He didn't talk about national affairs, just simply asked how she had been lately and if she had encountered any difficulties. The elder was very fond of his granddaughter, while the grandmother favored the grandsons. In Ling Zhiqing's generation, there weren't many direct descendants. She was the youngest, with two older brothers and an eldest sister above her, all already married.

Ling Zhiqing was 27, the same age as Qian Caiying. At this age, she really should have been married by now, even if not for a strategic alliance.

"I've been doing quite well lately."

Ling Zhiqing was very strong-willed outside; otherwise, the "tiger girl" Qian Caiying wouldn't listen to her so much. In their circle, Ling Zhiqing's deterrent power was at least greater than Qian Caiying's. Besides the Ling family being an established wealthy clan, the grandfather doted on her greatly. Anyone who dared to bully her would be asking for a beating. But in wealthy families, grievances and interests are numerous and complex; emotions ultimately have to bow to reason.

"That's good."

The old man sighed and said no more, but what needed to be said had already been said. It was up to Ling Zhiqing to grasp the details. When it came to filial piety toward the board of directors, she was very clear-headed and rarely played dumb like the little rascals in the Qian family. Daughters in wealthy families often have no say in their own fate.

"Hongze is doing pretty well, isn't it?"

Not two steps out of the study, Ling Zhiqing heard a voice that made her frown. Ever since they were children, he had always wanted to snatch whatever she had.

"What, want to trade?" Ling Zhiqing said coldly. "A brother should act like a brother. Being your sister makes me sick."

"Thanks. As they say, one dragon gives birth to nine children." Ling Yushan, who always had a cynical, devil-may-care attitude, chuckled and shrugged. "Raising a girl with luxury is the biggest scam in history. Once they grow up, if you're not careful, they'll be hooked away by some wild man, even more ruthless than an ungrateful wolf."

"If you truly consider yourself a member of the Ling family, then serve the family well. You've enjoyed a life of luxury since birth; it's time to pay it back."

"Do you really think that because you've achieved some results at Hongze, you can just walk away from the Ling family? Don't be ridiculous, my naive, silly sister."

Faced with such biting words, Ling Zhiqing's face darkened, and she walked away, unwilling to engage. Ling Yushan watched his precious sister walk off in anger and gave a faint, chilling smile. *That's fine. Keep working hard. In the end, it all belongs to the Ling family anyway.*

...

"Sigh, we're two sisters in distress..."

In an apartment, Qin Miaotong, lounging on the sofa with the TV playing in the background, sighed. "You're having trouble with your love life, and I'm having trouble with my career."

"It's been three years since I turned 24, and I'm still so unlucky. I haven't encountered a single opportunity. Tell me, babe, why?"

"Because you're too greedy." Liang Xue shrugged and smiled. "You can't expect the analyst team to clean up after your trading department and then refuse to give them a cut of the benefits. Don't tell me you haven't taken half-dead clients, handed them over to be saved, and then sat back to collect half the commission."

"Being selfish is fine, but you can't be *too* selfish. You have to be willing to share the benefits if you want to take advantage of others."

"Tch, easy for you to say." Qin Miaotong curled her lip. "I can't beat you at logic, but you can't beat me at being stubborn. Since the knife isn't stabbing you, of course you don't feel it, you bad friend."

Liang Xue spread her hands. *Heh.*

"Actually, it's not that I can't share it with the analyst team. Can't we just wait until after the new year?" Qin Miaotong said, feeling depressed. "Taking a share just when I'm trying to make some extra money before the end of the year... it's painful. I really want to quit."

She looked up at Liang Xue. "How about I come to your Hongze? Set up a trading department for me to specifically guide clients."

"Why don't you talk to the director or general manager of Hongze? Didn't you say you have a very good relationship with them?"

"Stop, forget it." Liang Xue shook her head directly. "I'm only well-treated on the surface; I don't take it for granted. Even if Hongze sets up a trading department, you wouldn't be able to carry the load. At most, you'd be a manager in charge of a few people."

"Hongze isn't very large right now, and the market department team is small. There's no need for an independent trading department. Let's see after the new year. I'll keep an eye out for you. But don't go thinking about a director position."

Just like that, Qin Miaotong's enthusiasm was extinguished. Changing jobs without a promotion or a raise was pointless. However, if she really wasn't happy at HSBC, she would have to leave. Why stay there if she wasn't making much money and felt stifled? Why make herself miserable?

"By the way, do you want to move?" Qin Miaotong asked suddenly. "Century Park is a bit far from Hongze. Why don't you just move in with me? I won't charge you rent."

"Hmm, we'll see." Liang Xue shook her head noncommittally. Living there would be more convenient for commuting, but what about other things? Without the freedom of living alone, it wouldn't feel right.

...

In the blink of an eye, it was Monday, January 14.

For Zhang Long, the exciting moment of withdrawing his profits had arrived. In the previous six trading days, his nine spot-trading accounts had earned anywhere from 1.5 million yuan—like the Huiyin account—to as much as 3 million yuan on the newly opened accounts.

A total of 24 million yuan in net profit was withdrawn.

There were still over a dozen trading days left until the end of the month. At this pace, he could earn another 50 million by the end of the month.

"Should I go for more?"

Zhang Long stroked his chin. He had already cleared 51 million in net profit previously, plus the 24 million, totaling 75 million. If he earned another 50 million by the end of the month, that would be 125 million.

That was about the limit. If he pushed higher, a single account would have to exceed 15 million. For instance, to net 150 million, his nine accounts would need to average 16.6 million each. Would that be too much?

When he first started spot trading, he thought that making 30 to 50 million on a single platform wouldn't be a problem. But after several "profit withdrawal Mondays," the platforms were starting to get suspicious. They would call, asking why he was withdrawing when he was doing so well, hinting that he should deposit more—after all, big capital could earn more, right? Two or three million was nothing compared to making nearly ten million. They were starting to murmur.

Spot trading is very sensitive to people taking away profits. So, taking 30 to 50 million from a single platform was a no-go. If he cut that in half to 15-20 million, would that be okay?

And today, with another withdrawal, the platforms were inevitably sensitive as they were rushing to meet year-end targets.

*Buzz, buzz...*

Suddenly his phone vibrated. Zhang Long looked down and frowned. It was a call from Huiyin. It was undoubtedly about the withdrawal. He had taken nearly 11.5 million in net profit from Huiyin, crossing the ten-million mark.

"Let's trade first."

Withdrawal was one thing, but he would still make his trades. After seeing the predicted trend, he entered the market with half his positions, keeping 2 million in each of the nine accounts. Even though the Huiyin account had only earned 1.5 million, he didn't hesitate to pull it out.

Zhang Long had a premonition: his "spot-trading wool-shearing" wouldn't go smoothly until the end of the month. It was an inexplicable feeling of unease. Whether it would be accurate, he couldn't say.

...

"Longpeng, Weiyuan..."

On Monday's opening, the two stocks continued to rise. Qian Caiying, who was watching Zhang Long's trades, wasn't surprised; it seemed she had defaulted to the idea that Zhang Long making a profit was no longer a rarity.

Besides Weiyuan and Longpeng, the gains and losses on his other stocks were just smoke screens—quite crafty. However, as long as Zhang Long wanted to make money, there would always be a difference in his core holdings. Qian Caiying had the ability to distinguish that, which is why Hongze's performance and growth had been so good recently, and its reputation was gradually growing.

At the very least, Hongze's clients realized that following his trades resulted in more profit than loss—more stable than other platforms. Of course, a 100% win rate was impossible. After all, even if the recommended stocks were the same for all clients, human nature varied: some would hesitate, some wouldn't buy, and some would hold onto losses instead of selling.

Because of this, the effect of their collective trading on pushing up stock prices wasn't very significant. At least with Hongze's current volume, or even if it expanded by a factor of two, it wouldn't disrupt the balance too much. Qian Caiying controlled the scale. Not to mention that Zhang Long himself was already exercising a certain degree of control. The two had a tacit understanding: one was making a fortune in silence, and the other was developing the business in silence.

Time flew, and it was Friday.

The stock accounts were closed out, and he withdrew his funds, netting a total of 12.5 million. But a problem arose with the spot trading.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Zhang Long was startled and took a breath. Today, he had only used his "premonition" twice. He had always been able to use it three times a day steadily, but suddenly, the third usage had vanished.

After calming down, he checked his trading suggestions again, but when he looked at the spot-trading interface, there was still no reaction.

*Hiss, what is going on?*

"Uh, is it 100 million?"

A moment later, after racking his brain for a long time, Zhang Long seemed to have found the answer. After the last wave of profit, he had netted a total of 100 million in spot trading. That is, from Monday to Friday, he had earned 25 million, plus the previous 75 million, totaling 100 million in net profit.

As long as he didn't trade tonight, by next Monday, he would have a clean 100 million in his pocket.

"A restriction, or a warning?"

Zhang Long furrowed his brow. The negative profit figure he saw above the agent's head while looking at the luxury house last Saturday, and the sudden disappearance of his third premonition today, both seemed to be reminders: *don't jump into a trap, or there is danger.* So, don't be greedy; know when to hit the brakes.

It seemed that 100 million was the "safety line" determined by the Golden Finger for his spot-trading wool-shearing. That was likely correct.

"Damn, that's actually quite humanized."

The corners of Zhang Long's mouth twitched. If his guess was correct, this Golden Finger was actually looking out for the host's interests and personal safety, afraid that he might run into trouble. After all, he wasn't invincible.

"Phew, that's not bad either."

Returning to his senses, Zhang Long let out a breath and stopped dwelling on it. Although it was a pity he couldn't "shear" more, his capital had increased. Just by trading stocks, he could make plenty, and it was relaxed and stress-free. Trading for a few hours a day wasn't tiring.

However, since he couldn't do spot trading anymore, what about other markets? Could he trade foreign exchange or futures? Thinking of this, Zhang Long felt a surge of energy. He planned to give it a try. He couldn't be sure if he would lose, but if he could...

*PS: Extra chapter added, please vote with your monthly tickets.*