Chapter 15: Unusual Activity in the Final Moments

The delivery courier arrived, and forty minutes later, three piping hot dishes and a soup were laid out on the table. Steamed pork ribs with rice flour, braised shrimp in oil, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and oyster soup—simple, everyday home cooking.

"You're so beautiful and a great cook to boot; whoever marries you will be a lucky man," Lu Liang praised sincerely. He wasn't just flattering her; he used to cook often himself and could tell Zhang Qian truly knew her way around a kitchen.

"Brother Liang, stop teasing me. Try this shrimp." Zhang Qian peeled one herself and brought it to his lips.

"Delicious," Lu Liang exclaimed. However, he found it strange. Zhang Qian was from Guizhou Province, yet her cooking leaned toward the southern style.

"After being in Shanghai for so many years, my palate has long since assimilated," Zhang Qian said, momentarily stunned. She added, "Brother Liang, if you prefer heavier flavors, I’ll make some specialties from my hometown next time."

"No need, light and fresh is just fine."

After the meal, Lu Liang took Zhang Qian downstairs for a walk along the Riverside Promenade to digest. The river breeze caught Zhang Qian’s hair, and a sweet smile bloomed on her face, leaving Lu Liang momentarily dazed. This scene gave him a sense of home—not the home he once knew, but the one he had always imagined.

Once upon a time, his wishes were simple: to marry, settle down, work hard, build a family, have a child before turning thirty, and then start striving for the next generation. But ever since he brought Lin Wenjing from their hometown to Shanghai after their marriage, everything changed. She became vain, obsessed with comparison, constantly talking about who earned how much money and whose life was better.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Qian, ever attentive, noticed Lu Liang’s mood seemed to sour.

"It’s nothing. Let’s head back." Lu Liang wrapped his arm around Zhang Qian’s slim waist, and they walked back. The past was like smoke; let it drift away with the wind. He had long since severed ties with his former life to start anew.

Over the next few days, Zhang Qian occasionally went out for errands, but spent most of her time at Tomson Riviera. By day, she prepared various dishes for Lu Liang; by night, the bathroom, sofa, balcony, and kitchen became their battlefield for passion.

During this time, the share price of Chinese Online climbed steadily. Zhang Qian was incredibly excited, as she had invested an additional 500,000 yuan on the second day, going all-in just like Lu Liang. Her cost basis had risen to 20.25 yuan, but with the stock now at 32.72 yuan, her 29,600 shares were worth 968,000 yuan—a profit of 387,000 yuan. The love in Zhang Qian’s eyes as she looked at Lu Liang seemed almost tangible; she was more passionate than ever, wishing she could merge with him and become one.

On Thursday, Chinese Online opened high and continued to climb. Near 2:00 PM, it hit the daily limit. The latest price was 34.85 yuan, with 125 million yuan in orders sealing the limit. The main force’s stance seemed resolute, and retail investors were optimistic about the future, shouting that it was the "next Storm Technology."

After pondering for a long time, Lu Liang walked out of his study and called to Zhang Qian, who was watching TV in the living room: "Clear your position."

Zhang Qian checked the market. "It hit the limit again today. Do we really need to sell?"

"Who told you that just because it hit the limit today, it’s guaranteed to rise tomorrow?" Lu Liang asked with a smile.

Zhang Qian paused, pulled out her phone to execute the trade, and looked up with a smile. "I'll listen to you; I've sold everything."

"Good. I have something to take care of, see you in a bit." Lu Liang touched her cheek and closed the door to the study.

Something felt off. The voice prompt had said: June 2nd, Chinese Online, 39.82 yuan. Today was May 28th. With only six days and four trading sessions remaining, there was no reason for the stock to rise this fast. Moreover, the stock's momentum was nearing its end; the main force's aggressive move to seal the limit shouldn't be this determined.

Sensing something abnormal, Lu Liang took advantage of the main force's aggressive buying and dumped his 585,000 shares at the 34.85 yuan limit price. The total value was 20.38 million yuan. He had nearly broken the limit himself, but the main force had plugged the gap. Beyond his suspicion, Lu Liang wanted to test whether his participation would influence market movements. Over 20 million yuan was a significant amount; in smaller markets, he could even manipulate the price himself.

"The market makers must be feeling the pinch," Lu Liang thought, sipping the lemon tea Zhang Qian had made, when inspiration struck. He recalled Storm Technology; a similar situation had occurred when its momentum was ending. It eventually staged a "sky-to-earth" reversal, only to open high and climb the next day, luring in countless retail investors. The fact that it remained at the limit even after Lu Liang dumped 20 million yuan seemed to share the same underlying logic. If his theory held, those 20 million yuan worth of shares should have been the market makers’ own activity—left hand to right hand—but Lu Liang had intercepted a portion.

Lu Liang spun his chair, his eyes fixed on the screen. If his inference was correct, there should be unusual movement toward the close.

At 2:40 PM, the final twenty minutes of trading, Chinese Online broke its limit. The 125 million yuan that had sealed the limit suddenly vanished by over 90 million, and the remaining 30-plus million were swallowed up in a few breaths.

10.05%... 6.56%... 3.15%...

Massive sell-offs sent the price plummeting. Because it had been at the limit, there was no underlying support, and it dropped 13 percentage points in an instant. The market was stunned; retail investors who had bought in at the high were devastated. Because the stock had opened 5.6% higher and stayed red until the 2:00 PM limit, the three-hour climb had baited countless retail investors. Some bought at 6%, some at 8%, and others at the limit. Everyone thought that with such strong support at the limit, it would at least open high the next day.

Zhang Qian’s mindset represented that of the general public. Many who hadn't tasted success yet were suddenly struck down. In the living room, Zhang Qian was also watching the market. Seeing this, her eyes widened, and she gasped, quickly covering her mouth, afraid to disturb Lu Liang.

"That's incredible! It’s like his words are law—he told me to clear out, and now the price has crashed." Zhang Qian patted her chest, feeling a lingering fear. Had she not listened to Lu Liang, she would have lost at least 80,000 yuan. With a principal of 580,000, she now had 1.02 million. In this wave, she had made 440,000 yuan—more than a year’s salary. She hummed a tune, planning to make snacks to reward Lu Liang and thank him for making her rich.

Inside the study, Lu Liang was lost in thought. After a few minutes of volatility, support appeared below, and the stock hovered at 31 yuan, a drop of 2.1%. He speculated there were three possible paths ahead. The first was a "sky-to-earth" reversal like Storm Technology, but the risk was too high; with Storm Technology’s recent collapse and four consecutive limit-down days, and rumors that several institution heads were being investigated by the CSRC, no one dared to act recklessly. The second path was a flat close, followed by a slow decline, with a final pump to dump shares next week. The third was a bull trap: a late-day rally to lure in buyers, a slight drop tomorrow, and a major surge next week.

Lu Liang’s research indicated there were at least three institutions involved, having lurked for over 20 days. His interference might affect the market, but the impact would certainly not be overwhelming.