Chapter 40: The True Demon King
Downstairs at Yongfeng Building, Tan Tao had been waiting for a long time.
He was here to collect the car. The Bentley Mulsanne was rented at 8,000 yuan per day, and Lu Liang had rented it for 23 days, totaling 184,000 yuan.
Last time, when renewing the lease, Lu Liang had pre-paid 200,000 yuan, and after deducting the deposit, he was due a refund of 26,000 yuan.
"Mr. Lu, if you need anything next time, please contact us, and we’ll give you a 20% discount."
Tan Tao saw the car Lu Liang had now, knowing that future opportunities for renting the Bentley were slim, but he still habitually mentioned it.
Lu Liang nodded slightly, holding the 26,000 yuan in cash, as he took the elevator up to his office.
It was already 8 PM when he returned to the city. He had just had dinner, and now it was nearly 9 PM.
Tang Caidie and Chen Jinchun had long since left work, leaving the office empty.
Lu Liang closed his eyes to relax, enjoying the long-awaited solitude.This is what people commonly refer to as... sage time.
After a while, Lu Liang opened his computer.
He glanced at the calendar on the bottom-right corner of the screen. If he remembered correctly, next Wednesday would be his father’s 55th birthday.
“It’s about time I visit home,” Lu Liang murmured.
It had been at least ten years, maybe fifteen, or even longer since he last celebrated his parents’ birthday with them.
His parents' birthdays were both in the lunar calendar—one in May and the other in November—neither close to any holiday.
In previous years, Lu Liang had been working in Magic City, only sending a red envelope and making a quick phone call. That was the extent of his effort.
Sometimes, he even felt like an unfilial son.
And the issue of his divorce... it was time to confess that too.
Lu Liang stayed in the office until the clock struck midnight, when the voice in his head appeared as expected.
[October 19, Teli A, 108.25 yuan]
Lu Liang immediately searched for related news. Seeing the stock price and code, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is the true Demon King!”
Teli A, code 000025, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, was also the 25th company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
Unlike new stocks such as Baofeng Technology, Teli A had been listed since 1993, making it 22 years old.
The current stock price was 9.75 yuan, with a market cap of 7.1 billion, and the total value of circulating stocks was also 7.1 billion.
Lu Liang was no longer a newbie who didn’t understand anything. The reason Baofeng Technology had such a huge increase last month was largely due to its special new stock characteristics.
The initial market cap was only 780 million, and the major shareholder had a six-month lock-up period, and the circulating shares wouldn’t exceed 15%.
This meant that Baofeng Technology’s initial capital pool was no more than 100 million. Even if the stock price skyrocketed to 327 yuan, an increase of 46 times, the total capital would still be only 4.6 billion.
Teli A, however, was an old stock, with 7.1 billion in circulating stocks and no lock-up period for the major shareholder.
To increase the stock price from 9.75 yuan to 108.25 yuan, an increase of 11 times, would require an investment of 71 billion yuan in actual funds.
“So there isn’t a stock market crash? It’s just a normal market correction? Is the next bull market coming?”
At this moment, Lu Liang fell into deep self-doubt, wondering if his judgment had been wrong.
After all, 71 billion in investment was just for a single stock.
Forget the so-called Mingzhou Gang, Yongjia Gang, Yuhang Gang, or the northern capital funds—these well-known financial groups—even CITIC couldn’t possibly invest 71 billion in a single stock.
Lu Liang thought for a while, and his frown slowly relaxed.
He thought of a possibility, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Normally, for a stock to increase by 11 times, it would require 26 consecutive trading limits, roughly 37 days.
Today was June 6th, and there were still over four months to go.
This suggested that the stock hadn’t surged in a single wave; instead, it had gone through multiple ups and downs, being tossed around by countless institutions. This could have been a game of passing the ball, creating this true Demon King.
This could also prove Lu Liang’s judgment: the next period would be the stock market crash, the big bear market.
As the saying goes, "In times of chaos, true demons arise."
Even during a stock market crash and a bear market, financial professionals still need to eat, and retail investors still seek ways to survive.
“Bull market demon stocks are just fake Demon Kings. The true Demon King is a stock that rises against the market.”
“Demon means elusive, unaffected by the market, abandoning the index, and forging an independent path.”
Lu Liang realized this was a great opportunity. For the next four months, this stock would become the battlefield for institutional fights.
If he could stand out, it would be the best form of publicity.
...
Around 1 AM, Lu Liang returned home.
The living room was still brightly lit. Li Manli was lying on the couch, hugging a stuffed toy. As soon as she heard the door open, she sat up immediately.
“Brother Liang, where did you go? I called you so many times, didn’t you see?” She spoke hurriedly, sounding concerned but also a bit reproachful.
“I didn’t notice,” Lu Liang replied casually, then headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
He knew Li Manli had called him several times that night, probably four or five times.
At the time, he wasn’t busy, and there was nothing wrong, but he just didn’t answer.
Li Manli wasn’t as mature as Zhang Qian. She was younger and didn’t have much sense of boundaries.
Lu Liang decided to use this opportunity to let her better understand their relationship.
In the steamy bathroom, the door cracked open a little.
Li Manli peeked her head around the door, hesitantly asking, “Brother Liang, did something happen today?”
Lu Liang wrapped himself in a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom, giving a faint smile. “Something did happen, but it’s already been handled.”
Li Manli brought a cup of hot milk from the bar. “If you don’t have to stay up late, it’s better to drink less coffee.”
“Thanks.” Lu Liang smiled, affectionately patting the back of her head, just like he always did.
Li Manli sighed in relief, smiling brightly. She thought of a way to make Lu Liang laugh. “I’ve learned a new dance. Should I show it to you?”
“Next time. I want to rest early tonight.” Lu Liang finished his milk, stood up, and went back to the bedroom. “You should rest too.”
He had just laid down when sleepiness slowly crept over him. Suddenly, there was the sound of rustling clothing at the side of the bed.
Li Manli crawled out from under the blanket, her body exposed, beautiful and graceful, with a sweet smile on her face. “I read an article saying that 'Gua sleep' can improve your mood. Want to try?”
Before Lu Liang could respond, Li Manli took the initiative to remove the restraints on his body and curled up into his arms, whispering softly, “Clear your mind and sleep peacefully.”
There was no clothing between them.
They snuggled together, feeling each other’s heartbeat.
Lu Liang, holding her gently, whispered, “Let’s sleep.”
Soon, the sound of steady breathing filled the room as Li Manli, satisfied, closed her eyes.
...
Saturday, June 6th.
After going to bed early last night, Lu Liang woke up early today.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Li Manli’s smiling face. “Good morning, how did you sleep last night?”
“I think I’ve fallen in love with gua sleep,” Lu Liang said, pulling Li Manli into an embrace, like hugging a human-shaped warm pillow—soft and warm.
Li Manli tilted her chin, looking smug. “Last night, when you came back, you looked so gloomy, you scared me.”
Lu Liang smiled and then said, “How about we play some tennis later?”
Li Manli immediately dove back under the covers, burying her head and mumbling, “No, I want to catch up on sleep.”
“Then sleep a little longer,” Lu Liang said with some guilt but didn’t insist.
He went to wash up and change clothes, saying, “I’m going out tomorrow. I’ll probably be back in three to five days.”
Li Manli popped her head out from under the blanket, showing only her little face. “When are you leaving?”
Because of what happened last night, she no longer dared to ask where Lu Liang was going or what he would do.
“Tonight.”
Lu Liang kissed Li Manli goodbye and went to the gym.
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