Chapter 12 of 100

Chapter 12: Self-Inflicted Misfortune, No Way Out

13 min read3,220 words

"Ring~"

"Hello!" Lin Feng didn't need to think to know it was definitely a relative calling. Recalling the group attack on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Lin Feng didn't want to deal with them, but for his father's sake, he had to set aside his annoyance.

"Lin Feng, how high will Yi'an Technology go? Do you have any inside information?" His aunt was a true stock enthusiast among the relatives.

"Um, Aunt, you should sell at most 126 yuan, or it will definitely fall." Now, Lin Feng wasn't afraid of leaking information anymore. Yi'an Technology had already risen to this level, and it was certain not to deviate from its historical trajectory.

"126 yuan? Are you sure? The last few times you said the information couldn't be confirmed, which cost us a lot of money." His aunt scolded Lin Feng for his previous "false" information.

"Um, this time, no matter how many shares you have, you must sell all of them if they exceed 126 yuan." Lin Feng said firmly.

"Really?" His aunt hung up the phone, half-believing and half-doubting.

"Ring~"

The phone kept ringing, all from relatives asking if Lin Feng had any more inside information. Lin Feng had already done his best to tell these elders that they must sell Yi'an Technology if it exceeded 126 yuan. However, from their tone, it seemed they didn't really believe Lin Feng's warning, instead suspecting that he was giving false information again.

Faced with the relatives' doubts, Lin Feng could only smile bitterly. Perhaps in the eyes of these elders, he was no different from the child who cried "wolf."

On February 17, 2000, Yi'an Technology reached a peak of 126.31 yuan. In the securities trading hall, every percentage point increase in Yi'an Technology was met with cheers and applause from all the stock investors, marveling at the stock's magic.

Lin Feng sold all 25 lots of his shares at 10 a.m. when Yi'an Technology broke 126 yuan, earning 315,000 yuan in cash. After paying back the 50,000 yuan he had borrowed, he was left with 255,000 yuan. However, none of his relatives on either side of his parents sold their shares. They firmly believed the stock analysts' words, thinking Yi'an Technology would at least break the 130 yuan mark.

"Father, tell Aunt and the others that they must sell Yi'an Technology today, no matter what. Otherwise, they will definitely regret it." Reluctantly, Lin Feng asked his father to call the relatives on both sides. As family, Lin Feng couldn't just watch them fall into this trap.

Of course, Lin Feng was more afraid of their attacks. He couldn't avoid them, and he couldn't lash out. It was better to warn them early. Whether they sold or not, they couldn't blame him later. If he didn't warn them and they lost everything, it wouldn't just be a matter of blaming Lin Feng.

"Hello, Third Sister, my son says you must sell Yi'an Technology today..." Lin Qixiong dialed the phone, but before he could finish, the receiver was filled with scolding.

"Big Brother, I'm not saying this to be mean, but Xiao Feng is too disrespectful. He keeps his stocks to himself and makes money, but doesn't tell us the information. Now that we've finally bought in, he wants us to sell! What, is he too scared to play and doesn't want us to buy? Is he afraid we'll make money and he'll feel uncomfortable? Big Brother, I won't say more, I'm going to watch the stock." His aunt scolded and hung up the phone.

Lin Qixiong was stunned, not knowing where his sister's anger came from. Stocks are inherently risky, and it was normal for Xiao Feng to be uncertain before. Now that the price was so high, warning them to avoid risk was a good deed, but he was met with scolding instead.

Lin Qixiong felt a bit uncomfortable with his aunt's scolding, but as siblings, he couldn't take it too seriously. Thinking that the other siblings had also bought stocks, he called them one by one.

The result was the same. Hearing that Lin Feng wanted them to sell their stocks immediately, they all complained and scolded him, accusing him of trying to stop them from making money. Some even said outright that Lin Feng only wanted to make money himself and couldn't stand to see others profit. In the end, no one sold, all holding their stocks tightly, waiting for Yi'an Technology to break the rumored 130 yuan mark.

Then it was 140 yuan, 150 yuan...

Lin Feng could only sigh, thinking these people were blinded by greed and couldn't see the danger. He had done his best, and if they didn't listen, what could he do?

On February 18, 2000, Yi'an Technology, which had rarely stopped rising, remained unchanged throughout the morning. This was a dangerous signal, but the stock investors saw it as a sign of a major rise to come. Not only did no one use this last chance to sell their already profitable stocks, but more people rushed in, fearing they would miss the next rise.

Faced with this abnormal situation, Lin Feng again had his father call all the relatives, but the result was the same. This time, not only did no one listen, but they used the words of various stock analysts to refute Lin Feng, even mocking him for being cowardly and not allowing others to make money.

Heaven's misfortune can be lived with, but self-inflicted misfortune cannot. — Lin Feng sighed deeply.

On February 21, 2000, as soon as the stock market opened, Yi'an Technology, after a slight rise, fell to the limit in less than ten minutes, despite the cheers of the stock investors.

The green numbers left all the stock investors in the trading hall speechless, rubbing their eyes in disbelief. They looked at each other, all stunned.

All the trading halls across the country fell silent simultaneously, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most people maintaining silence at the same time. But this record brought no good luck.

"Relax, everyone, this is definitely a technical correction. It will definitely rise again tomorrow." An old stock investor suddenly shouted, not sure if he was comforting everyone or himself, but he received the agreement of all the stock investors, who all expressed their views, all believing it was just a short-term correction. Perhaps they already felt a sense of unease, but at this point, they had no way out and could only comfort themselves.

"Hello, Xiao Feng, what about Yi'an Technology? Is it a technical correction?" After the market closed in the afternoon, the relatives flocked to Lin Feng's small internet cafe. Unlike the previous days when they mocked Lin Feng, they now looked helpless and lost, like drowning people grasping at the last straw.

"Sell, sell as much as you can. Yi'an Technology will keep falling, there's no hope." Lin Feng could only comfort them this way. But in his heart, he knew that at this point, it was too late to escape.

The subsequent trend was as Lin Feng had predicted. Yi'an Technology fell all the way, giving no chance for the stock investors to escape. They could only watch helplessly as their high-priced stocks rapidly depreciated, their hard-earned savings vanishing into thin air.

"Xiao Feng, your aunt is so pitiful, Xiao Feng, give your aunt some advice, is there any way out?" As Yi'an Technology continued to fall, the relatives came to Lin Feng's door every day, crying about the huge losses in their stocks, their hard-earned money turning into bubbles.

Faced with this, Lin Feng could only shake his head. He had warned them repeatedly, but they didn't listen. Even if he called upon Guanyin Bodhisattva, it couldn't save Yi'an Technology now.

Finally, unable to bear the harassment, Lin Feng handed the internet cafe over to his father to manage and went out to avoid the trouble, looking for the next suitable investment opportunity.

Now, with 250,000 yuan in hand, he had the foundation to expand the internet cafe. What he lacked was a good location. A prime spot that could ensure the long-term development of his internet cafe.

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