Operation details

The computing power system’s short-term targeting model for Good Group was quickly developed.

After cautious preliminary testing, Lin Yuan quickly set up an automated trading software.

Creating this automated trading software was not only to save effort but also for security.

If one doesn't want to expose their short-term targeting actions, they can only engage in high-frequency, small-amount transactions. Too many large orders at the hundred-thousand level can easily attract attention.

But if he were to make thousands of yuan in and out, with Lin Yuan's capital scale of over two million, he would be exhausted, having to stay in front of his laptop screen all day long. Even if he turned into an octopus, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Automated software trading might seem unreliable, but as long as the software doesn't have major bugs, it's much more reliable than a human.

Humans can have shaky hands or make mistakes, but software only operates according to its set logic.

Lin Yuan configured the code to track the profit of each short-term entry and exit. If a transaction resulted in a loss, an abnormal record would be generated. If abnormal records accumulated to a certain number, an alarm would be triggered.

Once the alarm is triggered, the software will automatically pause all current transactions and send a warning to Lin Yuan's phone via SMS and email.

Lin Yuan is now becoming more and more adept at the 'underhanded' approach.

Currently, Good Group's stock price is in a volatile downward trend, and the general market view is:

“Affected by the public opinion in Zijin City this time, Good Group’s social image has further deteriorated. It all depends on Good Group’s public relations results for this public opinion. If handled improperly, it may very likely lead to another round of decline.

Because the authorities, in order to appease the emotions of the delivery riders group, cannot allow the impact of Good Group’s actions to spread. They will likely intervene and demand that Good Group increase cost input, improve delivery riders treatment, and try to ease the conflict.

What follows is an increase in Good Group's operating costs, which in turn leads to lower profits.

Therefore, the market maintains a wait-and-see attitude towards Good Group’s stock price as a whole.”

Lin Yuan was somewhat puzzled. Even if Good Group wanted to self-sabotage, why did it have to do so after the initial test of the food delivery algorithm? Why couldn't it use other means to self-sabotage and then use the food delivery algorithm to stage a comeback?

From his perspective, the food delivery algorithm and Good Group's self-sabotage were two completely unrelated matters that could have been unbundled.

This was another unsolved mystery.

Lin Yuan also didn't know what considerations Good Group's senior management had.

However, what pleased him was that, taking advantage of Good Group's stock price dip, Lin Yuan made a killing every day by short-selling. Short-term targeting was much more exciting than long-term investing; his overall daily return was around 10 percent.

But he quickly fell into the dilemma of “self-justification.”

Because his stock transactions must go through various securities companies, even though he had already opened a bunch of securities company accounts through widespread outreach to dilute the attention he received.

However, if his trading account consistently showed profits, it would quickly be detected by the securities company's backend monitoring.

In the age of big data, everyone is a thousand-year-old fox; there's no need to pretend to be ignorant under the guise of user privacy.

Therefore, Lin Yuan had no choice but to modify the code and add a logic—after several consecutive profits, actively make one or two losing trades. This would create the illusion of his profits spiraling upwards.

But this would reduce his rate of return.

Limited to only himself and Xia Ye as natural persons for opening accounts, Lin Yuan couldn't further increase his income, because he couldn't let the automated trading software increase the trading frequency to an unmanageable level.

At most, he could let the software play the role of an old hand addicted to stock trading, staying in front of the computer screen all day. But if the automated trading software traded ten times a second, wouldn't that be telling the world—it's not a person trading, it's a robot trading.

Therefore, the only way for Lin Yuan to increase his income was to open more accounts.

But opening accounts obviously couldn't be solved by forging documents; he wasn't that reckless.

Ask Zhang Yan for help opening an account? Clearly unrealistic. He had already borrowed money from her; he couldn't keep exploiting her.

Then he could only go to Song Xiaoxiao.

Two days ago, Song Xiaoxiao also came out. Xia Ye personally went to pick her up, and only Xia Ye went to pick her up.

Originally, Lin Yuan also wanted to go along, but Xia Ye didn't let him, fearing that the three of them would be awkward after meeting.

Currently, Song Xiaoxiao was still living in her original small rented room.

“What has Song Xiaoxiao been doing lately?”

Xia Ye didn't want to talk about her in front of Lin Yuan, because from her perspective, it was Song Xiaoxiao who caused Lin Yuan to be detained. “Why do you bring her up?”

“Just asking. How is she making a living now?”

“I... I transferred some money to her and told her to rest for a while, and we’d talk later. I told her you’re trying to figure out a way to raise money for her.”

“Let’s go see her together.”

“You really want to see her?”

“Just as friends, you know.”

—

Near Zijin Aviation School, a KFC.

They still chose to meet at KFC because it was cheap—ordering a meal for a few tens of yuan allowed them to sit in a corner for a long time. Lin Yuan now had to save every penny for the stock market.

Lin Yuan and Xia Ye arrived first and waited for a while. Xia Ye went out to answer a call, and then pulled Song Xiaoxiao, who was slowly approaching.

Song Xiaoxiao was still wearing her trench coat and knee-high boots, but she had lost her usual spirited air. Her face was bare, and her hair was twisted together and casually fastened behind her head with a clip.

As she walked towards the corner where Lin Yuan was, her steps were very slow. She instinctively walked behind Xia Ye, and if Xia Ye hadn't pulled her, she looked as if she was about to retreat.

Song Xiaoxiao finally managed to walk to the opposite side of Lin Yuan. She didn't dare to look into Lin Yuan's eyes. But she didn't realize that Lin Yuan was actually quite embarrassed to look at her too. Because Lin Yuan knew in his heart: it wasn't she who harmed him, but he who harmed her.

If Lin Yuan hadn't foolishly forged the admission letter, causing Zhang Yan and the others to suspect that Lin Yuan had a huge connection with the fake certificate industry chain, Lin Yuan wouldn't have been targeted, and Song Xiaoxiao wouldn't have been investigated as a result.

“Have you had lunch?”

“Not yet,” Song Xiaoxiao replied softly, her head bowed, but then immediately added, “No, no need, I’ve eaten. I had a late breakfast.”

“Can fried chicken and a burger suffice for now?”

“You two eat well, I’m not hungry.”

Xia Ye opened a burger and put it into Song Xiaoxiao's hand.

Song Xiaoxiao only took one bite, and tears welled up in her eyes. She said faintly to Lin Yuan, “I’m sorry, I didn’t listen to you.”

“No need to be sorry; you didn’t do anything to be sorry for. Things in this world aren’t that simple.”

“You don’t blame me?”

“I have no right to blame you.”

Song Xiaoxiao then lowered her head and gnawed on half a burger, then quietly asked, “Did your detention affect your studies? I heard from Xia Ye that you’re not from a rich family, but earned your money by your own ability.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Lin Yuan said frankly, “It hasn’t affected me in the slightest.”

Looking at Song Xiaoxiao's current downcast appearance, Lin Yuan felt uneasy, “Regarding the money you need to compensate, don’t worry, I’m figuring out a way. It’s just that I can’t raise it all in a short time, so you might have to be a temporary defaulter.”

“I’m fine,” Song Xiaoxiao looked up when she heard this, staring at Lin Yuan, “You don’t need to raise money for me. I’ll take responsibility for my own actions. You and Xia Ye just live well, I’ll always find a way.”

“What way?” Lin Yuan quipped, “Go back to your old ways?”