Minglang pulled an all-nighter, and by the next morning, the entire setup was ready to go.
When Cheng Yi returned from class, she found the living room filled with screens of various sizes, all flashing green lights from massive servers. It felt as if she had stepped right into the trading room of the New York Stock Exchange.
The grand reveal began. The "big boss," Mingzhe Ye, stood to one side, arms crossed and hand under his chin, watching as Minglang started up the system.
As soon as the power button was pressed, the machines roared to life. The screens immediately turned blue, then burst into a wild array of red and green lines and numbers, flickering across the monitors. If they'd worn suits, they would have looked like traders at the New York Stock Exchange. So, was this their business—trading stocks?
No, no, no, it was far more than that. They were dealing in stocks, yes, but also in mutual funds, futures, gold, and other complex financial derivatives that Cheng Yi barely understood. As an English major from China now pursuing a master's degree in Chinese in the U.S., how could she possibly grasp such complex financial trading?
They didn't need her to understand all the nuances. Basic maths would suffice because her main role was translating and organising documents. They weren't even a proper company; Cheng Yi and Minglang were merely assisting Mingzhe.
Mingzhe couldn't be bothered to explain the complexities of their financial operations and simply asked her to transfer $200 into his account. A week later, just over $100 showed up in Cheng Yi's account. Minglang explained that the profit came from an oil trade, and that, after deducting around $10 as their commission, this was how they made their money.
Cheng Yi vividly remembered Mingzhe's casual remark when the money hit her account—a remark that suddenly made everything click for her:
"This is how they make money on Wall Street."
Don't be fooled into thinking it's that easy! Once you've had a taste, there's no turning back.
By day, they monitored the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ; by night, they tracked the Asian markets and kept a close eye on the 24-hour foreign exchange market. With the financial crisis still lingering, making money was anything but easy. Once, due to political upheaval in a Middle Eastern country causing drastic fluctuations in gold, oil, and currency rates, Mingzhe and Minglang worked non-stop for three days and nights, buying and selling relentlessly without a wink of sleep.
For Cheng Yi, it was her first glimpse into the cut-throat nature of Wall Street.
There was one image that lingered in her mind: Mingzhe, in the dead of night, eyes bloodshot and nerves taut, staring intently at the undulating curves and data on the screens, rapidly issuing commands, while Minglang worked frantically beside him. She was told to go to bed early so she could make breakfast the next day, but how could she sleep peacefully? Unable to join them in the battlefield, the least she could do was support from the sidelines, nourishing soups to keep them going.
Finally, on a quiet morning after the storm had passed, Mingzhe and Minglang were sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. Cheng Yi stood over them, her emotions a jumble. All she could do was gently cover them with blankets, quietly prepare breakfast, and then rush off to class.
One day, she couldn't hold back any longer and asked Minglang if he ever felt like she wasn't contributing much.
"Yi, your unwavering support gives us the courage to keep going."
Even if it was just a comforting remark, it still made Cheng Yi's heart feel warm.
Later, when one of their trading accounts dwindled from $100,000 to just $30,000, she gathered the courage to bring it up with Mingzhe.
"I don't pay people if they're not doing the work."
"But…"
"This is just a trial run. We're not even on the real battlefield yet."
"I'm afraid I'm not contributing enough and still getting paid."
"Do you know what your problem is?"
Mingzhe's gaze was cool and steady, leaving Cheng Yi to mentally list her shortcomings: lack of confidence, limited skills, unable to keep up with him and Minglang in any capacity. Before she could finish her silent self-critique, Mingzhe delivered his verdict.
"You, too slow."
Slow? What did he mean? In what way? Cheng Yi was completely baffled.
The next day, Mingzhe dumped a pile of Chinese materials, telling her to organise and translate everything in three hours.
Three hours? It was hard enough just to read them, let alone organize and translate everything!
He gave her one hint: "Read with an eye for the main points. Write with clarity and precision."
Cheng Yi threw herself into the task, quickly marking key sections and typing furiously.By the time she finished, six hours had passed. The night was deep. This was her fastest speed, yet she had still overshot the time limit. She submitted her work, and after a swift review, Mingzhe not only pointed out where to revise but did so with pinpoint accuracy.
No wonder even the ever-proud Minglang looked up to him with awe. Her respect grew even further, growing into genuine admiration.
"Do you see where the problem is now?"
"Please enlighten me."
"You waste too much time second-guessing yourself."
"Right."
"People always think too much and do too little."
His words struck her like a thunderclap, fundamentally altering her attitude towards both work and life.
From that day on, Cheng Yi stopped dwelling on self-doubt and began managing her time more efficiently, allocating it between her studies and work. It was hectic at first, after some practice, she found her rhythm and grew more confident.
Soon, more and more clients began entrusting their investments to them, and profit showed steady growth. With the global economy still sluggish, achieving such results was impressive. After her exams, Cheng Yi looked forward to a three-month summer break. While her classmates planned various trips, she took on more translation work, both to earn additional income and hone her skills.
By the time the new school year started, she had saved enough for her tuition and was ready to begin her second year in the States.
She had undergone a complete transformation. It is not only because of the harsh realities pushing her growth, she also benefited greatly from Mingzhe's guidance, intentional or not.
She used to envy geniuses like Fang Zhiyuan and Mingzhe Ye, success seemed effortless for them. Gradually, she realised that even prodigies put in extraordinary effort behind the scenes. As the saying goes, "The most terrifying thing is when those more talented than you work harder than you do."
Cheng Yi noticed that the documents Mingzhe had her work on seemed to focus less on stock trading and more on background information about Chinese and American companies, most of which weren't publicly listed or well-known. After Thanksgiving, Mingzhe announced that they'd be shifting focus to corporate acquisitions.
With the Western economy still sluggish, making profits in the stock market was becoming increasingly difficult. Mingzhe seized the opportunity to turn his sights on the rapidly developing Asian markets, particularly China's booming economy. While working at his previous company, he had already sensed that many powerful Chinese companies were interested in acquiring overseas assets. Now was the perfect time to make his move.
When he announced this plan, his eyes glinted like those of a Wall Street wolf catching the scent of money, brimming with ambition and impatience.
Step one was to register the company and secure office space. Minglang got to work immediately, and within days, they had successfully set up the business. Amid the economic crisis, they managed to secure a prime office on Wall Street at a fraction of the usual rent. Due to visa restrictions, Cheng Yi couldn't join them at the new company and stayed behind to care for grandpa Ye, who had recently returned from California. They communicated via email whenever tasks arose..
When the two men, all dressed up and heading off to work, Cheng Yi was stunned. Sleek hair, tailored suits, polished shoes, and a faint hint of cologne—a far cry from their usual scruffy appearances.
This was indeed a world where appearances mattered. Four words popped into Cheng Yi's mind: "Dressed to impress."
Thus, a new Wall Street hotshot was born. Oh, and the return of a king.