Money Copying Magic (2)

Han Siul Biotech.

If you had even the slightest interest in stocks, there was no way you wouldn't know that name.

It was the hottest stock scorching the market lately—a real hot potato.

Actually, let me correct ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that.

Han Siul Biotech was what made even people with zero interest in stocks dive into investing. What more needs to be said?

At first, even seeing those insane returns didn't convince me to jump in.

It had already run so much—probably no more upside left, right? ...

I was just vaguely scared.

Call it distrust of investing itself.

So instead of investing, I went to my part-time job as usual.

And of all days, that one was packed with entitled assholes.

After grinding through that exhausting day and tallying my earnings, I felt utterly hollow.

A week's worth of hell for just 200,000 won.

Meanwhile, my friend's account flashing 40 million won haunted me.

"...20k a week means 80k a month. To make 40 million that way? Four years and two months..."

It was inevitable, really.

With my friend's help, I started with 2 million won in Han Siul Biotech.

That pittance turned into 5 million in under a month.

"It's nuts. I already quit my part-time gig."

Looking at those returns, I fell into a delusion.

That I had a talent for investing.

That those gains would keep coming.

That with proper study, I could make even more.

While lurking communities, I stumbled on a post.

People were viciously flaming him, but for some reason, I was nodding along.

Cautious not to let my ego inflate, I kept watching ReturnMy10BillionDollars. Then I saw another post.

I agonized hard.

Dumping Han Siul, the source of most of my gains so far?

But I decided to trust ReturnMy10BillionDollars's warning once.

'I've already made bank anyway. If it keeps rising, just curse and buy back in.'

Soon after, a new post dropped.

The pitch-black room started letting in faint light.

Kraaah.

My monitor-lit room now mixed with crimson dawn, making my eyes squint involuntarily.

After grunting and yanking the curtains down, my restored vision made me scream.

"KyaAaAaH!"

"Yaaawn... What's wrong, sis?"

"C-C-Cockroach! Teacher Cockroach!!!"

"...In this dump, you thought there wouldn't be any till now?"

What?

I've been sharing a bed with Earth's worst lifeform all this time?

Revulsion made every hair on my body stand on end—like a cat's.

Seeing my cat-like freakout, Seola cautiously reached out and patted my head.

"Heh. Sis, some things never change."

"...What?"

"You're still scared of bugs. Saw it since we were kids—always freaked out."

"...Yeah."

With that, she squashed it in an instant.

Relief hit; my body went limp, and I collapsed to the floor.

Then I remembered today's goal.

"Right! Market open!"

"What's that?"

"When the stock market's open. Local session: 9 AM to 3:30 PM."

"Look at you, stock pro already... Still five minutes left?"

Well, strictly speaking, post-exchange hours extended it a bit, but...

Shorting time was still regular session from 9 AM.

'Order book, trades, short-term chart, news...'

With few monitors, quartering the screen made it cramped.

But I couldn't skip any.

Monitoring all minimized variables.

Especially the order book—priceless: buy/sell interest, volume, whale presence, etc.

Firing up familiar windows after ages...

'Notes... not that familiar anymore.'

I glanced at charts, but I was more conductor than trader.

I set strategy, not scalp ticks myself.

Not super tick-fluent, but... I'm a genius who already knows the answers?

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Deploy!"

Market open, mouse straight to short button.

200 million principal + 50 million Han Siul gains.

But who brags off pocket change?

'Seola'd glare and object if she knew...'

My cash: meager 250 million. But market power: nearly 1.5 billion.

CFDs' leverage magic. Think 6x gains/losses.

Post-short, I posted to communities.

Worried it'd get buried? Nah, I prepped "help."

...The instant likes weren't from me botting, okay?

Comments flooded, glitching the site.

Stock plunged in response.

"Slower than expected."

Just 10% drop on this bombshell?

Lots holding, awaiting official statement. Hope circuits firing.

'Borrowed money, but tech's solid!'

'Still a rumor. It'll be fine?'

'...Hate losing—need break-even.'

Moment those thoughts creep in? You're fucked.

Stocks' deadliest emotion ain't fear—it's hope.

Price slid further.

Breaking -20%, then...

Han Siul's price remembered its trajectory and curved up.

Gallery relaxed as it climbed.

I moused to up my short size.

"Pansy bitches."

"...Sis? Stock's rising now."

"Yup."

"You profit on drops. It's rebounding—why add?"

"Nah, this is peak."

Last gasp before death—Indian summer rally.

Shorts are borrowed stock. Gotta buy back to cover.

Profit-taking shorts spark short covering bounce.

Someone's cashing early gains. More downside ahead, and you sell? Pansies.

"Time to pop soon..."

"Sis, stop jittering. You'll jinx it."

Shaking, biting nails—Seola smacked my back.

Ignoring, refreshing... Then news hit.

A single short sentence.

"Fuuuuck, it's here!!"

10 seconds.

Less than.

Graph flipped instantly.

Han Siul's chart went pure vertical dump—regardless of direction before.

Massive volume slamming in.

Only one player dumps that much at once.

"Institutions cutting losses too."

"...Do stocks always move this fast? Why do people do something so risky?"

"Nah, normal stocks don't. And the second question..."

Why risk it?

'Cause it's fun.

Hid my dopamine-shaky fingers, shrugged.

"Dunno. Money, maybe?"

Showed her P&L—Seola's eyes went wide.

...Cute.

"Wh-wha... So, one, ten, hun, thou, ten thou... How much total?"

"Tch. Less than expected."

My 200 mil position now eyed a leading 1.

One billion.

"...Sis, you have some weird dream? Or am I dreaming?"

"Cough, cough. Hold up. One ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠more to go."