Chapter 71

070 This Guy Seems to Be Right About Everything?

But to Xia He, this prediction seemed absurd in every way.

Too conservative!

Especially the reserve requirement ratio: if the five major state-owned banks don't move, but only the small and medium banks do, the impact would be far weaker than market expectations.

But why would he predict this?

How could Xia He know? To avoid unnecessary trouble, Fang Qingye had deliberately raised the cut in the loan reserve requirement ratio slightly above the figure the central bank would later announce.

Historically, the loan reserve requirement ratio was cut by 0.27 percentage points, but he changed it to 0.28 percentage points.

Logically, Xia He strongly rejected Fang Qingye's idea.

But emotionally, she felt an inexplicable trust in Fang Qingye; this guy seemed to be right about everything!

"Senior, looking at your phone? A message from your husband?" Yu Yang asked again at that moment.

"No, a friend," Xia He replied, put down her phone, gathered her thoughts, and said with a smile, "Then I'll take a bold guess. If I'm wrong, please don't laugh, seniors and juniors alike."

"The benchmark one-year loan interest rate should drop by 0.28 percentage points. As for the reserve requirement ratio, I'd estimate one percentage point."

"Ha... Senior Xia, you're as conservative as I am," Lei Ming joked.

"Don't rush, I haven't finished yet," Xia He continued. "A one-percentage-point cut in the reserve requirement ratio might apply only to small and medium banks; the five major banks probably won't move, keeping their original rates unchanged."

After Xia He finished speaking, everyone present wore expressions of shock.

"Senior Xia, I was wrong just now; you're even more conservative than me!" Lei Ming laughed.

"Exactly, Senior. On what basis do you think the five major banks' rates won't move?" Yu Yang also asked.

"I think the central bank's first move was a trial, to gauge market reaction."

Xia He's thoughts suddenly became active.

Since she chose to trust Fang Qingye, she needed to think from his perspective about why he would make such a prediction.

"So you mean there will be a second and a third time?"

"Yes!" Xia He's gaze grew firm: "Later, the central bank will take new actions based on market reaction."

Regarding Xia He's answer, everyone exchanged glances; there was some logic to it.

Since Xia He had given her answer, the only person left who had not yet voiced an opinion was Fang Qingye.

Everyone's gaze turned toward him.

Fang Qingye smiled and said, "I've only been out of school for a year; I've seen and heard less than all of you, so I really don't know how to guess... But if I must speak, I actually agree with Senior's prediction."

"Hehe, as expected, a soldier of Xia Hangzhang Xia," Yang Kehua couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone else laughed along.

"Xiao Fang, you're too obedient to Senior, aren't you? That's not good. A person should have their own opinions," Yu Yang said in a lecturing tone, acting like the big brother.

"This has nothing to do with having one's own opinions," Fang Qingye looked at him and smiled slightly: "It's that I think Senior's prediction is more accurate... If you had predicted this figure, I would have agreed too!"

"Alright then, let's just wait quietly for the central bank to announce the final result!" Yu Yang sneered slightly.

"Xiao Yu, this is just a topic for after-dinner entertainment; why are you getting so worked up?" Qin Zhiqing said, promptly raising his wine glass.

"Today, thank you all, juniors and seniors. Let me propose we raise another glass!"

"Come on, cheers!"

After the gathering ended, Xia Hangzhang Yang specially arranged vehicles to take Director Qin and Yu Yang back to the hotel; the rest took taxis home. Fang Qingye and Xia He shared a taxi back to the hotel.

In the car, both sat in the back seat. Xia He looked at Fang Qingye, whose face was flushed red from drinking, and smiled: "Xiao Fang, your tolerance for alcohol isn't great."

"That's unfair; today I drank the most of all of us," Fang Qingye protested.

"There were six of us, and we only drank a bit more than two bottles in total. How much more could you have drunk?!"

Forget it, no need to say more.

I can't compare my drinking to a heroine like you; I admit defeat.

Fang Qingye turned his head to look out the window.

Seeing Fang Qingye like this, Xia He pressed her lips into a smile and dropped the subject. Then she remembered the QQ message he had sent at the dinner table and asked again: "Hey, Xiao Fang, about the content you just sent me, I still find it incredible; the data is too conservative."

It was a bit conservative. Back then, when Fang Qingye saw the central bank's announcement, he had felt the same as Xia He: such a small cut?!

But he didn't want to talk about this now, so he simply replied, "I just sent something randomly; don't believe it."

Fang Qingye's gaze remained fixed on the window.

Huh?

Is this young man throwing a tantrum?

Xia He wanted to offer some comfort, but on a taxi, some things were hard to say.

Actually, how could she know? After leaving the hotel, Fang Qingye had caught a bit of cool air and felt a bit nauseous, almost vomiting...

Back in the room, Fang Qingye took a shower, and the nausea in his stomach slowly subsided. Thinking he wouldn't be going home that night, he lay in bed and called his mother to briefly explain the situation.

"Ah, you've arrived in Jinghai and are with Xia Hangzhang Xia?"

"Yes, attending the alumni reunion. Didn't I just tell you?"

"You won't be coming home to stay tonight?"

"Can't make it back; I've been drinking, can't drive."

"Then tonight... be careful, son."

"Mom, don't jump to conclusions, okay? Otherwise, I could leave the car in Jinghai and take a taxi back alone?" Fang Qingye replied irritably.

"Taking a taxi back so late is too unsafe! Alright, let's not talk about that... How much did you drink today?" Zhang Meili asked again over the phone.

"Less than half a jin; I got drunk."

"That's not good; less than half a jin and you're already drunk? You're not even as good as your father."

I @#￥%%...

Disdained by someone again.

After sleeping through the night, he rose early the next morning; Fang Qing felt refreshed, the drunken state of last night completely swept away.

Youth is truly good...

Before his rebirth, one bout of drunkenness would take several days to recover from.

After checking out, he and Xia He finished breakfast at the restaurant together, then drove back to Nanxin.

Time quickly reached early September; with various official media outlets spreading the word, news circulated in the market that the national monetary policy was making a major shift, aiming to lower the benchmark loan interest rate and the reserve requirement ratio. Many institutions, including foreign investment banks such as Citibank and Morgan Stanley, also issued their own forecast figures.

Of course, they were all over the place: institutions guessed the reduction in the benchmark loan interest rate would range from 0.1% to 0.4%, and the reserve requirement ratio from 1% to 3%.

Xia He also frequently read news on this subject, sometimes asking Fang Qing a few questions on QQ.

Fang Qing knew she was waiting to see if the final result announced by the central bank matched the prediction he had left in a QQ message at that time.

But Fang Qing had no interest in this matter.

It was merely a topic for idle conversation over tea and meals; at that time, he simply wanted to help Xia He.

Besides, that Yu Yang was too annoying; Fang Qing found him hard to look at.

In truth, what did the central bank's result have to do with him, even a single cent's worth?