Chapter 68: Stock Bull Market, the First Day of 2003

【Annual Info 10: The A-share market experienced its longest bull run, lasting 862 days, with a gain of 513%, rising from 998 points to 6124 points, by June 2005…】

Yu Yanli, upon reading the final annual info, felt a flicker of excitement despite being numb from shock.

A bull market!

Yu Yanli, already half a stock expert, understood exactly what this meant.

He had previously regretted missing the earlier bull run from 1999 to 2001; now, he had caught a major one.

What delighted Yu Yanli most was that the earlier annual infos, though rich in details and full of wealth-building paths, all involved long-term investments.

Even with high returns, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst!

For example, hoarding property to make money—but Yu Yanli couldn’t just buy a house and wait for it to appreciate, and where would the money come from?

This bull market info was set in 2005, very close to the present, and contained key details about the bull market; its value and importance ranked among the highest of all annual infos received so far.

Thinking of this, Yu Yanli grew angry—this damn system only served useless stuff, like ranking the top ten scumbags in the entertainment industry.

Who the hell are you pointing at!?

And this term “scumbag”—who came up with it? So harsh. Look how the ancients described such men—charming, passionate wanderers of the flower-filled lanes.

How elegant!

Yu Yanli sat on the sofa, smoked two cigarettes, calmed his mind, then began organizing all the annual infos.

Compared to monthly infos, annual infos were almost entirely future-oriented.

The furthest in time was a report on the 2022 automobile market, unsure if it related to Yu Yanli’s consideration of buying a car.

Still, he was astonished that domestic auto manufacturers had risen so fiercely in the future—annual sales shares were astonishing.

Compared to today, where foreign cars dominated, buying a domestic car even drew ridicule for being foolish.

In just twenty years, the world had turned upside down!

Yu Yanli felt these future infos not only gave him information and opportunities but greatly expanded and elevated his vision and perspective.

To Yu Yanli, these might be the more precious kind of “wealth.”

Because there were few annual infos, and he couldn’t determine exact time boundaries, he tentatively set the limit at within twenty years.

Excluding the system’s “hidden agendas,” the content mostly related to his current experiences, observations, and thoughts.

Though the information volume was explosive, the randomness was too high, making some infos seem useless to Yu Yanli.

Still, overall, annual infos were more valuable than daily infos and most monthly ones; he felt this alone was already worth it—no need to be greedy.

After some thought, Yu Yanli categorized and stored several infos.

The 2005 stock bull market was close in time; if handled well, it would greatly benefit him—this was top priority.

The property info was also worth serious attention.

Hoarding property did make money, but not exceptionally so—mainly because the return cycle was too long.

Decades of profit spread over ten years amounted to little more than modest gains.

Compared to profit, Yu Yanli valued the market’s long-term, steady upward trend, its high value retention, its ability to mitigate financial risk, and the safety net it provided.

Yu Yanli even considered setting aside a fixed sum each year for investing in property and other stable, value-retaining assets.

He would never easily touch these assets, nor tie them to any business ventures.

Should any business ever collapse completely, these assets would at least ensure he and his parents had enough for retirement.

As for the other infos, he’d consider them gradually—greed leads to indigestion; overthinking was useless—he’d first focus on getting his own affairs in order…

————

The next day, Yu Yanli woke up and checked his phone’s date reminder—the year had changed to 2003.

A new year, all things renewed.

Yu Yanli ran two laps downstairs, then had breakfast and contacted Lin Jiachuan; they had returned from the internet cafe to Jimenli.

After an all-nighter at the internet cafe, they were all exhausted and sleepy, reeking of smoke and stale air; Yu Yanli didn’t feel like going back to hang out with them, so he called Huang Shengyi.

“Hello.”

Hearing her drowsy voice, Yu Yanli knew she hadn’t gotten up yet—of course, it was New Year’s Day; which college student wouldn’t sleep in?

“Want to go out? I’ll take you shopping.”

Hearing Yu Yanli’s voice, Huang Shengyi perked up: “Wait… twenty minutes.”

“No rush—I’ll wait for you at Guomao.”

Yu Yanli glanced at Guomao, just nearby, and set the location.

At the time, this was one of Beijing’s most famous business centers, offering food, drink, and entertainment, and especially popular with young girls like Huang Shengyi.

Yu Yanli had once visited Guomao with Dong Xuan during school, but back then he was broke; he’d wandered briefly and left in haste.

Now his wallet was fuller, his confidence higher; he strolled calmly to the Starbucks he’d once dared not enter, ordered a latte, and sat inside waiting.

Hmm~

Yu Yanli sipped the coffee—it was indeed better than supermarket instant coffee, but not stunning.

The key was, this medium cup cost 25 yuan—enough for a full meal at a roadside eatery; damn expensive…

Huang Shengyi arrived about forty minutes later and immediately apologized.

“Sorry, did you wait long?”

“No problem.”

Yu Yanli studied Huang Shengyi and praised: “Your outfit looks great—it suits you beautifully.”

Huang Shengyi wore a white cashmere coat today, her long hair falling over her shoulders, appearing gentle, elegant, with a faint coolness—very refined.

“Really?”

Huang Shengyi smiled, her eyes crinkling: “I bought it with the money you gave me. It’s beautiful, but expensive—it cost nearly two thousand.”

Wow!

Yu Yanli sighed inwardly but gently covered her small hand with his own, stroking it softly.

“As long as you like it, it’s worth it!”

Huang Shengyi was deeply moved; she glanced around, saw no one watching, and lightly kissed Yu Yanli.

Yu Yanli had planned to head straight to the mall once she arrived, but she enthusiastically pulled him along, wanting to linger longer.

Damn—he picked the wrong place!

Yu Yanli realized he’d miscalculated—he’d been curious about Starbucks but forgotten Huang Shengyi grew up in an intellectual family; she naturally had some bourgeois tastes.

She liked bars, KTV, and amusement parks like most young people, but occasionally, quietly sipping coffee and chatting might make her feel a spiritual resonance with Yu Yanli.

“… ”

Yu Yanli didn’t dare stay long; after letting her rest for fifteen minutes, he urged her to leave.

Coming to Guomao meant shopping—Yu Yanli planned to buy himself a few outfits for business trips or the New Year.

He’d invited Huang Shengyi along to help him pick things out.

Though he thought he looked good in anything, having a girl’s opinion helped—Beijing Film Academy students were constantly exposed to fashion and entertainment magazines; their taste was sharp.

Of course, Yu Yanli wouldn’t let Huang Shengyi work for free—if she liked any clothes or accessories, he’d pay.

They wandered and shopped all morning, each spending several thousand yuan, buying piles of things, storing them somewhere, then went to eat and watch a movie.

Near evening, they returned to Zhiqiang Nan Yuan, laden with bags.

That night, delighted by the day’s fun, Huang Shengyi was especially affectionate; Yu Yanli spent the first day of 2003 feeling thoroughly content and joyful…

(End of Chapter)