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 price increase of 513%, rising from 998 points to 6124 points, by June 2005…】

Yan Li, upon seeing the final Annual Info, felt a flicker of excitement despite still being numb from shock.

A bull market!

Yan Li, already half a stock expert, understood exactly what this meant.

He had previously regretted missing the earlier stock surge—from 1999 to 2001—and now, finally, he had caught a major one.

What pleased Yan Li most was that the earlier Annual Infos, though rich in information and full of ways to make money, all involved long-term investments.

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

For example, hoarding property to profit—but could Yan Li 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, Yan Li got angry—this damn system only served useless stuff, like listing the top ten scumbags in the entertainment industry.

Who the hell did you just point at!?

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

So elegant!

Yan Li 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 information.

The furthest in time was a report on the 2022 automobile market—perhaps related to Yan Li's consideration of buying a car.

Yet, more surprising than how the info was triggered was how fiercely domestic auto manufacturers had risen in the future—annual sales share was astonishing.

Contrast that with today, where foreign cars dominated the market, and buying a domestic car even drew ridicule for being foolish.

Just twenty years—what a world turned upside down!

Yan Li felt these future infos not only gave him information and opportunities, but greatly expanded and elevated his perspective and vision.

For Yan Li, these might be the more precious kind of "wealth."

Since the number of Annual Infos was limited, Yan Li was unsure of the exact time boundary, so he tentatively set it at within twenty years.

Excluding the system's "hidden agenda," the content mostly revolved around what he had encountered, seen, or thought about this year.

Though the volume of information was explosive, its randomness made some infos feel useless to Yan Li.

Still, overall, the Annual Infos were more valuable than Daily Infos and most Monthly Infos; Yan Li felt this was already a good deal—no need to be greedy.

After some thought, Yan Li sorted and filed several infos by category.

The 2005 stock bull market was close in time; if handled well, it would greatly benefit Yan Li—Top Priority.

The property info was also worth serious attention.

In truth, hoarding property did make money, but not exceptionally much—it was mainly due to the long return cycle.

A profit of dozens of times spread over ten years was really not that much.

Compared to making money, Yan Li valued its long-term, steadily rising market, its high value retention, its ability to mitigate financial risk, and the safety net it provided.

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

These assets, he would not touch lightly, nor link to any other business ventures.

Should any business ever collapse completely, these assets would at least be enough to support him and his parents in retirement.

As for the other infos, he would consider them gradually—greed leads to indigestion; thinking too much was useless—first, get his own affairs straight…

————

The next day, Yan Li woke up and checked his phone's date reminder—the year had changed to 2003.

A new year, all things renewed.

Yan Li went downstairs for two laps, 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; Yan Li didn't feel like going back to hang out with them, so he called Huang Shengyi.

"Hello."

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

"Wanna go out? I'll take you shopping."

Hearing Yan Li's voice, Huang Shengyi perked up: "Wait… twenty minutes."

"No rush—I'll wait for you at Guomao."

Yan Li glanced at Guomao, just nearby, and set the location.

Currently, it was one of Jingcheng's most famous business centers, offering food, drink, entertainment—perfect for young girls like Huang Shengyi.

Yan Li had once visited Guomao with Dong Xuan during school, but back then he was broke; he'd barely wandered around before leaving in a hurry.

Now his wallet was fuller, his confidence higher; he strolled leisurely to the Starbucks he'd never dared enter before, ordered a latte, and sat inside waiting.

Mmm~

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

The key was, this medium cup cost 25 yuan—equivalent to 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."

Yan Li looked over Huang Shengyi and praised: "Your outfit looks great—beautiful on you."

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 pretty, but expensive—cost me nearly two thousand."

Wow!

Yan Li felt a surge of emotion in his heart, but his large hand covered Huang Shengyi's small hand, gently stroking it.

"As long as you like it, it's worth it!"

Huang Shengyi was deeply moved. She looked left and right, saw no one was paying attention, and gently kissed Yan Li.

Yan Li had originally planned to take Huang Shengyi to go shopping at the mall once she arrived, but the latter, full of interest, pulled him along, wanting to linger here a while longer.

Damn, picked the wrong place!

Yan Li felt he had miscalculated. He had only been curious about Starbucks and forgot that Huang Shengyi had grown up in a highly educated family since childhood, so she would inevitably have some petit-bourgeois sensibilities.

Normal young people liked bars, KTVs, and amusement parks, and she liked them too, but occasionally sitting quietly drinking a cup of coffee and chatting might make her feel a spiritual resonance with Yan Li.

"……"

Yan Li didn't dare stay long. He let Huang Shengyi rest for a little over ten minutes before urging her to leave.

Coming to Guomao to have fun, shopping was definitely unavoidable. Yan Li planned to buy himself a few outfits, to wear when running business later or for the New Year.

Calling Huang Shengyi over also meant having her help him keep an eye out.

Although Yan Li felt he looked handsome in anything, having a girl's opinion for reference wasn't bad either. Female students at Beijing Film Academy were influenced by all kinds of fashion and entertainment magazines every day, so their taste was sharp.

Of course, Yan Li wouldn't let Huang Shengyi work for nothing. If she took a liking to any clothes or accessories, Yan Li would pay.

Wandering around all morning, Yan Li and Huang Shengyi each spent a few thousand yuan, bought a pile of things, found a place to store them, then went to eat and watch a movie.

As evening approached, the two of them, laden with large and small packages, headed back to Zhiqiang South Garden together!

That night, Huang Shengyi, who had had a great time playing, was especially passionate, and Yan Li also comfortably and pleasantly spent the first day of 2003………

(End of this chapter)