Becoming the King of Bottom Fishing After Going All-In on A-Shares

Zhao Xianglong left with a group of people, and news of Lu Chenzhou's high-interest loan with ten times leverage all-in on CITIC Securities began to spread on the Renmin University campus.

The first place to be in an uproar was the male dormitory building of the finance department, where various versions of the news spread like wildfire.

"Have you heard? Lu Chenzhou from room 302, the madman who was shouting at the academic salon yesterday that 1929 was a golden opportunity, actually went all in."

"It wasn't just fully invested; he actually went to the underground margin trading platform next to Galaxy Securities and borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates, leveraging 10 times, and poured all 60 yuan into CITIC Securities, even at the limit-down price."

"Holy crap? 10 times the interest? A loan with a monthly interest rate of 20%? Four thousand yuan in interest a day? Is he out of his mind?"

"Really? Zhao Xianglong just came out of his dorm and told me this himself. I even advised him to sell and cut his losses, but Lu Chenzhou refused to sell no matter what, saying that the A-share market is going to change drastically tomorrow."

"Leveraging in a bear market, especially with high-interest loans, isn't stock trading; it's gambling with your life. Has this guy gone mad from reading that book?"

"He made some outrageous remarks at the salon yesterday. I thought it was just empty talk, but I didn't expect him to be serious. If he falls now, he'll never be able to recover."

The news spread far and wide, from the boys' dormitory to the girls' dormitory, from the Department of Finance to the entire School of Finance and Economics, and even the neighboring School of Economics and Management and the School of Law heard about it.

After all, in the midst of a continuous downtrend in the 2008 bear market, it was an unprecedented and insane act for a senior college student to take out a high-interest loan and leverage it tenfold to go all in on A-shares.

Some people were on their phones complaining to classmates, some were gathered in the dormitory hallway discussing the matter, and some even went to the door of dormitory 302 to look around, wanting to see what this stock-trading fanatic looked like.

Baidu Tieba was the most popular online forum for college students at the time, and this incident immediately caused a stir online.

Some people, with the intention of watching the excitement, posted one after another on Renmin University forum, Tsinghua University forum, stock forum, and college student stock trading forum. In just half an hour, dozens of posts were built up, and replies were flooded in.

The title of the main post is blunt and outrageous: "A student from Renmin University's School of Finance and Economics borrowed money at high interest rates during a bear market and leveraged it 10 times, investing all his money in CITIC Securities, which hit the daily limit down. Is he crazy?"

I saw it with my own eyes. Just yesterday, someone was shouting at an academic salon that 1929 was a golden opportunity, and today they actually jumped in. It's like taking out a loan with a monthly interest rate of 20%, which amounts to 4,000 yuan in interest per day. Aren't they afraid of getting wiped out?

The replies below were full of mockery, incomprehension, and various insults.

Daring to leverage in a bear market? Tenfold, no less? A pure gambler, waiting to see you on the rooftop.

Even CITIC Securities has hit its daily limit down, and you're still trying to buy the dip? Have you become stupid from studying textbooks?

The third floor even revealed dormitory details: I live in the same building as him, and my roommates couldn't persuade him to stay, he was determined to gamble on the price going up tomorrow.

The fourth floor said quietly, "He asked me for money this morning. I thought it was an emergency, but he went all in on the stock market. What an idiot!"

The online forum was filled with a cacophony of voices—some watching the spectacle, others mocking, and still others offering advice—attracting many students from other schools and individual stock market investors to join the discussion.

The nickname "Leverage Bro" went viral online overnight, pushing the controversy to a new climax.

Not only current students and online forums, but also alumni who have graduated and are interning at various financial institutions in Beijing quickly received the news.

Xia Yaozong's phone kept vibrating. A senior colleague from CICC sent a message: "I heard there's a daredevil in your dorm who went all-in on CITIC Securities with 10x leverage? That's incredibly audacious!"

Zhang Yixing's colleagues at the securities research institute were also discussing in the group chat: "A ruthless person has emerged from this year's Renmin University Finance and Economics class. He went against the trend and leveraged his position to bet on the bottom. He will either become famous overnight or be ruined. There is no middle ground."

Even Yang Cheng's supervisor, who was interning at a ministry, mentioned in the group chat: "One of your students is too daring. He borrowed money at high interest rates to speculate on stocks during the bear market. Young people are still too impulsive."

For a time, "the mainland ship sinks" and "ten times leverage bet on A-shares" became hot topics of discussion in Beijing's university financial circles and small institutional circles that night.

Some mocked him for overestimating his abilities, some lamented that he had gone astray, and some waited with a "let's see what happens" attitude for him to lose everything.

Everyone was convinced that Lu Chenzhou was doomed to lose.

The matter escalated too quickly; in just over half an hour, it spread from student forums and alumni chats to the college office.

Even the leader in charge of student affairs was alarmed, and Zhou Xingbang received one phone call after another.

The phone rang urgently, all of them asking about the matter and urging him to keep the students calm.

Zhou Xingbang looked at his constantly vibrating phone, feeling both anxious and angry.

He hung up the phone, grabbed his coat, and rushed out, driving straight to the finance department dormitory building, flooring the gas pedal on the way.

He was genuinely panicked. Lu Chenzhou was usually an outstanding student with a calm and composed personality; he didn't seem like an impulsive or reckless person at all.

But at yesterday's salon, he spoke highly of the market and bluntly stated that he was fully invested.

Today, he even did crazy things like borrowing money at high interest rates and using ten times leverage to speculate on stocks.

If this goes bankrupt, forget about your studies and future; you'll be dragged into a quagmire of loan sharks for the rest of your life.

As the teacher in charge, he had no way to explain it.

The car stopped downstairs at the dormitory building, and Zhou Xingbang rushed into the building.

All along the way, you could hear students gathered together, discussing Lu Chenzhou.

He frowned, pushed through the crowd, and walked straight to the door of dormitory 302. He raised his hand and knocked: "Lu Chenzhou, are you there?"

Upon hearing Professor Zhou Xingbang's voice, the three people in the dormitory were all taken aback.

Yang Cheng quickly got up and opened the door, looking at Zhou Xingbang's gloomy face: "Teacher Zhou."

Zhou Xingbang fixed his gaze on Lu Chenzhou: "Lu Chenzhou, come out with me."

Lu Chenzhou glanced at the financial website on Xia Yaozong's Apple computer screen and the fact that it was almost 8 o'clock: "Teacher, let's just talk here. There's nothing we can't listen to."

Suppressing his anger, Zhou Xingbang said in a deep voice, "You still know how to behave?"

The entire college leadership knows you borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates and leveraged it tenfold to speculate in stocks. I've taught you for two years, and I've never seen you this foolish!

Lu Chenzhou replied, "Teacher, I'm not confused. I've calculated the valuation and looked at the capital flow. This point is the bottom. There's no way out, and there's no need to retreat."

Zhou Xingbang laughed angrily: "You've calculated it? You've looked at it? The whole market is bearish, and institutions are reducing their positions. Your little theory is worthless in a bear market."

High-interest loans accumulate rapidly, and once you're wiped out, your life is ruined.

Contact your financing provider immediately. Close your position when the market opens tomorrow. Don't tell me anything else, just call right now.

Xia Yaozong and the other two chimed in, making the atmosphere in the dormitory extremely tense.

Lu Chenzhou glanced at the time and pointed to the news pop-up window that suddenly appeared on his computer:

1. The securities transaction stamp tax will be changed to a one-way collection.

2. Huijin Investment Ltd. entered the market to increase its holdings of shares in the three major state-owned banks: ICBC, BOC, and CCB.

3. Support central state-owned enterprises in increasing their holdings and repurchasing shares of listed companies.

Zhou Xingbang's reprimand came to an abrupt halt. He suddenly shoved the computer in front of him, his eyes wide open.

Yang Cheng, Xia Yaozong, and Zhang Yixing also gathered around, staring intently at the screen, their faces filled with shock.

Lu Chenzhou calmly said, "Teacher, the landscape of the A-share market is really about to change."