Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

In mid-July, Fang Yuan flew to New York.

The flight from BJ to New York takes thirteen hours, and we landed at 2 p.m. local time.

The arrival hall at Kennedy Airport was packed with people. He dragged a suitcase and waited in line at the taxi stand for more than ten minutes before getting into a yellow taxi.

"Midtown Manhattan, 57th Street." He handed the address to the driver.

An hour later, the car stopped in front of a brick-red apartment building near Fifth Avenue.

The building is close to Central Park, and the streets are lined with neatly trimmed trees and classic-style streetlights.

Fang Yuan prepaid a year's rent and rented a two-bedroom apartment.

The living room window faces the park entrance across the street.

He put his luggage away, washed his face, changed his clothes, and sat by the window to send Chen Xia a message.

"arrive."

Chen Xia replied quickly: "I'll go after get off work, around seven o'clock."

After finishing her junior year, Chen Xia spent the summer working as an audit assistant at Ernst & Young's New York office.

I'll be a senior next semester, and I'll have to go back to school for classes after my internship ends.

Fang Yuan came to New York for two reasons: first, to confirm the stock selection list and entrusted trading matters that had been discussed with her; and second, to provide her with a place to stay during her internship, so that she would have a place to stay when she came to work in New York in the future.

He had already planned this out when he rented the apartment—that Chen Xia could stay here when he wasn't around.

It was seven o'clock in the evening, and the sky was not completely dark yet.

Chen Xia exited the subway station and walked for seven or eight minutes to find her apartment building.

Fang Yuan went downstairs to meet her. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, dark blue trousers, and carrying a canvas bag.

July in New York is hot and humid, and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"Go on up." Fang Yuan took her canvas bag.

Chen Xia went upstairs with him.

The apartment was air-conditioned, and there were two bottles of mineral water and a box of fruit on the coffee table in the living room.

She looked around the room and then walked to the window to look outside.

"How long did you rent it?" Chen Xia asked.

"One year."

"A year? You don't stay here often."

Fang Yuan didn't reply, but turned around and went to the kitchen to pour two glasses of water.

Chen Xia watched his retreating figure without asking any further questions.

They had spent a considerable amount of time together, and she understood Fang Yuan's temperament—there were some things he wouldn't tell her, and he wouldn't tell her even if she asked.

"Sit down, let's get down to business first." Fang Yuan placed the water glass on the coffee table.

Chen Xia sat down on the sofa, took out a folder from her canvas bag, and spread it out on the coffee table.

A thick stack, categorized by industry, with each stock accompanied by its own independent analysis report and financial data.

She opened her laptop and pulled up a well-organized list of stocks to select.

"Twenty stocks are available. As per your requirements, they will each account for a certain percentage of the market in finance, healthcare, consumer goods, energy, and technology."

Chen Xia turned the screen towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan took the computer and read through it line by line.

The list includes the name, stock code, current price-to-earnings ratio, debt ratio, and a brief reason for recommending each stock.

Citigroup, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, AIG, Vale, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, ExxonMobil, Southern Copper, Valeno Energy, Petrobras, Southern Power, Gilead Sciences, Monster Drinks, Cleanport, Hologic, BlackRock, Ansis, Tenerife, Carmeco, Bradesco Bank.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen this list.

After communicating several times by phone and email, Chen Xia spent several weeks doing fundamental screening, with detailed financial analysis and industry comparisons for each stock.

What needs to be done now is to confirm the final list of selected candidates in person.

"These fifteen," Fang Yuan said, pointing to the list on the screen, skipping five. "Remove the other five."

Chen Xia didn't ask why, but wrote it down in her notebook.

She understood Fang Yuan's logic and didn't need to explain every step.

"What about the position building plan?" Chen Xia asked.

"Two hundred million US dollars, to be invested over six months. Thirty to forty million US dollars per month, the specific pace can be determined by you based on market conditions," Fang Yuan said.

"Risk control line?"

"The drawdown of a single stock shall not exceed 15%, and the total account drawdown shall not exceed 10%."

My advice is not to use a stop-loss order. Barring unforeseen circumstances, my plan is to hold until 2007.

Chen Xia wrote down these numbers in her notebook, then pulled a commission contract out of the folder and placed it in front of Fang Yuan.

She had someone draft the contract, which followed the standard template provided by the agency. The terms were clear and the rights and responsibilities were well-defined.

"Take a look. We can fix the problems."

Fang Yuan took it and read it from beginning to end.

He examined it very carefully, taking nearly twenty minutes. Chen Xia sat beside him drinking water, not disturbing him.

"The profit sharing part," Fang Yuan pointed to one of the clauses.

"Add 5% to the operator."

Chen Xia glanced at him. "You don't need to add that line."

"Add it."

Fang Yuan turned to the last page of the contract and wrote his name in the signature column for Party A.

Chen Xia took the pen and signed her name as Party B.

Fang Yuan carefully put the contract away, took a check from the document bag, and placed it in front of Chen Xia.

"This is the management fee and management cost expenditure for the second half of this year. Please keep it safe," Fang Yuan said.

Chen Xia glanced at the number on the check, folded it, and put it in her bag.

The business is over.

The living room quieted down, and outside the window, the Manhattan sky was completely dark, with only a few lights shining from distant buildings.

Fang Yuan leaned back on the sofa, looking at Chen Xia.

"You'll be a senior next semester, what are your plans?"

Chen Xia closed her laptop. "I'll finish my internship first, and whether I get a permanent position depends on the situation. Before graduation, I'll apply to a few firms, and I'll also try investment banking."

Fang Yuan said, "Keep an eye on the account situation. As for Random House, I've already spoken to them. Go there later and see if you can use the fast track to get your broker qualification sooner."

Chen Xia lowered her head and unconsciously traced a line on the computer case with her finger.

"So you rented the apartment for a year."

Fang Yuan looked at her profile without saying a word.

Chen Xia looked up and met his gaze for a moment.

Then she stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to him.

"Fang Yuan, you don't need to beat around the bush like that."

Fang Yuan also stood up and walked behind her, but didn't get too close.

"You can live in the house. After I go back to China, it'll just be empty anyway."

Chen Xia didn't turn around, her voice low. "You're renting it for a year, so it's for me to live in, right?"

Fang Yuan remained silent.

Chen Xia waited a few seconds, then turned around.

The two people stood facing each other, less than a step apart.

"Hmph, I know even if you don't say it."

Fang Yuan reached out and tucked a strand of hair from Chen Xia's forehead behind her ear.

"Next semester I'll be a senior," Fang Yuan said.

"You'll need to find an apartment after your internship ends. Rent in New York isn't cheap, and your income won't be high right after graduation. Just stay in this apartment for now, don't worry too much about it."

Chen Xia looked at him, her lips twitched slightly, it wasn't exactly a smile, but it wasn't expressionless either.

"You think of everything for me."

Fang Yuan withdrew his hand. "Let's go eat."

Chen Xia nodded and picked up her bag.