"People with one-dimensional thought processes stay one-dimensional their whole lives."
The sprout of talent.
The securities world is just about the only field where you wonder if someone who can spot it even needs to endure trials by land, sea, and air to grow.
Should I buy this?
Will this go up?
Anyone whose conditioned reflex is to think dumb shit like that is destined to supply liquidity to the market forever.
"Sora only does mock investments, right?"
"Yeah."
"She should do real stocks. Feels like she'd hit it big."
"Right, right!"
"Wouldn't she become a billionaire or something?"
"Kyaaaa~!!"
"I'm gonna study hard and graduate properly."
That's the future she envisions for herself.
Most people don't imagine otherwise.
Especially most first-time stock investors.
'They think they're different.'
They shrug off the fact that 95% of retail investors lose money and exit the market.
I'm not one of them, right?
Statistics are science.
Just like you can never fully trust our team's Yasuo, the stock world isn't a walk in the park either.
"She wants to be a trader, remember?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Her goals are totally different from ours."
"Don't say that. She's still a student."
Especially professionals.
Newly formed hedge funds have an average survival rate of three years.
Only 0.5% survive in the market.
Staying active in securities for over ten years is practically a miracle.
'Her head's probably full of flowery fields right now.'
You can't know the industry's brutality until you experience it firsthand.
It's completely detached from ordinary life.
If you had to compare, it'd be like dropping into the middle of a battlefield.
Um... that's it for today's lecture. You have one assignment.
While zoning out, class ends.
It messes things up sometimes, but honestly, the perks outweigh the downsides.
Lecture time.
You can spend it very comfortably.
Sleeping face-down or playing phone games? Total free pass.
"Group assignment?"
"Aww, Pro-fess-or~!"
"Doing it solo is always better."
Even I can't dodge one thing.
The plague of college students.
'Whoever made this needs to die.'
When five humans gather, at least one is trash—that proverb from Sensei was an understatement.
I've grouped you by student number order, so complete the assignment and submit. Contact the TA if you have questions.
The professor reads the room and peaces out.
Leaving only the assignment details and group list.
"And that's how we ended up here."
"You look thrilled."
"You know it."
A sigh echoes around the table.
For me, it's a win.
'Yes, this is college life.'
Four group members.
Everyone but me is a girl.
One small regret.
"Just don't get in our way."
"Why assume I won't do anything? That hurts my feelings."
"You're not gonna do it anyway."
"Fair point."
'Oho.'
There's a ice queen.
Chilly aura screaming she's planning to freeze me out.
"Still, gotta get the credits."
"You care about that?"
"I live diligently, you know."
"Uh-huh~."
"Should I do the presentation?"
Our first meeting was rocky, but lately it's hit blood feud levels.
'Of all places, school.'
Campus couple vibes wouldn't have been bad.
Too bad it's school, out of all spots.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📋 Assignment Topic Commodity prices are rising internationally these days. Research sectors expected to benefit with rising stocks and those expected to suffer with falling stocks, and investigate the reasons. ※ If the sector's stock actually rises in 3 months, that gain will be reflected in your semester grade.
Group assignment details.
About recent international market conditions.
Looks like even the theory-spouting prof is adapting a bit.
'People only change after getting chewed out.'
Even broken machines fix when you smack 'em.
Wonder if smacking her chest would fix her?
"We'll handle it ourselves, so just don't screw it up."
"No regrets?"
"Nope~."
"This assignment's kinda my wheelhouse."
She's eaten shit big time.
But I figured she'd need my help this once.
"Sora's good at this."
"Sora's gonna be a trader later!"
"Oh, right, a Pokémon Trainer."
Eyebrow.
Not even drawn, but long and thin, it twitches.
I knew it before.
'Can't even take a joke.'
Pokémon Trainer is a legit job.
Lots of people job-hunting right now—like Ash, Brock, Misty, etc.
"What's so great about being a trader? Just gamblers, right?"
"...What did you say?"
"Right? Gamblers! Playing stocks instead of Go-Stop, same difference."
She bites immediately after the poke.
The cool bitch has trader as her reverse scale.
'Traders really are gamblers, though.'
Fantasies about the job.
Can happen in school days.
You only get reality after jumping in the field.
"Apologize."
"Why should I?"
"You've been trash-talking everyone around me too. Do you have to go that far to mess with me?"
"Just stating facts."
Might be good to teach her early.
That ideals and reality differ.
"Don't fight..."
"How about this?"
"What?"
"This assignment's stock research, right? We each investigate separately, and the loser apologizes to the winner."
The other two members.
Hye-ri and Soo-hyun have a point.
But it's not simple enough to settle that way.
'Won't know till she gets slapped.'
How barren the path she's chasing is.
Nothing beats real combat over practice.
"Hm~."
"Not confident?"
"Nah."
"What's that mean?"
"You're just doing fake investing anyway, so why bother with a real investor like me~."
She reacts as expected.
Forces down the twitching brow and frown, manages her expression.
Lets out a small sigh.
Stares me down, spits her piece.
"Fine."
"Suddenly?"
"...I'll invest with my own money too. I'll watch how great you are, you trader-mocker."
Grinding teeth, ignores me.
Feels good to get confessed to after so long.
'It'll be different, very different~?'
Mock investment.
Exactly what it says: simulated investing.
Dumping real cash into stocks from the start? Too much for newbies.
Most brokerages offer it as a service.
Practice with fake money.
"But what now?"
"What? Got an excuse?"
"If you go bust with real money, it'll break my heart."
"Hmph! Won't happen, so you focus."
Theory says so.
But life's the real deal.
My creed: mock investing helps zilch.
'Can't feel the 'life-ruining' instinct.'
That's honed over decades to make an investor.
Same DNA as humans, but thought structure totally different.
Can this Pokémon Trainer ape a real trader with simple bait?
I give her back a little shove.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
International Situation.
📰 Korean News "'Commodity Bottom' – Entering a New Supercycle?" 📰 Fact News "End of the Ordeal! Gold & Commodities Funds Hit Double Digits" 📰 Daily News "Commodities Outpace Bonds & Stocks... Supercycle Returning?"
Stocks aren't valued just on company fundamentals.
Global politics, economics, society, culture, military trends influence directly or indirectly.
In other words, the ocean.
The ship called 'company' floating in the vast Pacific rides international currents smoothly or sinks fatally.
Commodity prices are acting up lately. Is this the start of a trend reversal? If so, which beneficiary stocks? We've brought on someone with the info retail investors crave.
The current ocean current is commodities.
Gold, silver, copper, iron—industrial raw materials—are skyrocketing.
Impossible not to affect company stocks.
A YouTube channel dives deep into it.
Hello, I'm Yeom, deputy manager at Ant Investor Securities.
Thanks for coming today, Deputy Manager Yeom!
No, thank you.
Investment direction.
Tough for average investors to grasp.
Brokerage pros need to explain.
Used to mean hunting economic channels on TV.
But with media shifts, YouTube's the trend now.
💬 Live Chat — YeomBliFan! YeomBli! YeomBli! — ProfitKing Making bank thanks to you, Deputy Manager~ — AntArmy Thanks for grinding for us ants today ㅠ — TrustYeomOnly Following Yeom Deputy Manager^^ — SteelBuyer Was gonna buy steel stocks — QuickBuy Gotta buy before prices rise! ⭐ Top Comment — YeomBliFan! YeomBli~ — HaterKing Yeom the Great here to shear ants again — System LoyalRetard has been banned!
Economic channels are no different.
Analysts broadcasting on YouTube to build fame is commonplace now.
The biggest winner.
Deputy Manager Yeom is a hot analyst.
Like star instructors, securities has star analysts too.
He's the real deal.
Fast, clear analysis of hot sectors wins fans.
Question from 2782: Steel stocks rising lately—should existing investors hold to year-end? Or take profits...?
I'd say not just year-end—go long-term on steel stocks.
Really?
His pick.
Commodities, specifically steel stocks.
You all know how steel stocks were the last 10 years. Total dark ages.
Yeah... prices nearly halved.
Halved? More like fractions!
Screen switches.
Korea's top steel stocks.
Compared to 10 years ago,惨惨.
📈 Posco 283,000 ▲12,000 (+3.43%) [Graph rocketing upward]
Recent gains barely half-mast.
Factor in inflation? Crawling on the floor.
Man, steel shareholders must've suffered.
Lots of bankruptcies along the way.
Yeah...
That's why they're surging now.
Money doesn't get deleted!
Shareholders' pain is indescribable.
Hence, they crave more rewards.
💬 Comments — HoldForever Just recovering all-time high would be enough lol — CurrentHolder Still cheap — Newbie300M Just threw in 30M today~ — HesitantAnt Was pondering steel—answer found! — YeomBeliever YeomBli you can trust — DecadeWait Suppressed 10 years... — DipWatcher Grab on pullback ㅠ — FOMOAnt Okay to enter now?
New investors too.
Irresistible pitch.
Listen, and you wanna buy without thinking.
They survived that crisis, right?
Yes.
Means they scoop up shares of the fallen too, once industry booms.
Ah!
Countless ants eye 'steel stocks'.
Appeal to authority.
Star analyst says it—who questions?
Iron's the rice of industry.
Spot on.
Economy heating up—what's needed? Iron, obviously. For machines, construction—H-beams, you know?
Yeah! Those stacked on empty lots.
Right, and color steel plates—interior demand rising...
Info beyond laymen.
The more you hear, the deeper you fall.
Only thought: buy steel stocks.
Expert says, so credible.
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