Ryan quickly calculated in his mind: the option contract from two years ago, with a total value of 95 billion yen, settled at 136 today, which was roughly 700 million US dollars. After deducting the borrowed 500 million US dollars, the net profit was 200 million US dollars, equivalent to 1.56 billion Hong Kong dollars.
"Genius, perfect capital operation!" Ryan's emerald eyes turned a few times, and he sincerely praised. Having struggled in the capital market for so many years, he had never seen anything as incredible as this.
"I wonder whose masterpiece this is?" After a brief silence, Ryan raised his head and looked at Zhong Yi with an eager expression, his eyes full of inquiry. In his heart, he was almost certain that this grand move was the work of the young man in front of him.
"If it is, this gentleman must have predicted today's situation two years ago, and the yen could very well have risen to 120!" Ryan thought to himself, already considering the timing to release the yen in his possession.
"You guessed right, it's me!" Zhong Yi's face turned slightly red as he admitted it outright. Before this, Zhong Shi had already told him that if anyone inquired about who was behind this, he should take the credit.
Liao Chengde, standing beside him, was somewhat surprised. He was well aware of the operation of this money, though he didn't know why Zhong Yi admitted it. However, being sensible, he kept his mouth shut, pretending to know nothing.
"Mr. Zhong, I wonder what you plan to use this money for. Why don't you deposit it in our Standard Chartered Bank? I can offer you the highest interest rate and the best VIP wealth management service!" Ryan was unwilling to miss such a chance to curry favor. For a client like this, it was a rare opportunity. If the young man in front of him could give him a few pointers, his future would be boundless.
"Mr. Liao, do you not know about this?" Ryan was taken aback, originally thinking that Mr. Zhong and Mr. Liao came together and must be well-informed about this matter. However, it seemed that was not the case. He looked at Zhong Yi, who nodded, and Ryan then whispered a number.
"What? Are you sure? How is this possible?" Liao Chengde was shocked, asking three times in a row. It wasn't until he saw the calm expression on Zhong Yi's face that he confirmed that everything Ryan said was true.
"1.56 billion Hong Kong dollars? How much is that?" At that moment, Liao Chengde seemed to age several years, his eyes becoming unfocused. At this moment, he must have been deeply regretful. If he had insisted on keeping those 20 million in Zhong Shi's investment portfolio, he could have shared a quarter of the profit.
A quarter of 1.56 billion Hong Kong dollars was nearly 400 million Hong Kong dollars, a sum that Liao Chengde had never achieved in his half-life of struggle. Zhong Shi had effortlessly accumulated far more wealth in just two years.
Seeing Liao Chengde's state, Zhong Yi and Ryan quickly helped him sit down. After a series of shoulder massages and chest rubs, Liao Chengde finally took a deep breath and sighed with regret, "This is fate! This is fate!"
"Mr. Liao, there's no need to lament. There will be many more opportunities in the future!" Zhong Yi consoled him in a low voice. He had a very good impression of Mr. Liao. Without the initial capital provided by Mr. Liao, the Zhong family would still be living in a state of mere subsistence.
"What? There are more opportunities? Mr. Zhong hasn't abandoned me?" Liao Chengde, regaining his senses, tightly gripped Zhong Yi's hand and asked urgently. The "Mr. Zhong" he referred to was naturally Zhong Shi, but to Ryan, it clearly referred to the young man named Zhong Yi in front of him.
"Of course!" Zhong Yi pulled his hand free, secretly shaking it. Mr. Liao looked old, but his grip was surprisingly strong, causing Zhong Yi's hand to ache.
"That's good, that's good!" Liao Chengde muttered, a sense of fatigue rising in his heart, making him feel drowsy. When a person experiences extreme joy or sorrow, their energy is greatly depleted, leading to such symptoms.
"Old Zhao, please escort Mr. Liao to rest. Mr. Cooper, do you have a resting room here? I think Mr. Liao needs to sleep for a while. I'll handle the procedures with you." Zhong Yi called over Zhao Xingyun, who was guarding the door, and said to Ryan with a slight apology.
"Of course, please follow me!" Ryan said respectfully. He called a junior staff member, and together they escorted Liao Chengde to the resting room. Then he led Zhong Yi to the VIP room.
...
In Tokyo, Japan, at the foreign exchange trading department of Sakura Bank, a short, ordinary-looking young man was staring at the screen, seemingly deep in thought. His name was Sakata Taro, a junior manager in the foreign exchange trading department of Sakura Bank.
Two years ago, it was his bold suggestion that led Sakura Bank to boldly raise the price of options in the U.S. options market to 190 or even higher, scaring off a large number of speculators who wanted to hedge. However, he was unlucky to encounter Zhong Shi, a reborn individual, who disregarded the agreed price and aggressively entered the market. This influx of funds made Sakata Taro very nervous, fearing that others would follow. Fortunately, Zhong Shi's funds were not substantial, only buying options worth 500 million US dollars.
In the foreign exchange market, besides the central banks of various countries, there were commercial banks and large export-oriented enterprises, with daily transactions amounting to several billion US dollars. The option fees paid by Zhong Shi were not taken seriously by the Japanese.
However, as time passed, the yen-to-dollar exchange rate continued to rise. When it broke through the 190 mark, Zhong Shi's unexercised option became particularly noticeable. Everyone knew it would be exercised, but no one knew when.
As the settlement date approached, the value of the yen continued to rise. Sakata Taro calculated every day how much money this option would earn, and he constantly prayed that the client on the other side would forget about the transaction, though the possibility was slim.
On that day, before he could snap out of his reverie, he saw a number appear on the screen, an order to exercise the option. Soon after, a call came from the United States, notifying Sakura Bank that the issued option had been exercised, and the principal had been deposited into the relevant account.
"Damn!" Sakata Taro angrily cursed and immediately reported the matter to his supervisor, as it was a transaction beyond his authority. Losing several billion yen like this made Sakata Taro and the entire Sakura Bank very reluctant.
"Shallow, can you find out the client's information?" Sakata asked a young man with thick glasses. This person was a computer programmer at Sakura Bank, who had returned from studying in the United States and was very proficient in computers and networks, often doing things that seemed impossible, akin to a "hacker" in the future.
After a series of rapid keystrokes, Shallow Xing Shi shook his head at Sakata Taro and said helplessly, "The firewall in Chicago is too advanced; I can't break it. I can only try to find out through connections."
After some public relations efforts, Sakata Taro finally learned that the funds came from Hong Kong, but he didn't know who specifically. "Unless you never show up again, I will tear you to pieces!" Sakata Taro said fiercely, confident in his ability to make such threats with the support of massive funds, much like the "London Whale" in the future.
Sakata Taro hated Zhong Shi so much because his brilliant idea had been ruthlessly shattered, affecting his promotion. But who could have predicted that the yen would appreciate so much?
However, they would soon face off again in the S&P 500 futures market.
...
After transferring 198 million US dollars to the futures company's account, Zhong Yi instructed, "Build a short position in the S&P 500 every Friday. Be very careful not to arouse suspicion. All the money should be invested in the short market by October, and maintain a certain margin."
Andrew nodded solemnly.
The S&P 500 is an index selected from 500 stocks listed in the United States, designated by Standard & Poor's. Compared to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 index has a broader sample, stronger representativeness, higher accuracy, and better continuity, making it a widely recognized index suitable for futures contracts.
Many professionals choose the S&P 500 index as a benchmark for their products rather than the Dow Jones Industrial Average. If a fund underperforms the S&P 500 over a certain period, it is in big trouble.
The S&P 500 futures are calculated by multiplying 250 US dollars by the index futures, resulting in a price. On March 23, 1987, the S&P 500 officially crossed the 300-point mark, with each contract valued at around 70,000 to 80,000 US dollars, and a margin of about 5,000 to 6,000 US dollars per contract.
If Zhong Yi's money were to be suddenly invested in the index futures market, it would cause a huge stir, which is why Zhong Shi required gradual position building.
However, Zhong Shi did not expect that as his positions grew larger, his plan would be noticed by someone with ulterior motives, including the Japanese financial group that had previously been defeated by him.
Over the next few months, Zhong Shi, Zhong Yi, and others would engage in a fierce battle with the Japanese financial group in the S&P 500 futures market, until October 19th. (I hope more readers will pay attention. Your support is my strength. Please click, recommend, and collect.)