Chapter 53: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Ascend to the Heavens in a Single Bound

"Dear students, I am Dean Bao Xingwei. Congratulations to you all for achieving such outstanding results in the Huaxin Simulated Trading Competition. I have a few words I would like to share with everyone: may you always keep your enthusiasm, pursue your dreams with courage, stay true to your original aspirations, bravely shoulder responsibilities, dare to innovate, and embrace the future. Thank you."

Bao Xingwei's voice was not loud, but it possessed remarkable carrying power and distinctiveness.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

Thunderous applause suddenly erupted, echoing continuously through the tiered lecture hall as the students silently committed Dean Bao Xingwei's teachings to heart.

Bao Xingwei did not linger in the classroom. After exchanging a few more remarks, he left the lecture hall accompanied by He Jing, who was already waiting at the door, and headed toward his office.

Seeing Bao Xingwei depart, Wang Xingbang quickly redirected the students' attention. "Alright, let's continue with our previous topic."

He paused, glanced at Tao Yu'ang standing off to the side, and said, "Will the top ten students of the Huaxin Securities Simulated Trading Competition please come up to the stage to add your Senior Brother Tao Yu'ang's contact information? He will be taking down your information for registration. Once you officially graduate and leave school in July, you can go directly to Huaxin Securities for your internship and employment."

"Junior brothers and sisters, I am your Senior Brother Tao Yu'ang." Fearing that the students might not remember him, Tao Yu'ang waved enthusiastically.

Lai Weijie, Xu Zhiruo, Zheng Shaohui, and the other top ten students from the simulated trading competition stood up one after another and stepped forward to add Tao Yu'ang's contact information.

After exchanging contact details, Tao Yu'ang proposed, "Let's find a quiet place to discuss the details of the internship in depth."

"Alright, Senior Brother."

"We'll follow your lead."

"Senior Brother Tao, wherever you say we go, we go."

Apart from He Jing, who had left with Dean Bao Xingwei, the other nine top-performing students in the simulated trading competition all expressed their agreement.

Tao Yu'ang turned his gaze toward Wang Xingbang on the side and greeted him, "Professor Wang, we'd like to find a quiet place to discuss the internship details. Would that be alright?"

"Go ahead."

Wang Xingbang nodded.

With permission granted, Tao Yu'ang immediately led the group out of the classroom.

Once Huaxin Securities had finished selecting its candidates, the senior brothers and sisters from other securities firms also began picking their people one after another, and batch after batch of students left the tiered lecture hall.

All 122 graduation candidates in investment science at Shanghai Finance University had their trading performance charts on display for review. Although some were currently operating at a loss, it was easy to see from the charts that their fundamental skills were actually quite solid; it was simply that as the competition deadline approached, they had panicked and rushed into chasing limit-up stocks.

Zhang Yang, Wang Liu, Chen Chuan, and Xu Jiafeng had all received invitations from two securities firms. Aside from Zhang Yang, who declined, the other three roommates were eager to see what terms the companies were offering.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Inside Dean Bao Xingwei's office.

Although he had been recuperating in Beijing for the past few years and this office had remained idle for several years, thanks to the regular cleaning by the custodial staff, there was not the slightest trace of neglect. Even the desktop was spotless.

"Have a seat."

Bao Xingwei's return to Shanghai Finance University this time was actually entirely for He Jing.

He had reviewed the rate-of-return charts of this year's student competition. From the data alone, he could roughly deduce that He Jing was a steady trader with an exceptional macro perspective.

Achieving stable growth over more than thirty trading days was a rare feat indeed.

While Zheng Shaohui, who came in second, and Qi Junze, in third, both had impressive returns—results that would have secured them first place in previous years—they had both achieved their profits through high-risk limit-up trading, placing them in the luck-driven category. This did not align with Bao Xingwei's internal standards.

As soon as He Jing sat down, Bao Xingwei interlocked his fingers and rested them casually on the desktop, taking the initiative to ask, "He Jing, do you have any specific plans for your future?"

"Well..."

He Jing thought for a moment and replied, "For now, the plan is to intern at Huaxin Securities and then become a private equity fund manager."

She had also considered becoming a carefree independent speculator like Zhang Yang.

However, perhaps due to family background and personality, both her parents and she herself leaned toward a profession with a stable income like a fund manager.

It is worth noting that the funds ordinary investors purchase through official websites, banks, securities firms, and other public channels belong to public offering funds, which primarily invest in standardized assets such as stocks and bonds.

Private equity funds are different. They can only raise capital from "qualified investors" through private recommendations, targeted institutional invitations, and other closed channels, with strict regulations prohibiting public promotion.

The threshold for private equity is exceptionally high, typically requiring a minimum investment of one million yuan, and sometimes even over three million yuan. These are investment funds specifically established for high-net-worth individuals.

The types of private equity investments are diverse and wide-ranging, encompassing not only stocks and debts but also equities in unlisted companies, derivatives, and commodities, offering more flexible strategies and higher rates of return.

"A private equity fund manager? A fine aspiration." Bao Xingwei offered a word of praise first, but then followed up with a question: "Aside from becoming a private equity manager, have you ever considered pursuing a master's degree to elevate your academic qualifications?"

"I honestly haven't thought about that."

He Jing smiled awkwardly.

To become a fund manager, a regular undergraduate degree was already sufficient.

Students majoring in investment science who chose to pursue graduate studies generally followed the path toward a career in teaching.

While the profession of teaching seemed very respectable to ordinary people, in He Jing's eyes, it could not help her achieve her dreams.

He Jing's dream was quite simple: to have an endless supply of money.

Bao Xingwei seemed very pleased with He Jing and continued, "If you have any thoughts of pursuing graduate studies, I can actually introduce you to an academician in the field of financial research. After you complete your doctoral degree, you can transition to a position within a national financial institution."

"A national financial institution?" The moment those words were spoken, He Jing froze completely. She had never even considered this direction.

A specific term crossed her mind: central government selected graduate.

What is a selected graduate?

Many people assume that entering the bureaucratic system means becoming an official, but that is not actually the case. The ones who can truly be called officials are those who entered through the selected graduate program or through institutional selection exams.

The so-called selected graduates are talents directly recruited from universities by state organizations. The stronger a university's overall strength, the more selected graduate slots it receives, and central government selected graduates are truly the cream of the crop.

As for institutional selection exams, they are aimed at civil servants already within the system, allowing for rapid promotion into core centers of power.

"Well then, are you interested?" Bao Xingwei extended an olive branch.

"Of course I am."

He Jing did not put on airs; she was well aware that opportunities of this magnitude vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Then I will help write a recommendation letter for you. You can first—" Before Bao Xingwei could finish speaking, a figure flashed through He Jing's mind, and she suddenly asked, "Dean Bao, may I recommend someone to you?"

"Who?"

Bao Xingwei's interest was piqued.

"An upcoming graduate named Zhang Yang, who is also majoring in investment science," He Jing said.

Seeing He Jing's nervous demeanor, Bao Xingwei seemed to imagine something and comforted her, "He's your boyfriend, isn't he? Rest assured, pursuing a doctorate doesn't mean entering the organization immediately; it won't affect the two of you seeing each other."

"We are just ordinary friends at the moment," He Jing clarified their relationship with Zhang Yang before continuing, "I'm recommending him because I believe Zhang Yang is fully capable of handling such an organization."

"He has the capability too?"

Bao Xingwei frowned deeply, casting his gaze toward his executive secretary, Cheng Hongfa.

Cheng Hongfa possessed a meticulous mind. The moment their eyes met, he understood Bao Xingwei's intent and quickly retrieved a stack of documents from his briefcase, placing them on the desk before Bao Xingwei.

Seeing that they were about to check the simulated trading scores, He Jing quickly spoke up, "He traded with a real-money account; he barely touched the simulated trading platform. I'm not certain whether he will choose this path, but perhaps... just in case he does choose this path, I hope Dean Bao can also give him an opportunity to prove himself."

She knew that Zhang Yang intended to become an independent market speculator, but faced with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leap straight to the top, He Jing did not wish to monopolize this glory.

Of course.

She had her own selfish motives as well.

That was to have Zhang Yang as her partner; with him covering her back, she would feel completely at ease.

"Hahaha, very well. I'd actually like to see what kind of extraordinary person this Zhang Yang is, to be worth your lobbying efforts this way." Bao Xingwei gave a subtle look, and Cheng Hongfa, grasping the cue, strode quickly out of the office.