The Counter-Trend Order at Three in the Morning

Chen Mo stared at the computer screen, the cigarette butts in the ashtray piled up like a small mountain. The Bitcoin candlestick chart resembled an agitated venomous snake, smashing down three large bearish candles in a 4-hour period, while the wails in the community scrolled faster than the market fluctuations—"The bull has turned into a bear for sure" and "Quickly cut losses to ensure safety" messages flooded the screen.

He only had $1000 left in his account, which was his part-time salary just issued this month. After being scolded by his boss during the day for being “overly ambitious with little skill,” he saw a screenshot of profits shared by his roommate in the evening, sweat forming on his fingertips as they gripped the mouse. The saying “When others are fearful, I am greedy” spun in his mind three times, and finally, gritting his teeth, he poured all his funds into a long position.

At one o'clock, the market suddenly accelerated downwards, and his account's unrealized loss instantly soared to 80%. Chen Mo stared at the red warning of “liquidation risk,” feeling like his heart was about to leap out of his throat. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, the blue light of the screen reflecting in his bloodshot eyes, as if he was staring at a life-or-death gamble. Someone in the community had already started sending “mourning” emojis, while another privately messaged him advising, “Cut losses in time, and preserve your assets.”

At two seventeen, an unusually thick bullish candle suddenly rose from the bottom without any warning, like fireworks exploding in the dark. Chen Mo abruptly jumped up from his chair, almost knocking over the cola bottle next to him. The candlestick chart seemed to be fast-forwarded, breaking through resistance levels, and the numbers in his account balance were jumping at a visible speed—from four digits to five digits, and then followed by more and more zeros.

As dawn approached, Chen Mo trembled as he closed his positions. Looking at the $50,000 in his account, he let out a long breath, as the first ray of sunlight outside just happened to shine on his face. The community on his phone was still discussing the earlier “astonishing reversal,” with someone saying, “Those who bought at the bottom are definitely gods,” but no one knew that the ordinary person who risked everything in the middle of the night was now gazing at the morning light, feeling as if he had lived again.

He turned off the computer, poured himself a glass of warm water, and suddenly felt that, compared to the thrill of the numbers jumping, the tranquility at this moment was more reassuring. This counter-trend gamble ultimately ended with unexpected gains, but only he knew that every minute and second of agony in the darkness was the most authentic mark of this “victory.”