Early in the morning of 7th August, Aryan Tiwari was jolted awake by his phone ringing. It was a WhatsApp message from Uncle Ramesh Sharma:
"Aryan, have you seen the news? Kweichow Moutai is in serious trouble!"
Aryan's heart tightened.
He immediately opened the financial news app. The headline was flashing boldly:
"Kweichow Moutai Exposed for Product Quality Issues — Some Baijiu Batches Exceed Plasticizer Limits",along with a screenshot of a so-called laboratory test report.
Without wasting a second, Aryan opened the Time-Space Market Mirror and checked Kweichow Moutai's forecast.The prediction remained unchanged:
Opening price (Aug 7): ¥1775
Closing price (Aug 8): ¥1890
No warning. No crash signal.
Aryan scrolled through other news platforms and noticed something strange—only one media outlet had reported this issue. The company's official response was still pending, making it highly likely that this was just a rumor.
Aryan quickly replied to Uncle Ramesh:
"Uncle, don't panic. This looks like a rumor. Only one media house has reported it, and there's no official clarification yet. Look at the fundamentals—91% gross margin and 15% net profit growth. A company this strong won't suddenly have quality issues."
Uncle Ramesh replied nervously:
"Are you sure? I just bought 100 shares yesterday. The whole group is saying it'll hit the lower circuit today."
Aryan opened the Retail Investors WhatsApp Group.
The chat was in complete chaos.
"It's over! Lower circuit for sure!""I knew liquor stocks are risky!""Aryan, if you bought it, SELL NOW!"
Aryan didn't sell.
Instead, he typed calmly:
"Everyone, don't panic. This could be a deliberate negative rumor to scare retail investors so big players can buy cheaply. Fundamentals are strong, and the official response is still awaited. If you want to sell, at least wait for confirmation."
Mocking replies came instantly:
"You're too young, you haven't seen a real crash!""When it hits lower circuit, you'll regret this!"
Aryan stopped replying and quietly watched the market.
⏰ 9:15 AM — Call Auction
The price dropped rapidly:
¥1775 → ¥1750 → ¥1720A fall of nearly 3%.
Panic intensified. Screenshots of sell orders flooded the group.
Uncle Ramesh messaged privately:
"Aryan, I sold. Lost ¥5000. You should sell too before it crashes further."
Aryan replied calmly:
"Uncle, I'll wait a little longer. If this is a rumor, selling now only locks in losses."
⏰ 9:30 AM — Market Opens
Opening price: ¥1720,down 3.1% from the predicted price.
The stock continued falling, touching ¥1700.
Aryan felt nervous—but didn't sell.
The app's prediction hadn't changed. More importantly, he noticed the trading volume:it hadn't increased significantly.
👉 Big players weren't selling.👉 Only retail investors were panicking.
⏰ 10:00 AM
A breaking notification appeared.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM KWEICHOW MOUTAI
"All reports regarding product quality issues are false. Our products fully comply with national standards. Legal action has been initiated against those spreading rumors."
The market reacted instantly.
¥1700 → ¥1750 → ¥1775
By midday, the stock reached ¥1785, narrowing the loss to just 0.5%.
The WhatsApp group fell silent.
Uncle Ramesh messaged again:
"Aryan, I regret selling. It's going up again. Should I buy back?"
Aryan replied:
"Uncle, decide calmly. Don't chase prices. Let's observe the afternoon session first."
⏰ 1:00 PM
The stock crossed ¥1800.
Aryan mentally reviewed his trades:
Aug 1: Capital ¥15,326.8 → Bought 264 shares of SMIC at ¥57.5
Aug 5: Swing trade profit ¥223
Aug 6: Sold SMIC at ¥64.2 → Account balance ¥42,900
Aug 7: Bought 24 shares of Kweichow Moutai at ¥1775
Remaining balance: ¥298
⏰ 2:00 PM
Moutai rose to ¥1850.
Floating profit:24 × (1850 − 1775) = ¥1800
Someone posted in the group:
"Those who sold earlier are crying now 😂"
"Aryan stayed calm and still made money!"
Aryan didn't reply. He just watched the screen.
⏰ 3:00 PM — Market Close
Closing price: ¥1890Exactly as predicted by the app.
Aryan sold all 24 shares at ¥1890.
Final account balance:¥45,650
Only ¥4,350 short of his ¥50,000 goal.
That evening, his friend Rohit Verma messaged him:
"Bro, I lost ¥30,000 recently. You're incredible. Can you teach me stock picking?"
Aryan smiled and replied:
"No tricks. Study fundamentals, don't chase prices, don't panic on bad news. First verify if it's a rumor. Start with 'Basic Knowledge of the Securities Market.'"
Before sleeping, Aryan opened the Time-Space Market Mirror again.
Next target: Longi Green EnergyPredicted rise: 11.6%
Lying on his bed, Aryan stared at the ceiling.
From ¥2,987 after being laid off to ¥45,650 in just over a month—debts cleared, confidence restored, and a long journey ahead.
He knew one thing clearly now:
In the market, calmness was the real superpower.