Chapter 826
Ivy put down her phone and turned to her "driver," muttering in confusion, "Could I have misjudged? When Sophia visited before the new year, we were too busy to meet, but I remember Dale Sullivan kept her company for a few days, taking her around to scout locations for her coffee shop. That doesn’t seem like something ordinary friends would do…”
Jamison was backing the car into a parking spot; they had arrived at the restaurant.
After parking, he turned to Ivy. “Looks like you finally have some free time on your hands, enough to worry about other people’s affairs.”
“It’s just gossip. I’m not worried about them,” Ivy said, then added defensively, “And I’m not free at all. This semester I have my internship, my thesis defense, and I need to keep studying for the CPA exam. If I can pass the CPA this year, I’ll start preparing for the CFA. That’s the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, the most rigorous and valuable certification in the global investment industry. It’s even harder than the CPA. It usually takes four to five years to pass all three levels. Even if I work hard and have some luck, it’ll probably take me two or three years…”
Ivy rattled off her goals for the next few years as if listing groceries. Suddenly, she felt like she didn’t have enough time and wanted to rush home to study.
Jamison opened his door and got out, waiting for her at the front of the car. He took her hand as she walked over, and they entered the restaurant together.
“If you’re so busy, why are you still thinking about having a baby? Being a mother isn’t easy. It’ll throw all your plans off track.”
Ivy pursed her lips, her voice clear and firm. “They don’t conflict. If I get pregnant, I can just postpone these things for a year. If I don’t, then I’ll just continue with my plans.”
She was even planning to work while pursuing her master’s degree. The three years she had lost meant she no longer had the luxury of being a full-time graduate student; she would have to work and study simultaneously.
Fortunately, studying had never been a chore for her. She enjoyed a full and busy life.
Jamison smiled at her words. Ivy turned to him. “What are you smiling at? Do you think I’m just daydreaming?”
“Of course not. I was just thinking, you’re so smart, hardworking, and eager to learn. I hope our child takes after you. If we have a little genius, I won’t have to worry about parenting.”
Ivy laughed, linking her arm through his. “They wouldn’t be so bad if they took after you either. Everyone knows medical students are top of their class, and you, Professor Ludwig, are a young medical prodigy who’s already so accomplished!”
Jamison basked in his wife’s praise.
“Tsk, a power couple. Can you imagine how outstanding our child will be?” Ivy mused dreamily. “They’ll definitely be one of those kids everyone praises, the ‘neighbor’s kid.’”
Jamison shook his head, a fond smile on his face. “I’ve never seen someone praise themselves like that. You’re getting more and more shameless.”
“It’s the truth.”
During dinner, a group of young people at the next table were discussing the recent blockbuster. The topic reminded Ivy of work. She wondered if the market would change over the weekend. She had a bad feeling that there would be a shift next week, yet almost all her colleagues had been aggressively increasing their positions today…
“What are you thinking about while you’re eating? Is the food not to your liking?” Jamison asked, noticing her distraction.
“No, it’s great… I was just thinking about work.”
“You’ve really become a workaholic.”
Ivy frowned, pondering for a moment before saying, “I think our department is heading for a major fall.”
Jamison knew what she was talking about. “It doesn’t matter,” he said nonchalantly. “The profits and losses have nothing to do with you, an intern.”
“You’re right. That’s what I thought too.”
As Ivy had predicted, bad news broke over the weekend. First, major shareholders reduced their holdings and cashed out. Then, rumors of fabricated box office numbers began to circulate. Compounded by the severe losses film stocks had suffered during the industry slump of the past few years, the recent surge had created a massive bubble. The lone star couldn’t sustain its shine, and market panic began to spread.
The accumulation of these factors led to a massive downturn when the market opened on Monday. It wasn’t just film stocks that plummeted; the entire market took a heavy hit.
By the time the market closed for lunch, the term “market crash” was trending on social media.
Even the perpetually busy Jamison heard the news and made a point to call his wife.
“Even you’ve noticed?” Ivy said, surprised.
Jamison chuckled. “A colleague in my department trades stocks. He lost a few hundred thousand today and was too depressed to eat lunch. I heard them talking about it, so I thought I’d call and check on you.”
With her colleagues around, Ivy didn’t want to go into detail. She took her phone and stepped away from her desk.
“Yeah, it’s pretty bad. There was an emergency meeting with all the department heads around ten this morning. I don’t know what the higher-ups decided.”
Institutional trading was different from individual investing. Any decision to adjust positions or sell off assets required analysis and investigation from several departments. The sheer volume of capital they managed meant that a single wrong move could result in losses in the tens of millions. That money was the hard-earned savings of investors. A loss wasn’t just a financial blow; it eroded investor trust, which was detrimental to the company’s long-term health.