The market always has opportunities, but the players keep changing.

In July this year, “post-00s” investors surpassed other age groups for the first time to become the main force in opening accounts. As the Shanghai Composite Index broke through the key resistance level of 3731.69 on August 18, refreshing the nearly 10-year high, people began to feel the atmosphere of a bull market in all aspects.

Perhaps in the eyes of many veteran investors, a bull market is a cyclical confirmation that “is born in pessimism, grows in doubt, matures in optimism, and dies in frenzy.” But for many “new players,” it is a fresh and challenging experience they have never encountered.

After all, people are always looking forward to seeing what kind of start these young people, experiencing a bull market for the first time, will have.

“Trading stocks full-time, I’m getting more and more anxious”

“Sometimes I can make twenty to thirty thousand yuan a month, but it’s not possible every month.” By the river in Lujiazui, Liu Chenyang (pseudonym) shows the reporter his trading interface.

After returning to China with a master’s degree in 2024, Liu Chenyang joined a well-known company. But shortly after starting, he found that the job was very different from what he had imagined, so he began to consider changing jobs.

One day, Liu Chenyang came across a post from a classmate on social media: “Thanks to the A-share market, this trip is fully funded by the A-shares!” along with two screenshots of high daily profits. “At that time, I thought if my classmate could do it, so could I,” Liu Chenyang told the reporter.

“At the time, I had 50,000 yuan saved up from my student days. I decided to start with 10,000 yuan to test the waters—even if I lost it, it wouldn’t affect my life. With the ‘beginner’s luck,’ I made some money and felt less pressure about life. So I gradually increased my investment, focusing most of my energy on stock trading, and eventually quit my job,” Liu Chenyang said.

Later, at some offline events, Liu Chenyang met a “big brother” in his late thirties who didn’t have a regular job and mainly made a living from trading stocks.

Through their conversations, Liu Chenyang learned that this brother had once made 13 months’ worth of salary in a single trade. After that, he lost interest in working and began studying stock charts, indicators, and techniques all day, deciding to go all in on the stock market.

“At first, I thought I had found a path to follow, but the more we talked, the more uncertain I felt,” Liu Chenyang continued. “He firmly believed that he could achieve financial freedom through stock trading. He was ‘seeking enlightenment’ every day but would quickly否定 himself.”

“He said many people around him had advised him to find a less demanding job, but he thought that would distract him. In fact, over the past ten years, he hasn’t made much money from stocks and is still struggling to make ends meet.” Liu Chenyang looked up at the reporter and asked, “Later, I thought this brother was absurd. In your eyes, do I seem absurd too?”

Liu Chenyang has been trading full-time for about half a year and feels the pressure is greater than when he had a job. He admitted that during this bull market, although he is actively trading, his mental state is not great. He is more worried about missing opportunities than losing money. “Now I often find myself staring blankly at the screen, watching the stock charts fluctuate wildly while my mind goes blank.”

Zhang Li (pseudonym), a seasoned investor with years of experience in the stock market, believes that the threshold for full-time trading is actually quite high. First, one needs at least 1 million yuan in idle funds and over 10 years of practical trading experience.

From his observation, those who can sustain a normal life through full-time trading generally possess traits like boldness, carefulness, and calmness. They have the firm will to hold long-term and, most importantly, a genuine love for stocks and发自内心的 belief.

The “veteran investor” among peers

“Post-00s” investor Chen Er (pseudonym) is a “veteran” with five years of stock trading experience.