Volume One: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!

Volume One: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Chapter Fourteen: Mark Baum

The two men talked for a long time. Suddenly, Zhang Yu felt an urgent need to pee and hurried to his feet.

Zhang Yu silently grumbled to himself.

But the young man had saved his old friend's life, and Rickert thought very highly of him, so Markbaum could only respond tactfully:

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Markbaum's temper flared. "I've let my guard down? Kid, the data reports and analyses I read every week are probably thicker than all the newspapers you read in a year. I've never let my guard down!"

Markbaum sneered. "You're pretty cocky. What makes you so confident?"

He took the passenger seat and said, "Good. There's a newly developed residential area there. We're going house hunting today."

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

In Markbaum's eyes, Zhang Yu was someone who devoted himself heart and soul to basketball.

Zhang Yu stepped in front of Markbaum and said with utmost sincerity:

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"Thanks, Coach!" Zhang Yu was overjoyed.

He arrived at the school entrance. It was 7:40. He had only been standing under a tree for a short while when a black Ford Mustang roared up and came to a slow stop in front of him.

Hetu Book

In Markbaum's eyes, Zhang Yu was someone who devoted himself heart and soul to basketball.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

He left the hospital room, gently closed the door, then turned and saw Markbaum standing by the window, facing outside and talking on the phone.

When it came to finance, Markbaum trusted his own judgment completely. He greatly disliked this young man who disagreed with him.

Seeing how sincere Zhang Yu was, Markbaum's expression softened, but he merely gave a cold snort before leaving the room.

His words eased the growing tension between Zhang Yu and Markbaum a little. Neither spoke again, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

Zhang Yu just couldn't understand American tastes.

He arrived at the school entrance. It was 7:40. He had only been standing under a tree for a short while when a black Ford Mustang roared up and came to a slow stop in front of him.

Hetu Book

"Good. There's a newly developed residential area there. We're going house hunting today."

After a while, Markbaum finally spoke. "The team recruited a prodigy this year. A genuine prodigy!"

He had lowered his voice, but the hallway was so quiet that Zhang Yu heard every word.

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mr. Baum, sorry, I overheard your phone call. Are you going long on subprime mortgage securities?"

"Who's that?"

Zhang Yu stepped in front of Markbaum and said with utmost sincerity: "Mr. Baum, the place we're going today is LaSalle, a middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs of Indiana, on Roosevelt Street. We need to head south first..."

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

Markbaum ended the call, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Cough, cough. Never mind, then. I don't want to pick on someone who's injured... Ronan, what do you think of the housing market?"

Markbaum immediately changed the subject.

"Who's that?"

Markbaum's temper flared:

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

"That's right. This is really important to me. Thanks for helping me, Coach." Zhang Yu took a deep breath and nodded firmly, then added, "But it's important for Mr. Baum, too."

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

"I've been there," Markbaum cut in. "What are we going there for today?"

Zhang Yu turned to Rickert with a pleading look.

"Who's that?"

Markbaum's temper flared:

Zhang Yu smiled. He couldn't believe he'd run into a wealthy man from the financial world. Coach Rickert really was his lucky star.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mr. Baum, sorry, I overheard your phone call. Are you going long on subprime mortgage securities?"

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

"Nothing's come of it yet. How do you know it won't work? You can ask Coach. I never do things without a reason!"

"I've heard of Michael Burry," Markbaum said, quickly changing the subject. "What do you think of the housing market, Ronan?"

"Who's that?"

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

Markbaum ended the call, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

"Then you should have a good talk with Mark. He's a big name in the financial markets," Rickert said with a laugh. "Back in college, though, he was my backup."

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Who's that?"

"Stephen Curry."

"That guy's got a bad temper, but he's a good person. If he doesn't go, you can use my name. He owes me plenty of favors." Rickert trusted Zhang Yu, so he decided to give him an extra leg up.

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

Rickert chuckled:

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

He waited patiently nearby. Once their conversation wound down, he asked tentatively, "Really? I hadn't heard about that. But a Deutsche Bank trader just tried hard to sell me on CDS and told me to short subprime securities. That's ridiculous. How could the housing market possibly collapse?"

Markbaum shook his head with a laugh.

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Mark, if you really want to go one-on-one, I'll come to your place in three months." Rickert smiled.

The atmosphere between Zhang Yu and Markbaum had grown increasingly tense, but Rickert's words calmed things down a little. Neither man spoke again, and the room grew heavy with silence.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

Although he had made a staggering $40 million betting on games, that amount would barely make a ripple in the financial markets.

He didn't even have a way into the subprime securities market. All he could do was watch from the sidelines as the financial titans made their moves.

Zhang Yu turned to Rickert with a pleading look.

The atmosphere between Zhang Yu and Markbaum had grown increasingly tense, but Rickert's words calmed things down a little. Neither man spoke again, and the room grew heavy with silence.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

Although he had made a staggering $40 million betting on games, that amount would barely make a ripple in the financial markets.

He didn't even have a way into the subprime securities market. All he could do was watch from the sidelines as the financial titans made their moves.

"Ronan, do you really know about the housing market?"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

"Then you should have a good talk with Mark. He's a big name in the financial markets," Rickert said with a laugh. "Back in college, though, he was my backup."

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Who's that?"

"Stephen Curry."

"That guy's got a bad temper, but he's a good person. If he doesn't go, you can use my name. He owes me plenty of favors." Rickert trusted Zhang Yu, so he decided to give him an extra leg up.

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

Rickert chuckled:

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

He waited patiently nearby. Once their conversation wound down, he asked tentatively, "Really? I hadn't heard about that. But a Deutsche Bank trader just tried hard to sell me on CDS and told me to short subprime securities. That's ridiculous. How could the housing market possibly collapse?"

Markbaum shook his head with a laugh.

"Mark, if you really want to go one-on-one, I'll come to your place in three months." Rickert smiled.

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

Markbaum ended the call, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum ended the call, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

But the young man had saved his old friend's life, and Rickert thought very highly of him, so Markbaum could only respond tactfully:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

"Cough, cough. Never mind, then. I don't want to pick on someone who's injured... Ronan, what do you think of the housing market?"

Markbaum immediately changed the subject.

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu. "Really? I hadn't heard about that. But a Deutsche Bank trader just tried hard to sell me on CDS and told me to short subprime securities. That's ridiculous. How could the housing market possibly collapse?"

Markbaum shook his head with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

He left the hospital room, gently closed the door, then turned and saw Markbaum standing by the window, facing outside and talking on the phone.

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"Although he has a bad temper, he's a decent person. If he doesn't go, you can use my name. He owes me plenty of favors." Rickert trusted Zhang Yu, so he decided to give him an extra leg up.

Zhang Yu turned to Rickert with a pleading look.

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"I've heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum ended the call, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"This is really important to you? Important enough to risk angering Mark just to get him to go with you?" Rickert was an old fox. He had already figured out what Zhang Yu was thinking.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

Markbaum's expression turned a little awkward, but he quickly recovered. "I just got word that something's come up at the company."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

Zhang Yu turned to Rickert with a pleading look.

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"Then you should have a good talk with Mark. He's a big name in the financial markets," Rickert said with a laugh. "Back in college, though, he was my backup."

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

"Ronan, do you really know about the housing market?"

"Stephen Curry."

The atmosphere between Zhang Yu and Markbaum had grown increasingly tense, but Rickert's words calmed things down a little. Neither man spoke again, and the room grew heavy with silence.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"Young man, are you trying to provoke me? Don't think you can mouth off to me just because you saved Todd!"

"Mr. Baum, I'm not trying to provoke you. I just think it's sad when an investor lets his guard down." Zhang Yu spoke unhurriedly.

"Ronan, do you really know about the housing market?"

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu.

Markbaum's expression turned a little awkward, but he quickly recovered.

He left the hospital room, gently closed the door, then turned and saw Markbaum standing by the window, facing outside and talking on the phone.

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

"Ronan, do you really know about the housing market?"

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

Zhang Yu made a wry comment to himself, checked his clothes one last time, picked up a briefcase from the table, and left his apartment.

He waited patiently nearby. Once their conversation wound down, he asked tentatively:

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

When Zhang Yu returned to the room, Markbaum and Rickert were chatting pleasantly.

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

"Young man, are you trying to provoke me? Don't think you can mouth off to me just because you saved Todd!"

"I've heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

But the young man had saved his old friend's life, and Rickert thought very highly of him, so Markbaum could only respond tactfully:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

"Cough, cough. Never mind, then. I don't want to pick on someone who's injured... Ronan, what do you think of the housing market?"

Markbaum immediately changed the subject.

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu.

"Really? I hadn't heard about that. But a Deutsche Bank trader just tried hard to sell me on CDS and told me to short subprime securities. That's ridiculous. How could the housing market possibly collapse?"

Markbaum shook his head with a laugh.

"Sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

But the young man had saved his old friend's life, and Rickert thought very highly of him, so Markbaum could only respond tactfully:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Mr. Baum, we're going to LaSalle, a middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs of Indiana, on Roosevelt Street. We need to head south first..."

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"This is really important to you? Important enough to risk angering Mark just to get him to go with you?" Rickert was an old fox. He had already figured out what Zhang Yu was thinking.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

Markbaum's expression turned a little awkward, but he quickly recovered.

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"I've heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu.

"Then you should have a good talk with Mark. He's a big name in the financial markets," Rickert said with a laugh. "Back in college, though, he was my backup."

"This is really important to you? Important enough to risk angering Mark just to get him to go with you?" Rickert was an old fox. He had already figured out what Zhang Yu was thinking.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Get in!"

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

He had lowered his voice, but the hallway was so quiet that Zhang Yu heard every word.

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Mr. Baum, I'm not trying to provoke you. I just think it's sad when an investor lets his guard down." Zhang Yu spoke unhurriedly.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

Zhang Yu frowned. He hadn't expected Markbaum to be so difficult, so he changed tactics and looked to Rickert.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

Rickert chuckled:

"Nothing's come of it yet. How do you know it won't work? You can ask Coach. I never do things without a reason!"

Markbaum's temper flared:

Zhang Yu frowned. He hadn't expected Markbaum to be so difficult, so he changed tactics and looked to Rickert.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

After a while, Markbaum finally spoke:

The atmosphere between Zhang Yu and Markbaum had grown increasingly tense, but Rickert's words calmed things down a little. Neither man spoke again, and the room grew heavy with silence.

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"I think the housing market has become a huge bubble. I recommend you stop going long on subprime securities."

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

But the young man had saved his old friend's life, and Rickert thought very highly of him, so Markbaum could only respond tactfully:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

"Cough, cough. Never mind, then. I don't want to pick on someone who's injured... Ronan, what do you think of the housing market?"

Markbaum immediately changed the subject.

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu. "Really? I hadn't heard about that. But a Deutsche Bank trader just tried hard to sell me on CDS and told me to short subprime securities. That's ridiculous. How could the housing market possibly collapse?"

Markbaum shook his head with a laugh.

"Sorry, Mr. Baum. I was out of line just now. I got carried away."

He left the hospital room, gently closed the door, then turned and saw Markbaum standing by the window, facing outside and talking on the phone.

"Exactly. I'm going long on CDOs. You know something about finance, too?" A flicker of displeasure crossed Markbaum's eyes, but he kept his voice calm.

"...Mr. Lippmann, I have no interest in shorting CDOs or CDS. If what you told me is true, then yes, they offer high returns and low risk—but only if the housing market collapses. I don't believe that's going to happen. Quite the opposite: I think the housing market will keep booming. Last year, my company went long on subprime mortgage securities and made an incredible return. All right, I have to go. Thanks for the recommendation."

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

Markbaum's expression turned a little awkward, but he quickly recovered.

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Get in!"

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

Zhang Yu's thoughts raced, and a plan gradually took shape.

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

After a while, Markbaum finally spoke:

"Mr. Baum, we're going to LaSalle, a middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs of Indiana, on Roosevelt Street. We need to head south first..."

"Hey, Todd! Come on, let's play one-on-one. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can barely walk." Markbaum shot back.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

Zhang Yu smiled. He couldn't believe he'd run into a wealthy man from the financial world. Coach Rickert really was his lucky star.

In Markbaum's eyes, Zhang Yu was someone who devoted himself heart and soul to basketball.

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

Zhang Yu turned to Rickert with a pleading look.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

"Nothing's come of it yet. How do you know it won't work? You can ask Coach. I never do things without a reason!"

Rickert chuckled:

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

"I've heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

Rickert chuckled:

Markbaum's temper flared:

Zhang Yu frowned. He hadn't expected Markbaum to be so difficult, so he changed tactics and looked to Rickert:

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"Get in!"

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

He had lowered his voice, but the hallway was so quiet that Zhang Yu heard every word.

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Mr. Baum, I'm not trying to provoke you. I just think it's sad when an investor lets his guard down." Zhang Yu spoke unhurriedly.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

Zhang Yu frowned. He hadn't expected Markbaum to be so difficult, so he changed tactics and looked to Rickert:

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

Rickert chuckled:

"Nothing's come of it yet. How do you know it won't work? You can ask Coach. I never do things without a reason!"

Markbaum's temper flared:

Zhang Yu frowned. He hadn't expected Markbaum to be so difficult, so he changed tactics and looked to Rickert:

The opportunity was right in front of him. He had to seize it.

"I don't think I need to do that to make the right judgment." Markbaum could sense Zhang Yu's sincerity, but his confidence still led him to reject the proposal.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

After a while, Markbaum finally spoke:

The atmosphere between Zhang Yu and Markbaum had grown increasingly tense, but Rickert's words calmed things down a little. Neither man spoke again, and the room grew heavy with silence.

"Coach, I'm going to the bathroom."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"I heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Mark, I know Ronan. He's a steady person. I don't know how much he understands about the financial markets, but he wouldn't make a joke like this. Maybe he's seen something unusual. If you have time, you should go with him."

"Mr. Baum, would you have time to get dinner together this weekend?" Seeing that Markbaum was determined to refuse, Zhang Yu tried a gentler approach.

"I think the housing market has become a huge bubble. I recommend you stop going long on subprime securities."

"Little rascal, the best way to repay me is to lead the Bulldogs to better results."

Rickert chuckled:

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Coach, is Mr. Baum always this arrogant?"

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"I've heard that a hedge fund manager named Michael Burry created credit default swaps, or CDS, for the subprime mortgage securities market. He's betting against the subprime mortgage market."

Zhang Yu gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Get in!"

Markbaum hung up, turned and saw Zhang Yu, then smiled at him and walked into the hospital room.

"Because it would be a complete waste of time. I make tens of thousands of dollars every minute. I don't have time for something so pointless."

The driver's window rolled down. Markbaum was wearing a black suit today. He nodded at Zhang Yu.

"Then you should have a good talk with Mark. He's a big name in the financial markets," Rickert said with a laugh. "Back in college, though, he was my backup."

"This is really important to you? Important enough to risk angering Mark just to get him to go with you?" Rickert was an old fox. He had already figured out what Zhang Yu was thinking.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Get in!"

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

He had lowered his voice, but the hallway was so quiet that Zhang Yu heard every word.

Zhang Yu gave Markbaum's straight-backed figure a thoughtful look, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Ronan, you know something about finance, too?"

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Rickert watched his old friend leave and asked in confusion:

Never mind. He was handsome and rich, so it made sense he had the personality of an overbearing CEO.

"Mr. Baum, I know you have an exceptionally deep understanding of the financial markets, and that it's made you a truly wealthy man. But I'm not making this up. I'd like to borrow two days of your weekend for a small investigation. It might change how you see the housing market."

"Sorry, I don't have time this weekend." Markbaum was even more displeased and turned him down flat.

"Not bad. We can wait another two years. I'll bring Butler a championship trophy."

The input is one paragraph, so output was forced into one paragraph; however, the required exact structure and no omissions conflict with the impossibly garbled, massively duplicated source.