The market chart at midnight is still gently fluctuating, the sky in Henan is still covered with a layer of gray. I sighed softly at the jumping numbers on the screen. In this market where the chill has not yet dissipated, we are all learning to use gentle persistence to combat those uncertain fluctuations. Also, in the fragmented gains and losses, we slowly understand the meaning of coexisting with the market.
After waiting for a long time for the new up to hit the market, I ultimately did not see the lively scene I had hoped for. From starting to pay attention to the market a few days in advance, to waiting with my phone in hand when the market opened, my high expectations eventually turned into a disappointing result, with only 22U left in hand, which is even less than the gains from a regular airdrop. It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed. I originally held onto a glimmer of hope, thinking that I could recover some losses after a wave of adjustments, but the market fell without any clear end, and the alpha's trend weakened day by day. Friends around me, who were still holding on, often comforted each other in the chat box with messages to wait a bit longer. No one was willing to easily say give up, nor did anyone dare to gamble on tomorrow. Instead, we quietly held onto our chips against the backdrop of the bear market, and the previous JCT trading competition felt more like a gentle compensation. In the last two hours before the event ended, trading volume suddenly surged, with tens of thousands piling up in an instant. I was just a little short of meeting the target, and I grit my teeth to add to my position late at night, slowly pushing my position to start with 9W. As my fingertips glided across the screen, the impatience of the past was gone, replaced only by a calm acceptance of doing my best, hoping to cover the previous wear and tear of alpha, giving myself a little comfort. When I saw that the final gains just about covered the losses, and even made a small profit, there was no ecstatic joy in my heart, only a sense of stability that had been hanging for a long time: it turns out that not losing in a bear market is already the best gift, and making a small profit is a warmth worth cherishing. The current market has long shed the previous noise and restlessness. Even participating in new offerings and competitions requires adequate psychological preparation in advance. No longer fixated on the myth of getting rich overnight, but rather learning to find balance in the fluctuations: accepting the disappointments of new offerings, the unpredictability of the market, and the nights spent watching the charts that ultimately only yield trivial gains; also learning to adjust my mindset in losses and build confidence in small profits, not to be led by temporary ups and downs. The new activity of @MidnightNetwork is still posted in the announcements, and the prize pool looks tempting, but what I care more about is the mindset I have slowly cultivated during this time, no longer in a hurry for results, no longer anxious and uneasy, but willing to walk slowly with the market, maintaining expectations for the future in the early mornings when the market refreshes.
The bear market may be long, and there may be more frustrating moments, but as long as we still hold the chips in hand, are willing to carefully analyze the market every late night, and can maintain a gentle expectation for the next opportunity, it cannot be considered a loss. What we are guarding is not just the market's recovery, but also the determination within ourselves: believing that spring will eventually come, believing that the strength accumulated quietly during the cold winter will, in time, grow into our own scenery when spring arrives.