When Lin An placed the third cup of American coffee on the tray, his hands shook. The dark brown liquid splashed out, leaving a small, capillary-like trace on the edge of the white porcelain cup. She wiped it with a paper towel and wiped the drip of coffee off the tray, quickly enough that the client sitting across the conference table wouldn't notice. You won't notice that her hands are shaking, you won't notice that her eyelids are twitching, you won't notice that she only slept for two hours last night.
This is her third year as an analyst at Washington Capital. In three years, she made more than 400 financial models, wrote more than 700 investment proposals, and stayed up for more than a thousand nights. Her eye bags can be covered with concealer, her dark circles with foundation, and her fatigue with concentrated caffeine. What couldn't be suppressed was her stomach. My stomach is burning. It has been burning for three months. The doctor said it was gastroesophageal reflux, the pressure was too great, and I needed to rest. She had no time to rest. Today is the most important day since she joined the company - she has to report to the company's partners on a merger and acquisition project with a target value of 5 billion. If successful, she could be promoted from analyst to vice president. If not, she might not even be able to retain her position as an analyst. The rule of investment banking is simple: your last success determines your next opportunity. If you don't have the last success, you won't have the next one.
