The first time you open a trading app, you see a screen full of jumping numbers—some green, some red—they're changing rapidly. This moment is both exciting and confusing.

What exactly are these numbers? For beginners, the answer is simple: the cost of buying an asset. But if you want to truly become an investor rather than a gambler, you need to understand another layer—that prices are more than just numbers. They reflect the collective sentiment of market participants, the intrinsic value of the asset itself, and a barometer of capital flow efficiency. By 2026, knowing how to read these numbers is just an entry-level skill. The real difference in returns lies in whether you can seize liquidity opportunities amid price fluctuations.

**Where do prices come from?**

Simply put, it's like an auction. Buyers bid, sellers ask, and when expectations align, a transaction price is born.

Here's the difference—beginners ask "Is it expensive now?", seasoned traders ask "Can I quickly enter within the targeted price range?" Imagine you discover a high-quality asset being hammered down at a key support level—that's an excellent opportunity. But at that moment, your funds are trapped in an inefficient process, and you can't get out. Watching the price rebound helplessly, you can only regret. By the way, this is why asset liquidity is so crucial.

**Story: Technical analysis meets real-world pitfalls**

Xiao Zhou spent half a year studying candlestick charts and price centers, and by the end of 2025, he sensed an opportunity in a blue-chip stock—