The faces tell the story -- a week of unforgiving trade across Asian stock markets has ratcheted up the pressure here in Hong Kong. As day after day, stock brokers deliver more bad news to more clients.
"When I saw my clients losing money, I just felt really sad. It's like no future at all, which makes me feel really depressed."
In the full glare of the press some seem exhilarated, others exhausted. There's little more than one hour left in the trading week here in Hong Kong, and what a week! It's been one for the record books for all the wrong reasons. Traders here won't forget this week in a hurry.
Brokers from Hong Kong to Tokyo say these are the worst market conditions they've ever seen, surpassing then Asian financial crisis that sent stocks tumbling across the region.
"I've been trading stocks since 1971. I can't remember such a dramatic drop in stock prices in such a short period."
"It's actually quite unbelievable. It's just, you know, it's a situation of panic-selling. At this point, we are saying it's gone beyond credit crunch. This is crisis."
It's a long tough day to take a psychological toll. "I will call my clients after work and tell them to stay calm and wait. I won't tell them to sell all at this moment, because the market may go up again the next day. So normally I just tell them to keep watching, and maybe there is still another drop-off."
With the clock ticking towards the 4 p.m. close, the traders begin thinking about life outside the brokerage, making plans for a massage, Karaoke or dancing.
"At least I can step away from the market, and forget about everything." Anything to help erase the memories of this relentless week and the billions of dollars lost around the world.