Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 250 Launch
Gu Yansheng came to the municipal government to find Fu Xiao'an.

"Mayor Fu."

"Brother Gu," Fu Xiao'an said with a smile as he stepped out from behind his desk, "I heard you went to Hong Kong on a business trip. How did the negotiations go?"

Gu Yansheng chuckled. "This is supposed to be a secret operation? Anyone would know. The Japanese have kept it a closely guarded secret."

"What else can we do? Negotiations, all this rambling and half-hearted, how can we make progress so quickly?" Gu Yansheng said with disdain, then sat down and said, "Making money is the most important thing. Look, the people in Chongqing went back to report to Old Jiang, and I came back immediately. How's the cotton yarn matter?"

"Don't worry, things will definitely go smoothly. I've already pushed the futures price of cotton yarn up to 120 yuan a bale. I'll stop here for a few days. Here, take a look at this."

Fu Xiao'an picked up a stack of newspapers from the table and handed them over, saying, "If you want to create a market, the most important thing is to attract followers. You must understand the principle that many hands make light work, Brother Gu."

Gu Yansheng glanced at the newspaper, which was filled with reports of Fu Xiao'an's propaganda offensive.

Initially, negative news was released to suppress the stock price. Now, rumors are circulating that cotton yarn prices will rise in various regions. The extent of the publicity is not excessive, and what is said is true. However, the public opinion is not very enthusiastic.

Gu Yansheng waved the newspaper and smiled, "This fire looks like it's burning very gently."

"It's not time yet, haha. Winter is coming, and the market has already anticipated a rise in cotton yarn prices. Even if we don't do anything, with everyone contributing, prices will still rise as expected."

Every year around this time, funds are deployed in advance, waiting for the market makers to drive up the price so they can cash out.

Therefore, the current publicity doesn't need to be so enthusiastic.

The real life-or-death situation hinges on 150 yuan.

The price of cotton yarn has consistently reached around 150 yuan per kilogram over the years, which has become a consensus. At this price level, a large number of sell orders will be placed.

There was a slight mishap last year, and the price quickly dropped after reaching 120. So I'm currently keeping the price at 120, which is a range that everyone considers relatively safe.

Those currently holding cotton yarn futures are hesitant to sell or buy, remaining in a wait-and-see mode, thus maintaining this balance.

The news that the cotton yarn mill is going to raise prices this year will definitely push the price of 120 yuan higher, but no one except us knows exactly how much higher.

I manipulate the stock price here, letting those who are greedy for small profits make money and leave, thus accumulating the shares in our hands.

Fu Xiao'an was afraid that Gu Yansheng would be petty, so he had to explain further to avoid any misunderstandings. "Brother Gu, don't think that just because they made money, we lost money. The stock market is like a casino. There's a famous saying among casino owners in Shanghai: 'I'm not afraid of you winning money, I'm afraid you won't come.' Today, he exchanged 120 yuan from us with tickets. Sooner or later, I'll make him pay back 200 yuan."

"Hahaha, Mayor Fu's words are truly wise. We haven't announced the specific price we're going to pay for the cotton yarn yet, have we?"

"It's not time to announce it yet. I'll release the specific figures only after the price has risen further. Right now, I'm making them eager to believe it, but they're also afraid that it might actually happen."

Brother Gu, you know what, last year's sharp drop in cotton yarn prices has only become particularly interesting today.

In the past, these big investors who had been lying in wait would never have sold unless it was 150. They knew that the dealer also needed to make a profit and sell off their shares. They wouldn't make much money at 120, and the price would definitely go up again.

However, because of last year's sharp drop in cotton yarn prices, they are all very uneasy this year. Their expectations have been shattered, which is very beneficial to our operations.

"Incredibly wonderful!" Fu Xiao'an slapped the armrest and exclaimed, looking quite pleased.

Gu Yansheng chuckled upon hearing this, "Then how about a glass of wine?"

"A glass, please." Fu Xiao'an got up and went to the liquor cabinet to get a whiskey, Jack Daniel's, an American brand.

"Does the merchant have any objections?" Gu Yansheng asked casually as he watched him pour the wine.

"What opinions could there be? I've communicated with No. 76, and now we're strictly controlling all merchants signing contracts. We've already gone door-to-door to warn them that if they dare to sell goods without our consent, the result will be factory closures and arrests."

But as long as he listens and cooperates with us, we're sure we can help them make a fortune this year.

Fu Xiao'an poured a glass of wine and handed it to me. He then swayed and plopped down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and sipped his wine. "Actually, it's not a bad idea to buy their goods. They're short of money and eager to sell, or they don't believe prices will rise because of last year's cotton yarn glut. It's only human nature."

But I can't open that door now; I need to keep the funds in reserve to use for later stock price increases.

Once the overall situation is under control and no one else wants to sell, only a couple of families who urgently need money come to me through connections. So we just eat it up; it's a favor to others, right?

Anyway, they'll definitely regret it afterwards. They're just not destined to make money like this; they'll never be able to afford three dishes in their entire lives.

Gu Yansheng nodded. What he said was true. Now it was a matter of belief; if you believed it, it was true, and if you didn't, it wasn't. The price of cotton yarn was about to skyrocket, and this year should be the best year to make money in the next few years. If you missed it, you would probably regret it for the rest of your life.

"I'm very reassured that Mayor Fu is in charge of the stock market. How's the spot market?"

Futures are futures, and spot is spot. Gu Yansheng's ultimate goal is to sell the cotton yarn in his cotton yarn factory at a high price.

Fu Xiao'an said easily, "Merchants have already arrived. Shanghai is the largest cotton yarn distribution center. In previous years, they would arrive early at this time, hoping to place orders at a lower price. In order to get some deposits in advance, the manufacturers are also willing to sell some to them in advance to recover their funds."

However, this year we issued a strict order, and they couldn't place any orders. Moreover, the price quickly jumped from 70 to 120, so the benefits of arriving early were negated.

They're really anxious right now; every day, out-of-town business owners are asking us through acquaintances when we'll release the goods.

My current plan is to start releasing the goods to them gradually, starting at a price of 250 yuan, on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will definitely be people who complain about the price, but that's okay, take it or leave it, it will only get more expensive over time.

How much profit they make depends on their boldness.

Fu Xiao'an was a true veteran in business, and Gu Yansheng had no objection.

"When does it begin?"

"We can start anytime. Since you're back, let's start tomorrow. Let all the stock market investors in Shanghai enjoy this bull market feast."

"Then I'll wait for your good news."

Gu Yansheng got up and left.

Go home for dinner, and while you're at it, tell Shen Shuyun about the negotiations so she can send a telegram to Boss Dai.

This matter must be reported to Boss Dai, otherwise Boss Dai will suspect him of disloyalty. Gu Yansheng is not that kind of person; his loyalty to Boss Dai has never changed.

Once this matter is settled, Gu Yansheng can take a break. Without the establishment of a new government, there will be no work to do. As for the official business in Shanghai, that's all familiar territory, and his subordinates can handle it.

The judicial department's affairs are trivial. Gu Yansheng wouldn't embezzle money from his own department. With such a small budget, he'd rather ensure his subordinates are well-fed and clothed and don't cause him any trouble.

The next day, Fu Xiao'an launched his offensive.

People were already standing at the entrance of the exchange, waiting to enter and for the market to open. Since there was still time, everyone gathered together to chat.

"The cotton yarn market this year is so strange. Yesterday, I overheard some people from out of town in a teahouse saying that they traveled all the way to Shanghai to buy cotton yarn. In previous years, they would have already placed their orders by this time, but now there is no one to sell to them. They all say that the supply is scarce and the price will go up. When we asked them how much they would sell for, they wouldn't say. Do you think the rumors about cotton yarn going up in price that were circulating recently are true?"

"That's definitely true. I have a friend who works in a cotton yarn factory. The cotton yarn production is running day and night, and the warehouses are full, but not a single piece has been sold. The boss won't sell any."

"Hey, I heard that some merchants have already offered 150 per piece, but they still haven't sold. How much do they want to sell it for? The price can't keep going up like this."

"Don't believe everything you hear. You want cotton yarn to go up to 150 a piece? Didn't you hear the city government's press conference a while ago, saying that this year's cotton harvest is bountiful? How could the price be so high?"

"That's not how it's said. This year's cotton yarn harvest was supposed to be bountiful, but the Japanese and the New Fourth Army started fighting at the warehouse outside the city. Someone fired a shell and blew up the cotton yarn warehouse. The fire was huge, the flames were soaring into the sky. I'm telling you, you could see it from ten miles away."

"real or fake?"

"Of course it's true, I saw it with my own eyes."

"But the stock price doesn't seem to reflect this. You see, those big players are definitely more informed than us. If there were really a large-scale production cut, how come the cotton yarn futures price has been at 120 for so many days?"

"The big players are accumulating shares. Didn't you see how fast it went up recently, from 70 to 120 in one go? In previous years, it never went up that fast!"

"Accumulating shares at 120? How can you even say that? Are you the market maker accumulating shares at 120?"

A few people were chatting, and a group of stock market investors around them pricked up their ears to listen. Since they had nothing better to do, they listened carefully and felt that although the two people disagreed, they both made some sense.

"The door is open! The door is open!"

As soon as the gate opened, the stock market investors rushed in, followed closely by the opposing sides who had just been arguing. Of course, both sides were Fu Xiao'an's men.

They went inside and continued arguing, loudly debating whether cotton yarn prices should rise or fall.

After a few minutes of discussion, the stock market opens.

"The market is open! The market is open!"

Upstairs in the VIP private room, Fu Xiao'an's strategist, since he's attacking today, needs to make his moves immediately recognizable.

As soon as the stock market opened, cotton yarn futures prices surged upwards.

"It's gone up! It's gone up! Cotton yarn futures really went up! I just told you they would go up!"

"It's only gone up a little bit; I don't believe it can keep going up indefinitely!"

"What's the use of believing or not? Who cares about you? Prices are going up!" "Stop yelling, prices are going down."

"Up, up, up!"

"Falling, falling, falling!"

"Please stand aside and stop yelling next to me."

"None of your business, I just like standing here."

"You son of a bitch, if you've got the guts, go ahead and gamble. If you don't, get the hell out of here."

"What are you gambling?"

"100 yuan."

"Tch, 100 yuan? You have the nerve to say that? 500 yuan? You dare to?"

"Can you come up with 1000 silver dollars? Saying 100 is just because I'm afraid you're so poor you can only afford to pawn your pants! You penniless wretch."

"You only spent 1000 yuan to get it set up? Oh, judging from your tone, I thought it was 10,000. Don't just talk the talk, give me the cash, no credit!"

"Cash is cash, take a look." *Thump*, a wad of cash was pulled from the briefcase and slammed onto the table. "5000 legal tender, exchange for 1000 silver dollars."

"You'd be heartbroken to give me this little bit of money, wouldn't you?" *Thud*, he pulled out another wad of bills. "Look closely, US dollars!"

"rise!"

"fall!"

"Up, up, up!"

"Falling, falling, falling!"

"Neither of you said when the settlement would be made?"

People around had already been drawn over by the commotion of the two. Watching a spectacle is everyone's hobby, especially with such a large stake involved; they couldn't resist watching.

"Let's bet 20 minutes and see if the price is above or below 130 yuan."

Wow, that's exciting! You'll see the results in 20 minutes, you can't help but follow.

"Up, up, up!"

"Falling, falling, falling!"

The two men were yelling like bulls, and the two large stacks of money on the table instantly attracted more attention. Even people who had never looked at cotton yarn before couldn't help but glance at the cotton yarn futures price board.

"Wow! 130!"

"Hmph, I'm afraid you won't be getting this money back."

"It's still early; the outcome is uncertain."

"135!"

"Prices are rising so fast!"

"It's dropped to 132. Big investors are selling."

"130. 128, 125!"

"128, it's gone up! It's gone up again!"

What's the worst thing about stock trading? It's when the stock price is completely stagnant, barely moving.

But right now, even a blind man can see that there are two forces fighting inside, causing prices to rise and fall rapidly. If you put in a few orders, the price can fluctuate by hundreds of yuan per minute.

That's a lot of money, 100 dollars!

If you seize the opportunity to do it a few times, that's enough for a detached house in Shanghai, and 800 yuan is all you need.

"Buy! Give it a try, there's definitely a chance to win today. It's at 125 yuan, the dealer is holding firm, buy in at 125 yuan, sell at the high point, you're guaranteed to make money today!"

While some are still hesitating, some gamblers have already taken the plunge, holding several betting slips and joining the ranks of those calling for prices to rise.

Fortunately, the gambler sold at 135 yuan, and in just one hour, he actually made 200 yuan using the method he was told!
A quarter-sized suite, it should at least have the size of a bedroom.

"I told you it was possible, we'll be rich, haha."

Envy is a disease; if you join in, you won't be envious anymore.

You can buy at 125 yuan and sell at 135 yuan. Even a fluctuation of 10 yuan is not a problem for stock investors. They will make a few more trips to the trading platform, as they can always make a profit.

"Up, up, up!"

"Falling, falling, falling!"

Price increases and decreases are not necessarily enemies; everyone can see that prices can be reversed.

The lively atmosphere was created, and those with money made money, while those without money could also make money by pooling their resources to place bets. Everyone made money, and we couldn't let the dealer make the most of it.

At a price of 138, which was considered extremely overvalued, and with most people switching from long to short positions, the market maker easily raised the price to 140.

The investors who were just laughing happily suddenly turned pale. Was the market manipulator not playing by the rules?
"Wait a minute, they're just trying to scare us. It's definitely the bookmaker's doing. It'll be over soon. You'll see."

141
142
143
The price is steadily and slowly climbing upwards; although it's slow, it's been rising continuously.

Some people couldn't hold on any longer and closed their positions now. Considering the profits from before, they'll break even at best. If they wait any longer, they might suffer huge losses.

Some people are still holding on. Retail investors know best how to play dead. Although this is futures, not stocks, the price is already very high. They don't believe it won't fall. It's very close to 150. Even if it reaches 150, they won't be liquidated. It's okay.

146
147
148
149
When the price reached 149, the retail investors downstairs were already in a frenzy, shouting "Up! Up! Up!"

When the price reached 149.8 yuan, people shouted, "150, 150!"

However, it didn't reach 150. The stock price seemed to encounter tremendous resistance at 149.8 yuan, fluctuating back and forth by a few cents, but it just couldn't break through 150.

"A large investor is continuously dumping shares, run!"

Sure enough, several figures appeared at the trading desk, quickly conversing with the traders.

Retail investors' sentiment may be affected, but Anglo-American capital in the concessions will not. If the price reaches the target level of 150, they will sell it all at once.

The selling pressure from British and American investors intensified, and before retail investors could even get to the counters, futures prices plummeted in a short period of time. The slower the rise, the faster the fall.

With a quick slap, the 149.8 yuan was reduced to 135 yuan.

Before the shocked retail investors could even cry out in despair...

Suddenly, the price plummeted to 125 yuan.

This time, there was room for lamentation, but a massive influx of buy orders pulled the price back up to 135 yuan.

137, 139, 141, 125, 135, 122, 149
The shareholders were completely dumbfounded. The stock price was jumping up and down as if it were electrified.

The person holding the contract was initially terrified, but after realizing what was happening, he almost burst out laughing. Now, he was really making around 100 yuan per minute.

How can we not cherish such a great opportunity to buy low and sell high?

Over 140, sell it!

It's over 120, buy it!

What's the difference between this range and the previous one, which was from 125 to 135? Isn't it just that the range of numbers has expanded?

That would earn you even more!
"Buy! Give me the cotton yarn contract, I'm bullish!"

Excited investors waved their banknotes as they bought contracts.

Word spread, and emotions were ignited.

Passionate and high-spirited.

The atmosphere at the exchange was completely hyped up.

(End of this chapter)