Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 95 The Police Arrive (3k-word long chapter, please vote!)
The train from Hartford to Boston arrived at 6:30 p.m. that evening.

As was customary, Larry wanted to hire a carriage to send Mr. Wallace back first, but the latter refused sternly.

“No, Larry, you must be tired too. Go back and get some rest. See you tomorrow!” Wallace shook hands with Larry and walked alone toward the carriage.

Larry raised an eyebrow, turned around, and got into another carriage.

It was already past eight o'clock in the evening when Larry returned to his apartment. As soon as he opened the apartment building door, the maid, Carmel, looked at him with surprise, then smiled and said…
“Mr. Livingston! It’s been a whole week since I last saw you, hasn’t it? You’ve been living in the apartment for a month now, but it feels like you’ve never actually spent more than a week there.”

Larry gave a wry smile, took off his hat, and held it to his chest.
"You're absolutely right. I'm traveling for work every day, and I regret renting an apartment. I should have just stayed in a hotel back then."

Carmel smiled and pointed to the second floor, saying, "Your things are all at the door. Luckily, the people renting our apartment are all gentlemen, otherwise I would have been really worried..."

Larry paused, then asked, "My things?"

Carmel nodded. "Yes, it's a return gift from your visit to others, and also a return gift from Mr. Winthrop."

Larry nodded slightly, recalling how these days respectable Americans often returned the favor.

Back on the second floor, Larry noticed two wrapped gifts by the gaslight in the hallway near his apartment door.

Larry took the gifts back to his apartment, turned on the gaslight, and examined them closely. One gift was from Mr. Potter, and the other from Mr. Winthrop.

Mr. Winthrop sent American ginseng, which was a delicate little gift set consisting of a burlap sack and three small tin cans.

Larry wasn't surprised that American ginseng was given as a polite return gift among gentlemen, as its value in the United States was also rising rapidly due to increasing demand in China.

American ginseng is a specialty of the United States, but native Americans are not enthusiastic about it. They use it like a radish, throwing a couple of pieces into their cooking or stews to enhance the flavor.

Before American independence, shrewd British merchants discovered that this stuff could fetch a high price in trade with China. They then purchased cheap American ginseng in the United States and sold it to China at a premium.

White Americans gradually learned that ginseng was a hot commodity in China, but until the first trade between China and the United States, they had no idea how profitable it was.

In 1784, the American merchant ship "Empress of China" crossed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, arriving in Guangzhou, China after a 188-day voyage. There, the American merchant ship sold 242 chests of ginseng, totaling 29 tons, as well as pepper, cotton, and furs, earning a profit of over 136,000 taels of silver.

Subsequently, the Empress of China purchased more than 200 tons of tea, silk, and porcelain, and returned to New York in May 1785.

This marks the first direct trade flight between China and the United States.

The cargo on the ship was snapped up in an instant by prominent American figures. President Washington sent people to buy 302 pieces of porcelain and exquisite ivory products, while John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others also participated in the large-scale purchase of Chinese goods.

Even after deducting costs, the "Empress of China" made a profit of more than $3 from this trade.

From then on, the secret of the exorbitant profits of American ginseng was discovered, and American ginseng became the first and foremost flagship product in the United States' trade with China.

Of course, the exchange of goods leads to the exchange of culture. Just as there is a reaction force in physics, the exchange of culture naturally produces a reverse cultural output.

Because the Chinese valued American ginseng, Americans gradually came to believe that it had miraculous effects. By the end of the 19th century, American ginseng had become one of the common tea supplements among the middle class on the East Coast of the United States.

Holding the box of American ginseng, Larry looked hesitant.

I thought to myself, "I'm a teenager, in the prime of my youth. Will taking American ginseng cause me to have nosebleeds every day?"
Let's put it aside for now, I'll drink it after I find a girlfriend!
Larry made a quick decision and then looked through Mr. Potter's gift.

Mr. Potter's gift was a book called "The Great Madness".

The book also has a subtitle, “Extraordinary Popular Fantasies and Mass Madness,” and the author is a Scotsman named Charles McKee.

Larry skimmed through the book, which mainly recounted some of the most famous "mad" events in human history, such as the South Sea Bubble and the Dutch Tulip Mania.

"This book is actually quite interesting!" Larry muttered softly, but after thinking for a moment, he still placed the ginseng and the book "The Great Madness" on his desk.

The most urgent thing is to take a shower and change clothes. Last time I went on a business trip, I was in too much of a hurry and didn't bring many changes of clothes. Larry has been wearing this outfit for a long time.

After showering, Larry changed into his bathrobe, poured himself a glass of French brandy, and mentally reviewed the gains and losses of his trip to Hartford and New York.

After much thought, Larry came to a conclusion:

"The most important thing is to be cautious and meticulous. Well-planned planning brings confidence, and confidence can improve the ability to deal with emergencies. These are interlocking links that are indispensable."
.
The next morning, Larry got up early, changed into a gray plaid suit, put on a gentleman's baseball cap, entrusted the clothes that needed to be washed to Ms. Carmel, and rushed to Paine Weber Company.

Today is an unusual day for Paine Weber Securities' Boston branch.

Mr. Porter will be going to the New York headquarters to serve as the general manager of the New York headquarters and trading floor of Paine Weber Securities, a lucrative job with a weekly salary of $180.

Mr. Wallace will take over as acting general manager of the Boston branch.

The so-called "acting in" was actually a routine practice. If no work-related mistakes occurred within three months, Mr. Wallace would be directly promoted to General Manager of the Sales Department, and his weekly salary would increase from $50 to $115. At 9 a.m., before the customers arrived, all the employees of the Sales Department held a small farewell meeting.

Mr. Porter gave a warm speech to all the staff of the Boston branch—in essence, he said that he had enjoyed getting along with everyone and that if possible, they should visit him when they went to New York, and he would treat them to a meal.

The employees burst into laughter and applause.

After Mr. Potter finished speaking, he stepped back to a seat to the side, and Mr. Wallace went up to the podium.

He first acknowledged Mr. Porter's contributions to the Boston branch, then wished him all the best in the future, and hoped that other employees would take Mr. Porter as an example and achieve advancement through honest work.

Larry wasn't particularly interested in the motivational parts of their speeches, but he had mixed feelings about their promotions.

He had secretly vowed that if Mr. Porter left the sales department, he would quit his lousy job and head straight to New York.

After all, Mr. Porter had set a goal of $3 for himself, which he had already achieved.

But this trip to Hartford and New York gave Larry a taste of the sweetness of "insider trading," and making money with "insider information" was honestly fucking awesome...

It's easy to imagine that Mr. Wallace already considers me a confidant, and if similar news comes in the future, I will also reap the benefits.

Larry is currently torn between two paths: "going to New York alone" and "lurking in Boston."

What may seem like just a difference in the city they're in actually lies in:

The latter is both stable and relatively reliable, but one must rely on those "big shots" for life; the former seems carefree, but one must fight against the entire market on one's own.

This was a decision about his destiny, and it wasn't an easy one to make. Larry decided to think about it for a few more days.

Besides, there are still some things here that haven't been taken care of.

I'll consider going to New York after everything settles down.
.
After the morning meeting, Mr. Porter and Mr. Wallace returned to their offices to hand over their work, and all the employees went to their respective work stations.

As soon as Larry walked up to the price quote machine, Tom leaned close to him and said with a strange expression,

"Larry, while you were gone, several groups of people were looking for you."

Larry was taken aback. "Looking for me? Several groups of people? Who could be looking for me?"

Tom nodded and counted on his fingers, “The first gentleman had a big scar on his face. He said he had finished his business and wanted to ask you what to do next. I told him you weren’t here, and he said he would come back to you later.”

Larry thought to himself that this must be Mr. K. Since he was able to get away unscathed and said that the matter was settled, then the debt of more than $2000 must have been cleared.

Tom continued, "The second person said his name was Henry Ford. He said his invention was progressing well, but he was having funding problems and wanted to contact you as well."

Larry nodded, thinking to himself that even if he didn't come, he would still have to go find him.

Since I've come across Mr. Ford so coincidentally, I'll definitely try my best to get involved in the automotive industry.

“I understand. If they come looking for me again, you must let me know immediately,” Larry said to Tom. Seeing Tom's still somewhat unsatisfied expression, he raised an eyebrow and asked…

Is anyone else looking for me?

“Yes…” Tom hesitated for a moment, then stammered, “There are two police officers who have been coming to the sales office every morning since last Thursday, asking if you are there. They seem to have something important to tell you.”

"Who? The police? I don't have any dealings with the police!" Larry frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Why would I attract the attention of the police if I'm just being law-abiding?
Just as they were wondering what was going on, the door to the branch was pushed open, and two policemen entered one after the other. They politely asked the young clerk at the door, "..."
"Excuse me, has Mr. Larry Livingston returned?"

The young man glanced at Larry instinctively.

Larry's heart skipped a beat, but after thinking it over, he realized he hadn't done anything wrong, so he raised his hand.

"I am Larry Livingston. What can I do for you two officers?"

The two police officers exchanged a glance, smiled at Larry, and said, "Could you please come out for a moment? Someone asked me to bring you something!"

Larry was taken aback, thinking, "Did someone bring me something? Then why did they have the police bring it over?"

How weird!

(End of this chapter)