Chapter 74: Confiscate
News didn’t spread that fast in this era.
The stock market is the first market for price reactions.
But outside industries aren’t something everyone cares about every moment, so it wasn’t until evening that the news of the Japanese Army forcing requisition of cotton yarn and grain in Shanghai began to spread rapidly.
Careful and prudent granary bosses had already begun choosing to open the warehouse and sell grain.
Quick bargain sale, selling now is still profitable after all, having hoarded and price gouged for so many days, prices had long risen far above their purchase price, now liquidating cheaply won’t lose money, better to secure the gains.
Thus, compared to many bosses’ anxiety, SH citizens who had worried about prices for so many days could finally be happy.
Several rice businesses chose to open the warehouse and sell grain, at quite favorable prices, unlimited quantity, as long as they pay, sell as much as they want.
Although they had also heard the news of the Japanese Army forcing requisition of grain, it had nothing to do with them, with just this little rice, it would be gone once eaten, the Japanese wouldn’t bother going to their homes to confiscate it.
Moreover, after the forced requisition, rice prices would definitely rise again, that’s the simplest reason, hoard a bit more now, and save money later.
The rice business’s rice sold very quickly.
The rice businesses, because the higher-ups had spoken, still chose to hold position.
Because the rice businesses didn’t move, the businessmen who took them as the trend indicator also chose to hold position, polarization was severe, watch-and-wait sentiment was very strong.
In one evening, various pieces of information were spreading, various channels were verifying whether this matter was true.
Today was destined to be a sleepless night for many people, and the next day arrived as scheduled.
In the early morning, newspaper stands on Shanghai streets featured Japanese Army forced requisition news led by Shen Bao!
“Extra! Extra! Japanese Army Ministry instructs the Shanghai garrison Gendarmerie Headquarters to forcibly requisition cotton yarn and grain in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other places!”
“Extra! Extra! The recent price surge has a definitive explanation, it turns out war is about to start!”
“One copy.”
“One copy!”
As newspapers sold one by one, the news spread rapidly, the Japanese Army was definitely going to forcibly requisition, because there were photos as proof!
Japanese translators aren’t some rare species in Shanghai, plenty of people can find someone who knows Japanese to confirm this.
Now, even the least informed small merchants and peddlers knew the severity of the situation, it was definitely real, sell first and talk later, running away is winning.
Many small warehouses began selling, large hoarded supplies were dumped out, prices of daily necessities dropped every half hour as the benchmark.
Citizens took leave or skipped work to queue up and procure scarce supplies.
Suddenly, long queues formed all over the streets.
And at Zhongye Public Office, trading finally began.
“Sell!”
Various related futures orders were thrown out, at opening, futures prices plunged sharply, forming a stampede.
The concession’s group didn’t pull up prices at the first moment, but let prices fall, reducing selling pressure for later rally.
At ten in the morning, city government, a press conference was underway.
“Mayor Fu, market rumors say the Japanese Army is about to forcibly requisition cotton yarn, grain, and other supplies in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other places, is the news true?”
“What is the Japanese Army’s next campaign target, do you know?”
Fu Xiao’an stepped forward and said: “This kind of news is utter nonsense, I can responsibly state that the Japanese Army has no plan to forcibly requisition, nor is it possible, some people with ulterior motives are spreading such rumors, we will definitely investigate to the end”
Fu Xiao’an’s speech at the city government ended less than a minute ago, in Zhongye Public Office’s large account room upstairs, several brokers almost simultaneously received telephone calls, unified action.
The futures prices that had been continuously falling suddenly went flat and oscillated, then rapidly began to rally.
Cotton yarn futures price, which had once been beaten down to 70, began to climb, 80, 90, 100, almost increasing every minute, endlessly rewriting the prices on the blackboard.
“What’s the situation?”
A group of baffled stockholders stared dazedly at the continuously climbing prices on the blackboard, whispering and asking each other what had happened.
Until someone shouted in the exchange: “Mayor Fu was interviewed and said! The Japanese Army has no plan to forcibly requisition!”
Wow, the crowd erupted in cheers, this news was no less than a bombshell, that explained the unusual price surge in all grain and cotton yarn.
“Buy up, buy up!”
Taking advantage of the positive news, plus the joint force of funds, futures prices rose again, boldly climbing to new highs.
Judicial Department, Liu Xiaolou recounted the interviewed news he heard to Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng had originally thought Fu Xiao’an would hold a press conference before getting off work yesterday afternoon to calm public opinion.
So he arranged for Bai Mei at the ballroom to help him intimidate merchants again, scaring some to open warehouse and release grain overnight.
Who knew Fu Xiao’an held out until today to hold the press conference, making those hoarding merchants unable to wait for today’s press conference, already scared badly yesterday, choosing to open warehouse and release grain in the evening.
Fine, because of Fu Xiao’an’s delay, it actually amounted to helping Bai Mei complete the intimidation step.
According to his intelligence, the effect of opening warehouse and releasing grain yesterday was quite good.
Even Fu Xiao’an not speaking had a better effect than Bai Mei speaking.
Of course, he could understand why Fu Xiao’an did this, Fu Xiao’an still wanted to pull up the stock market, so today’s further killing at market open let him pick up quite a few cheap chips, once selling pressure was released, pulling up was effortless, and could form chasing the rise.
But cheap is relative, no cheapest, only cheaper.
Gu Yansheng picked up the phone and called Wu Sibao: “You can start, make the momentum as big as possible, as scary as possible, the more merchants you scare, the more money I can let you earn.”
“Understood, watch me.”
Snap, Wu Sibao on the other end hung up the phone, slapped the table and stood up: “Gather staff, depart!”
With 300,000 Japanese yen in funding, Agent Headquarters upgraded completely.
Nearly a hundred people divided into six small teams, over a dozen sedans paired with large trucks carrying people, plus a team of Japanese Gendarmes, filed out from Agent Headquarters’ latest base.
Cars drove out the gate, on the address plate near the gate, clearly written: No. 76 Jisiweier Road!
Today’s action targets were long selected, six small teams, six warehouses simultaneously confiscated.
No one thought Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse would be confiscated, but Wu Sibao’s first battle was Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse!
Six warehouses, two were Fu Xiao’an’s, four were other merchants’.
Yes, Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse would ultimately be returned intact, but no one said you couldn’t confiscate the wrong one, couldn’t intimidate.
Didn’t you hear Gu Yansheng say, the more merchants intimidated, the more money earned, on this Shanghai Bund, what could be scarier than Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse being confiscated?
No. 76 agents were Central Statistics Bureau and Military Statistics Bureau who were arrested and turned, dealing with such warehouse guards was not even in the same league, in a few moves they smashed the forehead of the manager still spouting nonsense like ‘Do you know whose warehouse this is?’
“Open the warehouse!”
The warehouses had long been targeted by Wu Sibao, whether there were goods inside was already scouted, now opening revealed it was piled full of supplies, Wu Sibao waved his hand, immediately Wen Yan’s arranged anti-smuggling section clerks stepped forward to take photos, planning for tomorrow’s news broadcast.
“Notify your Director Gu, we’ve taken down warehouse No. 1.”
A few minutes later, outside Zhongye Public Office, the public telephone rang.
The four No. 76 action team members Gu Yansheng had sent to wait by the phone picked it up, mumbled a few times, then ran into Zhongye Public Office.
“Something happened! The forced requisition plan is real, even Fu Xiao’an’s own warehouse was confiscated by the Japanese! Oh god, we’re done for!”
The shout was like a bolt from the blue.
“Who? Fu Xiao’an?”
“Real or fake?”
“Of course real, someone saw it, a bunch of people with guns rushed in, beating and kicking the warehouse guards, one open of the warehouse door, full of grain.
Now the seals are probably already posted at the doors, addresses at the warehouse next to the train station, and at Wusongkou, several of them.”
The No. 76 action team member performed vividly, agent background, performance ability indeed a bit better.
Seeing him act so convincingly, the stockholders panicked.
“It can’t be real, right? Fu Xiao’an is in trouble?”
“What’s the use of guessing! Call to ask!”
Immediately someone went to verify the news, verifying this was very simple, just send people to the mentioned locations to look.
Those with means called to verify, those without simply drove there themselves to verify.
This day by day, stock trading can even cause heart attacks!
But regardless of whether real or not, the futures prices just pulled up were instantly beaten down again.
And as time passed, news returned, the futures price collapse officially began.
“Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse was indeed sealed!”
“Really?”
“Absolutely true!”
Even Fu Xiao’an was confiscated, who can withstand the Japanese confiscation?
The Japanese forced requisition is real, and they’ve already started acting.
“Damn, fooled by Fu Xiao’an, this guy was ineffective, probably going to be made an example of by the Japanese!”
“I said just now when merchants opened warehouse to sell grain, Fu Xiao’an came out to clarify the rumor, definitely held accountable by the Japanese.”
“Is Fu Xiao’an going to step down?”
“Who cares if he steps down or not, sell is right!”
“Yes yes, sell first!”
“Let me first, don’t push.”
Upstairs in the large account room, the brokers were about to spit blood.
Today’s task from the boss above was to blindly take orders, pull the price up step by step, all to new highs.
But this sudden news directly disrupted their rhythm.
Forget new highs, they couldn’t even finish taking the orders, should they keep taking?
Immediately call back to inquire, recount what happened here.
“Certain? Fu Xiao’an’s warehouse confiscated?”
“Absolutely true, more than one group has verified, clearly saw Japanese, many warehouses sealed, action hasn’t stopped till now, preliminary judgment, Japanese forced requisition secret telegram is very likely real, Japanese didn’t notify Fu Xiao’an at all.”
“Sell!”
Led by Sha Shun, the Jewish elites had no hesitation whatsoever, any second of hesitation is disrespect to one’s own money.
At this time stampede was inevitable, but the fast-running funds could still escape to the sky.
With major investors joining, futures prices began to collapse bloody.
Cotton yarn was directly beaten to 70 bucks per pack in a short time, and still making new lows.
