Scripture of Days Past

Chapter 332: Everyone’s Making Money

”The stock price is going back up!” Wang Cailiang hurriedly reported as he rushed into Chu Qiguang’s room. ”Right now, we’re holding close to thirty thousand shares, so we’ll be making three thousand taels of silver for each qian that the stock price rises!”

”Start selling once the price reaches four taels,” Chu Qiguang instructed.

Wang Cailiang did as he was told, selling off their stock holdings in batches once the price reached four taels. The price continued to rise even as they sold, and in the end, they made a net profit of one hundred and twenty-two thousand taels of silver.

Wang Cailiang was overjoyed by these profits, and he asked, ”What do we do next?”

”Next, it’s time to expose their lies,” Chu Qiguang replied with a smile.

”They’re not technically lying,” Wang Cailiang pointed out. ”After all, they don’t know that there are actually fiends in the workshop.”

”They can say that and see if anyone will listen,” Chu Qiguang replied with a chuckle.

That night, Qiao Zhi infiltrated the workshop and turned several workers into fiends before helping them escape. The very next day, people from Spirit Province’s Demon Vanquishing Department arrived to investigate the matter, forcing the workshop to close temporarily.

The previous rumors were still fresh in everyone’s minds, and the stock price quickly began to plummet.

***

After only ten days, the Azure Sun Trade Association stock price had already fallen below two taels of silver. From that point onward, the decline began to slow. However, despite Wu Wei and Sun Bin’s best efforts, the people from the Demon Vanquishing Department refused to leave.

At that moment, Wu Wei and Sun Bin were in the main hall of the Wu Residence, watching helplessly as representatives of their biggest shareholders shouted over one another.

”Wu Wei! Do you still remember the promises you made?” the representative of the Huiqin Feudal Lord snapped. ”So many people told us to sell our stocks, but we chose to trust you and hold on, all for what? Do you know how much money we’ve lost?”

”There’s no need to be alarmed, everyone,” Sun Bin yelled, struggling to make himself heard over the commotion. ”Once the people from the Demon Vanquishing Department leave, the rumors will naturally be debunked, and the stock price will recover. Do not sell now. If you sell now, your losses on paper will become actual losses! In fact, this is a golden opportunity for all of you to buy more stocks. You’ll be raking in massive profits once the stock price recovers!”

The shareholder representatives gradually began to calm down after hearing that. However, at that moment, a worker hurried into the room and whispered into Sun Bin’s ear, anxiously informing him that someone was buying up their stocks en masse.

***

”What’s going on?” Wang Cailiang exclaimed.

The stock price had suddenly begun to rebound.

”Is someone else buying up shares as well?”

”It’s the Cloud Midst Trade Association,” Chu Qiguang replied with a smile. ”Lulu told me that they’ve always had people inside the Azure Sun Trade Association.”

”The Cloud Midst Trade Association?” Wang Cailiang exclaimed. ”Why would they buy shares from the Azure Sun Trade Association?”

”Right now, the conflict between the Azure Sun Trade Association and the Cloud Midst Trade Association is no longer just a simple matter of trying to drive each other’s stock prices as low as possible,” Chu Qiguang explained. ”Both sides now have water-powered machines, and each holds a significant share of the cotton market. On top of that, they both have powerful backers, so it’s next to impossible for either side to truly destroy the other.

”Over the past few months, more and more people have begun to realize this, so they’ve started investing in both trade associations. As long as the two trade associations continue to hold a monopoly over water-powered looms and spinning machines, their stock prices will continue to rise in the long term. Right now, the drastic fall in the Azure Sun Trade Association’s stock price presents a golden opportunity for investors to buy.”

A look of understanding appeared on Wang Cailiang’s face.

”We need to keep buying as well,” Chu Qiguang said. ”Raise the stock price again, and we’ll be able to fleece them a second time.”

Over the next few days, the Azure Sun Trade Association’s stock price continued to rebound, and all kinds of rumors quickly began spreading throughout Azure Sun County.

”Have you heard? The Azure Sun Trade Association is receiving investments from Yong Province and Jing Province! Surely its stock price is going to rise to ten taels of silver this time!”

”Start buying, everyone! There’s been a massive cotton harvest this year, and demand from the north is insatiable! The stock price is going to the moon!”

”I heard that the Huiqin Feudal Lord personally predicted that the Azure Sun Trade Association’s stock price would rise to a hundred taels of silver within the next year! Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity!”

***

As demand for the Azure Sun Trade Association’s shares continued to increase, it eventually reached the point where there were no more shares available to purchase.

”Too many people are buying right now,” Wang Cailiang said. ”We still have money on our hands, but there are no shares left for us to buy.”

”How much money do we have left?” Chu Qiguang asked.

”Close to one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver,” Wang Cailiang replied.

Chu Qiguang grew agitated at the thought of so much money sitting idle and generating no profit, and he ordered, ”Keep buying! Buy as much as possible!”

***

Wu Wei was naturally very pleased by the rebounding stock price, but at the same time, he was perplexed.

”How is the stock price recovering so quickly?”

”The Cloud Midst Trade Association is the only one with this much money in Spirit Province,” Sun Bin analyzed. ”They must be confident that our stock price will recover, so they’re buying now while the price is still low.”

Wu Wei was very tempted to invest as well, but most of his money was already tied up in the stock market.

The Azure Sun Trade Association belonged to him, so as long as he had the money, he could purchase shares with priority over everyone else.

”If only we had some money on hand to capitalize on this opportunity,” Wu Wei said with a sigh.

Sun Bin was also eager to jump on the bandwagon, and he suggested, ”Maybe we can borrow some money...”

The two immediately began trying to raise funds, but their efforts proved largely futile. That was until Wu Wei approached Liu Yao.

To his surprise, Liu Yao was willing to lend him money, albeit at a high interest rate.

”I can lend you some money, but aside from the interest, you’ll have to give me something as collateral,” Liu Yao said. ”Those are the rules. I would love to make an exception for you, Brother Wu, but when it comes to business, personal relationships have to be set aside.”

”Of course,” Wu Wei replied with an eager nod.

After some negotiation, it was decided that Wu Wei would give Liu Yao twenty thousand acres of cotton farmland as collateral.

”I can only give you a hundred thousand taels of silver at most, Brother Wu,” Liu Yao said.

”That’s far too little, Brother Liu! At the current market price, this plot of land could be sold for at least one hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver!” Wu Wei protested.

”But you need this money far too urgently, Brother Wu,” Liu Yao replied with a shrug. ”You know the rules. The more urgently you need the money, the more expensive it’ll be.”

In the end, Wu Wei accepted the unfavorable terms, confident that he would make more than enough money to repay the loan and recover his land. Even though Liu Yao was charging him a very high interest rate, he was certain that the stock price would rise faster than the interest could accumulate.

After securing the funds, Wu Wei and Sun Bin immediately began buying up shares upon returning to Azure Sun County. At the rate the stock price was rising, their investment of a hundred thousand taels of silver would double within a month, and both of them were ecstatic.

***

With Chu Qiguang, the Azure Sun Trade Association, and the Cloud Midst Trade Association all buying up the Azure Sun Trade Association’s shares at once, the stock price began rising at an unprecedented rate.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the stock price had risen to five taels and five qian.

”This is insane!” Wang Cailiang exclaimed. ”It’s become impossible to buy any shares now!”

Luo Binghong had been with Chu Qiguang this entire time, and she was astonished by everything she had witnessed. However, as she looked at the elated faces of all the stock investors, a nagging question arose in her mind.

How is everyone earning money? Where is all this money coming from? Who’s suffering the losses?