Chapter Seventy-Seven: The First Battle in the Stock Market

Xiao Tianci looked up at the Meihua stocks. Meihua was like a mighty fleet of model warships; to take on this colossal commercial aircraft carrier, one would have to face its destroyers and frigates first.

There were many stocks within the Huamei conglomerate, but the main ones numbered eleven, all closely linked—pull one thread, and the whole web would quiver. The relationships between these companies and Meihua were equally complex. Though each of the eleven companies was not as large as Meihua itself, together they were more than a match for it.

If these eleven companies weren’t dealt with first, it would be akin to fighting two Meihuas at once—a feat no one would dare claim possible.

Even ordinary investors could sense the coming storm. In the span of five minutes, every Meihua stock was frozen, as if trading had ceased altogether. This was not without precedent in the stock market, but whenever such stillness appeared, momentous events inevitably followed.

“Heh... heh...” Xiao Tianci suddenly laughed. The Chief Steward beside him was puzzled. “Sir, are you laughing?”

Xiao Tianci gestured at the motionless stocks. “Look at that! Isn’t it amusing? Think about it—Meihua is enormous, with so many companies and individuals owning its shares, and all those affected by it. I wager there are at least a million eyes glued to these numbers right now.”

The sudden emergence of Xiao Tianci had left everyone baffled. Those capable of moving Meihua stock were no ordinary people—most were tycoons or even national entities, and they would not act on a mere whim.

Xiao Tianci knew that the battlefield of stocks was often monotonous, with only slight fluctuations to watch for long stretches. Yet victory or defeat was often decided in a single instant—one slip, and a comeback would be all but impossible.

Chief Steward Lin Jian was once again compiling changes in data and the latest intelligence. Outwardly, Xiao Tianci appeared relaxed, but inwardly he was alert, his eyes fixed on the numbers, his mind calculating without pause.

Since the decision to act, Will had retreated to a secret villa. He knew his actions had drawn attention. Disappearing completely was impossible, but he wanted to avoid those pesky reporters at all costs right now. He told himself he would wait until he had truly reclaimed Meihua, and then let the world know that he was the wealthiest man alive.

He had a communications hub set up in advance, from which he could safely direct all external operations. After a recent meeting, he had finally persuaded several other companies to join him, but they still refused to take the lead—it seemed he would have to make the first move before they would follow.

Yet the two largest forces remained silent, and Will knew his own strength was not enough to sway the outcome. He had hoped to bide his time, but now events had forced his hand.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing Alteney’s number, Will was overjoyed. “Hello? How did it go? What did they say? When will they act…?”

“Chairman, over here… there’s still… no decision.” Hearing Alteney’s first words, Will’s heart sank. “How can that be? Didn’t you tell them about the protective shield?”

Though they had always helped from the shadows, they had never truly intervened. Will had benefited greatly, even achieving his status as a puppet tycoon thanks to their deliberate support.

Alteney replied, clearly frustrated. “I told them. I even said that once we controlled Meihua, we’d fully cooperate and might even transfer the technology to them in the end.”

Will nodded eagerly, “Exactly—so what did they say?”

“They still insist they need higher approval. Chairman, what now?”

What now indeed? One side was missing in action, the other couldn’t give a clear answer—how was he supposed to move forward? All his partners were waiting for him to make the first move. After all he’d told them, if he didn’t act now, he’d lose all standing in their eyes. Even if Meihua came under attack later, he would never be allowed to take the lead.

Alteney fell silent; he likely knew his boss was in a foul mood. After a while, Will ordered him to continue negotiations.

Will stared at the data, which ought to have been fluctuating incessantly, calculating his odds. If he didn’t take a gamble now, it would be even harder later. The thought of Xiao Tianci made his teeth ache with hatred.

After much deliberation, Will ordered his team to begin. With his own funds, the initial days would be manageable; only by taking the plunge himself would the others dare follow.

“Boss, they’ve started!” Chief Steward Lin Jian’s voice trembled with excitement. Though he was knowledgeable, he had never before been involved in Meihua affairs—even he could not help but be stirred.

There were buy orders showing—movement at last—but no trades, for there were no sell orders. Xiao Tianci pondered, then said, “Tell our people to get in there and compete.”

“Yes, sir.”

With Lin Jian’s command, within half a minute, prices began to climb. The initial volumes were small, suggesting that some holders were losing patience and starting to sell, though the amounts were still limited.

Xiao Tianci leaned back on the sofa, reaching out as was his habit, having grown used to Lin Jian’s attentive presence. But this time, no cigar arrived. Turning, he saw Lin Jian absorbed in the four screens at the operations desk, hands constantly issuing instructions.

He chuckled. Finding no cigars on himself, he called out. Lin Jian, still focused, gestured for a cigarette, then hurriedly lit one for him.

Exhaling, Xiao Tianci waved Lin Jian back to work and glanced at King Kong Fang Meng, who sat with eyes closed, deep in meditation. Ah, he must be practicing his breathing techniques. It occurred to Xiao Tianci that in the martial arts novels of his youth, practitioners dreaded being disturbed. But Fang Meng’s composure suggested otherwise; with his temperament, self-protection would always be his priority, so he was surely aware of all that transpired around him. Perhaps it was time to learn more about this.

The thought flitted by, and Xiao Tianci threw himself back into the data. Both sides seemed to have entered the fray, but in reality, it was mere posturing—not even a true test. What surprised him most were the Meihua shareholders; they truly were no ordinary people. As was often said, unless you had real clout, you couldn’t even buy Meihua stock.

Thanks to Meihua’s years of growth, many early shareholders had gone from millionaires to billionaires. Even in the last decade, at the request of Xiao Lin, Meihua had implemented Third World pricing, resulting in staggering transfers of wealth. Over ten years, Meihua had tripled in value—a return to drive anyone mad with envy.

If this were an ordinary stock and someone began a buying spree, driving up prices by several percent, such a standoff would never occur. But as the saying goes, there are few things in this world truly without a price—if you can’t buy, it means your offer isn’t high enough. Stocks are no different.

The morning flew by; only about ten minutes remained. Xiao Tianci tapped his temple with a finger—so far, the volumes revealed little. He was considering whether to break the deadlock at once. Since he had forced Will to act, he could not allow him a moment’s respite; he would pursue him relentlessly.

With this in mind, Xiao Tianci said, “Order them to push the price up! I want at least another two percent increase before the lunch break. I want to see just how long these people can hold out.”

“Yes, sir.” Lin Jian promptly relayed the order and prices responded accordingly.

“Well, that’s about it for this morning—much thunder, little rain. Let’s go check on little Meg.” Xiao Tianci rose, Lin Jian following with his communicator, always ready to stay in contact, even if the mobile unit was less convenient than the main console. King Kong Fang Meng opened his eyes the instant Xiao Tianci stood.

Xiao Tianci had already looked into the injured girl’s background. Her name was Meg Anderson. Her mother sold flowers; her father had died in a car accident the previous year. Though Meg was still in school, she helped her mother sell flowers during holidays. The investigators reported that Meg’s mother had died, apparently shielding her daughter with her own body—thus, Meg had survived unscathed at first, only to be hit by a stray bullet as she fled in panic.

Such sorrowful stories always left Xiao Tianci uneasy. Perhaps it was Meg’s plight that drew him to her, making him feel a special closeness.

Standing by the bed, Xiao Tianci gently brushed the girl’s hair from her forehead. Her color had improved greatly. At only ten, she now had to bear the weight of losing both parents—would she be able to accept it when she woke?

At that moment, someone entered, spoke quietly to Chief Steward Lin Jian, who nodded and approached Xiao Tianci. In a low voice, he reported, “Sir, the special assistant to the President of the United States is waiting outside—he says he has urgent matters to discuss with you.”