Lin Xiaoze closed the documents and looked at Studwell: "Since those stocks all rose, why do you find it strange that Xizhen Properties's stock only saw a slight increase?"
"Since the beginning of spring, these stocks have seen varying degrees of increase, which may be related to the return of the two sides in the Korean War from a stalemate to the negotiating table. However, the slight increase in Xizhen Properties's stock price, preceding those established stocks, seems rather strange to me... To be frank, Mr. Lin, all the stocks that have seen increases are British-owned, except for Xizhen Properties, which is Chinese-owned." Studwell stated his considerations. "Moreover, Xizhen Properties hasn't had any positive news recently."
Lin Xiaoze picked up his coffee and took a sip. "Are you trying to say that British companies are planning to buy up a lot of Xizhen Properties shares on the stock market, or are you trying to say that China person are accumulating Xizhen Properties shares on the stock market? And that in four months, they've only accumulated five percent?"
"It's unlikely to be a British company, Mr. Lin. With all due respect, there's no reason for major British companies to want to buy shares in Xizhen Properties. Besides, they're all still observing the outcome of the Korean War. So it's highly probable that it's China person. However, if it's China person, the only people who remain optimistic about Hong Kong amidst this uncertainty are you and a few China businessmen you know. That's what's puzzling me. If they wanted to buy shares, they could have done so openly through you, instead of secretly absorbing them through retail investors in the stock market." Studwell shrugged at Lin Xiaoze: "Of course, I know that five percent, or even more, wouldn't affect you. Like I said, this was just a slightly strange question I raised before getting down to business."
"Let's get down to business," Lin Xiaoze said to Studwell and Lü Jiansheng, putting down the documents in his hand.
Lin Xiaoze didn't find the issue raised by Studwell worth worrying about at all. Occasional stock price increases were nothing to be alarmed about. Unlike other businessmen who were pessimistic about the situation in Hong Kong after the Korean War, Lin Xiaoze was optimistic that Hong Kong would not experience war after the Korean War ended. Even if Mainland China was determined to take Hong Kong, war would not break out immediately because China was unlikely to fight two wars in a row, especially with Taiwan watching closely from the sidelines. Once the Korean War ended and the Embargo Order was lifted, Hong Kong would immediately experience an exaggerated rebound. Therefore, even after the outbreak of the Korean War, he continued to expand the Lin Family business, extending his reach into many industries.
Since he is optimistic about Hong Kong's future, it's not surprising that other people who are even more optimistic about Hong Kong's future have emerged. Now that they have noticed the Lin Family's expansion, it's perfectly normal for them to hoard some Lin Family shares when prices are low, and make a profit when the stock market rises. It's a typical speculative businessman's practice.
Chapter 274 Baiting
"Boss Xia! Boss Xia!" A dockworker who worked for the Xia family ran into the small warehouse and shouted to Xia Harry, who was sitting behind a desk, reading a newspaper and eating curry snacks, "To the dock! To the dock!"
"What happened at the docks?" Xia Harry put down his newspaper and looked at the coolies who ran in.
"A fight broke out. The brothers who were unloading our cargo saw some hair being transported and offered to unload it, but they were kicked off the ship by the India."
"The raw materials have arrived?" Xia Harry turned to look at the calendar on his desk. "Are they our raw materials?"
"We've been working for you guys at the docks for so long, how could we be mistaken? These bags are all filled with hair. It's not a lot, but a quick glance at the bags shows there are probably close to 20,000 strands," the laborer said to Xia Harry. "Besides, even if we're mistaken about the goods, we wouldn't be mistaken about the people. The people who brought the goods on the ship are India, and India in the hair business... that means it can only be you, Boss Xia, right?"
"Is the goods really here?" Xia Harry patted the crumbs off his hands, stood up, and hurried toward the dock berth.
Upon arriving at the unloading berth at the dock, Xia Harry's initial joy immediately turned into shock and anger!
The argument was over, and now an India stood weary from his journey in the unloading area, staring at the thirty-odd bales of hair that the laborers had unloaded.
He knew that India; he was also India had settled in Hong Kong, Mei Dirang.
"Mei Dirang?" Xia Harry glared at Mei Dirang and strode towards him Mei Dirang was about a hundred meters away, wanting to question him, "Who gave you permission to come and steal the Xia family's business by transporting hair?"
Before he could even get close enough to speak, Scribe Hui had already led the workers from Tianming Company in from outside the dock. Scribe Hui, riding a bicycle with a leather briefcase slung over his shoulder, led the way, excitedly shouting, "Make way, this shipment is mine!"
"Gao Minghui?" Xia Harry stopped immediately upon seeing Scribe Hui appear, no longer rushing forward to question Mei Dirang. Instead, he stood at a distance with a sullen face, watching Scribe Hui rush towards Mei Dirang.
"Boss Mei, I've been waiting for you like the stars and the moon! How many Braids are there?"
"Eighteen thousand." Mei Dirang wiped the sweat from his brow and said to his Scribe Hui.
Scribe Hui, bypassed Mei Dirang and went straight over to open all the bags, carefully inspecting them. From a distance, Xia Harry could see clearly that the opened bags were full of long black hair.
After confirming there was nothing wrong with the hair, Scribe Hui, in front of everyone at the dock, took off his briefcase from the handlebars, took out two rolls of Hong Kong dollars, and handed them to Mei Dirang: "I've already prepared them for you. Besides the ten thousand dollars deposit I'll pay you, there's another twenty thousand dollars for the goods."
"Didn't they say one Hong Kong dollars equals one Braid?" Mei Dirang asked Scribe Hui with surprise, clutching two rolls of banknotes.
He felt that all the hardships he had endured during the time his Scribe Hui had sent him to India to collect hair had vanished in the face of these two rolls of banknotes. Even if he hadn't eaten or drunk anything for four or five years while repairing bicycles or running a small restaurant, he still couldn't earn this much.
"You're lucky. I'm doing this for the sake of future cooperation, and also because Boss Song makes wigs, is at odds with other factories. Right now, all the hair arriving at the port is at least two yuan per Braid. There are 18,000 Braids, and we won't even split it 50/50. I'll give you 15,000 Braids, leaving 3,000 as my profit. Any problems?" The Scribe Hui, said arrogantly. "If you're not satisfied, we'll continue to charge you one yuan per braid as stated in the contract."