Zhou Huai did not immediately "investigate" the truth after he left.
Instead, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Editor-in-Chief Li, there is an aniseed."
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Mr. Zhou, please tell me."
Zhou Huai said:
"Henglong Zhao Chen made an announcement today saying that the pledge will be lifted. Did you see it?"
Editor-in-Chief Li said:
"I saw it, the whole internet is posting it."
Zhou Huai laughed:
"Then have you ever thought about a question - he is only 21 years old and it has been less than a year since he took over Henglong. How can he get so much money?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for two seconds.
Zhou Huai continued:
"To redeem 260 million shares, based on today's market price, it will cost at least 4 billion Hong Kong Dollar.
The stock price was not high when the pledge was made, but it could at least pledge over a billion. In other words, the redemption would require at least a billion Hong Kong Dollar.
His assets are all traceable. Apart from the equity of Henglong, what else is there? Where does this money come from? Is it legal? "
Editor-in-Chief Li's voice became serious:
"Mr. Zhou means..."
Zhou Huai said:
"I'm just providing an idea. Your media is best at this kind of hot spot."
He paused:
"If there is a problem, it will be big news. If there is no problem..."
He smiled:
"There's nothing to lose."
Editor-in-Chief Li said:
"Understood. I'll arrange for someone to follow up immediately."
The phone hangs up.
Zhou Huai leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
He doesn't need to investigate.
He just needs to let the media find out.
What the media found out was a hundred times better than what he found out himself.
He turned around and walked towards Lu Shen's office.
Opening the door, Lu Shen was still standing in front of the window.
"Mr. Lu, the arrangements have been made."
Lu Shen There is no looking back:
"How to say?"
Zhou Huai said:
"The media will follow up. They will question Zhao Chen's source of funds and dig up his details.
As long as there is a little problem, the headlines will be overwhelming."
He paused:
"Even if there are no problems, these doubts will still ferment in the market.
What do retail investors fear most? Uncertainty. As long as they start to doubt, the stock price will not be stable."
Lu Shen finally turned around.
The corners of his mouth raised slightly:
"Well done."
He walked to his desk and sat down:
"Keep an eye on the board. I want to see if he can handle it."
The media acted very quickly, with the first report coming out as soon as the market closed at noon.
Then it gradually spread and more media followed.
After the market closed in the afternoon, the news began to spread at an alarming rate.
<21-year-old college student, 4 billion in funds? Zhao Chen Where does the money come from?>
<Henglong Zhao Chen Unpledge: A well-planned capital magic?>
<Exclusive investigation: Zhao Chen's source of funds is a mystery, and market doubts are rising>
<Expert: Zhao Chen's assets have no other source except Henglong's equity>
<The truth about billions of dollars: Does Zhao Chen have the strength?>
Each title is more sensational than the last.
The content omits key information more and more "coincidentally".
Some said that Zhao Chen is "only 21 years old", some said that he "took over Henglong less than a year ago", and some said that he "has traceable assets, only the equity of Henglong".
As for Bitcoin? No one mentioned it.
As for other investments? No one cares.
What they want is not the truth.
It's the heat.
Soon, the trend online began to change.
User "Old Leek Root":
"I just saw an article saying that the source of Zhao Chen's money is unknown. Is it true or false?"
User "Chase Rises Kill Dips for Life":
"I have seen it too. At the age of 21, it is indeed a bit exaggerated to take out more than one billion to unpledge at one time."
User "Patience Pays Off":
"No, you have forgotten, he has a bullish song Bitcoin.
He may still have a position in Bitcoin! Have you forgotten how many times Bitcoin has increased?"
User "Valuation Hunter":
"Bitcoin can indeed make a lot of money, how many coins can he have?
Don't forget, he spent a lot of money at Rights Issue, and it's most likely gone long ago."
User "Pig Cycle Hunter":
"Have you calculated? How much has the stock price of Henglong risen? How much has the stock price of Bitcoin risen since he was bullish?"
User "Old Leek Root":
"The accounts can't be calculated like this. How much does Bitcoin cost when Rights Issue? He can only make twice as much at most.
Henglong No matter how much the stock price rises, he has never reduced his holdings and realized cash. Does he dare to reduce his holdings now?"
User "Chase Rises Kill Dips for Life":
"Yes, the question now is, does he have so much cash? It's not an asset."
User "Patience Pays Off":
"The announcement has been sent out, how can it still be false?"
User "Value Discoverer":
"The announcement was made, but has the money arrived? Has the redemption been completed? The announcement said 'will be redeemed', not 'has been redeemed'."
User "Valuation Hunter":
"... When you say that, I'm a little panicked."
User "Pig Cycle Hunter":
"Why panic? Even if he doesn't get the money now, he can mortgage his assets to the bank and the bank will give him the money.
In this way, shares will not enter Secondary Market through securities lending."
User "Old Leek Root":
"Then why didn't he first take out the mortgage loan and then the first repo? Why did he go around in such a big circle?"
There are more and more voices of doubt.
The rift in trust is quietly widening.
The next day, after the stock price of Henglong hit 19 at the opening, it began to fall.
18.5.
18.0.
17.8.
17.5.
Chen Xi stared at the screen, his face turned pale:
"Zhao Zong, someone is setting the rhythm."
She handed the phone to Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen took it and slid down one by one.
Those titles, those doubts, those "coincidences" ignored.
After he finished reading, he returned the phone to Chen Xi.
There is no expression on his face.
"Zhao Zong," Chen Xi said anxiously, "Why don't you respond?"
Zhao Chen shook his head:
"Response to what?"
Chen Xi said:
"They question your source of funds! They say you can't afford so much money!"
Zhao Chen looked at her:
"Can I take it out? The cash we have is indeed not enough to redeem all the pledged shares."
Chen Xi was stunned for a moment:
"We can sell another 10,000 Bitcoin!"
Zhao Chen said:
"Don't worry, continue to negotiate with Pledgee about releasing the pledge.
The last person who wants us to lift the pledge now is them, and they will actively delay it.
What we have to do is to release the signal to release the pledge and make the market believe that we really want to release the pledge."
He stood up and walked to the window:
"The current doubts will only make Lu Shen sink deeper and deeper."
Chen Xi is puzzled:
"Why?"
Zhao Chen looked out the window:
"Because when I get to December, after Bitcoin clears the position and takes out the money, they will have nowhere to go."
He paused:
"Short Selling people will face the situation of having no coupons to buy."
Chen Xi was silent.
She looked at Zhao Chen's back and suddenly felt that her panic just now was a bit ridiculous.
When did this man panic?
Shen Jue is talking to the bald fund manager at this time.
"Ms. Shen, Zhao Zong, is there any problem there?"
Shen Jue said:
"Don't worry, there will be no problem."
The bald manager said:
"This is obviously someone setting the pace. So let's continue Add Position buying now?"
Shen Jue nodded:
"If the price is right, buy it and don't give Lu Shen the chance to buy and return the coupon."
The bald manager asked:
"At what price should I buy it?"
Shen Jue thought for a while:
"First buy below 17."
The bald manager was stunned for a moment:
"Isn't it a little high?"
Shen Jue said:
"I'm worried that Lu Shen will take advantage of the stock price to buy and close his position. We can't give him a chance."
She paused:
"And, think about it - as long as he cannot close his position, there is no limit to our future profits."
The bald manager was silent for two seconds:
"That makes sense."
Shen Jue hung up the phone and looked at the stock price on the screen.
17.3.
It fell so fast.
But she wasn't panicked at all.
Because she knew that this scene had not yet reached its climax.