Montes frowned, then immediately smiled again. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you're interested in matters of stocks, we can find somewhere and discuss it in detail."
Potter shut the carriage door behind him, his voice suddenly turning cold. "I have no interest in your little tricks for inciting panic in the market. Listen, your actions have already had a serious impact on the country, and that has made the lords above very displeased."
Montes frowned again and leaned back against the chair. "I'm afraid you've misunderstood, Mr. Potter. What we do is all legitimate business, bringing capital to outstanding companies and also helping investors stay away from terrible ones."
"Put away those words you use to fool people." Potter cut him off and held up two fingers. "You have two days to pull Chatham Shipyard's share price back above fifteen pounds sterling."
Montes laughed and pushed the carriage door open, gesturing outside. "Hah. Share prices are decided by the market. If you have nothing else, could you leave?"
Potter leaned forward and stared fixedly at him. "Do as I say, or you'll regret it."
"Thank you for your advice. Goodbye."
The carriage drove off in grand style. Montes glanced through the window at the secretary standing by the roadside and laughed disdainfully. "That fellow was most likely paid off by Chatterham Shipyard."
When he arrived at the London Stock Exchange, he immediately took out Curry Potter's authorization letter and had the exchange clerks list five hundred shares of Chatham in four batches, with the price gradually dropping from eight pounds sterling to seven pounds two shillings.
That afternoon, Montes chatted smugly with Graby about today's operation, in which they had beaten back the mysterious funds attempting to go long on Chatham stock, and returned home all the way.