The next morning, just as the newsstand in Yau Ma Tei was set up, the familiar smell of ink had not yet dissipated in the air when it was surrounded by a group of half-grown children.
"Boss! Dragon Jump! Three copies!" "I came here first! I want five!" "Is there a second issue? Give it to me now!"
The students, carrying backpacks and wearing washed-out uniforms, stared at the stall owner's freshly opened cardboard box with hungry eyes. Inside, the second issue of "Dragon Jump" with a brightly colored cover, still emitting the residual warmth of the machine, was a copy.
The stall owner was sweating profusely as the stacks of magazines were sold out instantly. The young man who received the books couldn't wait to flip through them, exclaiming, "Wow! The World's No. 1 Martial Arts Tournament! Amazing!" "That pirated copy is such a mess! The artwork is so blurry! The original is so clear!" "I told you all along! Buying pirated copies is stupid! The original Dragon Jump is the real deal!"
Several young men in factory uniforms squeezed in, pulling out warm change. "Boss, a copy of 'Dragon Jump'. I'm rushing to read it on my way to work." An office worker in a white shirt and tie was also waiting nearby. "Any more? Leave one for me, too."
This buying frenzy spread across Hong Kong at an astonishing pace. Across Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and the New Territories, from stationery stores near schools to newsstands beneath Central office buildings to small shops in the Kwun Tong industrial area, wherever the second issue of Dragon Jump appeared, it sold out instantly. Out-of-stock signs were hanging up faster than the magazine itself could be displayed.
Dragon Ball, Pokémon, Sailor Moon, and Fist of the North Star—four works, each distinct in style but equally impactful, presented with unprecedented clarity and vibrant color thanks to high-quality, genuine printings. The crude, shoddy quality of pirated copies was magnified and scorned. People finally understood that the experience of reading the same story in the original version was vastly different.
"This is what comics are all about!" exclaimed an apprentice in the factory tearoom, clutching a magazine. His colleagues craned their necks, "Look at the lines, the colors—it's even better than the movies." In the office, young white-collar workers gave up gossip during lunch break to immerse themselves in the fantasy worlds within their small spaces, finding a moment's soothing relief from the thrilling or cute plots. On campus, the atmosphere was even more lively, with students discussing not just homework but also questions like, "Is Goku going to the World Martial Arts Tournament?" "What new Pokémon did Smart catch?" "What new moves does Sailor Moon have?" and "The secrets of the Fist of the North Star."
Word of mouth spread like wildfire, and sales exploded. The first and second printings ran out, and the printing presses ran day and night. Within a few days, a shocking figure emerged in Hong Kong's publishing world: the second issue of Dragon Jump had sold over 500,000 copies! Not only did it break the record for Hong Kong's own comic magazines, but it also quickly reached a wide audience, from elementary school classrooms to office buildings and factory floors. It was no longer just a teen read; it had become a unique, universal pastime.
However, the creator of all these brilliant achievements - the young Chinese man named Kobayashi Tenmo, who was believed by the people of Hong Kong Island to be from Japan - Lin Huowang, was not currently thinking about the great success in publishing.
In Central, Gao Qiaohao stood respectfully in Lin Huowang's office overlooking Victoria Harbour, reporting on the progress of another battle. "Xiao Lin," Gao Qiaohao said with a hint of subtle excitement, "Dragon Jump is doing very well. Just keep printing more. The stock market buying campaign you ordered is progressing very well. Through multiple channels, funds have already been absorbed into the secondary market, acquiring shares in nearly twenty small Chinese-owned listed companies, including Nanhua Cotton Mill, Yongli Plastics, Yuanhua Toys, Yifeng Sugar, and Kangsheng Pharmaceutical."
Lin Huowang sat upright in the spacious leather chair, his eyes piercing. "Alright. Keep a steady pace and don't rush in. The target shareholding limit is set at 5%. Once it's reached, all buying will cease immediately, and all public announcements will be made that same day." "Understood!" Gao Qiaohao nodded. "The operations team will strictly follow your instructions. However... Xiaolin-kun, the market is very sensitive. Trading volume and prices of any stock we target surge rapidly. Many small investors seem to have sensed some pattern and are enthusiastically following the trend. This could accelerate our reaching the critical mass and cause unnecessary increases in costs."
A smile crossed Lin Huowang's lips: "Cost is not a problem. Speed is a good thing. What I want is for them to see the movement and 'figure out' the pattern of the movement." A calculating glint flashed in the depths of his eyes, "The bigger the movement, the better the effect. Go ahead and do it boldly." "Yes!" Gao Qiaohao said no more and bowed to leave.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange was abuzz with activity due to the wild trading. Penny stocks and centi-stocks (low-priced stocks), which normally saw little trading, long-term low price fluctuations, and were practically forgotten by mainstream investors, suddenly became active, like a torrent of water injected into a dry land.
"Damn it! Yuanhua Toys' trading volume has skyrocketed tenfold!" exclaimed an old stockholder in a worn suit, his eyes fixed on the trading quotation board. "The stock price... has increased by 50%! It was just 0.2 cents, and it suddenly jumped to 0.3 cents!" His accomplice slapped his thigh and said, "I missed it! Same with Nanhua Cotton Mill! It was only trading at 0.9 cents yesterday, and today it opened 15% higher, and they're still buying it up! There's a big player entering the market! Hurry!"
Keen brokers, calculating housewives, and retail investors eager to turn their fortunes around... countless eyes were glued to the exchange. Soon, a vague yet alluring "pattern" spread rapidly within the small circle: "Have you heard? 'Kobayashi Tenwang stocks'!" "Are those the stocks Kobayashi Tenwang is eyeing? Which ones?" "Any junk stock from a small Chinese company that's suddenly seen a surge in market value is likely his!" "Is that true?" "Absolutely true! Look at 'Wynn Plastics'; it was targeted last week and tripled in two days! 'Hong Kong Electronics' quadrupled in a week! The money's in..." "Shh... so what are you waiting for? Hurry! Follow Kobayashi and eat raw meat!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
