There was no pause, no resistance. Red numbers cascaded down like a waterfall! Panic spread like a plague through every seat on the exchange.
Retail investors frantically placed sell orders several notches below the market price, desperate to escape this collapsing vortex. Phones rang shrilly, and brokers shouted into the receivers, urging clients to place orders and sell quickly. The clatter of keyboards filled a cacophony of despair. High dividends, real estate value—they meant nothing in the face of the sheer need to survive!
In the top-floor office of Jardine Matheson, the air seemed frozen. Every jump of the numbers on the quotation screen was like a whip lashing at Newbigin's heart.
James stood beside Newbigin, his face ashen and sweat dripping down his temples. He stifled a sound, fearful of shattering the thin barrier of confidence Newbigin had built up with his "Shen Bi's boss will sort it out" promise. He watched the stock price penetrate 70... 69... 68... and head straight for that fatal red line: HK$60! That was the liquidation point for HSBC's mortgage loans!
Niubijian's temples throbbed, and a sweet, fishy taste surged up his throat. He gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging fiercely. He knew that the force of this collapse was simply beyond human control. Was this the waiting that Shen Bi had spoken of? Was this the torment that awaited?
60.01!
The number briefly faltered at HK$60. Just for a moment. The market fell into a momentary silence, everyone waiting to see who would take the plunge. Or, in other words, if anyone would take the plunge?
Immediately, a series of buy orders, both large and small, appeared on the screen, and sell orders placed around 60 yuan were cautiously and tentatively taken over. Although it could not stop the overall downward trend, it miraculously supported the stock price around 60 yuan, preventing it from breaking through the red line instantly.
Who is it?!
Newbigin's heart nearly leaped from his throat. Hope and immense doubt swirled within him. He whipped his head around, his voice hoarse with nervousness. "James! Check immediately! Who bought in at 60 yuan? Find out!"
James rushed out as if struck by lightning. Less than ten minutes later, he returned, his face a mixture of realization and even deeper worry. "It's the Huo family! Huo Yingdong's people are buying! They've got buy orders from several familiar brokerages. Their tactics are discreet, but their goal is clear: to buy up stocks around 60 yuan. And the quantity is substantial!"
The Huo family! Huo Yingdong!
Newbigin's pupils constricted. A sharp, icy chill shot from his tailbone to the top of his head. He had anticipated this. This old fox, Huo Yingdong, wasn't trying to save the market at all! Instead, he was simply exploiting the situation! It was a carefully planned conspiracy!
They bought in not to help Jardine Matheson, nor were they bullish on Hong Kong Land. They were using their money to "remind" Shen Bi, and more importantly, to pressure him—I, Fok Ying-tung, want the 20% stake you hold at HSBC! And I can hold the 60% line right now, buying time for you, HSBC. But remember, I can let go at any time! If I cancel the order, without this little support, the massive selling pressure that has already accumulated in the market will instantly drive the price of that 20% stake down to 40, or even 30! HSBC will then lose everything!
Huo Yingdong was using his family's funds to play ball with Shen Bi and HSBC. He was telling Shen Bi: "Besides honestly selling the shares to me at a price I can afford, do you have any other choice?" Kobayashi Tenmo? He probably wanted to sell off even 7.5%.
Newbigin felt powerless. He saw through Fok Ying-tung's tricks, but he was powerless to stop them. Jardine Matheson's power paled in the face of two true chess masters: Shen Bi and Fok Ying-tung. He was like a spectator at the chess game, deprived of his right to speak.
Just as Newbigin was filled with anger and humiliation, James's panicked voice rang out again, filled with unbelievable fear: "Boss! This is bad! There's a big order! A massive order has been placed! All at... at 60 Hong Kong dollars!"
Newbijian's heart stopped for a moment and he rushed to the screen.
The stock price, which the Huo family had carefully maintained at around 60, suddenly flooded with sell orders, all marked at HK$60! The sheer volume of orders instantly obscured half the trading screen, filling the gap created by the Huo family and rapidly piling up to a terrifying peak.
7.5%! A full 7.5% of Hong Kong Land Holdings' shares were sold! The price was unabashedly hit at HK$60!
It was Kobayashi Tenmo! No one else held such a massive amount of stock, and no one else would choose to dump it in such a decisive, almost suicidal manner at this delicate moment when the stock price had hit rock bottom!
Newbigin instantly understood the meaning behind this move—he wasn't simply cutting his losses and exiting the market. With immense courage and blood-soaked chips, he was declaring to all market participants his complete abandonment of Hong Kong Land! He wasn't even willing to smash the bottom of this hot potato! He didn't care about the price difference at all. He wanted to use this shocking sell-off to trigger a more complete avalanche, crushing the Fok family's "control," HSBC's "stability maintenance," and even Jardine Matheson's last hopes!
"He's crazy... Is he going to die together with me?" James cried out, cold sweat pouring down his face. "Retail investors are even crazier. They are all following suit and ordering lower prices to sell! 55! 58! 59! Look! Those low-price sell orders... many of them were instantly bought up by the Huo family! This time... this time the Huo family is desperately trying to take it!" James' voice changed.
Newbigin slumped back into his chair. It was over. It was completely over.
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