Chapter 34: Layers of Suspicion

At this moment, Li Fengyu and Lin Chu were still unaware of the conspiracy orchestrated by Lin Dongjiang and Zhou Yushan. However, the silver futures market had already begun to shift. After hitting a low of 2,868 on March 19, 2020, the price saw an immediate rebound, followed by a period of volatility before gradually climbing and plateauing around 4,200 in May. Lin Chu rushed into the office, looking anxious as she said, "According to the precise analysis from the trading room, most of the capital here has already fled. We must take action now."

Li Fengyu stared at the trading screen with a sense of unease. "Look here," he said, "after the sharp decline, there was an instant rebound accompanied by a surge in trading volume. Could there be someone else operating in this market?"

Lin Chu replied, "That shouldn't be possible. My father didn't mention anything to me." Still half-skeptical, Li Fengyu kept his eyes fixed on the screen. He summoned Li Sen and shared the analysis with him. Li Sen remarked, "I think Fengyu is right. There is definitely capital entering the market here."

Li Fengyu began to ponder, "It was Lin Chu’s father who tasked us with trading silver futures. He holds a position of great power and influence; could he be unaware of the goings-on in the market? If even I can spot these irregularities, surely he can too. He must know, but why hasn't he told us? What is really going on here?"

Li Fengyu sensed that something was amiss, though he had yet to fathom the full extent of Lin’s father’s scheme. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice his surroundings until Lin Chu tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?" Li Fengyu snapped back to reality and replied, "No, it's nothing."

After work, while walking home, Li Fengyu told Li Sen, "Something is wrong—everything feels off. There are suspicious signs everywhere. Why did Lin’s father insist on us trading silver futures specifically, rather than anything else? And the silver market itself is riddled with mysteries." Li Sen replied calmly, "We will handle whatever comes our way. Regardless, we have to take this step now, or we won't be able to protect Xinmin Group. But we must remain vigilant at all times." Li Fengyu nodded.

The next day, trading officially began. They immediately ran into trouble while trying to accumulate positions. The market had been open for half an hour, but there were no large sell orders. Watching the screen and seeing only small, sporadic trades, Li Fengyu grew anxious. Without enough shares, they could neither control the market nor proceed with their strategy.

Li Fengyu gritted his teeth and said, "Raise the price a bit and see if anyone sells." Li Sen quickly adjusted the strategy, pushing the price up, but there were still no sell orders. Li Fengyu’s doubts deepened: "Why is no one selling? There is only one possibility: all the chips are concentrated in the hands of one person. As long as he doesn't sell, we can't accumulate any holdings."

Just as Li Fengyu reached an impasse, a familiar voice drifted into his ears: "Stop buying. Use a large amount of capital to open short positions instead. Let the price drop naturally; a group of people will surely dump their holdings. That’s when you absorb their long positions, then continue to short to lower your costs. Once the shakeout ends and the price starts to climb, just close your short positions."

This method effectively changed the market landscape, allowing them to finally accumulate positions. Li Fengyu breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around, eager to see who had offered the advice, but the moment he looked, the joy vanished from his face. It was indeed his alcoholic secretary, holding a bottle of liquor. He was as drunk as ever. Li Fengyu felt a sense of helplessness, but at least, it was a good start.