Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 164, Page 163: This Trip to America: Only for Huge Profits, Wall Street Insights

At 2 a.m., three guests who had traveled all the way from Europe were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant in a Manhattan alley.

Fang Wen explained his plan.

As someone from the future, I have so many ideas about this era when I look at it with a forward-looking perspective.

However, a person's energy and time are limited, and it is impossible to have everything.

Fang Wen's purpose in coming to the United States this time is solely to make huge profits.

He began to speak slowly.

“Nevada is building a gambling city, and I’m prepared to invest in it; that’s the first thing I’m doing.”

"The second thing is to go to Wall Street in New York, find a brokerage firm to open an account, and buy stocks."

"The third thing is to buy some things that are very useful to me and bring them back to China. It would also be even better if I could hire a group of technicians to go back with me."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he looked at the two of them.

Lin Shuiwang, biting into a roast goose leg, said nonchalantly, "I don't understand. I'll just do whatever you say, General Manager."

Indiana, however, was different. He was an intelligence officer and had far more information than the average person.

Out of concern for his friend, he offered his advice.

"Fang, I suggest you don't invest rashly. I think neither of your first two plans is feasible."

To show that he was serious, Indiana gave his analysis.

"I know about the Las Vegas project; it was for the benefit of the Hoover Dam workers. But Hoover stepped down this March, and Roosevelt became the new president. You don't understand our situation. Hoover was a Republican, and Roosevelt was a Democrat. The new president will definitely make things difficult for the dam project named after Hoover. If the Hoover Dam project is halted because of this, Las Vegas will lose its reason for existence without customers."

Fang Wen smiled without saying a word, listening to Indiana continue.

"As for your idea of ​​opening an account on Wall Street to invest, that's a very dangerous one. My colleague invested in stocks a few years ago and now he can't even afford his mortgage. He has to take on the most dangerous jobs just to pay off his mortgage. You don't understand how bad the situation is in America right now. As a friend, I have to advise you to stop."

Indiana, from a higher perspective and with a deeper understanding of the American context, analyzes the current situation.

Fang Wen's plan was completely rejected.

This is how most Americans perceive their country: the United States is still in the midst of the Great Depression, and no one believes it can rise again.

Even the oil tycoons probably never imagined that the United States would escape most of World War II and miraculously escape its predicament by selling off large quantities of various goods as a result.

Fang Wen is the only one in this world who understands this clearly.

Moreover, he didn't need to convince Indiana, because the money was his, and no one could stop him from spending it however he wanted.

Therefore, Fang Wen calmly replied, "Indiana, the big plan I invited you to participate in is these. If you think it's not feasible, I won't force you to join."

Indiana was stunned.

The man in front of me not only possesses superb flying skills but is also a successful entrepreneur.

Its newly established Taishan Airlines is experiencing rapid growth and will soon become the first airline to launch international routes between Asia and Europe.

He is very capable and insightful; he couldn't possibly be so foolish as to sail across the ocean and take such great risks to make an investment that seems destined to fail.

He is an intelligence officer; he analyzes information as well as people.

A thought suddenly occurred to me: Could it be that my judgment was wrong?

Indiana is hesitant about joining.

Lin Shuiwang, who was eating a barbecued leg nearby, blurted out: "Indiana, how much of what you own now is related to our general manager?"

That one sentence struck Indiana deeply.

No matter how much he thinks, isn't everything he's gained in the past six months related to Fang Wen?
The share of wealth made his life more affluent, and also gave rise to the idea of ​​retiring early.

Bringing the True Cross to the church and receiving praise from the bishop seemed to purify my soul.

Fang Wen was like a lucky angel who brought all of this to life.

So, should you believe in an angel, or believe in yourself?

Indiana chose the former.

He stretched out his hand.

"Okay, maybe you're right. I'll follow your lead and hope that this 70-day vacation will be fruitful as you wish."

Fang Wen nodded and shook hands with him, which meant he had gained another helper on this trip to the United States.

After finishing their late-night snack, the three decided to stay at the shop for the night.

Three hours later, it was already dawn.

Residents from the neighborhood came to the food stall to eat. The locals were surprised by the luxury car parked at the entrance. The shop owner pointed and whispered about the three people sleeping on the table.

These noises woke Fang Wen up.

He remembered Zhao Jiu, who had come to New York ahead of time to look for someone.

According to his and Zhao Jiu's plan, they needed to contact someone named Zang Chunian.

Given the tendency of Chinese people to gather and stick together, perhaps someone here knows where Zang Chunian is.

He got up, took out several $10 bills, and handed them to the shop owner.

The shop owner immediately beamed and took the money: "You don't need so much, I'll refund you the extra."

"No need to return it. We'll follow Western custom and consider it a tip. By the way, boss, do you know someone named Zang Chunian?"

"Boss Zang?" The shop owner shook his head: "I don't know him."

This might be the worst lie Fang Wen had ever heard. They've already mentioned Boss Zang, yet they claim not to know him. Isn't that obvious?

They probably replied that way because they were afraid Fang Wen and his group were enemies of Zang Chunian.

Fang Wen explained, "My friend came from Europe by ship, and we agreed that he could be contacted through Zang Chunnian. There was no ill intent on his part."

"I see." The shop owner said with relief, pointing to the opposite side: "His shop is over there, it should be open now, it's Chun Nian Zhai."

Fang Wen turned around and glanced at the two people who were still fast asleep, then said to the shop owner, "Please look after them for a bit, I'll be right back."

"Go ahead," the shop owner agreed.

Fang Wen went out, checked if the car door locks were locked, and glanced at the travel bag under the driver's seat to see if it was still there before walking across the street.

Chunianzhai is a quiet and elegant place where you can buy antiques and calligraphy.

Fang Wen entered the room and saw that it was divided in two by a curtain. He lifted the curtain and went into the inner room, asking, "Is Zang Chunian here?"

"exist."

Two men emerged from behind Fang Wen. The one who spoke was short, while the one standing next to him was a tall man of 1.9 meters with a fierce look on his face.

Fang Wen turned around and smiled, "Zhao Jiu said you can contact him here."

Upon hearing this, the other party immediately lowered their guard.

"It's the one Zhao Jiu was talking about. Wait a moment, Ma San, go and call your Ninth Brother."

The man, who was 1.9 meters tall, shouted and then turned and left.

Fang Wenze and Zang Chunian exchanged pleasantries.

"I heard from Zhao Jiu that Mr. Fang owns an airline in China. Why is he coming to New York?"

"I've come to buy something." Fang Wen replied, "Before Mr. Zang came to New York, he worked as an accountant at Sanxin Company, right?" Sanxin Company was no ordinary company; everyone in Shanghai knew its special significance.

This was a company opened by Huang Jinrong, the leader of the Green Gang. Back then, Huang Jinrong was a policeman in the Shanghai International Settlement. He had connections in both the underworld and legitimate society. On the surface, he opened the Sanxin Company to handle accounting, but in secret, he gathered Green Gang members to expand and strengthen the gang.

Therefore, when it comes to Sanxin Company, people in Shanghai have to speak with a lot of respect.

Zang Chunian was no ordinary person; he was able to work as an accountant at Sanxin Company and was even allowed by Huang Jinrong to develop his career in New York.

Hearing Fang Wen say this, Zang Chunian looked smug: "Let's not talk about it. I'm just a small businessman now, and I also help friends from other places make connections."

At this moment, Zhao Jiu came over with the burly man, Ma San.

Upon seeing Fang Wen, Zhao Jiu had a lot to say, but the occasion was inconvenient.

Fang Wen then took his leave and went out with Zhao Jiu.

The two were talking in the car.

"General Manager, the investigation is almost complete. Al Capone of Chicago was the head of 'Outfield,' and he used to manage the entire Chicago mafia. Two years ago, Al Capone was arrested and imprisoned for tax evasion, and the Chicago mafia was no longer under his control."

"Jailed for tax evasion?" Fang Wen asked in surprise.

"Yes, I'm puzzled too. He had dozens of murders on his record, but he was arrested for tax evasion."

"So, besides him, are there any other gangs that want to invest in Las Vegas now?"

"Not for now. But I think they definitely won't let this opportunity pass them by, as long as it can generate income."

As a member of the Green Gang, Zhao Jiu understood all of this very well.

He then went on to share his knowledge of the gangs in the United States.

In the United States today, the Great Depression has led to rampant gang activity.

The Chicago Mafia, the New York Mafia, Irish gangs, and Jewish gangs are all very powerful.

According to Zhao Jiu, even if the casino company is established, it will still have to choose one of these gangs to cooperate with in the future in order to protect the interests of the casino.

Fang Wen had a sense of déjà vu about this scene. That's right, he remembered The Godfather. Back then, casinos would share profits with the Mafia to protect their own interests.

Such things are unavoidable, but given the casino's enormous profits, it's not a big deal.

In the future, Zhao Jiu can handle the cooperation with the gangs. Fang Wen needs to first get through the official channels in Las Vegas to buy the permits and land.

But before that, I need to finalize the investment details in New York before I can go to the American West.

At 9 a.m., Lin Shuiwang and Indiana woke up, briefly introduced their new partner Zhao Jiu, and then the four of them got into the car.

The car returned to the vicinity of Trinity Church, and we rented a room at a hotel on Broadway in New York.

Wall Street is nearby, so I can go there anytime.

At 2 p.m., the four left the hotel and walked to nearby Wall Street.

Wall Street during the Great Depression was probably at its most desolate.

Walking down the deserted streets, Fang Wen needed to understand how to invest in this era.

He went to the New York Stock Exchange.

That's not a place anyone can go.

Seeing that the guards were preventing Fang Wen from entering, Zhao Jiu and Lin Shuiwang became furious and were about to take action.

Fang Wen quickly stopped him.

A man who came out came over, and after understanding the situation, he offered to explain: "The New York Stock Exchange has always operated on a membership-based system. Under this system, only authorized members can buy and sell stocks on the exchange. If you want to trade, there are only two ways: one is to find a qualified financial brokerage firm to act as your agent, and the other is to establish a financial company and apply to become a member."

Using brokerage firms to act as agents for transactions is a widely used method in the future.

Fang Wen had no intention of running a financial company that he didn't know how to operate.

He asked directly, "I want to find a reputable brokerage firm."

The man was pleasantly surprised and pulled out his business card: "Our company, Sifrey Brokerage, is dedicated to assisting clients with their investments. Our reputation is absolutely reliable, and it's an honor to serve you."

Fang Wen did not choose this Severe agency, but it would be good to learn about it.

He nodded and followed the man to the Severe Brokerage firm in a nearby building.

This is a small brokerage firm.

The boss is this man, and the company is named after him.

Five other employees were constantly making phone calls to contact clients in the 20-square-meter office area.

Fang Wen was taken to the office for a private conversation.

Severley asked, "Sir, may I ask about your situation? This is some initial information about the client."

"I come from the East and I own an airline."

Upon hearing that Fang Wen was someone of considerable influence, Severley's interest was immediately piqued. "Do you want to invest, or raise funds on the New York Stock Exchange?"

Financing, in this context, likely refers to listing on the NYSE, something Fang Wen hadn't considered.

He couldn't help but ask this question first.

Can foreign companies also raise funds on the NYSE?

“Although it’s a bit troublesome and the procedures are somewhat complicated, it’s still doable. Ideally, your company would have operations in the US and pay taxes there, in which case we can raise funds through a spin-off listing,” Severley replied.

Fang Wen nodded. Currently, Taishan Airlines has no assets in the United States, so the financing issue can be discussed later.

He continued, "How do I buy stocks?"

"You need to open an internal client account with our brokerage firm first, establish a brokerage relationship, and then deposit funds. After the deposit is completed, we will issue a receipt and begin the trading process."

Severley carefully explained how the brokerage firm serves its clients.

Actually, it's not much different from the future.

The main difference lies in...

The deposits are directly deposited into the brokerage firm, and security relies primarily on the brokerage firm's reputation.

Furthermore, if a client wants to buy a particular stock, they must communicate with the broker in advance via phone or telegram before the broker will manually place the order with the exchange staff at the New York Stock Exchange.

After learning all this, although he was surprised by the rudimentary nature of securities trading in that era, Fang Wen accepted the trading environment.

He thought this agency was pretty good, so he decided to give it a try.

He then opened his first securities account during the Republic of China era and deposited $1000.

$1000 is not a small amount, and Severe was pleasantly surprised.

He couldn't wait to recommend stocks to Fang Wen.

"I recommend you buy Boeing stock; it's been surging recently. According to my sources, Boeing has a strong partnership with an Asian airline, having sold four Boeing 247s, and subsequently sold export versions of the aircraft to several other Asian countries. More orders are likely coming soon."

Fang Wen smiled at Severley: "That Asian airline is my Taishan Airlines. I'm happy that Boeing's stock rose because of it, but I only want to buy cheap stocks. Do you have any recommendations?"

These days, the US stock market keeps crashing, and cheap stocks are everywhere, but those stocks have no bottom; they keep falling every day.

Severley hesitated before advising against it, saying, "I think investing in low-priced stocks is a very dangerous thing."

(End of this chapter)