paranoianovel Chapter 132 Charlatan
Chapter 132 Charlatan
Chapter 132 Charlatan
Defense Department procurement specialist commits suicide; Pritzker shipyard denies corruption.
The two sensitive words, "Ministry of Defense" and "Pritz Shipyard," quickly caught Mr. Grassis's attention, making his heart skip a beat. He then eagerly looked at the following content.
Mr. Grassis's hands trembled more and more as he read on, and he felt increasingly uneasy, because the report harshly criticized Pritzker Shipyard for its various problems of exaggerating shipbuilding costs over the years, and directly pointed out that this was a major case of collusion between insiders and outsiders.
Although Mr. Grassis didn't know much else, he knew that the outbreak of such a corruption case would definitely trigger a chain reaction. The contract that Lanius signed with the Ministry of Defense would definitely be reviewed again, and if the shipyard was really involved, the sky-high contract order that was signed at the beginning would definitely be affected.
No orders mean no revenue, no revenue means no profit, and no profit will affect the value of the shares. Thinking that he had just mortgaged his house yesterday in preparation for a high-priced acquisition of the relevant shares, and thinking of the high-interest loans he obtained through the bank's quick financing channels, Mr. Grassis felt like everything was going dark.
He had no time for breakfast at this point. He quickly put on his coat, ran outside, flagged down a carriage, and headed towards the Lannus Company's headquarters in the western district.
On his way to the West End, Grassis found the roads in disarray, littered with trash, and shabby cleaners and air gunners tidying up the streets in exchange for a meager piece of dry bread from the police station.
Grassis thought of the workers' strike that had taken place in the past two days, and the shadow in his heart grew even deeper, because he had actually heard about factory owners and capitalists misappropriating workers' wages.
On one hand, a major case had erupted in Backlund, and on the other hand, an investment boom related to a Ministry of Defense order had just occurred here, making Grassis's gloom even deeper.
When Grassis arrived at the Lannus Company office, he found many people holding today's newspapers, constantly asking to see Lannus and hear his explanation.
Meanwhile, Lancer's fiancée's family is constantly explaining to investors that Lancer received relevant information yesterday and went to Backlund to find out more. Please be patient and wait.
But this did not stop the overwhelming influx of investors, and some even speculated that Lanius had absconded, demanding that their investments be returned immediately.
This rhetoric began to influence others, many of whom had taken out loans for investment. Thinking about the exorbitant interest rates promised during the loan process, many people's patience gradually wore thin, and they became agitated, demanding refunds.
In addition, Grassis noticed that someone was selling something to some people nearby.
Grassis had been here a few days ago, and each time he left the office building, someone would stop him and try to buy his shares at a high price, even if it was just one share, with the intention of accumulating small amounts and then selling them to others at a high price.
In the past, almost no one would sell the shares they had worked so hard to buy, no matter how much the price was increased. But this time, however, the middlemen were surrounded by a large number of people conducting transactions.
Grassis adjusted his hat, stepped forward, and prepared to find out how much these middlemen were willing to spend on acquiring the shares.
The results surprised Grassis, as these middlemen were prepared to buy the shares at 20%, far lower than the previous price which was 50% above the market price.
One gentleman angrily stated that the price was too low, and that even if the Ministry of Defense order was lost in the short term, the value of the iron ore owned by Lanruus Company would be much greater than that.
But the middleman asked, "Can you expect the bank to wait until his iron ore mine produces iron and the stock price goes up again before pressing you for repayment?"
Yes, even if Lanius's iron ore mine eventually produces iron and the shares held eventually appreciate, that's a matter for the future.
Banks are all bloodsuckers; how could they possibly offer such a long repayment period? They will definitely use every means to force debtors to repay.
Ultimately, the stock value during this period was inflated by speculation, and the price itself was artificially high. These people invested with loans, and once the bubble bursts, they will be unable to repay their loans.
Mr. Grassis is now hesitant about whether to sell the shares he invested in a long time ago. Even if he sells them at 20% of the original price, he would still make a small profit.
If he pays off the mortgage on the house he just mortgaged yesterday in advance, he will still have to pay the full interest, so he will only suffer a small loss.
Yesterday he made ten times his gold pounds, but overnight he suffered a small loss, and Grassis couldn't get over it.
Undecided, he suddenly thought of Klein Moretti, who was constantly advising everyone at the fortune teller's club to be cautious about investing. He decided to first go to the home of Christina, the aunt of Lanluus's fiancée and a friend of his, and then go to the fortune teller's club to hear Klein Moretti's advice.
Klein knew from the newspaper that morning that Evan's brother was preparing to burst the bubble of the Lannault scam. The morning's report was just the prelude; a financial storm was about to sweep through Tinggen.
According to Evan, the Tingen Honourable will continue to publish reports in the coming days, gradually exposing the scam while also providing reminders and managing expectations, so that some astute middle-class individuals can cut their losses and leave before the scam is completely exposed.
Therefore, Klein, who always felt responsible for the financial crisis in Tingen, went directly to the Zhanjia Club after asking the captain for leave, hoping to try his best to persuade these people again.
Upon arriving at the divination club, Klein found that almost all the club members had already arrived and were arguing fiercely with each other, as if no one could convince anyone else. They were even using horoscopes, tarot cards, divination crystals, and other such items to divine for each other.
But when Klein arrived, the entire club fell silent, everyone staring at him, which startled Klein.
But soon everyone's eyes darted away, and they dared not look him in the eye. Some even lowered their heads and said no. These were the same people who had mocked Klein the most and invested the most in him a few days ago.
Finally, it was Mr. Grassis, whom Klein was most familiar with, who stepped forward to inquire:
"Mr. Klein, have you read today's newspaper?"
"A corruption case involving the Ministry of National Defense?"
"Yes, this concerns our previous investment. You've consistently warned us about the risks involved in investing. Do you have any inside information?"
Klein immediately shook his head. He did know inside information, but he couldn't reveal it; the market was in a state of panic.
If the news that the Lanius iron ore mine is fake were to spread, the entire financial market in Tingen would collapse.
Therefore, Klein absolutely cannot use "insider information" to persuade them to cut their losses, but in order to successfully persuade these people...
He could only pretend to be serious and say to the charlatan:
"Everything was guided by fate; the divination told me that this investment was risky."
Klein's words immediately silenced everyone present, who were discussing finance, stock investment, loans, and so on.
Debt, interest—such modern things—were suddenly met with Klein's charlatan-like pronouncements, leaving even the occult enthusiasts somewhat bewildered.
Finally, it was Miss Angelica, the waitress from the next club who trusted Klein the most, who suggested:
"How about we have Mr. Klein do a fortune telling for each of us?"
"Good idea. Everyone should act as if they are the one asking for help, and ask Mr. Klein for a reading. The price will be based on the divination fees they charge their clients, how about that?"
Mr. Grassis looked around and saw that everyone else nodded in agreement, then looked at Klein.
Klein had no reason to refuse, and persuading them one by one might be more effective, so he nodded in agreement and headed to claim the room.
Just as a corruption scandal broke out in the Ministry of Defense in Backlund and a financial crisis was brewing in Tingen, the banquets among the nobility did not stop; the dancing and music continued as if nothing else concerned them.
The biggest gathering in Backlund today is the literary and artistic salon hosted by Viscount Grelint.
The parties hosted by Viscount Grelint were very famous in Backlund because his father died early, and he inherited the title and the large fortune left to him by his father.
This not only allows him to afford to host expensive parties at will, but also allows him to attend without having to consider political leanings, letting people from different political factions come.
Sometimes, people would even use his place as an informal setting to discuss sensitive issues. Over time, this made his parties more famous, attracting a large number of people.
On the lawn in front of the villa, Viscount Grelint was quite surprised to see Evan feasting at a table at the very edge, which was covered by a parasol.
Although he had sent Evan a gift, he hadn't expected to be invited. This even made him feel a little flattered, so he left the other guests and came to Evan.
"I didn't expect you to actually come. You look like you're starving!"
Evan took a sip of red wine, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and said:
"This morning, Parliament adjourned, and my brother was also granted a title by His Majesty the King. As a family member, I had to attend the ceremony. Then came three hours of tedious adjournment ceremonies, which were more tiring than handling a case. I just remembered the invitation you sent, so I came here to ask for a meal."
Viscount Grelint's lips twitched. He glanced at the guests exchanging artistic insights not far away, then looked at Evan, who had come specifically to freeload a meal. Something just didn't feel right to him.
"You didn't really send me an invitation to some kind of literary and artistic exchange, did you? Is it related to the 'Pharmacist' formula?" Evan, always straightforward, asked directly.
When it came to potion recipes, Viscount Grelint perked up, and he couldn't help but complain to Evan:
"The channels you told me about are completely useless. That priest is impervious to reason. No matter what I say, he refuses to give me the potion formula, and I end up owing you a favor for nothing."