Shadow Empire

Chapter 1035 Residual Value

After the Q&A session, Cooper did not leave immediately because there was a reception at the hotel. They had booked a restaurant at the hotel and prepared a very lavish meal.

Even some fermented fruit juice sparkling drinks were placed on the table almost without any concealment.

Cooper picked up a bottle, took a sip, and found it refreshing and delicious. The unique sensation of the bubbles exploding in his mouth brought a sensory pleasure. He could tell that the fruit juice sparkling drink was about seven or eight degrees.

You can call it wine, and it is wine, but you can also call it an over-fermented beverage.

"This thing... you just leave it on the table like this?" Cooper, though he also drinks and stores alcohol, doesn't do things like this where he's from.

They would drink secretly behind closed doors, rather than openly.

Cooper, holding a bottle of drink, said, "Come on, this is Detland!"

"Brother, remember this: here in Detland, there's nothing that capital can't solve."

"If there is, then let's use even bigger capital."

"Just relax and enjoy yourself."

As the two were talking, they heard voices from the side. They all looked over and saw several investors chatting together.

Cooper and his stockbroker also joined in.

"I'm not joking with you or deceiving any of you this time. I have a reliable source of information that I can guarantee is true and reliable..."

He was speaking when he suddenly stopped. The gentlemen around him followed his gaze and looked behind them. They saw Cooper, the stockbroker, and three or four other people who had been drawn to him as well.

Everyone's eyes were on them, which made Cooper feel a little uncomfortable. "I..."

He was about to explain something when the stockbroker stepped in, demonstrating his value: "We're investors too. We overheard you mentioning some inside information, which we're very interested in. If you don't mind..."

The speaker took a step forward, and everyone else made way for him. He extended his hand to shake hands with the stockbroker, gave his name, and the stockbroker also gave his name.

Then there's Cooper, a middle-class engineer working on an assembly line in a factory. This is his first time participating in a social event in the financial world, and he's a bit reserved.

However, he still imitated his stockbroker manner and extended his hand to shake hands with the man who spoke. "Cooper, from the North, also an investor."

The man seemed to have a good memory. "I remember you. You were sitting in the fifth row."

"You all invested over 100,000, right?"

Depending on the amount of investment, they would sit in different positions. The stockbroker and Cooper exchanged a glance and both nodded, without denying it.

The man patted Cooper on the arm, then looked at the others next to him, shook hands with them, and told them roughly where they were sitting.

"It seems we're about to welcome some new friends. My answer to the question you just asked is—"

"no problem."

"I can share it with you, because you'll find out soon enough."

“I am not an employee of their company, and I have not done anything wrong.”

“I’ll start with one of my friends…you know, everyone has many friends, some useful, some useless, and some very useful.”

He made small hand gestures while speaking, which made him look very witty and humorous, and also helped to advance the atmosphere and keep people's attention on him.

“I heard that the company headquarters and the government of Lapa are negotiating a very crucial cooperation. You know Lapa, it’s a poor, backward, and war-torn place. They can’t even manage their own businesses properly.”

"Hopefully, the president of the mining company has some connections in Lapa. They've pulled strings with the president and might be able to help the Lapa government manage its industries and assets!"

"I don't know exactly how many years they'll sign, but it definitely won't be a short-term contract!"

When he heard the news, Cooper did not respond immediately. As a mechanical engineer, asking him to interpret the deeper meaning of news that can be found everywhere in newspapers or on television is simply beyond his capabilities.

Although he couldn't do it, there were others around who could.

"If what you're saying is true, it means that the mining industry is expected to expand several times over. I know Lapa; although they are very poor, they are very rich in natural resources."

"It is very rich in minerals, gems, timber, fisheries, and people."

"If these things are in the company's hands, they only need to develop a portion of them to double the company's market value!"

At this point, the stockbroker understood. "You mean the company is going to take over all of Rapa's state-owned resources, including their use?"

The man standing in the middle nodded slightly. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

The stockbroker gasped. "Then Hope Mining's market value could triple or even multiply!"

A fervent glint appeared in his eyes.

As a stockbroker, he shouldn't be so invested in his work; he should separate himself from his job. But it is his job, and he trusts his abilities and professional competence.

He knew what this meant; it meant he would become a huge millionaire.

His eyes, and those of the people around him, lit up with ecstatic joy. He grabbed Cooper's arm, his arm trembling with excitement, and shouted, "We're going to be rich!"

The suppressed sound was forced out, and the ecstatic expression on his face looked somewhat ferocious as he looked at Cooper. "Do you understand?"

We're going to get rich!

After watching these people vent their emotions for a while, the man in the middle tapped the beverage bottle he was holding in his other hand with the ring on his ring finger, drawing people's attention back to him.

"Gentlemen, please don't reveal this matter yet. I plan to continue buying stocks today, at least one million, or two million, as long as the price is reasonable."

“I know some of you are worried about this. If you plan to leave, please sell your shares to me.”

The current federal trading market is still in the era of manual matching, which means that a transaction can only be completed when there is a seller and a buyer who have found each other.

Unlike in the past, where everyone could trade with all traders across all exchanges simply by pressing a few buttons.

Here, they can only trade with traders who have trading seats on the three major exchanges, so peer-to-peer buying and selling is supported.

The more he said that, the more others expressed their optimism about the stock's future, and no one would sell it at this time.

The person who revealed this information seemed somewhat regretful, saying, "If you want to make a move, feel free to call me anytime."

He gave these people a business card with some titles on it, and it looked like a wealthy person who was shifting from the real economy to finance.

The stockbroker apologized and hurried away, leaving Cooper watching his retreating figure with some curiosity.

He didn't leave; he stood there listening to them talk about the stock and other interesting things they had to say about the financial markets, which broadened his horizons considerably.

Sure enough, Detland and their community salon were completely different concepts. The environment, atmosphere, and the things he could access here were much more numerous and amazing. He was very interested in everything about it.

About ten minutes later, the stockbroker rushed back, his face flushed with excitement and covered in sweat.

"What's wrong?" Cooper asked.

The stockbroker, all smiles, shook his head, which piqued Cooper's interest even more. "Come on, I trust you so much, what are you trying to hide from me now?" The stockbroker hesitated for a moment, then, with the arm that was holding his, he pulled away from the crowd. "I made another sum of money, about fifty thousand dollars."

"If what that person said is true, then this 50,000 yuan will soon become 150,000, then 200,000 yuan."

"My total assets may exceed one million!"

"When that day comes, I can retire, and that day is not far away."

Cooper looked at him, somewhat puzzled. "You just heard a rumor..."

He felt that Cooper was gambling a bit, but Cooper laughed and said, "I've inquired around, and what he said seems to be true. Many big shots are frequently contacting Hope Mining Group, and... even if what he said isn't necessarily true."

"But as they acquire more mineral resources in the Lapa and Alam regions, their stock market value will certainly continue to increase."

"This is the first time in all my years in the industry that I've seen such a great opportunity!"

"I don't know if there will be another chance like this, but if I miss this opportunity, I will regret it for the rest of my life!"

His words and the atmosphere here stirred something within Cooper. He hesitated; he wanted to increase his investment, but he didn't know how.

He glanced at the stockbroker, remembering the guy saying he'd already invested everything. "Where did you get the money?"

The stockbroker stared at him for a moment, four or five seconds, and said, “Some of it is borrowed, some is mortgaged, and I’m considering whether to leverage it.”

His words gave Cooper some ideas. He also had a house, a car, and other assets, including bonds. He could scrape together another 30,000 to 40,000 yuan from these things.

If what they say is true, those thirty or forty thousand yuan will soon become hundreds of thousands.

His breathing became rapid, and the increased blood circulation made him feel hot all over. He picked up the beverage bottle and took a big gulp, but the icy feeling did not relieve the burning sensation in his body. Instead, it gave him an even more uncontrollable urge!
He tugged at his collar, his breathing becoming heavy. An opportunity, once lost, will never come again!
For his and his wife's dreams, for his children's future, for... himself!
Mr. Cooper is about to do something against... his ancestors probably didn't know what he was going to do, so it's not really a matter of going against or not going against, but he certainly wouldn't dare tell his wife about it, since it involves the whole family.

He knew his wife could be stubborn at times, and he didn't want to waste this good opportunity by explaining too much. He believed that once he earned more money, she would understand that he was the pillar of the family.

At the same time, the surrounding areas of Zhuolan could already feel the oppressive atmosphere and tension that preceded a large-scale battle.

The government forces have been holding their ground along the river and have done a good job of it, resulting in a stalemate between the two sides.

Now, things have changed somewhat; these rebels have united and, at Pedro's initiative and through his connections, they have come together.

"The situation is very pessimistic right now. The pessimistic part is that we don't know how many more national interests Diego and his government will have to sell out."

"I really don't want to say this, but I have to. We are facing a Federation that is much stronger than us, many times stronger."

"If he continues to sell out the country, even if we overthrow him, we will not be able to take back the interests he has sold out from the Union."

"Because we are too weak."

“If we forcefully try to take these things back, the federal government will have a reason to send troops, which would be very bad for us, so my idea is—”

"Before he betrays more national interests, let's remove him from the presidency. This country has been plagued by these parasites of the ruling class for too long; it's time for us, the people, to take charge!"

He spoke with such passion and fervor that everyone listened intently.

Ross's expression remained calm, revealing nothing unusual.

Actually, he wasn't too happy right now, because since he started working with Pedro, his men had gradually begun to gravitate towards Pedro.

Ross was just a worker, but Pedro was a high school teacher who had traveled abroad, including to the Czech Republic. His knowledge and understanding of the world far surpassed Ross's.

He can spout profound truths that Ross couldn't, and such people are actually the easiest to win the favor of those who lack education.

Just like the most common social activists at the bottom of federal society, all they need is a briefcase and a box. Then they can find a busy street in a slum, stand on the box, wave their arms, and promote their views and ideas to people. A group of people will gather around and become their "followers".

So Ross was a little unhappy; he felt like his things were being stolen, but now wasn't the time to turn against it.

The others were much simpler, because Pedro's analysis was quite correct: if Diego intended to prolong his power through treason, then even if they overthrew Diego and regained the country, nothing much would change.

For example, regarding the new federal center, even if they overthrow the Diego government, they still need to acknowledge the special status of this new federal center in Lapa.

There's only one now. What if there's a second, a third, or even one larger, distributed throughout the various regions of Lapa?
They can't even imagine it!
"I support your idea, Pedro. Tell us what to do!"

"I support you too, Pedro, let's do it!"

Many people support him, but some remain silent, neither expressing support nor opposition, thus tacitly acknowledging the matter.

They shared roughly the same idea as Ross: overthrowing the Diego government was the result of everyone's joint efforts, but ultimately only one person could stand at the pinnacle of power!

They will not yield; when they are required to take a step forward, they will not stop, much less retreat.

Pedro knew this too, but now, their goals were aligned.

“We must fight our way to the Zhuolan region. Like I said, the longer we drag this out, the worse the situation will become.”

"The federal government has provided him with a lot of equipment and funding, and there may be even more next time, so we are very pressed for time."

“I intend to launch the attack from here…” Pedro turned to a wooden board and began to explain his battle plan. Behind him was a map, which drew everyone’s attention.

While he was discussing with these rebel and anti-government leaders how to oust Diego from the presidency in a short time, Diego was also negotiating with two federal agents.

“I can sign, but after I sign, I need you to help me unfreeze my federal account.”

There are still tens of millions in there. Even if he doesn't do it for himself, he should do it for his family, even though he doesn't have a son.

Perhaps it's because he's reached this point that he's become more rational; he has to leave some bloodline for the Lavila family.

One of the two gentlemen sitting opposite him shook his head slightly. "I can't do that, but I can promise you that I can deposit one million into an account you specify."

Diego had actually prepared himself mentally, but he was still furious at this moment!

"One million?!"

"If you do this, I will never sign this agreement!" he roared, seemingly indicating he really wasn't going to sign.

But these people remained calm and composed, as if... he couldn't change anything at all!

"Your Excellency, you are not required to sign, nor is it necessary for you to sign it yourself."

“If someone else signed this agreement, we will simply transfer the money into their account.”

“One million is no small sum. It’s enough for your family, or the person you wish to be, to live a very comfortable life in the Federation.”

“As long as he doesn’t do anything reckless, this money is enough for him to enjoy a wealthy life for the rest of his life.”

Diego clenched his teeth tightly, he could hear the threats in their words, and his gums began to bleed.

Faced with the domineering presence of these people, his tense and stiff body finally softened again with a sigh.

"I sign..."

(End of this chapter)