Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 50 The Inventor (Bonus chapter for surpassing 300 recommendation votes)

The good news kept coming in; several of Larry's stocks rose, but because they were large-cap stocks, the gains weren't huge.

Larry was already very satisfied, because he held a large number of shares this time, a total of 1500 shares across the three betting companies. Assuming he could only earn $1 per share, his profit would exceed $1500.

If all goes well, Larry should earn a good income before the start of the new year's work season.

Of course, the most important factor in Larry's mind right now is Colt Corporation. Larry believes that the inside information he occasionally learns will make him a fortune.

At that time, the US stock market was in a state of great chaos, with insider information and market manipulation rampant.

Even assuming that regulatory authorities are always dutiful and fair, due to the limitations of the times, they are unable to promptly detect the more complex stock manipulation tactics.

Therefore, it was so easy for Mr. Wallace to agree to Larry's decision to vote based on inside information.

But we need to wait, wait patiently!

Larry kept telling himself that patience is a good quality, and true wealth comes from waiting.

While Larry was making his offer, he also kept an eye on Colt Firearms Manufacturing, which was currently his top pick and whose stock was around $45.

Colt missed out on the previous round of arms stock gains because it was not necessarily related to the Navy's shipbuilding program at the end of last year, and its stock price is currently fluctuating in a narrow range.

In the afternoon, Mr. Wallace finally appeared. He looked very busy, but the excitement in his eyes was undeniable.

Wallace saw Larry and immediately told him he could leave work early and go home to rest.

As soon as the stock market closed at 3 p.m., Larry rode his bicycle back to his apartment.

As soon as Larry entered the apartment building, he encountered an elderly gentleman dressed in a well-fitting suit, but with an extremely ornate and elaborate shirt. The man was adjusting his clothes in front of a full-length mirror in the porch.

Larry had a sudden thought and respectfully greeted the old man, "Excuse me for being so bold, but are you Mr. Winthrop?"

The old man looked Larry up and down, then nodded. "Young sir, it's an honor to meet you. May I ask who you are...?"

“I am a tenant renting your apartment. I have often heard Mrs. Winthrop mention you. It is very lucky to meet you today.”

The old man looked up and thought for a moment, then smiled at Larry, “Yes, I’ve heard Eleanor mention you, a gentleman beyond your years. Very good, I’m also very happy to meet you today.”

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Larry noticed that the old man looked like he was about to go out, so he casually asked,

"Sir, are you about to leave? I had planned to visit you, but it's too rushed today. We can find another opportunity later."

The old man nodded. "Are you visiting me? Are you interested in science...?"

Larry was taken aback, wondering why the old man said that, but he still smiled and replied, "Yes, I am very interested. But the reason I decided to visit you was because you are the editor-in-chief of The Boston Globe, and I am also very interested in the field of journalism."

The old man smiled, ignoring Larry's later words, and asked with a hint of mockery, "How interested are you in science or invention?"

Larry thought to himself, "That's hard to say. If I say I like playing World of Warcraft, does that count as having a prophetic interest in modern science?"
But of course he couldn't say that himself. Larry thought for a moment, then smiled and said...
"We live in an era where scientific achievements are emerging one after another, and I am very interested in any invention that can change traditional life."

The old man nodded, turned to the mirror, tucked a flower into his suit jacket pocket, and casually said, "Yes, the greatest fortune of living in this era is witnessing the birth of many inventions that change humanity. I'm a member of the Boston Science Salon, and today I'm going to witness the birth of a horseless carriage." Larry frowned, thinking, what does "horseless carriage" mean? Why is that so difficult to understand?

"Sir, what do you mean by a horseless carriage?" Larry asked.

The old man turned around, looking ready to go, and replied with a smile, "It's a brilliant invention by the German Karl Benz. Nowadays, some Americans are also trying to implement this very interesting machine, which can carry passengers on long distances without being pulled by horses, using an internal combustion engine."

“A car?!” Larry blurted out.

The old man was taken aback, a look of shock appearing on his face. He quickly asked, "Young sir, what was that word you just said?"

Larry hesitated, unsure if the car had already been invented by then, and since English often creates new words for new things, he wasn't sure if he was saying the right thing...

But now the old man was staring at him so intently, as if he wouldn't leave until he heard an explanation of this word, so he gritted his teeth and spelled out the word "car."

"a, u, t, o——aoto; m, o, b, i, l, e——mobile; aotomobile!! (car)"

The old man fell into quiet contemplation, one hand stroking his chest as he tilted his head back, carefully pondering the name, murmuring to himself.

“Oh my God, what a very apt and impressive new word. If I’m not mistaken, ‘auto’ is Ancient Greek for ‘automatic’ and ‘mobile’ is Latin for ‘moving’, isn’t that right? Young sir, is that how you coined the word?”

Larry thought to himself, "How am I supposed to know what root words this is made of?" But at this point, all he could do was nod and say, "Yes, that's the idea!"

The old man had an "I knew it" look on his face, but that look quickly turned to excitement. He grabbed Larry's shoulders tightly with both hands and nodded vigorously, saying, "Sir, your word is absolutely perfect. A self-moving machine, isn't that a car? Yes, yes, yes! Very good, very apt!!"

Larry was speechless, staring blankly at the excited old man, thinking to himself, "Is this the standard plot of encountering a time traveler?"

But the old man was still excited. He paced back and forth in the corridor, exclaiming as he walked, "Yes, this word is excellent! It aptly describes the essence of the machine and also has a great effect on spreading public opinion. It's fantastic!"

An excited gleam appeared in the old man's eyes. He grabbed Larry's shoulder again and exclaimed, "Young sir, do you know? Many Americans have tried to name this great invention. Some called it road machinery, some called it a bicycle with an engine, but I think it's not as fitting as a horseless carriage... But you, young sir, your name for this car is very fitting. It's a genius name that combines accuracy and beauty!"

Ok……

Larry thought to himself, "I've inadvertently rewritten history."

The old man sighed for a while, then suddenly raised his voice excitedly and asked, "May I use this word you invented to refer to cars in the newspaper in the future? I will explain in the newspaper that such an apt word comes from your God-given genius inspiration."

Larry nodded, "Sure, sure!"

The old man suddenly stopped and asked, "So, what's your name again?"

“Larry Livingston,” Larry replied.

The old man nodded, a broad smile on his face, and said in a loud voice, “Yes, Larry Livingston, the inventor of the word ‘automobile’! I invite you to come with me to visit the birthplace of America’s first automobile.”

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(End of this chapter)