Chapter 22: Takeoff
"By the way, boss, where did you get the information from?" the trader Ah He suddenly asked.
Hearing Ah He's question, Xie Dafu looked at the "Jiu Ding Daily" in his hand and realized that due to his nervousness, he had been gripping the newspaper tightly, and some parts were damp with sweat.
Looking at the large characters on the "Jiu Ding Daily," Xie Dafu shook his head with a sigh, not saying much, and handed the newspaper to Ah He.
Ah He took the newspaper and saw the article about Mingheng Industrial on the front page. After reading it in a few minutes, his expression changed drastically.
The article revealed serious problems with Mingheng Industrial, and Ah He realized that this was not news from any source but an analysis derived from limited data. If one had not read the article, even financial industry elites might not have discovered it so quickly.
Additionally, Ah He noticed that the article was written by an exceptionally skilled author. He had read numerous financial analyses from various newspapers and had a good sense of their analytical standards. The author, Xia Yu, seemed to be as proficient as those top analysts.
Ah He then remembered that the newspaper looked familiar. It seemed to be one of the free papers handed out when he entered the stock market earlier. He had dismissed it as an insignificant paper and had thrown it aside without reading it.
Feeling a shiver of relief for narrowly escaping disaster, Ah He was overcome with a sense of surviving a calamity.
"Boss, this Xia Yu is incredible. He's probably the only one in Hong Kong who could have uncovered the issues with Mingheng Industrial," Ah He said with admiration.
"Yeah, even though I hadn't heard of Xia Yu before, he's definitely made a name for himself today!" Xie Dafu nodded in agreement and added, "Remember, we need to subscribe to every issue of the 'Jiu Ding Daily' from now on. We avoided disaster this time, but if we miss it next time, we might miss out on opportunities."
"It's a pity. I was too flustered earlier and didn't short-sell Mingheng Industrial. But with such a short time frame, it might not have been possible anyway... I wonder if any institution short-sold Mingheng Industrial. If they did, they must have made a fortune!" Xie Dafu lamented, feeling regretful for missing out on the opportunity.
"Got it, boss. I'll remember," Ah He said with a nod of agreement.
---
In the short span of time, everyone in the trading floor witnessed the dramatic drop in Mingheng Industrial's stock price. Many people, confused, quickly asked those around them for details.
Soon, it became clear that the source of the news was the "Jiu Ding Daily." People who wanted to know the details immediately borrowed newspapers from others.
Many people who had discarded the newspapers earlier hurriedly searched for them. They had remembered that two people were handing out free papers at the entrance and rushed to get more.
Those who had thrown away the newspapers quickly looked towards the entrance and saw that the two staff members were still distributing papers. They flocked to grab the newspapers.
"Hey, give me a copy!"
"I want one too!"
"Hey, don't push! There are definitely enough copies…"
---
The scene became chaotic as everyone scrambled for a copy of the "Jiu Ding Daily."
As time passed, Xia Yu continued to wait and handle company matters.
At the Jiu Ding Press Company, several employees in the Communications Department were answering the nonstop ringing phones. As soon as one call ended, another came in.
All the calls were requests for newspaper deliveries, mostly from newsstand owners.
Despite talking continuously and drying out their throats, the employees in the Communications Department were far from tired; they were exhilarated. According to their estimates, the number of additional delivery requests was at least 30,000 copies, ten times the usual daily sales. They had never encountered such a situation.
They remembered their boss saying that higher sales meant higher bonuses.
Moreover, as long-time employees of the press, they felt a strong sense of pride and joy seeing the press rise. Their self-esteem was bolstered, and they felt more confident talking about their workplace.
Next to the Communications Department, a dedicated staff member was responsible for recording the specific quantities. The notebook was filled with records of the delivery amounts, and every half hour, the totals were reported to Xia Yu.
"Boss, so far we've delivered 76,400 copies. Of these, 32,800 copies are with newsstands, and the remaining 43,600 copies were taken by our own people," Li Qian reported to Xia Yu with admiration in her eyes.
She was amazed at how, in just a few days, a small newspaper with a daily circulation of around 3,000 had transformed under the hands of this sixteen-year-old. With 32,800 copies taken by newsstands, it meant that at least 30,000 copies had been sold, which was ten times the previous circulation!
And it was only just past ten in the morning. With more than ten hours left in the day, the current figures were not the end.
Li Qian was thoroughly impressed by the new boss's magical methods.
"Great! Thanks for your hard work!" Xia Yu said with a beaming smile.
The "Jiu Ding Daily" had achieved a successful launch!
And this was not the end. It was still early, and many people were at work and could not buy newspapers. As the impact of the "Xun Qin Ji" and Mingheng Industrial articles spread throughout the morning, the newspaper sales were expected to surge after lunchtime.
The 100,000 copies might not last until noon, so preparations needed to be made!
"Li Qian, inform the printing department to print an additional 40,000 copies on top of the 100,000. They must be printed before noon," Xia Yu instructed.
"Got it, boss!" Li Qian quickly agreed and ran to the printing department.
Watching Li Qian's departing figure, Xia Yu repressed his smile, took a few deep breaths, and murmured, "Stay calm! Stay calm! This is just the beginning. Keep up the effort and maintain stability. Don't get reckless!"
Xia Yu then continued working on "Xun Qin Ji," hoping to free himself from writing novels soon.
By noon, 100,000 copies of the newspaper had been delivered, and all the employees at the press cheered.
"Wow, we did it! We delivered 100,000 copies in just one morning!"
"Yes, yes! The boss is amazing. Nearly 50,000 copies were taken by newsstands, which means our newspaper's circulation has reached 50,000!"
---
At this moment, Xia Yu stepped out. All eyes were filled with admiration, which made him feel a bit proud, but he quickly reminded himself to stay composed.
"This afternoon, everyone work a little harder. I've arranged for takeout. We'll eat in shifts!" Xia Yu announced.
"It's not hard at all. We're happy to do it!"
"Thank you, boss!"
"Ring ring ring…"
Just then, the phone rang again, and everyone quieted down immediately. The Communications Department quickly answered, "Hello, this is Jiu Ding Press… Okay, 200 copies, right? In Kowloon…"
"Ring ring ring…"
As if synchronized, several other phones also began to ring.
Seeing this, Xia Yu smiled. It was only noon, and the situation he had anticipated was already unfolding.
He wondered if the additional 40,000 copies would be enough!
The afternoon passed in a busy flurry. Xia Yu didn't stay in the office all day but went to the trading floor to look for material for the next day's newspaper and to check his earnings.