War Is Over

Another week began, and the battle between the bulls and bears raged on, undeterred by time, for capital knows no rest.

Edward himself descended into the fray, facing off against Wood, for he foresaw that the war was drawing ever closer to its end. Every day, at the market's opening, he would initiate 500-box short orders on shells, stirring a panic in the market. Should Wood manage to absorb the pressure, the price would rise. Edward, then, would take no further action. But if Wood faltered, the price would inevitably fall, at which point Edward would unleash another 500-box short order in the final hours, riding the wave of his victory.

Despite Wood's efforts, and under his command, beer prices continued their upward trajectory, causing Edward to face significant losses. However, the weight of Wood's mounting pressure became more apparent. The bears' strategy, with its relentless pursuit, demonstrated strategic depth.

The opening and closing of the market, expertly orchestrated, served to direct the crowd's sentiment, guiding even the retail traders. Such mature methods—emerging from a future world—left Wood shaken, as he realized that his natural instincts and financial strength were no longer sufficient to dominate the market.

Wood had to exert greater force to maintain the price's ascent. For each short sale, combined with some from retail traders, he had to absorb the burden of these sales to steer the price upwards.

By Thursday, the Lübeck navy had once again triumphed over Denmark's fleet. This battle decisively shaped the course of the war. The Lübeck Times quickly interviewed the mayor, Henry von Rad, who gleefully declared, "Victory is certain; Denmark's navy has been almost entirely obliterated, and we now control the seas."

A reporter questioned, "But Denmark's army has already entered Holstein and is fighting our forces on land. How can you say victory is assured?"

"This is because Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, is a seaport city, directly vulnerable to a naval attack," the mayor explained.

"Will we be bombarding civilian homes?"

"No, we'll give them three days to reconsider, bomb the port, and demand surrender."

"What if they refuse?"

"Then we must bombard Copenhagen's buildings. It may result in some civilian casualties, but it's necessary to bring this war to a swift conclusion."

By Friday morning, everyone had seen the latest edition of the Lübeck Times, which sold out in an instant and had to be reprinted. Cheers erupted—Lübeck was on the verge of victory. Some even bought two copies, placing one on the wall to commemorate this monumental moment.

Lübeck, with its singular power, had defeated the entire Kingdom of Denmark—an astounding feat. It was akin to a count defeating a king. Though Lübeck was an autonomous city, in terms of military strength, it was no more than a count. However, its overwhelming naval superiority had ensured its victory. Many merchant ships had joined the fleet as mercenaries, turning into warships. Their reinforced wooden hulls, impervious to enemy shells, proved their strength.

Edward patiently awaited the opening, knowing that today would be Wood's reckoning.

As the market opened, Edward once again executed 1000-box short orders on shells, driving the price down. Wood knew the final battle had come and aggressively bought 1500 boxes. An hour later, Edward initiated another 1000-box short order. Upon seeing the price plummet again, Wood bought 800 boxes, pulling the price back up.

During the midday break, Edward took another 1000-box short position, and Wood, panting for breath, responded with 1300 boxes. In the final hour, a fierce showdown took place: Edward established 2000 short positions, while Wood purchased 2500 boxes, lifting the price once more.

At the close, the K-line chart depicted a long crossing star with massive volume—a clear sign of the fierce battle. Edward noted that their teams had leveraged up to twice the amount. Wood and his allies were exceedingly wealthy, but as long as they used leverage, Edward could trigger their liquidation. Unless Wood and his team never used leverage, Edward held their fate in his hands.

On Saturday, Edward, under his pseudonym Soros, continued his campaign in the Lübeck Times.

"Shell prices are showing signs of divergence at the top, a crash is imminent."

Greetings, I am the great short-seller Soros. The shell market on Friday formed a massive crossing star at the top—a classic indicator of a market peak. The major players are divided, their expectations for the market's future completely at odds. With soaring volumes, the market has reached its peak.

I even suspect that the bull market leader, the merchant Wood, is offloading at these high levels. The bulls are divided, and Wood himself has transformed into a bear.

Given the news that Lübeck has won the war, shell prices will inevitably collapse once the conflict ends. Based on both the fundamentals and technical indicators, I advise retail investors to take advantage of their nimbleness and sell while they can.

The shell rally is over.

Wood saw this article and wondered if this was an official declaration of war. "If you cannot defeat me on the battlefield, then you resort to such outside moves?" Wood thought. He too would write an article to rally his own supporters.

On Sunday, the Lübeck Times carried another message from Wood, the leading bull:

"The shell market is not finished; paper contracts are a pure contest of strength."

Greetings, I am the merchant Wood, the bull leader of shell contracts. I have not fled; I am still in the fight. The market has not ended, and it could double again.

My friends and I now control the shell futures. We are a force of over thirty Hansa merchants, and countless retail investors stand with us. We are an invincible collective, and Soros' analysis is mere academic talk.

Indeed, the war between Lübeck and Denmark is near its end. But these are just the words of an academic.

Before absolute strength, they are nothing but jokes. Absolute strength can turn a deer into a horse, can make black appear white. What was once a negative is now a positive.

Fundamentals matter before control; once control is established, they no longer hold sway.

Just as, before a battle, reasons are important, but once the war begins, it's all about strength. You cannot claim that because your reasons are right, the war should not be fought. The side with no reason must surrender and hand over their fortresses.

In Lübeck, no one possesses more strength than us thirty-odd Hansa merchants.

Forget good or bad news—the market will continue.

Those who believe in me, buy in on Monday, and we will all profit together. Let's take down Soros' positions.

Now, the only reason shell prices will rise is the united effort of Lübeck's citizens to cause the collapse of Soros' short positions. First, we will divide Soros' wealth, and then retreat in an orderly fashion, closing positions one by one.