Chapter 37: Wolf Blade
"What you just said isn't impossible!" James Dean said with a serious expression, "Currently, there are two main forces shorting Stark Industries' stock in the stock market. One is likely Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries, as you mentioned, and the other is an unknown force..."
At this point, James Dean pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's right, it's very likely Obadiah Stane. After all, if Tony Stark truly never returns from Afghanistan, then Obadiah Stane, as the third-largest shareholder and CEO, would very likely gain complete control of Stark Industries."
"So, does that mean Stark Industries' stock will plummet, falling below 70%?" Ling Xiao asked tentatively.
"If there's still no news of Stark from Afghanistan, then given the current trend, this outcome seems unavoidable," James Dean nodded gently, saying with a hint of melancholy, "Unless Stark can return alive from Afghanistan, otherwise, Stark Industries will likely change hands."
"Who knows!" Ling Xiao shrugged at James Dean and said, "Perhaps tomorrow, terrorists will publicly claim responsibility for the attack, or they might directly extort a hundred million dollars from Stark Industries. Either way, we're going to make a profit from this incident, aren't we?"
"Mm!" James Dean nodded softly. Ling Xiao was right; no matter what, Stark Industries' stock was bound to fall, and fall drastically. And these matters were beyond the control of small players like them.
"I'll trouble you to keep an eye on these matters for me, alright?" After checking his account, Ling Xiao prepared to leave.
"Yes, no problem." James Dean's mood still hadn't improved. He forced a smile and escorted Ling Xiao to the elevator. After watching Ling Xiao leave, he returned to his office alone.
Sitting behind his desk, James Dean opened his personal account and looked at the continuously falling Stark Industries stock. His heart was filled with regret.
When Ling Xiao first approached him, James Dean, despite his extreme disbelief, still instinctively spent ten thousand dollars to follow Ling Xiao's trading. It was a pity; if he had been bolder then, he might have made a fortune himself.
This was as far as the matter went. James Dean did nothing else. He didn't call the FBI, nor did he call Stark Industries. This wasn't because he fully believed Ling Xiao's words, but because in the face of such complex events, his small involvement could easily lead to him being swallowed whole by the whirlpool, leaving not even bones behind.
Coming down from the investment company, Ling Xiao couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Why did everyone he encountered seem to be so intelligent? James Dean was merely a Wall Street failure, yet he could directly analyze so much from Ling Xiao's actions. What about others?
This was, after all, a real world, and there were too many clever people. Ling Xiao reminded himself once again: he must be cautious, he must be careful.
As for James Dean's questions earlier, the explanation Ling Xiao gave was indeed sufficient for evasion, as the person doing these things was not him. Compared to an unknown small-time individual like him, Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries and Obadiah Stane were far more suspicious.
Ling Xiao wasn't worried that this trouble would involve him, because Tony Stark wasn't dead. He would return from Afghanistan soon, and then all of this wouldn't matter.
After briefly checking his car to ensure it hadn't been tampered with, Ling Xiao drove out of the underground parking lot.
As he drove, he thought about his meeting with James Dean today. This matter might cause him some trouble, but it wouldn't lead to anything serious. Before long, Tony Stark would return from Afghanistan, and all problems would vanish.
Returning to the stock market, if James Dean was correct, then both Justin Hammer and Obadiah Stane were shorting Stark Industries' stock. The former's goal was simple: he just wanted to see Stark Industries' stock plummet to rock bottom.
Obadiah Stane's goal, however, was more complex. If Ling Xiao's guess was correct, he would likely start acquiring the scattered Stark Industries shares on the market when the stock hit rock bottom, to further his control over Stark Industries.
Ling Xiao had no interest in Stark Industries' shares yet. Everything would have to wait until Tony Stark dealt with Obadiah Stane. That would likely be when Stark Industries' stock hit its lowest point.
After driving for a while on Wilshire Boulevard, the pickup truck pulled over again. Ling Xiao got out and quickly walked towards an Italian restaurant called Mezzaluna nearby. He needed to book a table for his date with Gan Jing tonight.
Beverly Hills also boasted 19 world-renowned jewelry and antique shops, and countless restaurants, with Mezzaluna being one of the top-tier establishments.
The atmosphere here was excellent; casual attire was acceptable. The restaurant had an oven baking pizzas in plain view, and there was also a bar.
Tuesdays at this place were "Motorcycle Night," and the racers who came were all prominent figures. Actor George Clooney was a regular patron.
Ling Xiao was very lucky; there was actually a vacant table tonight, and he quickly booked it. One had to know that for such a top-tier restaurant, it was often difficult to book a table even three days or a week in advance. It could only be said that Ling Xiao's luck was indeed good; a customer had just canceled, and he happened to catch it.
Ling Xiao had only come here to try his luck. After booking the table, Ling Xiao did not leave directly through the front door but quietly slipped out through the back. Soon, his tracks disappeared into the winding alleys behind.
It wasn't until half an hour later that Ling Xiao returned to the restaurant, then walked back to his pickup truck outside. He took a brown paper bag from his person and, without even looking at it, started the car.
Ling Xiao had already reviewed the contents of the brown paper bag. Inside was information about a man nicknamed "Wolf Blade." This Japanese man, whose real name was Saijo Genya, was one of Shizhi Xuan's key lieutenants in the Nisshin-kai more than ten years ago. His consistent method of killing was a low-angle stab to the kidney; the victim would go into shock instantly and die within half a minute, with no chance of survival even if a hospital or ambulance were nearby.
This was the man who suddenly disappeared over a decade ago, and his disappearance coincided with the time Kate Beckett's mother was murdered.
The person who killed Beckett's mother was highly likely this man. However, this person had long vanished, making it impossible to find clues about the mastermind from him.
However, Xiao Si did provide Ling Xiao with a clue: a few years ago, similar murder cases occurred in some parts of East Asia, with methods very similar to Saijo Genya's.
It was precisely because the victims were Hongmen (Hung Society) disciples in Southeast Asia that Qin Ming was able to produce such a detailed report in a short amount of time.
Although he had this information, Ling Xiao didn't know whether to give it to Beckett, because that incident was the only one in over ten years that could possibly have involved Saijo Genya, and it was also very possible that it wasn't Saijo Genya who acted, but rather his successor or someone similar.
It was highly likely that Saijo Genya had already passed away during these years, or was living in seclusion deep in the Japanese mountains, which would mean this lead had reached a dead end, and it would be almost impossible to continue the investigation from this direction.
Sigh, Ling Xiao gently sighed, pressed the accelerator with his right foot, and the car sped away from Beverly Hills, heading rapidly towards Ling's Pharmacy.