The Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce invested billions, contacting various raw material suppliers to purchase medicinal herbs, chemicals, energy, and cotton products at high prices.
Shengshi Group was involved in all these sectors.
As the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce acquired and hoarded raw materials, prices in these key sectors immediately surged.
"Shengshi doesn't fear this, but the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce will profit significantly by speculating on raw materials with their liquid capital," Jiang Tiansheng stated.
The production of raw materials largely followed a production cycle.
Before the next cycle emerged, the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce only needed to inflate raw material prices and then sell, not only avoiding losses but also making substantial profits.
This was the power of capital.
Shengshi would certainly incur losses, but given its scale, it was well within its capacity to bear.
Moreover, Shengshi had the support of Longteng Group; even if the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce hoarded raw materials for three years, Shengshi would not collapse.
The unlucky ones were the end customers and consumers.
Chen Fan tapped his fingers on the table and asked, "Does raw material include cotton and linen?"
"Yes!"
Chen Fan took out his phone and made a call.
After a few minutes, the call was answered.
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end, "Hello!"
"Hudson, it's me, Jack!"
"Haha, Jack, my friend, you've finally contacted me. My friend, I thought you had forgotten me!"
"How could I, my friend," Chen Fan laughed. "I need a batch of cotton and linen, my friend. How much do you have?"
"As much as you want!"
Hudson roared with laughter.
"My friend, you know my plantations deal with this, and our Central Asian nations are full of plantations. My friend, I really miss you! That year, if it weren't for you and your friends, who helped me deal with those rebels, my family and I would be bones by the roadside now!"
"Then let's start with one hundred thousand tons, and have it delivered to Dahua."
"My friend, one hundred thousand tons is no problem, but Dahua is too far, and I can't deliver it!"
"No problem, someone will contact you!"
After hanging up, Chen Fan asked again, "Are there any other particularly special raw materials?"
Jiang Tiansheng became excited, his gaze filled with admiration for Chen Fan, as he listed various raw materials one by one.
After a moment of thought, Chen Fan made another call.
This time, he was direct, speaking in a foreign language, "I need a batch of chemical raw materials. Arrange for someone to export it and send it to Dahua. Someone will contact you to pick it up!"
After hanging up, Chen Fan handed the number to Jiang Tiansheng and said, "Send the contact information to Han Shuying. Once the goods arrive, you know what to do, right?"
Jiang Tiansheng's expression was excited. "I will maintain strict secrecy, time the dispersal of goods precisely, and surely catch the Liangjiang Group off guard!"
Mr. Long's network was beyond imagination.
He thought he understood Mr. Long well enough, but his knowledge was still just the tip of the iceberg.
Chen Fan's expression was calm. "This is just a minor skirmish, a lesson for Su Yuhua. He'll retreat when he sees the situation is unfavorable, and it won't break his bones."
"When you operate, pay attention to the timing!"
Jiang Tiansheng quickly nodded.
He knew that, to some extent, this was also a test for him.
Chen Fan spoke of it lightly, but in reality, the capital involved far exceeded five billion.
If handled well, it could cause Su Yuhua and the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce to lose two to three billion, making them feel the pinch.
Entrusting this matter to him for management, whether he handled it brilliantly or not, would determine his capability and vision, and whether he could be considered more valuable in Mr. Chen's eyes.
If he performed well, it wouldn't be a problem for Jiang Tiansheng to enter Longteng's senior management.
Jiang Tiansheng left with enthusiasm.
As for Chen Fan, he paid it no mind, his life remaining as calm as ever.
Seven days later, with the immense energy of Longteng Group, both batches of goods arrived at the port.
This was precisely when Su Yuhua continued to acquire, driving the prices of various raw materials to their peak, and the market was already experiencing extreme shortages.
At this moment, chemical raw materials and cotton and linen on the market suddenly began to circulate through smaller channels.
The Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce continued to acquire, aiming to both strangle Shengshi Group and to profit handsomely by speculating on the goods before exiting.
Liangjiang Building.
This was a building belonging to the Lin family. Its name was not originally this; it was renamed after the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce rented it.
On the top floor of the building was the headquarters of the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce.
Yuan Liangping looked at the price list on his computer, his expression jubilant.
The raw materials purchased by the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce for thirty billion yuan had already soared in value to a hundred billion yuan.
The prices of many raw materials had doubled and redoubled.
If the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce could successfully cash out now, its net profit would reach a staggering seven billion.
Of the thirty billion, he held a share of two hundred million, which would yield him four hundred and fifty million at that time.
It wasn't a huge amount for him, but a profit margin of 350% was astonishingly high.
And this was not even the peak; the peak had yet to be reached.
His phone suddenly rang.
"Hello, President Huang, how is it? Have you considered it? You want three hundred tons of chemical raw materials. Only we have such a large quantity, and tomorrow's price will only be higher than today's..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted, and his expression changed in surprise. "You don't want it anymore? There are materials on the market at one-third of our price. How is that possible?"
With a beep, the other party hung up.
He couldn't help but frown.
Just then, the office door was pushed open.
"Brother Yuan, something's happened! Hurry to the meeting, someone is dumping cotton, linen, and chemical raw materials at their original prices!" Su Lingyu said urgently from the doorway.
How could this be possible?
Both the market and the raw material producers were controlled by the Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce.
The Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce had mobilized the connections of its members and, with its substantial capital, continuously pushed up the market.
At this time, would someone forgo making a lot of money and dump cotton, linen, and chemical raw materials at their pre-price-increase original price?
He hurriedly entered the conference room.
All the directors of the chamber of commerce were present.
"Have you found out?" Su Yuhua asked, his face grim, sitting in the main seat.
Several directors in charge of this matter shook their heads and said, "The other party is very mysterious. Many partners don't even know who is selling the goods!"
"Could it be Shengshi? They must have inventory," suggested Young Master Wen.
"Absolutely impossible, unless Shengshi stops production and quits!"
A trace of unease flickered in Su Yuhua's mind. He made a decisive statement, "Lower the selling price by ten percent, and simultaneously, divert funds to acquire the goods at their original price with all our might. We'll buy as much as we can!"
This was a choice they had no choice but to make.
The Liangjiang Chamber of Commerce had considerable influence, but in this era of information, it was impossible to swallow all the raw materials before market fluctuations occurred.
There was a time lag involved.
Taking cotton and linen as an example, every batch they acquired would cause the market to react, and prices would rise.
This meant that the more capital they invested later in the speculation, the larger the amount.
Calculated as a whole, the price they acquired was still significantly higher than the earliest original price.
Now they had no choice but to continue acquiring; otherwise, if the market price dropped back to the original price, they would incur huge losses.
Moreover, with the dumping, the prices might even be lower than the original price, and the raw materials could be stuck in their hands.
"Find out who is selling, where the goods are from, and how much there is!" Su Yuhua said, his face grim.
Just then, Wen Zezhong's phone rang.
After he answered, his expression changed slightly.
He hung up the phone, his face looking ugly. "It has been confirmed at customs. The goods are from Longteng Group, imported from abroad!"
"One hundred thousand tons of cotton and linen, fifty thousand tons of chemical raw materials!"
Su Yuhua's expression changed.
All the chamber of commerce directors present also changed color in unison.
Their faces turned dejected!