jamesclavell.noblehouse-第114部分

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　〃Yes；　never　fear；　at　once。　And　we　will　get　the　best　price！〃
　〃Good。　And　most　important；　he　said　to　keep　this　secret。〃
　〃Verily；　Young　Master；　you　may　trust　us　implicitly。　And　the　stock　that　you　yourself　wished　to　sell　short？〃
　〃Oh　that　。。。　well　that'll　have　to　wait　。。。　until　I've　credit　heya？〃
　〃Wise　very　wise。〃
　Paul　Choy　shivered。　His　heart　was　pounding　now　in　the　silence　and　he　watched　his　father's　cigarette；　not　the　angry　face；　knowing　those　cold　black　eyes　were　boring　into　him；　deciding　his　fate。　He　remembered　how　he　had　almost　shouted　with　excitement　when　the　stock　had　begun　to　fall　almost　immediately；　monitoring　it　moment　by　moment；　then　ordering　Soorjani　to　buy　back　in　just　before　close　and　feeling　light…headed　and　in　euphoria。　At　once　he　had　phoned　his　girl；　spending　nearly　30　of　his　valuable　U。S。　dollars　telling　her　how　fantastic　his　day　had　been　and　how　much　he　missed　her。　She　said　how　much　she　missed　him　too　and　when　was　he　ing　back　to　Honolulu？　Her　name　was　Mika　Kasunari　and　she　was　sansei；　third…generation　American　of　Japanese　descent。　Her　parents　hated　him　because　he　was　Chinese；　as　he　knew　his　father　would　hate　her　because　she　was　Japanese　except　they　were　both　American；　both　of　them；　and　they　had　met　and　fallen　in　love　at　school。
　〃Very　soon；　honey；〃　he　had　promised　her　ecstatically；　'〃guaranteed　by　Christmas！　After　today　my　uncle'll　surely　give　me　a　bonus。　。。。〃
　The　work　that　Gornt　gave　him　for　the　rest　of　the　day　he　breezed　through。　Late　in　the　afternoon　Goodweather　Poon　had　phoned　to　say　his　father　would　see　him　in　Aberdeen　at　7：30　P。M。　Before　he　went　there　he　had　collected　Soorjani's　check　made　out　to　his　father。　615；000　HK　less　brokerage。
　Elated；　he　had　e　to　Aberdeen　and　given　him　the　check；　and　when　he　told　him　what　he　had　done　he　was　aghast　at　the　extent　of　his　father's　rage。　The　tirade　had　been　interrupted　by　Phillip　Chen's　phone　call。
　〃I'm　deeply　sorry　I've　offended　you；　Hon…　〃
　〃So　my　chop　is　yours；　my　wealth　is　yours　heya？〃　Four　Finger　Wu　shouted　suddenly。
　〃No；　Honored　Father；〃　he　gasped；　〃but　the　information　was　so　good　and　I　wanted　to　protect　your　stock　as　well　as　make　money　for　you。〃
　〃But　not　for　you　heya？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Father。　It　was　for　you。　To　make　you　money；　and　help　repay　all　the　money　you　invested　in　me　。。。　they　were　your　shares　and　it's　your　money。　I　tried　to　ca…　〃
　〃That's　no　fornicating　excuse！　You　e　with　me！〃
　Shakily　Paul　Choy　got　up　and　followed　the　old　man　onto　the　deck。　Four　Finger　Wu　cursed　his　bodyguard　away　and　pointed　a　stubby　finger　at　the　befouled　muddy　waters　in　the　harbor。　〃If　you　weren't　my　son；〃　he　hissed；　〃if　you　weren't　my　son　you'd　be　feeding　the　fish　there；　your　feet　in　a　chain；　this　very　moment。〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　〃If　you　ever　again　use　my　name；　my　chop；　my　anything　without　my　approval　you're　a　dead　man。〃
　〃Yes；　Father；〃　Paul　Choy　muttered；　petrified；　realizing　that　his　father　had　the　means；　the　will　and　the　authority　to　put　that　threat　into　effect　without　fear　of　retaliation。　〃Sorry；　Father。　I　swear　I'll　never　do　that　again。〃
　〃Good。　If　you'd　lost　one　bronze　cash　you'd　be　there　now。　It's　only　because　you　fornicating　won　that　you're　alive　now。〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　glared　at　his　son　and　continued　to　hide　his　delight　at　the　huge　windfall。　615；000　HK　less　a　few　dollars。　Unbelievable！　All　with　a　few　phone　calls　and　inside　knowledge；　he　was　thinking。　That's　as　miraculous　as　having　ten　tons　of　opium　leap　ashore　over　the　heads　of　the　Customs　boat！　The　boy's　paid　for　his　education　twenty　times　over　and　he's　here　hardly　three　weeks。　How　clever　。。。　but　also　how　dangerous！
　He　shivered　at　the　thought　of　other　minions　making　decisions　themselves。　Dew　neh　loh　moh　then　I　would　be　in　their　power　and　surely　in　jail　for　their　mistakes　and　not　my　own。　And　yet；　he　told　himself　helplessly；　this　is　the　way　barbarians　act　in　business。　Number　Seven　Son　is　trained　as　a　barbarian。　All　gods　bear　witness；　I　did　not　wish　to　create　a　viper！
　He　looked　at　his　son；　not　understanding　him；　hating　his　direct　way　of　speaking；　the　barbarian　way　and　not　in　innuendo　and　obliquely　like　a　civilized　person。
　And　yet　。。。　and　yet　better　than　600；000　HK　in　one　day。　If　I　had　talked　to　him　beforehand　I　would　never　have　agreed　and　I　would　have　lost　all　that　profit！　Ayeeyah！　Yes；　my　stock　would　be　down　all　that　fortune　in　one　day　。。。　oh　oh　oh！
　He　groped　for　a　box　and　sat　down；　his　heart　thumping　at　that　awful　thought。
　His　eyes　were　watching　his　son。　What　to　do　about　him？　he　asked　himself。　He　could　feel　the　weight　of　the　check　in　his　pocket。　It　seemed　unbelievable　that　his　son　could　make　that　amount　of　money　for　him　in　a　few　hours；　without　moving　the　stock　from　its　hiding　place。
　〃Explain　to　me　why　that　black…faced　foreign　devil　with　the　foul　name　owes　me　so　much　money！〃
　Paul　Choy　explained　the　mechanics　patiently；　desperate　to　please。
　The　old　man　thought　about　that。　〃Then　tomorrow　I　should　do　the　same　and　make　the　same？〃
　〃No；　Honored　Father。　You　take　your　gains　and　keep　them。　Today　was　almost　a　certainty。　It　was　a　sudden　attack；　a　raid。　We　do　not　know　how　the　Noble　House　will　react　tomorrow；　or　if　Gornt　really　intends　to　continue　the　raid。　He　can　buy　back　in　and　be　way　ahead　too。　It　would　be　dangerous　to　follow　Gornt　tomorrow；　very　dangerous。〃
　Four　Finger　Wu　threw　his　cigarette　away。　〃Then　what　should　I　do　tomorrow？〃
　〃Wait。　The　foreign　devil　market's　nervous　and　in　the　hands　of　foreign　devils。　I　counsel　you　to　wait　and　see　what　happens　with　the　Ho…Pak　and　the　Victoria。　May　I　use　your　name　to　ask　the　foreign　devil　Gornt　about　the　Ho…Pak？〃
　〃What？〃
　Patiently　Paul　Choy　refreshed　his　father's　memory　about　the　bank　run　and　possible　stock　manipulation。
　〃Ah；　yes；　I　understand；〃　the　old　man　said　loftily。　Paul　Choy　said　nothing；　knowing　he　did　not。　〃Then　we　。。。　then　I　just　wait？〃
　〃Yes；　Honored　Father。〃
　Four　Fingers　pulled　out　the　check　distastefully。　〃And　this　fornicating　piece　of　paper？　What　about　this？〃
　〃Convert　it　into　gold；　Honored　Father。　The　price　hardly　varies　at　all。　I　could　talk　to　Ishwar　Soorjani；　if　you　wish。　He　deals　in　foreign　exchange。〃
　〃And　where　would　I　keep　the　gold？〃　It　was　one　thing　to　smuggle　other　people's　gold　but　quite　another　to　have　to　worry　about　your　own。
　Paul　Choy　explained　that　physical　possession　of　the　gold　was　not　necessary　to　own　it。
　〃But　I　don't　trust　banks；〃　the　old　man　said　angrily。　〃If　it's　my　gold　it's　my　gold　and　not　a　bank's！〃
　〃Yes；　Father。　But　this　would　be　a　Swiss　bank；　not　in　Hong　Kong；　and　pletely　safe。〃
　〃You　guarantee　it　with　your　life？〃
　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　〃Good。〃　The　old　man　took　out　a　pen　and　signed　his　name　on　the　back　with　instructions　to　Soorjani　to　convert　it　at　once　into　gold。　He　gave　it　to　his　son。　〃On　your　head；　my　son。　And　we　wait　tomorrow？　We　don't　make　money　tomorrow？〃
　〃There　might　be　an　opportunity　for　further　profit　but　I　could　not　guarantee　it。　I　might　know　around　noon。〃
　〃Call　me　here　at　noon。〃
　〃Yes；　Father。　Of　course　if　we　had　our　own　exchange　we　could　manipulate　a　hundred　stocks　。。。〃　Paul　Choy　let　the　idea　hang　in　the　air。
　〃What？〃
　Carefully　the　young　man　began　to　explain　how　easy　it　would　be　for　them　to　form　their　own　exchange；　a　Chinese…dominated　exchange；　and　the　limitless　opportunities　for　profit　their　own　exchange　would　give。　He　talked　for　an　hour；　gaining　confidence　with　the　minutes；　explaining　as　simply　as　he　could。
　〃If　it's　so　easy；　my　son；　why　hasn't　Tightfist　Tung　done　it　…　or　Big　Noise　Sung　…　or　Moneybags　Ng　…　or　that　half…barbarian　gold…smuggler　from　Macao　…　or　Banker　Kwang　or　dozens　of　others；　heya？〃
　〃Perhaps　they've　never　had　the　idea；　or　courage。　Perhaps　they　want　to　work　within　the　foreign　devil　system　…　the　Turf　Club；　Cricket　Club；　knighthoods；　and　all　that　English　foolishness。　Perhaps　they　are　afraid　to　go　against　the　tide　or　they　haven't　got　the　knowledge。　We　have　the　knowledge　and　expertise。　Yes。　And　I've　a　friend　in　the　Golden　Mountain；　a　good　friend；　who　was　at　school　with　me　who　co…　〃
　〃What　friend？〃
　〃He's　Shanghainese　and　a　dragon　in　stocks；　a　broker　in　New　York　now。　Together；　with　the　cash　support；　we　could　do　it。　I　know　we　could。〃
　〃Ayeeyah！　With　a　northern　barbarian？〃　Four　Finger　Wu　scoffed。　〃How　could　you　trust　him？〃
　〃I　think　you　could　trust　him；　Honored　Father　…　of　course　you'd　set　boundaries　against　weeds　like　a　good　market　gardener　does。〃
　〃But　all　business　power　in　Hong　Kong　is　in　the　hands　of　foreign　devils。　Civilized　persons　couldn't　support　an　opposition　exchange。〃
　〃You　may　be　right；　Honored　Father；〃　Paul　Choy　agreed　cautiously；　keeping　his　excitement　off　his　face　and　out　of　his　voice。　〃But　all　Chinese　love　to　gamble。　Yet　at　the　moment　there's　not　one　civilized　person　stockbroker！　Why　do　foreign　devils　keep　us　out？　Because　we'd　outplay　them。　For　us　the　stock　market's　the　greatest　profession　in　the　world。　Once　our　people　in　Hong　Kong　see　our　market　is　wide　open　to　civilized　persons　and　their　panies；　they'll　flock　to　us。　Foreign　devils　will　be　forced　to　open　up　their　own　exchange　to　us　as　well。　We're　better　gamblers　than　they　are。　After　all；　Honorable　Father〃　…　he　waved　his　hand　at　the　shore；　at　the　tall　high　rises　and　the　boats　and　junks　and　floating　restaurants　…　〃this　could　be　all　yours！　It's　in　stocks　and　shares　and　the　stock　market　that　the　modern　man　owns　the　might　of　his　world。〃
　Four　Fingers　smoked　leisurely。　〃How　much　would　your　stock　market　cost；　Number　Seven　Son？〃
　〃A　year　of　time。　An　initial　investment　of　。。。　I　don't　know　exactly。〃　The　young　man's　heart　was　grinding。　He　could　sense　his　father's　avarice。　The　implications　of　forming　a　Chinese　stock　exchange　in　this　unregulated　capitalistic　society　were　so　far…reaching　to　him　that　he　felt　faint。　It　would　be　so　easy　given　time　and　。。。　and　how　much？　〃I　could　give　you　an　estimate　within　a　week。〃
　Four　Fingers　turned　his　shrewd　old　eyes　on　his　son　and　he　could　read　his　son's　excitement；　and　his　greed。　Is　it　for　money；　or　for　power？　he　asked　himself。
　It's　for　both；　he　decided。　The　young　fool　doesn't　know　that　they're　both　the　same。　He　thought　about　Phillip　Chen's　power　and　the　power　of　the　Noble　House　and　the　power　of　the　half…coin　that　John　Chen　had　stolen。　Phillip　Chen　and　his　wife　are　fools　too；　he　told　himself。　They　should　r