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being whispered confidentially over the phone。 Remembering the Bartlett call earlier； deducing that Gornt and Bartlett had had a meeting … a successful one judging by Gornt's good humor … and realizing Gornt was relating the same confidences over and over； his curiosity peaked。 Later； he happened to hear Gornt saying to his solicitor； 〃。。。 selling short 。。。 No； don't worry； nothing's going to happen till I'm covered； not till about eleven。 。。。 Certainly。 I'll send the order； chopped； as soon as 。。。〃
The next call he was asked to make was long distance to the manager of the Bank of Switzerland and Zurich that； discreetly； he listened to。 〃。。。 I'm expecting a large draft of U。S。 dollars this morning； before eleven。 Phone me the instant； the very instant it's in my account 。。。〃
So； bemused； he had put the various pieces of the equation together and e up with a theory： If Bartlett has arranged a sudden secret partnership with Gornt； Struan's known enemy； to launch one of his raids； if Bartlett also takes part of the risk； or most of it … by secretly putting large sums in one of Gornt's numbered Swiss accounts to cover any sell…short losses … and lastly； if he's talked Gornt into being the front guy while he sits on the fence； the stuff is going to hit the fan in the exchange and Struan's stock has got to go down。
This precipitated an immediate business decision： Jump in quickly and sell Struan's short before the big guys and we'll make a bundle。
He remembered how he had almost groaned aloud because he had no money； no credit； no shares and no means to borrow any。 Then he recalled what one of his instructors at Harvard Business School had kept drumming into them： A faint heart never laid a lovely lady。 So he'd gone into a private office and phoned his newfound friend； Ishwar Soorjani； the moneylender and dealer in foreign exchange whom he had met through the old Eurasian at the library。 〃Say； Ishwar； your brother's head of Soorjani Stockbrokers； isn't he？〃
〃No； Young Master。 Arjan is my very first cousin。 Why？〃
〃If I wanted to sell a stock short would you back me？〃
〃Certainly； as I told you before； buying or selling I support you to the holster； if you have reasonable cash to cover any losses 。。。 or the equivalent。 No cash or equivalent so sorry。〃
〃Say I had some red…hot information？〃
〃The road to hell and debtor's prison is flooded to drowning with red…hot information； Young Master。 I advise against red…hot informations。〃
〃Boy；〃 Paul Choy said unhappily； 〃I could make us a few 100；000 before three。〃
〃Oh？ Would you care to whisper the illustrious name of the stock？〃
〃Would you back me for 。。。 for 20；000 U。S。？〃
〃Ah； so sorry； Young Master； I'm a moneylender not a money giver。 My ancestors forbid it！〃
〃20；000 HK？〃
〃Not even 10 dollars in your Rebel Dixie redbacks。〃
〃Gee； Ishwar； you're not much help。〃
〃Why not ask your illustrious uncle？ His chop 。。。 and I would instantly go to half a million。 HK。〃
Paul Choy knew that among his father's cash and assets transferred from the Ho…Pak to the Victoria had been many stock certificates and a list of securities held by various stockbrokers。 One was for 150；000 Struan shares。 Jesus； he thought； if I'm right the old man might get dumped。 If Gornt presses the raid the old man could get caught。
〃Good idea； Ishwar。 I'll call you back！〃 At once he had phoned his father but he could not reach him。 He left messages wherever he could and began to wait。 His anxiety grew。 Just before ten he heard Gornt's secretary answer the phone。 〃Yes？ 。。。 Oh； one moment please。 。。。 Mr。 Gornt？ A person…to…person call from Zurich。 。。。 You're through。〃
Once more he had tried to reach his father； wanting to give him the urgent news。 Then Gornt had sent for him。 〃Mr。 Choy； would you please run this over to my solicitor at once。〃 He handed over a sealed envelope。 〃Give it to him personally。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
So he had left the office。 At every phone he had stopped and tried to reach his father。 Then he had delivered the note； personally； watching the solicitor's face carefully。 He saw glee。 〃Is there a reply； sir？〃 he asked politely。
〃Just say everything will be done as ordered。〃 It was a few minutes past ten。
Outside the office door and going down in the elevator Paul Choy had weighed the pluses and the minuses。 His stomach twisting uneasily； he stopped at the nearest phone。 〃Ishwar？ Say； I've an urgent order from my uncle。 He wants to sell his Struan stock。 150；000 shares。〃
〃Ah； wise wise； there are terrible rumors speeding around。〃
〃I suggested you and Soorjani's should do it for him。 150；000 shares。 He asks can you do it instantly？ Can you do that？〃
〃Like a bird on the wing。 For the Esteemed Four Fingers we will go forth like Rothschilds！ Where are the shares？〃
〃In the vault。〃
〃I will need his chop at once。〃
〃I'm going to get it now but he said to sell at once。 He said to sell in small blocks so as not to shock the market。 He wants the very best price。 You'll sell at once？〃
〃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 beforehan