Chapter 136: Addicted to robbing money, huh?

Bonds.
These aren't just things governments can issue.
Simply put, it's borrowing money from the market, paying interest on time, and repaying the principal at maturity.
Companies, especially large ones, also issue their own bonds for quick financing.
This is standard practice among large domestic enterprises, and Kintetsu Group is clearly well-versed in it.
But it was this particular bond that gave him a jolt; his intuition told him—this was it! There was no doubt about it!
"But…why bonds? And Japanese corporate bonds at that? The interest rate is ridiculously low, what's the point?"
Su Hao was completely baffled.
Corporate bond interest typically fluctuates based on market rates and is usually paid quarterly.
In Japan's ultra-low interest rate environment, how high could the coupon rate of corporate bonds be?
But that strong intuition, like an invisible hand, pressed his head down, forcing him to focus his attention here.
He took a deep breath and turned to the next page. His gaze fixed again!
[Kintetsu Group – Kumamoto Area Large-Scale Comprehensive Development Project Launch Announcement]
***
At the Jiangjin Group headquarters, in the chairman's office, the atmosphere was as tense as the calm before a storm.
"Have you found out? Which blind bastard is messing with us?!"
Qin Han, the chairman of Jiangjin Group, was staring at Wang Ming, the investment director, with a livid face.
The guy who dared to defy the odds last time, stabbing Jiangjin Group in the back and shorting the stock extensively.
Wang Ming had patted his chest, saying he would definitely find him, but now he looked constipated, stammering:
"Chairman, this matter... I'm afraid it will be difficult to investigate.
The other party's methods are too professional, using multiple layers of securities firms and shell companies, with large brokers handling the transactions layer by layer. The flow of funds is intricate and complex, and the short positions they've established... are practically watertight!"
"So, you mean we can't catch them?" Qin Han's tone grew even colder.
“Physical evidence… is indeed very difficult to obtain.” Wang Ming wiped his sweat. “However, we’re not entirely without clues; at least we have a highly suspicious suspect.”
“Oh? Tell me about it.”
“Do you remember the Zhongda Auto ‘emissions scandal’?
Back then, a mysterious group of funds used a similar method to short the German market, then triggered an explosion with news, making a fortune and disappearing!
This time, the method is exactly the same!
We internally speculate that this is likely the work of the same group.
Plus, the recent quarterly financial reports released by various private equity firms…”
Wang Ming paused, his voice lowering even further,
“Fanghuan Investment’s performance is simply dazzling, making a fortune, the figures are so exaggerated they’re unbelievable!
Therefore, everyone in the industry is speculating that the people who shorted Zhongda last time, and those who shorted our Jiangjin Group this time, are most likely the same group from Fanghuan Investment!”
Fanghuan Investment!
It’s those persistent ghosts again!
Qin Han's temples throbbed, a surge of anger rushing to his head.
These damned bastards had swindled a staggering 20 billion yuan from Jiangjin Group!
Then, with this ill-gotten gain, they swallowed up the Changqing real estate project without spending a single penny!
This feud had been brewing for a long time!
Now look what's happened, they've got a taste of robbing people, huh?
They've even gone so far as to target the stock price of Jiangjin Group?!
This is utterly outrageous! I can't tolerate this anymore!
He felt his blood pressure soaring.
"However, Chairman," Wang Ming added cautiously, "there are some rumors circulating in the market that aren't looking good for us."
"Rumors? What kind of bullshit rumors are these?" Qin Han asked irritably.
"So...so we deliberately released false information, saying there were short sellers shorting Jiangjin stock.
Actually, our Jiangjin Group colluded with a mysterious force to set a trap, wiping out those 'short squeeze daredevils' and foreign speculative capital who came attracted by the smell of blood."
"Wh...what the hell?!" Qin Han nearly flipped the table. "We deliberately detonated the battery?! Are we crazy?!"
"Ahem, the rumor is that we knew beforehand that the battery was faulty and beyond repair, so we used the situation to our advantage, making some money to cover our losses.
You know, whenever something big happens, conspiracy theories fly everywhere.
This time, those 'short squeeze funds' almost lost everything, so they needed a scapegoat, and naturally, the blame fell on us."
That explanation made sense.
Putting himself in their shoes, if Qin Han were tricked like that, he would also suspect someone was behind it all.
"By the way, Chairman, Kintetsu Group from Japan also got involved in this wave of foreign speculative capital."
"Kintetsu?" Qin Han raised an eyebrow.
"The company that built that 'Abeno Tower' in Osaka.
Kintetsu Group is being squeezed out of its core railway business by JR Group, so it's desperately trying to diversify into real estate, hotels, and retail.
But you know the Japanese real estate market—it's stagnant, nothing like ours.
So they've become shrewd, engaging in 'yen arbitrage,' jumping in wherever there's profit to be made, grabbing a quick buck and running—typical speculators."
"So, they participated in the short squeeze this time too?"
"That's right. They were rushing in with those 'suicide squads,' but the stock price plummeted instantly, leaving them no time to escape and suffering huge losses. They're cursing and swearing now."
Qin Han was completely bewildered.
What does it matter to them whether Kintetsu makes a profit or a loss?
What's Wang Ming up to?
"Chairman, Fanghuan Investment recently sent a business request to our Jiangjin Group," Wang Ming said, changing the subject.
"Fanghuan? What are they up to now?"
"They want us to sell all the short-term bonds of Kintetsu Group that we hold to them."
"...?" Qin Han's heart skipped a beat, his eyelids twitching almost imperceptibly.
They want Jiangjin Group to sell them Japanese corporate bonds?
What is Fanghuan Investment trying to do?
Wang Ming explained:
"The fund products our asset management department buys have different styles.
Japanese corporate bonds, well, low interest rates and low risk, they're a conservative allocation, but the returns aren't very attractive.
Actually, nobody really likes them."
"So, these Japanese corporate bonds are worthless?" Qin Han asked bluntly.
"They used to be okay, but after so many years of Abenomics, zero interest rates are almost the norm, and now nobody wants them anymore."
"We were planning to deal with it, but we just hadn't found a suitable buyer."
The implication is that this is a pile of "non-performing assets" that we've been holding onto.
But now, these "good Samaritans" from Fanghuan Investment are actually stepping forward to take over all of these "non-performing assets"?