Chapter 3: London

Before 1973, the so-called London Stock Exchange was not a single exchange, but rather a collective term for dozens of exchanges. Upon receiving this news, Yan Guang was quite surprised. He originally thought that he could simply go to the exchange, buy the stocks, and then return to the United States. Now it seems that he must first visit all these dozens of exchanges.

In order to suppress the railway protection movement in Sichuan, the new army from Hubei was dispatched to Sichuan for this purpose, resulting in a vacuum in Wuchang. This, in turn, triggered the Wuchang Uprising and plunged all of southern China into a frenzy of rebellion

The title of London as the "Fog City" remains highly renowned even in the twenty-first century, particularly due to the infamous London smog event that claimed the lives of over 10,000 people, which resonates profoundly with many.

"No problem. By the way, do you have juice here?" After taking out a week's worth of accommodation and meal expenses, Yan Guang looked up and asked

After disembarking from the passenger ship, Yan Guang quickly found a hotel that appeared to be quite decent not far from the port

During this period, London remained the financial center of the world. As the capital of the most powerful country in the world, the haze of London was quite famous, and many first-time visitors to London would even take a deep breath of the pervasive smoke.

"Chinese? Japanese?" the innkeeper asked with a hint of surprise upon seeing Yan Guang walk in

Certainly, those who jump into rivers, lakes, or off buildings should be even more grateful to the eighteen generations of Chen Bangrui's ancestors

The rubber stocks that indirectly led to the premature demise of the Qing Dynasty began in 1908. At that time, it can be said that the rubber prices in the London market were soaring exponentially, which also prompted more people to engage in the frenzied speculation of rubber.

Certainly, the fall of the Qing Dynasty can also be said to be related to rubber. In 1908, since synthetic rubber had not yet been developed, all the rubber used by people was naturally produced. Considering the constraints of growth cycles, climate, and soil factors, the production scale of rubber could not be expanded in the short term, which also determined the continuous rise in rubber prices for a period of time

"Alright..." Yan Guang walked a few steps down the left corridor, but soon turned back with a *picture* book. "By the way, could you please tell me where the London Stock Exchange is?"

"Truly, it is the Fog City..." Standing at the bow of the passenger ship, gazing at the city shrouded in mist in the distance, as the ship was about to enter the fog, Yan Guang took out a mask from his pocket and put it on his face, which surprised several travelers nearby who were preparing to take a deep breath

Now, Yan Guang is determined to go to London to multiply his wealth by ten or eight times. Then, he will return to his homeland with a substantial fortune to contribute to Comrade Chen Bangrui's grand cause of restoring the Ming dynasty and overthrowing the Qing.

At this time, due to the Qing court's incompetence, the rescue operation in Shanghai failed, which in turn sparked the rubber stock craze at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The total monetary loss across China was calculated in the tens of millions of taels, forcing the Qing court to nationalize the railways and subsequently mortgage them. This also led to the railway protection movement in Sichuan

Over 900,000 US dollars, equivalent to more than 100,000 British pounds, can be considered a substantial amount in this era. Although such money might not even make a ripple in the international financial system, he does not believe that any stock exchange could withstand the impact when rubber stocks were just beginning to rise.

Chinese people. During his months in the United States, and even on the passenger ship to London, Yan Guang had encountered such situations many times, and on several occasions, he had even gotten into fights with others, so he was no longer surprised by the current situation

However, by the next day, holding the stocks of this era at the largest stock exchange in London, Yan Guang admitted that he had miscalculated

Certainly, Yan Guang's self-concerned approach appears to others as a lack of appreciation, yet how could they possibly imagine the extent of toxic substances that permeate the fog enveloping London at this moment

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, with the rapid development of the automotive industry, the demand for rubber surged dramatically. At the same time, rubber emerged as a new material for numerous industrial products. Automobiles, tricycles, and rickshaws all adopted rubber tires. In Shanghai, people would wear rubber shoes over their cloth or leather shoes, referring to them as "cover shoes," and don rubber raincoats, allowing them to go out even during heavy rain. In addition to these, countless other rubber products emerged, making rubber a popular commodity.

Of course, when the bonfire has burned out, it will only leave a ground covered in ashes. When the London stock market crashes, the Huangpu River at that time will be no different from the Ganges, teeming with floating corpses

In the early 20th century, most people in London used coal as fuel, and the resulting smoke, combined with the pervasive fog in London, was truly a force to be reckoned with. Although the London smog event would not occur for several decades, Yan Guang still dared not underestimate the toxic substances present in the smoke. If it were not for the opportunity to make a fortune in London at this time, Yan Guang would absolutely not want to come to this place that could shorten one's lifespan.

It was at this time that foreign rubber companies began to establish themselves in the rubber-producing regions of Southeast Asia, with their headquarters located in Shanghai, the financial center of the Far East, to facilitate financing. These companies placed advertisements in Shanghai newspapers proclaiming that "buying rubber is buying the future." This led to a significant number of foreigners and local Chinese purchasing rubber stocks, and with some established companies inflating stock prices, it was quite common for prices to multiply by ten or more at that time, reaching levels as high as twenty-seven or twenty-eight times at one point.

Stock market frenzy - Protection of Railways Movement - Wuchang Uprising - Xinhai Revolution

It can be said that if it were not for the stock market frenzy, the Qing Dynasty could have lasted at least a few more years. In this regard, we must express our gratitude to Comrade Chen Bangrui, the Deputy Minister of Finance, and his student, Comrade Cheng Dequan, who was then the Governor of Jiangsu. If it were not for the enmity between Chen Bangrui and the then Shanghai Taotai Cai Naihuang, leading to their joint petition against Cai Naihuang, it is likely that Cai Naihuang's nearly successful market rescue efforts would have succeeded, and we would have had to wait several more years to hear news of the revolution's success. If it were not for the enmity between Chen Bangrui and the then Shanghai Taotai Cai Naihuang, leading to their joint petition against Cai Naihuang, it is likely that Cai Naihuang's nearly successful market rescue efforts would have succeeded, and we would have had to wait several more years to hear news of the revolution's success

Which one are you asking about

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"No, but you can go buy it at the store next door." After collecting the money, the hotel owner handed the key to Yan Guang. "The seventh room in the left corridor. If you need anything else, feel free to come find me."

The innkeeper nodded. "The accommodation is two shillings per day, excluding three meals. If you include the meals, it will be an additional five pence per day." For him, as long as the guests had money in their wallets, he had no interest in anything else.

However, there will absolutely be no mention of Yan Guang in this matter