Spring in New York was accompanied by a bone-chilling wind.
The public opinion offensive launched by Felix, like this early spring chill, quickly swept across the entire East Coast.
Fowler's series of reports, titled "The Truth Beneath the Tracks," exploded in the public consciousness like heavy artillery shells.
Suddenly, the Eastern Railroad Alliance and its leader, Mr. Sloan, transformed from respected business titans into cold-blooded monopolists who exploited workers and disregarded lives.
Of course, Sloan was not one to sit idly by.
Still in his office at the Central Railroad headquarters, the railroad magnate, after much deliberation, finally came up with a plan.
Sloan said to his most trusted subordinate, Charles, "Such an old trick, they used it in Chicago and now again, they really look down on me. But, Charles, he seems to have forgotten one thing."
"What is it, sir?"
"He's not the only one who can use public opinion… The public's sympathy and anger are cheap and fickle."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Sloan's eyes.
"Today they can shed tears for a few dead Irish workers; tomorrow, they can just as easily be enraged by the dirty dealings behind a 'patriotic businessman' who rose from nothing."
He picked up a blank telegram paper.
"Contact the editor of The New York Herald," Sloan instructed, "Tell him that I will personally sponsor a new in-depth investigative column for their newspaper. The subject will be the miraculous rags-to-riches story of our rising 'Canning King,' Mr. Felix Argyle."
"Dig into his past."
Sloan's tone was devoid of any warmth, "I want to know how he managed to dismantle the local New York Meat Trade Association in just a few months. And what role his 'Patriot Investment Company' played in the catastrophic bankruptcy of Knickerbocker Bank. Even the astonishing profit margin of his six-million-dollar military contract."
"Does he want to portray himself as a patriotic hero who serves the people?"
A cruel smile formed on Sloan's lips, "Then I will portray him as a war profiteer who drinks the blood of the States and its soldiers."
"The media is just the first step," Sloan continued, "Charles, after this, go to Washington. Go meet our old friend in Congress, Senator Hans of Pennsylvania."
"Since he wants Clark to use the Military Committee to attack us," he added, "then let Senator Hans, in his Finance Committee, which he oversees, initiate a new proposal. I've already thought of the name for the proposal; it will be called 'Special Investigation into the Profits and Taxes of Wartime Core Military Suppliers.'"
"Under the guise of 'ensuring every penny of taxpayer money is used for the war,' I want to conduct the most thorough financial audit of Argyle & Co. Foods and Umbrella Corporation."
A full-scale counterattack, personally orchestrated by Sloan, launched simultaneously on both public opinion and political fronts, quietly began… Meanwhile, on Wall Street, another invisible undercurrent was stirring.
In Tom Hayes' office, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
His assistant, Johnny, handed him a transaction record, "Mr. President, the situation is a bit strange. Besides us, it seems another entity is also quietly buying shares of Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad."
Hayes took the record and scrutinized it. The data came from three different observers he had placed on the exchange floor.
"Who is it? Is Sloan's people buying back?"
"Doesn't seem like it," Johnny replied, "Buybacks would cause prices to rise, but now the stock price is only fluctuating slightly. Our observers report that it's not one broker buying. It's at least six, or even more, independent brokers. Each of them buys only a small amount each day, seemingly for some insignificant small clients. But when I compiled all the transaction records from the past week, I found that their entry points were always after ours, and their target was very focused."
"Adding up these scattered transactions," Johnny's tone became serious, "their total buying volume may already be no less than ours. This is an organized, covert operation."
Hayes' fingers tapped lightly on the table. As a veteran who had lived on Wall Street for half his life, he immediately sensed something unusual.
"It seems someone is using our shadow to cover their own actions," he said slowly, "To command so many independent brokers to conduct such precise coordinated operations without being detected by the market… This is not something an ordinary person can do. Behind this, there must be a truly big player."
...Sloan's counterattack was swifter and more ferocious than anyone anticipated.
Felix's public opinion offensive had just ignited public anger against the Railroad Alliance nationwide when an equally surging wave of ink swept in from New York.
The New York Herald, a newspaper whose circulation rivaled The Tribune, after receiving an undisclosed amount of "sponsorship" from Mr. Sloan, published an in-depth investigative article by its chief reporter on the most prominent spot on its front page the very next day.
The article's title was provocative—"The Canning King's Wealth Code: Opportunity, or Speculation?"
This report cleverly avoided all accusations against the Railroad Alliance, instead precisely targeting Felix himself.
It meticulously "reviewed" Felix's mythological rise over the past two years.
From how he initially defeated the local New York Meat Trade Association, to later bringing down Knickerbocker Bank on Wall Street, and then to his astonishingly profitable six-million-dollar military contract.
The article's author did not directly accuse Felix of illegality, but every word he wrote hinted to readers that Felix Argyle' success was not built on hard work and innovation, but on ruthless monopoly, merciless financial speculation, and profiting immensely from the war at the nation's expense.
"...While our soldiers bled in the mud of Virginia," the article concluded, "Mr. Argyle, however, calculated his astonishing profits from every can of military rations in his Fifth Avenue mansion. We can't help but ask, is this truly a patriotic businessman, or a more clever war profiteer?"
This article, like a carefully concocted poison, quickly neutralized the public's anger towards the Railroad Alliance. People's attention successfully shifted from "victimized workers" to "the suddenly rich Boss."
Suddenly, the tide began to subtly turn in New York's taverns and clubs.
"I read The Herald's article," a businessman said to his friend at the same table, "To be honest, he has a point. That Argyle, he got rich too fast, so fast it's a bit unsettling."
"Yes," another person echoed, "The Chicago papers say the railroad company is the devil, and the New York papers say Argyle is a vampire. Now, I don't even know who to believe."
Sloan's goal was achieved.
He didn't hope to clear his name; he just wanted to thoroughly muddy the waters. If I'm having a bad time, you won't have a good time either.
In Felix's study, Flynn placed a copy of The New York Herald in front of him.
Immediately after, an encrypted telegram from Washington also arrived. The telegram, sent by Senator Clark's assistant, briefly informed him that Senator Hans would soon initiate an investigation proposal against Argyle Company in the Finance Committee.
Finally, there was Tom Hayes's detailed report on the "mysterious buyer."
Felix looked at these three pieces of intelligence, coming from the battlefields of public opinion, politics, and finance respectively. It seemed Sloan's general counterattack had begun.
"Felix," Catherine's face was filled with worry, "Sloan's counterattack is more comprehensive than we imagined. The media, Congress, and now even an unknown opponent has appeared in the stock market. It seems we are surrounded."
"No, my dear." Felix shook his head. There was no panic on his face; instead, there was an excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
He walked to the chessboard in the corner of the study. It was a game of chess that had just reached the middlegame. He picked up a black knight, jumped over the defense line, and directly threatened the opponent's king.
"This isn't being surrounded," he said softly, looking at the chessboard. "This just means that more interesting players have joined our game."
Felix probably guessed who was active in the stock market. He turned to look at Catherine and Flynn, his brain already operating at high speed, and a brand new counterattack plan was taking shape.
"Want to audit my books?" A cold glint flashed in Felix's eyes. "Then we'll give them a massive account that they'll never be able to settle."
He immediately picked up a telegram form and began to dictate.
"Send to Major Carter at the Quartermaster Department."
"Edward, I need your help. Senator Hans wants to investigate my 'excessive profits' in Congress. I need the Quartermaster Department to immediately form a joint assessment team led by you. I will fully disclose the production costs of all our company's products to this team."
"I need this team to submit an official report to Congress as soon as possible." Felix's speaking speed grew faster and faster. "A report on the 'comprehensive cost-effectiveness ratio' comparing the use of our canned goods and medicines with the products from those old suppliers."
"Convert spoilage during transport, extra medical expenses incurred by soldiers due to food poisoning and wound infections, and even the loss of combat effectiveness due to logistical issues, all into US dollars, and clearly include them in the calculations!"
"I want all of Washington to clearly see that Argyle & Co. Foods is not selling canned goods, but the efficiency of victory. My profits come from the even larger expenses saved for the States!"
He then looked at the report sent by Hayes's people.
"As for that mysterious buyer…" A meaningful arc curved on Felix's lips. "Immediately tell Tom to continue as planned, but reduce the amount of New York Central Railroad purchased by half."
"Why?" Catherine asked, perplexed.
"Because it's easier to fish in troubled waters," Felix replied. "Since he also sees the trouble in the railroad alliance and is willing to help us drive down stock prices, why shouldn't we gladly accept this 'goodwill' from a third party? Let him wrestle with Sloan's people underwater."
"We can save our ammunition for more critical areas."
Then he looked at the chessboard, seemingly explaining to Catherine, yet also talking to himself.
"Sloan's public opinion counterattack is well-executed, but he's fallen into a trap. He's shifted the battlefield from the factual level, where he was bound to lose, to a moral level, where he also has no chance of winning."
"Accusing me of monopolizing and profiteering. These accusations might be very inflammatory for the general public, but Argyle & Co. Foods and Umbrella Corporation are not publicly listed, so they have little impact on me. And for our judges in Washington," Felix's lips curved into a smile, "they need evidence and data."
He turned around, his eyes regaining that confident look of being in control of everything.
He looked at Flynn, "Flynn, tell Fowler in Chicago not to engage in any pointless arguments with The Herald. Have him focus the next article on a topic that all Federal citizens care about, but Sloan cannot refute—cotton."
"Cotton?"
"Yes." A cold glint flashed in Felix's eyes. "I need Fowler to investigate in detail. In the first few months of the war, when our army was still worried about winter clothing, how many train cars of Mr. Sloan's New York Central Railroad Company transported large quantities of cotton from the border states to those ports that did business with the South."
Flynn's eyes instantly lit up. This was a potentially fatal angle of attack.
"I understand, Boss."
"Alright," Felix concluded, "For the media war, let Fowler slowly engage in a war of words with them. For the Washington war, let Chairman Clark and Major Carter prepare the ammunition."
He finally looked at Catherine.
"My dear, let's go to Wall Street," Felix said. "To meet Tom Hayes. Since a new player has joined the game, we should observe his playing style up close."
...In the afternoon, Felix and Catherine's carriage stopped below the Patriot Investment Company building.
In Hayes's office, the atmosphere was completely different from Felix's study. There were no cigars or brandy here, only the tense, ticking telegraph machines and the smell of money in the air.
"Boss, Miss O'Brien." Hayes handed over the latest transaction records. "That mysterious buyer is still continuously buying. Your strategy this morning was very effective; he absorbed a lot of the selling pressure for New York Central Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad, and the stock price is still steadily falling."
"I can probably guess who it is. Do you think it's him?"
"Nine times out of ten." Hayes lowered his voice. "To have such a large capital, and to act with such patience and concealment, there is probably only one person in all of New York besides us."
He slowly spoke the name.
"Cornelius Vanderbilt."
Felix's eyes were full of agreement.
"What do you think he wants to do?"
"I guess," Hayes analyzed, "he, like you, must have seen the weakness within the railroad alliance and smelled the coming storm. But he's not our enemy, Boss, at least not now. He's more like a hunter also lurking underwater."
Felix looked out the window at Wall Street, that stage where greed and fear were always playing out. It seemed this showdown was more complex and interesting than he had imagined.
Capitol Hill, the hearing room of the Senate Military Committee. The room was not large, but every inch of space was filled with the aura of power.
On the dark mahogany walls hung portraits of past Secretaries of War, as if silently observing the confrontation about to unfold.
At the heart of the hearing was a large U-shaped conference table.
Chairman Clark of the committee sat at the head of the table, his expression composed. Beside him were several core members of the Military Committee.
His political opponent, Senator Hans, was also present as a representative of the Finance Committee, but a hint of reluctant gloom was on his face.
On one side of the conference table sat two giants of the Eastern Railroad Alliance—Mr. Sloan, Chairman of the New York Central Railroad, and J. Edgar Thomson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Behind them stood their respective legal teams, looking calm and composed, as if they were merely attending an unimportant afternoon tea.
On the other side, only Felix and Catherine sat. They looked like they were fighting on foreign ground, outnumbered and outmatched.
Major Carter of the Quartermaster Department, in full military uniform, sat in the first row of the spectator seats behind them, a thick manila envelope resting on his lap.
"Gentlemen," Chairman Clark announced the start of the hearing, "The purpose of this closed-door emergency hearing is to investigate a series of recent allegations regarding 'the severe impact of wartime transportation monopolies on federal logistics security.' The committee has received urgent reports from the military and several core suppliers, and the situation is... concerning."
Chairman Clark's opening remarks immediately placed Sloan and Thomson in the defendant's dock.
"First," Chairman Clark looked at Felix, "the committee will hear testimony from the central figure in this incident, Mr. Felix Argyle, Chairman of Argyle & Co. Foods and Mississippi and Eastern Railroad Company."
Felix stood up in front of his seat.
"Mr. Chairman, Senators," his voice was clear and steady, "I need to state upfront that I am not here today for my personal business. I am here for the millions of soldiers on the front lines who are shedding blood for the States."
He handed a document to the committee assistant.
"This is a list of freight delays experienced by my railroad company over the past month due to 'safety inspections' at the Pittsburgh Central transfer hub. A total of over three hundred railcars of goods were delayed, with an average delay time exceeding seventy-two hours. This includes over fifty thousand cans of military rations scheduled for the Virginia front."
"This is a list of thirteen East Coast commercial clients who terminated their contracts with us as a result."
"And this," he picked up another document, "is a detailed report from my partner, Metropolitan Trading Company of Chicago, regarding twelve thousand pounds of fresh beef that spoiled in transit due to the same delays."
Felix made no emotional accusations; he simply laid out a series of cold facts on the table.
Sloan's lawyer immediately stood up to object: "Mr. Chairman, I object! These are merely Mr. Argyle's claims. Why aren't other companies making such claims? Railroad transportation scheduling is an extremely complex system, and delays are a normal occurrence. All actions of the New York Central Railroad comply with wartime transportation regulations."
Thomson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a seemingly more composed elderly man, added: "Our Eastern Railroad Alliance has never 'intentionally' delayed any military supplies. The issues Mr. Argyle's company encountered may be due to his own unfamiliarity with our alliance's mature scheduling processes."
"Mature processes?" Chairman Clark's lips curled into a sneer.
These old magnates were truly arrogant.
He turned to Major Carter. "Major Carter, please present the Quartermaster Department's assessment report on this 'mature process' to the committee now."
Major Carter stood up, walked forward, and opened the thick document bag on his lap.
"Gentlemen," his voice was loud and strong, "at the request of the Military Committee, the Quartermaster Department conducted a comprehensive 'cost-effectiveness' assessment of traditional military rations and the military rations provided by Argyle Company over the past week. The core of the assessment was not just the procurement unit price, but the entire chain of costs from transportation and storage to final consumption. Now, I will announce the assessment results to you."
He turned to the first page of the report.
"First, transportation and storage losses. Traditional military rations carried by the Eastern Railroad Alliance, due to its 'mature' scheduling processes, incurred a combined spoilage and loss rate of eighteen percent in transportation and storage over the past six months."
"In other words," he added, "for every one hundred dollars we paid, eighteen dollars worth of food became garbage before it even reached the soldiers' plates."
A low murmur rippled through the hearing room.
"Second, medical costs." Carter's voice became more serious. "Intestinal diseases caused by consuming spoiled traditional rations resulted in the Department of the Army incurring over two hundred thousand dollars in additional medical expenses over the past six months, and caused tens of thousands of 'sick days' in non-combat attrition."
"The final conclusion of the joint assessment team is that, when all hidden costs are included, the seemingly cheap transportation services of the Eastern Railroad Alliance are actually costing the States tens of thousands of dollars and our soldiers' valuable health every day."
Sloan and Thomson's faces, for the first time, turned ugly. They had not expected Felix to ally with the military logistics department to attack them.
Just then, Chairman Clark dropped the final, and most deadly, bomb.
"A very insightful report, Major Carter." His voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire room.
He turned his head and looked at Sloan, who was already restless.
"Mr. Sloan," Chairman Clark's tone was calm, "since you are so concerned about 'mature scheduling processes' and 'saving expenses for the States,' my committee has also coincidentally received an interesting investigation submitted by the Chicago Daily Truth regarding your company's cotton transportation business at the beginning of the war."
"I am very curious," his gaze sharpened like a knife, "in early 1862, when our army was severely short of even winter clothing, how was your 'mature process' able to so efficiently prioritize the transportation of thousands of tons of valuable cotton to ports with close trade ties to the South?"
"What kind of efficiency consideration was behind this?"
Sloan frowned.
Senator Clark's inquiry about "cotton" made the air in the conference room heavy, and everyone's eyes were focused on Sloan.
This was a dead end.
Denying the facts would appear pale and powerless in the face of the military's irrefutable evidence; admitting the facts would be tantamount to being suspected of "colluding with the enemy" in wartime.
In the back row of the public gallery in the hearing room, several reporters from The New York Herald, whom Sloan had invited to create momentum, had quietly put away their notebooks.
They knew that today's headline would probably not be written in the direction their Boss had expected.
However, Sloan was, after all, a formidable figure who had dominated Wall Street and the railroad industry for decades.
After the initial shock, he began to force himself to calm down.
Any hint of panic at this moment would lead to utter ruin.
A moment later, he slowly stood up, adjusted the lapel of his suit, and bowed slightly to Chairman Clark.
"Mr. Chairman," his voice, though a bit hoarse, had regained its composure, "regarding the cotton transportation you mentioned, I must point out that it happened in early 1862.
At that time, the war situation was still unclear, and the Federal Government had not imposed strict military control over trade in all border states.
My company was executing commercial contracts that were completely legal at the time."
His gaze swept over all the senators present.
"To re-examine a completely legal business act at that time, more than a year later, using the moral standard of 'efficiency'... with all due respect, Mr. Chairman, this is a very dangerous and retrospective political accusation.
It will make all businessmen currently serving the States shudder."
This was a very clever defense.
Sloan did not dwell on the facts themselves but cleverly elevated the issue from a "business ethics" problem to a political height of "legal retroactivity," attempting to resonate with other senators from business backgrounds present.
Just as Clark was about to press further, Senator Hans, who had been silent, finally found an opportunity to counterattack.
"Chairman Clark, I must interrupt."
He stood up, his voice clear and resonant, "I completely agree with Mr. Sloan's view.
Moreover, I must remind the committee that the subject of our hearing today is about 'the profits of military suppliers,' not the history of cotton trade a year ago.
I request, Mr. Chairman, not to deviate from the topic."
Senator Hans successfully brought the topic back, then once again aimed his spearhead at Felix.
"The reports from Mr. Argyle and Major Carter are indeed excellent.
But they also expose a deeper and more terrifying problem."
"If Mr. Argyle's company truly saved the States so much expense, as stated in the report, then does that mean our entire Quartermaster Department procurement system has suffered from enormous, systemic corruption and waste over the past two years?"
"Major Carter's report," his voice suddenly rose, "rather than defending Mr. Argyle's 'high profits,' is, in fact, mercilessly accusing all our past partners in the Quartermaster Department of being incompetent fools or thieves who stole from their own posts!"
Hans's tactic of expanding the attack surprised everyone present, instantly pitting Felix and the Quartermaster Department against all traditional suppliers.
"Therefore, I propose!"
Hans pressed on, putting forward a proposal that even Clark found difficult to handle, "Given the severity of the problem, the committee should not only listen to Mr. Argyle's one-sided account.
I propose that the scope of this hearing be immediately expanded and merged with the economic hearing I previously proposed, to conduct a comprehensive and indiscriminate financial audit of all suppliers who had large contracts with the Quartermaster Department in the past three years, including the companies of Mr. Sloan and Mr. Thomson who are present here!"
He looked around, speaking righteously, "I believe this is the most responsible approach to the taxpayers!"
Chairman Clark's expression changed slightly.
Hans was using a "politically correct" rogue tactic to dilute and delay the core purpose of this hearing.
A precise strike against the Railroad Alliance was about to be stirred by him into a bureaucratic mess involving dozens of companies and requiring months or even years to resolve.
"Senator Hans's proposal is very... constructive."
Chairman Clark finally spoke slowly, a hint of weariness in his voice, "The committee will give your proposal careful consideration."
He struck the gavel.
"Today's hearing is adjourned.
Recess!"
...After the hearing, in Senator Clark's private office.
Clark's tone was complex, "Felix, your comprehensive cost report caught them off guard.
But Hans and Sloan's final counterattack was also very vicious."
"They successfully muddied the waters," he added, "A comprehensive audit will drag everyone down.
Although they will certainly have problems eventually, this at least bought them valuable breathing room."
"I understand, Thomas."
Felix's reply remained composed, "They want to use 'time' to buy 'space.'
In their view, as long as they can drag out the investigation, they will have a chance to find new ways to attack me commercially."
"But," a smile flickered in Felix's eyes, "they haven't realized that time is now precisely on my side."
Catherine looked at Felix; she knew he must have another move up his sleeve.
"Mr. Chairman," Felix looked at him, "the hearing has achieved my first goal.
It has opened a visible wound in the credibility of Sloan and Thomson.
Now, those sharks on Wall Street have probably smelled blood."
...That afternoon, when the dramatic results of the hearing were telegraphed back to New York, the atmosphere in Tom Hayes's office reached its peak.
"Sir, everything is as you predicted!"
His assistant, Johnny, reported excitedly, "The stocks of those companies in the Railroad Alliance started to fall after the market opened this afternoon!
Pennsylvania Railroad's stock price has already fallen below nine dollars!"
"What about that mysterious third party?" Hayes asked.
"He's also in action!" Johnny replied, "He's in the market, frantically absorbing those New York Central Railroad stocks being dumped, in a way even greedier than us!"
Hayes looked out at the bustling exchange outside the window.
He knew that the political fire his Boss had ignited in Washington had successfully created the perfect hunting ground for them, the predators lurking in the financial market.
He picked up a blank telegram paper and began drafting the day's battle report for Felix.
But at the end of the report, he added his own judgment.
"...Boss, the muddy waters are ready, and he seems to be preparing to formally enter the fray as well."