Super Boy's share price genie-us
That Richard Li is such a comic.
Seriously. His cartoon likeness appeared on the cover of Subculture's new book, sporting a Superman cape and flying over Hong Kong.
Of course, we can't say for certain that it's him, because the character is called 'I.T. Kai' instead of Richard Li Tzar-kai.
But it sure looks like him. Plus Super Boy's chest displays an eight instead of an 'S'. That happens to be Pacific Century CyberWorks' stock code.
Anyway, the book is chock full of I.T. adventures.
One is set in a library, where the hero searched for a book on 'How to make a fortune on the Internet'.
The librarian told him to look under science fiction. Then he asks for a how-to guide on investing in hi-tech stocks.
She directed him to the horror stories section.
But Lai See 's favourite tale unfolds on a beach. There, Super Boy strolls with a Li Ka-shing-like character known as 'Kai Dad'.
The son is fretting over his share price, which has just plunged to HK$5 a share.
But Kai Senior says he can't help him because 'People might see it as a conflict of interest'.
Discouraged, the sulky son kicks at a bottle . . . and out pops a genie.
Said the bottle-dweller: 'You have freed me. What wish can I grant each of you in return?'
The father is selfless.
'Wealth is nothing to me,' he says. 'My only desire is to see my son's share price double.'
No sooner have the words left his mouth, than Kai's mobile phone rings.
It's 'Little Yuen', calling to say the share price has suddenly and inexplicably leapt to HK$10.
Then it's the son's turn.
'My wish is for my company's shares to be worth five times what my dad's are worth,' he declares.
'No problem,' said the entity, before vanishing.
As the last tendril of genie-smoke fades, Kai Dad's mobile rings. It's 'Uncle Fok', sounding distinctly bewildered.
'Boss, boss,' he moans. 'Our share price . . . I don't know why, but it just fell to $2.'
A murder story: Lai See spent last night drinking blood at a book launch.
Ok, we admit it wasn't real blood. But it was supposed to look like the stuff.
The book in question is called Hong Kong Murders, so in the spirit of choppers and severed body bits, everyone had to drink red wine or Bloody Marys.
Author Kate Whitehead tried to get some real blood flowing as well, but the Red Cross foiled her plans.
She asked if one of those blood donation vans could swing by the restaurant hosting the site. She was sure guests would sacrifice some fluid 'in the spirit of blood letting'.
The blood centre staffer said they needed more notice.
So her efforts were in vein.
Moon bust: We see PricewaterhouseCoopers has fallen foul of a soothsayer.
Malaysian astrologer Ramesh Chelliah, known professionally as 'Chiron', planned to list stock tips on his own site.
He based his tips on readings of the stars' movements, the Guardian newspaper tells us.
The star-gazer claimed the accounting firm had reneged on a deal to help him raise funds and slapped it with a US$80.8 million law suit.
Chiron is also demanding PricewaterhouseCoopers return his original documents on how to track the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
He says the firm has used his secret method for its own gain.
But Lai See doesn't believe that select stars really reflect today's markets.
These days anyone can see the markets in the stars - just look at the Big Dipper.
Graphic: whee16gbz
