Hunter family was truly peculiar. If you were already planning to play the silver futures game, why complicate things unnecessarily?
Their self-destructive behavior was remarkable. The White family was, after all, part of the wealthy elite. Though usually low-key, they weren't to be easily bullied.
"Young master, we have arranged the futures traders. They're all our people. What's your plan?"
"Fulton, our goal this time is to take advantage of opportunities. Don't reveal our identity."
"Got it, young master. I'll keep an eye on it."
"There's not much to worry about in London, but be more cautious in the U.S. Open more accounts if needed."
"Understood, young master. I'll arrange it right away."
Fulton could roughly guess that his young master was planning to ride the coattails of the Hunter family, who were already deeply involved in the silver market.
It was still only April, and the market in that other place would start around June. There was plenty of time to set things up.
The Hunter family had wrecked the metal futures market with this move. It wasn't until many years later that leverage was allowed to rise again in futures trading.
A few years before, they had played the soybean futures game, bankrupting many futures brokers. Despite that, the Hunter family hadn't faced any punishment.
This move had actually been long in the planning. With funds from desert tycoons added to their strength, the Hunter family was indeed powerful. Going head-to-head with them was sure to lead to a collapse. So, it was better to follow their route.
This crazy family had many things said about them by later generations. Looking at it now, things were far from simple. There was a lot of maneuvering involved.
William White was filled with emotions and found it hard to understand. Compared to building a vast silver empire, White Oil seemed insignificant. He wondered what those bastards were thinking. Why wasn't their greed ever enough?
...
"Young master, the people you asked for have arrived."
"Good, take them to the computer room."
"Alright."
Seeing a room full of computers, a few guys finally believed it. They weren't being fooled.
"Hello everyone, I'm William White. We have a small test now. If you can complete it on time, we can sign the contract right away."
Although their resumes looked decent, William White was cautious. He didn't want any half-baked staff.
The two electronic engineers also had tasks. They needed to make two simple circuit boards.
"Alright, you all have two hours. Even if it's not finished, it's okay. Just no mistakes allowed."
"Fulton, get them something to drink. If they need anything else, try to accommodate them."
"Okay, young master."
"I'll be back in two hours."
These guys weren't slackers and worked swiftly. Jobs were hard to find, and this company was generous, so they needed to do their best.
William White's goal was office software. The market potential for this was huge and would soon attract attention. Now was the last chance.
The guys indeed delivered, completing the task in just over an hour. They were now enjoying afternoon tea.
They were satisfied with the environment. Being Texans, the rugged setting didn't surprise them. They were just very curious about what the young master of the White family was up to.
"Carry on, don't mind me. I'll just check."
When they heard he was going to check, some software engineers felt skeptical. But they were soon stunned. His typing speed was faster than theirs, which required a lot of practice.
"Well, this one passed. Not bad, you even found my errors."
Their faces darkened, losing the previous smugness. That was the real test. Earlier, they had been saying the test had issues.
"Good, the circuit boards are also fine. Fixed two unreasonable circuits."
"Congratulations, you've passed the test. I'm very satisfied. Next, a lawyer will discuss the contract with you. If there's no problem, we're colleagues now."
The significantly higher-than-expected salary meant they had no objections to signing a confidentiality agreement. They didn't understand why, but as long as they got paid on time, they didn't care.
After they signed, they quickly understood the boss's plan. This thing surely had vast market prospects, at least, they had joined a reliable company.
Clearly, the boss had completed part of the coding. He was hiring because he simply didn't have enough time.
The two electronic engineers were also very happy. Being electronics enthusiasts, they loved this kind of work. These products would be wildly popular, there was no doubt.
...
The farm under the setting sun was beautiful, with a striking blue sky streaked with red. Truly breathtaking.
William rode his horse, strolling through the farm. Watching the cowboys herding cattle, and the sheepdogs barking at the sheep. Indeed, it was beautiful here.
The farm workers felt at ease; the young master of the White family was reliable. He had no intentions of abandoning the farm.
Recent years had been tough on the farm. Losing their jobs would make it hard to find suitable work quickly.
Everyone was in the same boat; cowboys here had it tough, and other places might be worse. But now, it seemed things wouldn't turn bad.
Farm or oil company?
Most people thought the choice was simple; the oil company's profits were obviously greater.
But they didn't understand that the oil company couldn't be kept. With oil prices so high, many would covet the business.
Selling the farm would barely cover taxes, and he'd still be deep in debt. How could he fight the old foxes in that situation? Being devoured was the only outcome.
Sadly, he didn't get it in the past life . The oil company was swallowed in a few years. Though he had plenty of money left, he almost ruined himself. Without the family trust, he might have ended up begging on the streets.
Life is full of choices, often wrong ones. Like the William White of the past; he aimed for greater benefits but lost it all.
On the surface, the White family's decision to abandon the oil industry seemed unwise. Oil was very expensive now and seemed to be climbing higher.
Farms were not worth mentioning. Most American farms lost money. Even when well-managed, the profits were minimal. Outsiders didn't understand this.
Logically, those eyeing this industry should have taken action, but it wasn't that simple.
The White family firmly controlled 35% of shares. The second largest shareholder didn't even have double digits. Swallowing the farm was easier said than done.
The current economic environment was terrible. Banks didn't want to issue loans. Diluting shares in a capital maneuver might get bank support, but a complete buyout or privatization was nearly impossible.
So-called capital operations were just high buy-low sell tactics. As actual controllers, the White family could indeed do that.
But now the problem was, the controllers could change at any moment. The risk was too high, and other competitors would surely join. A sole takeover was out of the question.
*****
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