William White had already completed his plans for Japan and was going to continue to invest heavily in the coming period.
Ha, some people might see him as a goodwill ambassador.
In fact, there were many savvy people in Japan; not all of them were just living it up without care. With such a huge trade deficit, if Japan didn't take the initiative, Uncle Sam would have had his way with them.
The more people who admired him now, the more would come to hate him in the future. But honestly, who cares?
"William, you're investing so much in Japan; do you have some insider information?"
William White was surprised at this idiot's bluntness. Damn, even if I knew, I couldn't just say it outright. When you see through something, don't expose it! What am I supposed to do when you just say it directly?
"George, you really aren't giving it much thought when you speak anymore. Is this something you can just ask? I don't consider you an outsider, but don't ask like that again."
Bush Jr. looked puzzled. He couldn't understand what couldn't be asked.
"Why can't I just ask?"
"George, I've invested over 2 billion dollars in Japan, and that number is growing. Don't think that I've also borrowed a lot from them, that money has already cycled back to Japan."
"Hmm, so what? Wall Street knows about this."
"Then let me ask you, with such a huge trade deficit, where is Washington's limit? When will they take action?"
"I don't know. Although many are unhappy, there's no news."
"It's not that there's no news; it's just that no one wants to share the benefits. There are many ways to reduce the trade deficit, like drastically raising tariffs like after World War I, or massively devaluing the dollar like during the gold crisis a few years back. But whatever happens, the dollar is expected to fall. If I don't invest abroad, where should I invest?"
"Wow, then investing abroad would be very rewarding," Bush Jr. wasn't an idiot. If he didn't understand these things, it would mean he'd pickled his brain with alcohol.
"That's not necessarily the case. It depends on how some people are thinking. Anyway, it's a game played by the Fed. Even though I'm not qualified to participate, I can still reap some benefits."
...
William White was quite happy, while a bunch of old geezers hiding in the shadows were fuming. After planning for so long, someone else had beat them to the punch.
The so-called Plaza Accord was more complex than what history books would have you believe. The Japanese weren't idiots; they wouldn't just lay down.
They had expected the dollar to devalue. Otherwise, they wouldn't have hesitated so much when lending to William White.
If he had needed yen, the Japanese might have thrown even more money at him.
Dollars? What if they devalued?
In fact, if he wanted to borrow more dollars from the Japanese now, they flatly wouldn't lend. A smaller amount might pass, but a large sum would never be agreed to.
William White's advanced planning was truly frustrating. The better the Fed's terms, the greater his profit, and in the end, they would have to support him.
...
Although autumn wasn't the best time for farming, planting a big poisonous tree was still a good idea. William White believed that as long as this poisonous tree grew strong, he wouldn't fear any threats.
Many eyes were watching this lucrative piece of business, but now they couldn't complain.
The only thing that gave them some relief was that William White decided to invest heavily in construction and not throw all his money into Japan.
They didn't realize that although William White was greedy, he had the good sense not to take the last penny and leave room for others.
Just like with Microsoft's shares, he wouldn't take more than 10%. If he took too much, others might start a new venture.
...
"Old timer, given the current situation, should we continue?"
"What? Rockefeller is short on cash? If so, I can lend you some."
"Hmph, when were we ever short of funds? Young Morgan, rashness in youth is fine; just don't overdo it."
"Hahaha, me, rash? The situation we're in now is because your outside brat misbehaved."
"You--"
"Alright, alright, let's calm down. As I see it, the arrow is already on the string -- it must be shot. We've progressed this far; saying we'll give up is just a joke now."
These folks today were basically at the top of the pyramid. They didn't really care about wins or losses; they just felt aggrieved.
They were fine controlling the big picture and stirring up troubles from behind the scenes. A scene as chaotic as today's hadn't appeared in at least a decade.
...
On the other side of the event, William White had reason to be proud. Despite the grandstanding of the older fellows, they really couldn't do anything against him.
Truth be told, they were playing different games. It's like you're playing a great game of Space Invaders; it's impossible to suddenly go next door and pick mushrooms too.
After hours of discussion, this group of bastards couldn't find a solution and had to opt for temporary retreat. One thing they agreed on: the strangling initiative would continue.
Yes, they were determined to fleece Japan -- that was practically a national policy and wouldn't change.
As for the annoying William White, they'd watch from the sidelines. Given the current sensitive situation, it was better not to act rashly.
Conglomerates were having tough times these days, and it wasn't just an act. Why was Citibank scheming against William White? Because they were desperately broke.
When you have a huge empire, you make a lot of money, but when you lose money, it's terrifying. Take a look at the current industries -- almost every one of them is losing money.
The old boys were sure that if things didn't change, most of them wouldn't live to see the economy take off.
After dealing with a group of so-called successful people, William White left by car. It seemed there were no suitable targets today.
"Hey, Tanner, have you noticed the neon lights seem dimmer lately? Are these folks too broke to pay their electric bills?"
"Master, there hasn't been much change. Perhaps it's your mindset that's shifted."
"Is that so? Tanner, you're improving. You talk almost like Fulton back in his youth."
Though he didn't strike it rich, William White was in good spirits. Life was going well now, so there was no need to tire himself out.
"Those damn bastards must be pretty frustrated," William White surmised with bad intentions, as it came very close to the truth. It was a very ironic situation, indeed.
*****
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