Finally, I could choose my own life. So what path should I take next?
Sharon Stone knew that William White wouldn't interfere with her choices. In fact, that jerk didn't care about them at all. He was a proud guy to his core, and there's no way he'd care what she thought.
But no matter how hard she tried, there was no way she could match up to him. Whenever she was by his side, she always felt so insignificant.
She didn't like that feeling, not one bit. But at the same time, she loved another feeling. Yes, that sense of fulfillment. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't control her impulses.
...
The golf course on Lanai Island was opening.
"Max, you'll have to work hard this time. Check for risks beforehand, and make sure nothing unexpected happens."
"Sir, rest assured. After the workers leave, we'll do a final sweep."
"Good. Are the wild boars all rounded up?"
"Yes, the big ones are gone, and the rest are confined to a small area."
Since it's membership-based, the prestige naturally needs to be high. This so-called club of top tycoons naturally understood the benefits involved.
It wasn't the internet age yet, and making connections with other plutocrats wasn't easy. William White's club was ideal for such interactions.
And as for the pricey membership card?
Ha, those who could get an invitation wouldn't care about two million dollars. This was simply a ticket in. If you couldn't even afford this, you might as well go to sleep!
...
The American election finally came to a close, with a result of forty-nine to one.
In William White's view, this down-and-out actor, who was just like a nobody, seemed to have a cheat code. Not only did he survive an assassination attempt, but he also remained incredibly strong.
The economic situation, which was a complete mess, miraculously turned around during the election year. If it were claimed that this guy's economic strategy played a key role, the Elephants would probably have a hard time believing it.
Yet, all of this happened. Nearly achieving a grand slam result certainly sent the Elephants over the moon.
...
"Sir, Motorola is asking if you're interested in dynamic memory."
"Ha, Filson, are these folks going nuts?"
"Sir, I heard that the top three Japanese companies will be prohibited from production."
William White was really taken aback. Although he knew America had sanctioned Japan, he didn't know they'd use this method.
"The reason? Isn't this corporate behavior?"
"I heard it was for stealing American companies' technology."
"Haha, are they joking? Why would someone with superior technology steal from the inferior? Can't they come up with a plausible reason?"
"Heh heh, I think they've tried everything."
"What does Motorola think? If the Japanese don't produce, do they think they can sell their products?" William White said with disdain.
"Wall Street is cautiously optimistic, but not the most bullish."
"Cautiously optimistic? That's a way of saying you're about to go under, don't hold your breath."
William White had no interest in this part of the assets, even though this business was much larger than CPUs at the time.
As for now?
It's almost bleeding money.
Policy can be a double-edged sword. Relaying on it won't make you a top company.
Once your business becomes dependent on policy, it won't innovate further.
...
"Sir, William White declined."
"Eh, how do we handle this business? See if anyone else have any ideas. Maybe we shouldn't bother with it."
"Okay, sir."
America had dealt with three Japanese companies, but unfortunately, their own companies couldn't keep up either. The most ironic part was that American companies collapsed first.
Naturally, the affected consortia were quite unhappy with the current situation. To them, the Japanese were exceedingly hateful.
Over the years, reports criticizing the Japanese never ceased. This instance was simply another escalation.
Alright, as criticizing the Japanese became a trend, anyone who dared not join in was politically incorrect. Even though William White had many interests in Japan, he wasn't about to be irrational at such a time.
The reason America acted this way was simple: they were continuously applying pressure, merely to force them to compromise. As for those ridiculous reasons, anyone who believed them was a fool.
...
"William, how many people did you really invite this time?"
"Haha, George, you just barely made the cut yourself."
Bush Jr. never imagined such a big scene for this golf course's opening.
"William, why just businessmen? Didn't you think about inviting a couple of senators?"
"No, the Elephants are high and mighty now; I don't need to kiss any feet. As for the Donkeys, with just one state left, they might as well withdraw entirely."
William White didn't intend to invite any officials; they would just mess things up. His club was primarily for business purposes and shouldn't become a place for the Elephants to celebrate their victory.
...
"I really didn't see it coming, that this guy has such connections."
"Sir, it's not exactly due to personal relations. Everybody is expanding into the Asian market now. He's practically packaged all the Asian forces. On the other hand, Asia needs capital, and he's also packaged all sorts of European and American investment banks. This way, no one would refuse such an invitation."
"Haha, sounds simple, but that kind of foresight is unique."
"Indeed, films can even have healing effects now; no one knows how he does it."
"Hahaha, enviable kid."
...
With this matter going on, William White was quite annoyed. Whether or not you can make it is none of his business. Now his film studio was practically a battleground; those prying journalists simply couldn't be chased away.
Of course, there were benefits; Demi Moore was already a hit, enjoying the treatment of a top star even before filming wrapped.
Audiences showed great enthusiasm for the next film. Even before the movie completed shooting, people were already curious about its scheduling.
William White showed Hollywood a fact: the type of movie is never the issue; quality is the key to everything.
"What, a Valentine's Day release? Since when did we have a Valentine's slot?"
"I don't know, but I heard it's one of those sickeningly sweet movies."
"Alright, alright, let's adjust it then."
February wasn't considered a good slot -- usually a time for art films to debut en masse. Now here you come, adding to the chaos; those small companies would be troubled for sure.
Ordinarily, making ten million at the box office made them happy, but your movies easily grossed hundreds of millions, leaving no breathing room.
However, they would soon realize that the U.S. really had begun a Valentine's slot. This gimmick was quite appealing and could be extended to White Day -- just in time, a whole month.
The American public was delighted. The Elephants' victory ensured the trend of economic recovery would continue. As for those blabbering Donkeys, they should just go drop dead.
The Donkeys expressed dissatisfaction; they didn't believe they should be to blame. The long economic crisis wasn't their fault.
Unfortunately, their claims received no support; the utter collapse spoke volumes.
*****
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