Having drafted a strategy, William White went home seeking comfort. He didn't want to face the reporters at the door. At a time like this, it was all too easy to trip up.
William White slept soundly. The photos taken by reporters looked staged. As the biggest loser in the nation, if you laughed too heartily, it just made you look foolish.
"Barry, keep a low profile with the media. Try reporting on disasters from around the world. If people see others are struggling, it'll lighten their mood a bit."
"Sure thing, Mr. White. I gotta ask though, the American economy isn't about to hit a turning point, right?"
"No way. It's a sharp decline, plain panic. It's just a classic herd mentality. The U.S. economy is fundamentally strong; it's just that the rise has been a bit too quick." William White knew he couldn't say much more; it was better to keep NBC's narrative subdued.
...
At that moment, the Americans were clearly caught off guard. The Secretary of the Treasury seemed to have bitten off more than he could chew.
All over the globe, dollar-based assets were plummeting, and the prices of precious metals were surging again. It felt like another silver crisis was about to unfold.
At that moment, major economies recognized one crucial problem: they could not afford for America to collapse. If the U.S. went under, everyone might just revert to bartering.
Gold could not replace the dollar's status, nor could silver. In this world, it seemed the only thing you could trust was the credit of the U.S.
But did these cowboys really have that credit?
Truth be told, the U.S. hadn't intended for things to escalate like this. They were just using threats and temptations as usual. The unfortunate Secretary of the Treasury clearly picked a bad time.
When the market opened on Tuesday, U.S. stocks continued to fall, and despair hung thick in the trading halls.
In reality, deaths had begun to occur. This time, it wasn't just common folks losing their shirts.
In just over two weeks, $4 trillion in assets evaporated. If you factor in financial products, the losses were truly horrific.
A group of dimwits finally noticed that the guy who took the biggest hit seemed to be sitting pretty quietly. Whether it was the auto plants or RAM factories, they went untouched.
Even the gigantic White Plaza project was moving along without a hitch. He didn't care one bit about all this nonsense.
The words William White spoke at a charity auction had been circulated. When even the waiters had insider information, the stock market had become overheated.
Well, when you hit it big, you can really say anything. Such nonsense somehow got hailed as classic wisdom.
For America, it was an excruciating, long week. Saying the economy was in shambles might be an exaggeration, but it wasn't far off.
...
"Sir, the stocks we selected have already taken a hit. The advisors suggest it might be time to start accumulating slowly."
"Now? Let's hold off a bit. Let's at least get through this week. It'll rebound later, and it'll naturally drop more when it falls," he replied.
"Sure, sir. Should we initiate the buyback plan? Legendary World's stock price is already close to its IPO price."
"Of course, a buyback is necessary, but there's no need to rush. If I do, won't I just end up being the single largest shareholder again?" William White realized he had been too generous. If he started unloading now, he'd be rolling in dough.
"Yeah, even with increased fund holdings, your direct control of shares is still too high. You'll have to reduce over time," came the response.
"Okay, let's wait until next week; we can initiate the buyback then."
William White viewed this so-called global stock disaster as either man-made or an American fiasco. If it weren't for that bumbling Secretary of the Treasury, there would've still been adjustments, but nothing so severe.
...
"Darling, it's terrifying. I need some comfort," she said.
William White rolled his eyes. "What's with you now? It's still daylight out."
"Hmph! My old investment advisor passed away. Ugh, come to think of it, he wasn't all that bad, aside from being a little greedy."
"Greedy? Ha! That's original sin, you know? Everyone's greedy, but you've got to manage your safety margin. You see, despite this calamity being severe, such extreme events are still considered outliers."
"Outlier, huh? The papers are saying a lot," she noted.
"Ugh, hold on. I need to notify the newspaper. For something like this, it's best to keep a low profile in the report," William White said.
He claimed it was just an extreme case, which wasn't entirely far-fetched. After several robberies, Americans' investment behavior remained relatively rational, typically risking only about thirty percent of their assets.
Moreover, those who'd lost their shirts weren't many. Most were now accustomed to buying funds, which were a bit more stable than stocks.
As for Nastassja's investment advisor, it was just unfortunate luck for him.
*****
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