[Chapter 478: The Collapse of the Little Brothers]
Faced with the situation, the desert tycoon had no choice but to plead with the U.S.
How could the U.S. ever agree to such a request? The world economy was recovering, and they couldn't just take advantage. If another oil crisis hit, it would bring the world economy crashing down, and as for the culprits, they would have to bear the wrath of the entire world.
"Just hang in there for a bit longer; it can't be more than three to five years. It'll go by quick," was the summarized reply.
The desert tycoon was left speechless. Three to five months was pushing it; three to five years? That was just ridiculous.
Filled with anger, he was nonetheless helpless.
...
When buying bread needed a queue, it signified a serious problem with the country's supply. Coupled with inefficient work processes, it was a disaster waiting to happen.
There was no doubt that the Soviets were facing such a situation.
The so-called Cold War had effectively ended the moment they were forced to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Since the Cold War was over, whether or not those little brothers around them were necessary didn't really matter. They couldn't even feed their own people, so how could they afford to worry about their little brothers?
Militarily, the U.S. and the Soviets were evenly matched. After decades of arms racing, both were exhausted. Economically, the U.S. clearly had the upper hand.
The arms race had drained the Soviet economy, leaving it on shaky grounds. If they couldn't guarantee their people a loaf of bread, who cared about their nuclear arsenal? You couldn't fill your stomach with nuclear bombs; that simply wasn't rational.
To dismantle a solid fortress, attacking from within was undoubtedly the most effective strategy. The iron curtain that the Soviets had woven for decades was beginning to fray. Their little brothers had clearly had enough of endless exploitation.
...
"Sir, the Soviets are in big trouble this time; a bunch of folks in Eastern Europe is planning a rebellion," Tanner reported.
"Ha! Looks like the Cold Era is ending. But hey, how come you're so chipper, Tanner? You and the Soviets don't have any beef," William White expressed, somewhat bemused, glancing at the enthusiastic fellow.
"Sir, the reconnaissance satellites have news. But it seems they're not finished yet. Can you believe it? Producing three at once?" the excited man replied.
"Is the design confirmed?" William asked.
"We've got the full set of data," he asserted.
"Great! Preparation can start now. The plan of substituting one thing for another is a go," William directed.
"Alright, sir, I've already found three science whizzes; they won't have any issues," his subordinate confirmed.
"Good, very good. Just remember, this work can't be done in America. Rent a place in the Bahamas, and don't use our name."
"Understood, I'll take care of it right away," he confirmed.
Whether the Soviet Union stayed united or split didn't concern William White -- he believed they were long overdue for the latter.
...
"So, our diamond mine in Africa is gone?" Gaddafi asked, anger mixed with resignation. The general drop in oil prices painfully affected him. And now, they had lost another lucrative path.
Seeing Gaddafi's gloomy face, Moussa Koussa also felt immense frustration; he never imagined that within just two weeks, their diamond mine in Africa could change hands completely.
"Yes, Mr. President, the other side came prepared. Our little crew at the mine simply wasn't enough," came the reply.
"Is it those unrelenting cockroaches again?" Gaddafi inquired.
"Yes, after the Soviets started to withdraw, they were the only ones with that kind of strength," came the answer.
Gaddafi thought about tightening his belt and was beginning to regret having crossed the U.S. so forcefully. The situation was clearly a maneuver aimed at him.
Fortunately, Gaddafi wasn't a fool; he had many good friends in Europe. After all, despite cheap oil from the desert regions, transportation costs were always a factor.
His oil was not only reasonably priced, but also of good quality. Over seventy percent of the oil used by the Brits came from them.
With this connection, perhaps he could smooth things over with the U.S.
Admittedly, he was a skillful politician, but unfortunately, the Americans weren't keen on overly powerful partners. Being the world's top dog was quite the thrill; having competitors would just ruin the fun.
...
Recently, William White was extremely busy, with the GSM standards set and the negotiations for ADSL concluding.
From the perspective of Morgan Stanley, this new venture held even more potential than GSM. However, promoting it wasn't going to be a stroll in the park. While local networks were manageable, how to tackle the nationwide backbone network was a real question? Without support from Washington, it was a pipe dream.
"Living off others' success? Ha, what are you thinking? You guys want him to branch into telecommunications?" The chief of Morgan Stanley could barely contain himself at the complaints from the group of clueless Bell executives. This was a multi-billion dollar affair; did they really think he wouldn't be tempted?
Upon hearing their boss speak, the underlings at Bell decided to keep quiet. They were merely filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred; who would've thought that a discarded lab would become so powerful?
"What? Not talking anymore? Let me tell you, although William White is a jerk, he plays by the rules. Just because he doesn't eat your cake doesn't mean he lacks the prowess. That lab? Don't even think about criticizing it; it's a multi-hundred-million dollar investment each year. You think that's just sitting back and enjoying the fruits?"
The old man didn't mean to clear William's name; he simply was out of options. The mobile communications market was getting larger by the day, and if they squabbled with William now, who knew how it would end?
Each person wielded a hefty brick, becoming the essential accessory for Wall Street elites. The high-income crowd in America seemed to really take to this, despite the less-than-stellar call quality.
According to Bell Labs, the call quality of digital mobile communications could rival traditional telephones.
Just think about it! What an astonishing technology! If it could indeed reach that level, signing up a hundred million users worldwide would be no biggie.
*****
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