[Chapter 491: The Wall Came Down]
The Berlin Wall, which had stood for 28 years, was subject to the largest demolition operation in history. Whether it was a misjudgment of the situation or a misunderstanding of higher-level orders, the wall had thoroughly lost its purpose.
At that moment, the whole world realized that the Soviets could no longer hold on. According to the Yalta Agreement, this wall symbolized the division of spheres of influence between the United States and the Soviet Union. Undoubtedly, the Soviets were furious.
Sadly, they were powerless now. Not only did they have to contend with their neighboring countries, but even their own household was far from peaceful.
With events reaching this point, the Cold War era existed merely in name. All that might have been missing was a formal agreement.
To avoid provoking the Soviets too much, America didn't take further action. If they pushed too hard now, the Soviets might turn hostile.
However, the big shots in Washington celebrating their victory was entirely expected. After years of confronting the Soviets, it was clear that the U.S. had emerged victorious. The only thing they worried about was the Soviets' arsenal.
...
"Boss, is this it? The Soviets can't be this cowardly, can they?"
"Haha, could it be anything else? They have more troubles at home. If they want to act, they'll at least have to fill their own bellies first."
With the continuous decline in oil prices, the Soviet economy had reached the brink of collapse. Their scant foreign reserves barely covered their debts.
"Boss, the falling oil prices, could this be part of Washington's plan?"
William White was curious; Jason Garrison usually didn't pay attention to such matters. It surprised him that this guy caught on. No wonder Mrs. Thatcher later gave speeches about how they ended the Soviets.
Since everyone seemed to know, there was nothing left to hide. They could even drum up a few votes for themselves.
"Ha! Jason, you hit the nail on the head. It's indeed a conspiracy: engage the Soviets in an arms race to drag their economy down. While they're busy trying to change things, we'll undercut oil prices, leaving them unable to recover."
"Dude, that's pretty sneaky. But really, just because of those cowboys? I don't buy it. They prefer to solve problems with weapons."
"Ha, isn't it quite devious? And it's a woman's idea."
"Is this from the British side?"
"Pretty much. I don't know the specifics, but it's a very complex plan."
William White wouldn't know the details; in fact, he was rather conflicted. The Soviets were about to fall, yet he wouldn't cut any significant piece of that colossal body.
Jason Garrison certainly didn't grasp William White's turmoil. To him, the Soviets' impending downfall signaled the beginning of a brighter future.
"Forget them. My family decided to develop in Australia. San Francisco is totally absurd."
"Honestly, California isn't that great. Los Angeles is just slightly better. So where are you thinking about? Australia is pretty vast."
"Still considering. Tasmania has great agriculture, but the population is too small."
"Forget Tasmania, Melbourne would be better, or Sydney."
"Let's go with Melbourne then; I can buy some farms nearby."
"Actually, you can wait a bit longer. You need to assess first. If you want to sell at a good price, you should be patient. The aftershocks might seem constant now, but if they weren't happening, who knows what big moves would be in store."
Upon hearing this, Jason Garrison felt it made sense. There was no need to flee; rushing to sell assets now would certainly lead to dissatisfaction with the price.
...
Meanwhile, a group of American tycoons caught wind of a looming danger.
Due to well-known reasons, they had foresight into the Japanese central bank's plans.
Indeed, the Japanese intended to burst this dangerous bubble. If stock trading could make money, what need would there be for entrepreneurs?
The hardworking Japanese men made less money than their wives trading stocks. Rather than cramming into subways every day, they might as well trade stocks with their wives.
For many, although wealth was appealing, it had a sense of undeserved entitlement. When such entitlement becomes the consensus of mainstream society, trouble is on the horizon for that nation.
Bursting this bubble personally?
The idea was nice, but it required the approval of Big Daddy America. In other words, if disaster struck, they needed to alert Uncle Sam first.
Well, that was quite powerful; that was the confidence that those financial conglomerates had.
Of course, the early exit plan for American financiers wasn't easy. They were simply too greedy, and with so many stakes, selling them off couldn't happen overnight.
Moreover, there were quite a few Japanese financiers too. They naturally needed to unload some of their stakes as well. However, they hadn't anticipated the severity of this disaster.
*****
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