[Chapter 564: Pressing the Gourd]
William White was ecstatic. Looking at the stumbling Dow Jones, he felt a wave of satisfaction.
At any time, if you just go with the flow, you would always achieve quite remarkable results. This time's short-selling action significantly proved the point.
The tension in the desert regions not only didn't ease, but escalated further. Aside from military stocks, everyone else seemed to be struggling. Surprisingly, the rising oil prices didn't boost stock prices.
Ha, it really was just a matter of being out of touch with the times.
Citigroup was furious; that old fox Murdoch had a face that seemed completely indifferent to chaos. It was a pipe dream to think he would part with any of his stakes.
Of course, the most infuriated should be Goldman Sachs. Filson, William White's top advisor, had begun to keep his distance from them. It was obvious what this meant.
Wall Street was just a tiny place, and such changes naturally caught the attention of those who were paying attention.
They had planned to go steal a chicken, but ended up with their sheep stolen instead. This sense of frustration was indescribable. The most embarrassing thing was, they hadn't even managed to steal the chicken.
With some people in despair, there were naturally others who found joy. The void left by Goldman Sachs was quickly filled. William White was relatively generous; otherwise, the projects they held might have ended up with Lehman Brothers.
"Sir, the head of Goldman Sachs wants to see you."
"Not happening. I'm planning to shoot a film about The Passion of the Christ, and I don't have the time."
Filson left. Whether the boss would see them or not didn't matter. What was important was that the boss intended to be unreasonable.
Damn it, a movie about this theme could not be made. If their boss truly got angry, no one would look good.
"Damn, I'm really showing you guys enough respect here. Can't you see how many Jewish executives there are in both NBC and Disney?" William White had every right to be angry. He had encountered many ruthless money-grabbers, but the absurdity like this only existed on Wall Street. He kept grumbling and reflecting on his gains and losses. It seemed his media outlets should lift some bans.
...
"What? Are you sure? Filson, do you even know what the consequences of this matter are?"
"Ha, all I can tell you is, the boss is very angry, and the consequences are severe. Honestly, some of Maupassant's novels might just make it to the big screen."
"Dude, we don't mean any harm."
"Yes, you certainly don't mean harm, just interest. Now, tell me, what kind of benefits can Fox bring you?"
"Benefits? Ha, right now it seems like there are none."
"Do you know, the boss plans to loosen the media regulations? He won't deliberately target Jewish people, nor will he deliberately protect you. You'll need to look out for yourselves."
Leaving a group of dumbfounded folks behind, Filson exited Goldman Sachs's office building.
"Do these bastards not know that if it weren't for Israle, the desert regions wouldn't be in this state? Why does this country provoke so much hatred? For you guys, one by one, the rich in the desert have all been offended by him." Filson secretly scolded the stupidity of these people. For a bit of profit, they truly threw caution to the wind.
He certainly knew the boss was just casually saying things. However, while you could say things lightly, others didn't dare to take them lightly. If something really went wrong, that would be the end of it.
White Films was now in an incredibly prominent position; calling it an industry standout was no exaggeration. If such a company started making waves, it would definitely cause major trouble.
Jewish people lived quite well in America; although they were cautious, it depended on who their opponents were.
Businesspeople are ruthless, and this truth is universal. Buying low and selling high was simply the nature of businesspeople; when encountering disasters, hoarding was just a reflexive behavior.
However, when a nation engages in such behavior for thousands of years, how hated could it be, that goes without saying.
As a new country, America hadn't been deeply affected by these folks. So they lived quite comfortably. Now some say, fellas, it seems like he plans to come after you because you're too greedy.
Fear?
Maybe a little.
Once upon a time, they lived quite comfortable lives in Europe too. Before the little mustache robbed them, Jewish people were undoubtedly the richest group in the world.
William White's warning reached them. Although it was somewhat humiliating, they had to compromise. Just look at how foolish these big oafs had become; if NBC followed that pattern, what a spectacle it would be.
Ha, now that would be amusing.
...
"William, what are you losing your mind about? Can't you chill for a sec?"
"Aw, come on, George, it's not me stirring the pot; your accusations are totally unfounded. I have a personal feud with Murdoch; what's their business in this? Kicking someone while they're down? Do they really think they have that right?"
"Ha, it's just greed; I thought you knew that."
"They've been making money hand over fist, darn it, do you think I'm not exhausted? Just wrapped up with Morgan Stanley, and now two more come along? It's never ending."
"Alright, stop being so dramatic; the media is something they really prioritize. Now that it's making bank, isn't it just normal to have some strange ideas?"
"Aw, I'm fed up with all these continuous waves; and they're all big players. If it keeps up like this, maybe I should just sell NBC; it really isn't worth the hassle."
"Don't you dare; it's not just any American platform anymore. You think the Justice Department wouldn't bother you?"
"Damn, if you push my buttons, I might just sell it off for pennies."
"Chill, chill, they're not gonna interfere with your squabbling; can't that be settled?"
"Tch, who cares, I'm just toying with the News Corp. Letting that old coot bleed a little is my goal. If he really got into dire straits, that'd be awfully dull."
Hanging up the phone, William White still felt a bit miffed. He urged those fools to recognize the situation; even without this media group backing him, he was no weaker than them. Time and again they kept causing trouble; they really didn't know how to quit while they were ahead.
"Sir, can we consider an IPO for our Tesla now?"
"Eh, if it weren't for this incident, we'd have gone public next year. Right now, I'm thinking about who will be the underwriter."
"Lehman is probably out of the running; the best fits should be Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. However, the relations are somewhat awkward now."
"Ha, no need to feel awkward; hand it over to Lehman and Bear Stearns. If someone messed up, they need to pay the price."
*****
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