[Chapter 577: Some People Can't Sit Still]
The conciliatory stance of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs swept across the U.S. like a chilling wind in December. Not long ago, they had been sitting atop the financial world, untouchable in their power.
As for William White, he showed no signs of delight. On the contrary, he felt a deep unease.
"Back down?"
"Are you kidding? Among the top ten financial conglomerates in the U.S., has anyone ever backed down? Not a single one."
In William White's view, his strategy of retreating to advance was something others had learned from. What was happening now was merely a performance; if anyone thought they could confront the conglomerates head-on, well, good luck to them -- they wouldn't know how they met their end.
If I said that the top ten conglomerates are the real controllers of the United States, many people might scoff. Suggesting that the Federal Reserve is the hidden hand behind it all might not cover the whole picture either.
In fact, both the Federal Reserve and the top ten conglomerates have controlled things for a while, though that time was brief. Right now, it could only be said that a certain power was particularly strong for a period.
Being the big shot in the U.S. can be quite perilous. The moment you cross these guys' interests, congratulations, you could be dead in an instant. Even the president isn't immune.
The truth is, being the President of the United States is a very dangerous job. It seems someone did the math, and those who haven't been assassinated are really not many.
Enough about the failed attempts; four who succeeded in getting killed all had connections to the financial oligarchs in one way or another.
The worst case was Kennedy. The reasons behind his assassination were bizarre, and his death was just as inexplicable. Most absurdly, all eighteen people in the know ended up dead.
William White was very sure that if it weren't for the security detail he had, his own life wouldn't be very secure either.
In such a civilized society, the occurrence of something like this is simply unfathomable. The funniest part is, those plotting to off the U.S. big shot are either insane or just plain crazy. Ha! These bastards are too lazy to even change the script.
...
"Dad, William has gone a bit far this time. Those old-timers wouldn't have any thoughts about it, would they?"
"Hehe, thoughts? Of course, they would love to swallow William White whole. But unfortunately for them, they didn't pay much attention when he was weaker. Now? If they don't want to kill each other off, it's best they stay obedient."
"Is it really that serious?"
"Hehe, I can't tell you those things. If one day you become president, you'll naturally know."
Bush Jr. was extremely surprised; he hadn't expected the confidentiality of such matters to be so strict. It seems William White's cautiousness is indeed justified.
"Dad, is the Secret Service here reliable? If not, I'm going to borrow a few people from William White."
"Hehe, do you think family background is just for show? Besides, your old man has been with the CIA for so many years; you think I just wasted my time?"
"Cut it out. According to William White, the Secret Service agents around Reagan could be sent to Africa to mine coal, and he wouldn't be exaggerating."
"If he got in trouble, that was because... Well, you don't need to know about that yet. Just understand that this world is far darker than you imagine. On this front, William White has a very clear understanding."
Those with their eyes open have long seen that security companies are just not profitable. Or rather, the ones that could have made money, William White doesn't bother with.
So the question arises: has William White gone daft?
Clearly not. At least for those with some insight, it's easy to figure out just how powerful his security team is.
If they took any improper measures, they would definitely be met with severe retaliation.
Secrets?
For some people, secrets are just a joke. Besides, even if something goes wrong, who cares? It just means a bunch of bastards can save on resources.
...
"Tanner, be careful recently; someone might be getting antsy. If something seems off, no need to ask for permission."
"Alright, master. Let's raise the security level a bit."
"Yes, and the younger ones at home need to have dedicated personnel assigned."
"Sure, master, I'll notify dad."
"Yep, better safe than sorry."
This time, William White was thinking too much. While some old-timers detest him, they don't appear ready to take any reckless chances. The conglomerate is not united, and the Federal Reserve isn't either. They can even be certain that if anything happens here, it'll be leaked immediately.
At the very least, the conglomerates in Texas and California are not going to mix with some Northerners.
The United States is a very funny place, with conflicts between the Donkey and Elephant parties, racial disparities, and North-South tensions. Add to that the conflicts between different religious beliefs. My gosh, the U.S. is simply a bizarre contradiction. The only thing that can bring them together might just be their interests.
William White's conflict with them doesn't yet mean a fight to the death. Historically, the big shots who have gone down in the U.S. were all eyeing the right to print currency. Whether it's greenbacks or silver certificates, touching that is the oligarchs' taboo.
That's why they all ended up dead.
Now it's even better; the dollar has turned into a fiat currency. How much profit is in that, only God knows. No matter how much money William White makes, he can't outpace their printing press.
It's said Morgan Stanley has assets amounting to trillions. Well, from what William White currently understands, it's really not that much. With so many cross-shareholdings, it's tough to make accurate assessments. They probably max out at five hundred billion; not outrageous by any means.
If you think the top conglomerate is nothing to worry about, you'd be laughed at. The right to print dollars lies with the Federal Reserve, and that alone is enough to let them walk triumphantly.
After the Bretton Woods system ended, the Federal Reserve should have stepped back. They obtained this currency power because the government was out of gold.
Now, it's up to national credit to support the dollar's worth. What excuse does the Federal Reserve have to stick its nose in?
Think about when Reagan was hit by that bullet.
Hehe, anyone trying to meddle in the currency would immediately learn their lesson.
And William White?
He simply prevents them from robbing him; that's all it is. It's not a fight to the death -- just a bit irksome.
Using inflation to plunder is their usual tactic. Over the past decade, the Federal Reserve has irresponsibly exported inflation worldwide to their delight.
But when it comes to William White, their methods have all gone belly up.
Collateralizing with physical gold?
Come on, we're not playing dirty like that. Wouldn't it be better to just invest in the U.S.? What's with all these creepy tactics? Damn cowboys.
The rate at which William White's assets are growing truly scares them. Meanwhile, he also has security forces. Not to mention, he controls the power of public opinion.
Let them mess with his money; just one misstep, and he could tear the mask off. The Twilight Saga's third book is out now, having sold over a million copies -- truly a miracle.
There's no hiding their derision for these old-timers. They believe that just one move from them and that hotheaded kid would definitely retaliate.
So the old-timers have become so accustomed to doing as they please. Suddenly encountering someone stubborn, they find they have nowhere to turn.
*****
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