[Chapter 608: A Carrot]
As William White grew more acquainted with the world, he found it becoming less clear, instead of clearer. The gap between him and those behind the scenes was astonishing. Money might be important, but at their level, talking about wealth seemed utterly ridiculous.
William White had already become a cross-industry mogul. To put it frankly, making a splash in the resource industry wasn't necessary. However, when he realized that the wealth he held wasn't very reliable, choosing a more traditional industry became his only option.
"Sir, the dockworkers in Australia have compromised," Filson reported.
"Ha, I really thought they'd hold out for a year," he chuckled.
Filson smiled wryly. "Hold out for a year? People willing to work will always find a way to work. Besides, dockworkers don't make low wages. They're under significant pressure from all sides, as their actions have caused layoffs in many related industries. Two bars at the docks have also closed down. Over sixty percent of this town is linked to the docks. If we stop using that dock..."
"A bunch of amateurs. Tell the unions that if there's another round of talks, there won't be a need for discussions anymore. By the way, I've already bought the alternate port; we could move at any time."
"Ha, I think they should know how to get along."
The United States began withdrawing troops, and oil prices fell. Fifty bucks a barrel certainly felt great, but it was clearly a short-lived pleasure. Oil prices wouldn't rise until the Soviets completely collapsed.
Don't think for a second that over a hundred bucks a barrel in the future would be so cool. The purchasing power of the current forty to fifty dollars is far stronger than it will be after 2005.
The money American investors made from the Wanta Plan would have returned to the U.S. around 2005. This massive injection of capital drove the prices of all commodities priced in dollars sky-high.
In this sense, the Wanta Plan didn't just rob the Soviets; it effectively plundered the whole world.
...
"Sir, Mr. Raymond Chow has arrived."
"Uh-huh, bring him in. Lisa, get us some drinks," he instructed.
"Sure thing, sir."
William White raised an eyebrow; this was the life assistant Suzuki had found for him. Man, he had no idea what this girl was thinking; bringing in a tempest like that, how could I resist?
"Hey Raymond, what brings you here?" William asked.
Raymond Chow had come to lobby for someone. His longstanding relationship with William was no secret among the elites in Hong Kong. That foreigner was tough to handle, but not when it came to people he knew.
"Shipping? I figured you folks in Hong Kong wouldn't be interested in this business," William asked.
"No way! Not long ago, there was a crisis with iron ore; many shipping companies have taken a hit. If the outlook wasn't still promising, they'd probably be out of business by now," Raymond Chow explained.
"Is it that severe?" William interjected.
"It's really bad. A few bulk carriers might just get abandoned. And those vessels still on the stocks? If no one wants them, they might just be scrapped."
"Ugh, what about the Japanese? The shipyard is theirs, and so is the bank."
"Right, if not for that, they would have been pressing for loans long ago."
"Ahem, helping them out isn't impossible; I had scheduled a meeting with the Greek shipping queen. Since there's demand in Hong Kong, we could work something out," William said.
"Great, if you agree, the specifics can be discussed," Raymond Chow replied.
"Alright, enough about that. Let's try these cigars they just delivered. I hear they're all handcrafted by lovely ladies."
"Haha, we definitely need to try those."
William White wasn't interested in discussing details; that was for his staff to worry about. Maintaining a good relationship with the shipping families in Hong Kong was certainly in his interests. Offering them some benefit was sure to please everyone involved.
Truth be told, these goods would never reach Greece. Buyers for Australian iron were either from Japan or Hong Kong or China. Thus, this deal was best left to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was a significant international trade port, holding a vital spot in his layout. Dealing with these local players required binding interests, of course.
...
What was a small favor for William White was quite important for Hong Kong. Their positioning was primarily as a service hub and shipping center. Without those, how could one communicate with the world?
The next day, shipping stocks in Hong Kong surged -- the best illustration of this importance. BHP Billiton, one of the world's top three mining giants, might look like a new company, but the owner was quite the heavyweight. Their long-term orders would certainly boost stock prices.
Knowing buyers would continue to fulfill their contracts, the banks in Japan also eased up. Although credit was tight, this wasn't the time to shake things up. From Japan's perspective, the shipping industry wasn't worth their involvement at the moment. Those ships wouldn't do them any good.
Iron ore was recovering its supply, but the increased prices wouldn't revert. This commodity is not the same as oil; the three giants are practical monopolists, and they know how to protect their interests.
...
William White felt a bit of pain; iron ore had seen price increases while oil began its decline again, likely falling below twenty bucks a barrel.
Kuwait was now desperate for cash; they wouldn't care about quantities. This was their only source of income, and if they didn't exert themselves now, when would they?
Well, they could start by taking from neighboring Saudi Arabia; man, having snatched so much, it was about time to collect some interest back.
As for Saddam, the war had ended, but the reckoning had just begun.
Looking at the bill in his hands, Saddam trembled with rage. Hundreds of billions of dollars; even if he was sliced into bits, he couldn't come up with that much money.
No cash?
Great! That's exactly why the refusal to acknowledge their mistake requires continued sanctions. Without our consent, you won't export a drop of oil.
Want to regain your combat strength?
Dream on; there's no time to deal with you. The Soviets are the urgent problem. And anyway, next year is election year -- who's going to bother with Saddam?
Saddam was ignored, while Kuwait's rebuilding projects were very much in the spotlight. However, they didn't really concern William White. Their priority was to restore production.
As for war reparations, the U.S. wasn't looking to take a lion's share. For Kuwait's oil wells to resume production, it would take at least a year.
This world will always be like this; destruction is easy, but construction is hard. When you destroyed the oil wells, you certainly didn't consider any losses. Well, now the bill needs to be settled.
Loans owed must be repaid. Otherwise, you can just continue to linger on.
*****
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