[Chapter 712: The Great Christmas Gift Giveaway]
A dozen high-end yachts and half a dozen business jets rolled in. As for jewelry, they were just on a shopping spree. Price didn't matter -- if it was expensive, it only added to the thrill.
William White, in this extravagant spending spree, certainly wasn't in anyone's good graces. People were struggling to make ends meet while he flaunted his wealth.
His plan to avoid taxes by spending money seemed pretty straightforward.
Center stage in this whirlwind of chaos, William White showed no signs of holding back. Land parcels across Montana and Wisconsin changed ownership, and it turned out he had become the largest landowner in the world.
Sure, that was just in terms of acreage; when it came to production, he didn't even rank in the top ten.
...
Looking at the yacht brochures on the coffee table, Nastassja Kinski couldn't help but scoff. If that jerk would just show up, this Christmas would be perfect. Curiously, though, she hadn't felt any changes in her body despite not taking any precautions recently. Could it be she was simply getting old?
...
Meanwhile, across the ocean in Australia, a certain young lady was delighted. The yachts were nice, but the sparkling gems? Women just couldn't resist them.
What Nicole didn't know was her father was sighing over William White; he had zero fondness for the man. As a psychologist, he somehow remained oblivious to what his daughter truly thought.
Alright, blame it all on William White once again.
...
William White's ears burned; too many people were harboring resentments towards him at that moment. The label of "super jerk" seemed permanently affixed to him.
In truth, William White wanted to say, though he couldn't claim to love every person, he had certainly liked quite a few.
Whether that liking counted as love, he honestly couldn't tell. Maybe when he reached a moment of loss so painful that it felt unbearable -- that would mean it was love.
"Dear God, I admit I've done many bad things this year. I hope you can forgive my sins." The priest chuckled softly to himself, thinking about this damned bastard who only came to confess. Was this some sort of performance art?
"Thank you for taking the time to listen to my ramblings, Father Joseph."
"My child, may you possess a heart full of forgiveness."
"I'll remember that. This year, Africa is facing drought again. The batch of food and bread I've collected will definitely arrive before Christmas. May God bless them."
Alright, so even though William White was kind of a jerk, he had his own principles. Since there were issues with his donations, severing ties was not an option.
...
With free hotel accommodations, plane tickets, and a sizeable check, the title of "America's Best Employer" seemed genuinely deserving of William White's name.
A group of union members looking to complicate matters for him couldn't help but feel frustrated. There was no way to view William White as a regular person; his mindset was completely different from theirs.
Of course, they could take whatever he offered. Advocating for their own interests was fine, but they better show results. Using the union to apply pressure would only make things worse.
Look at those who were driven away; their eyes were filled with envy and hatred. If the situation repeated, would they still believe the union's persuading?
Bosses and employees were a lot like a couple; friction was inevitable. If one side grew too domineering, a compromise was all anyone needed.
What was a union?
Essentially, a third party without principles.
In America, those who dared to seriously offend a union didn't have a pleasant fate awaiting them. The U.S. was simply a nation made up of various clubs, and the prominence of unions was undeniable. They wouldn't even hesitate to challenge the president.
And William White?
Alright, he was a true oddball. He didn't give a hoot about the largest auto workers' union, let alone any others. Go ahead, try causing a ruckus.
If someone asked who the clubs in America feared the most, William White would surely rank near the top. You dare to play dirty? Better be ready to vanish.
...
Twirling the bloodstone bracelet in her hand, Michelle Reis felt delighted. To her, it looked better than diamonds.
She had a right to that opinion; after all, William White was America's top diamond distributor, so he was bound to have the best.
"Merry Christmas, Max! How've you been?" Seeing that the young woman genuinely liked her gift made William White happy.
"Sir, Merry Christmas! Things are much better here. The base still feels safer; it's too chaotic here for sleeping. By the way, the CIA wants to borrow a few people for a mission to Somalia."
"No way, that place is a quagmire. Besides, with the new leadership in place, we need to observe a bit longer."
"Got it, I'll turn them down. These guys are hilarious -- Somalia has nothing; do they plan on being fishermen?"
"Ha! Max, you're missing the point. What's in Panama? Nothing at all!"
"Sir, are you saying they care about the safety of shipping lanes? Somalia doesn't even have a navy. Do they really need to meddle?"
"Ha! A navy? Once the Soviets go belly up, those aircraft carriers can be dismantled -- no one will engage in any naval warfare. Plus, if these big shots decide to venture out, the costs will be substantial."
"Ha! They probably don't have the cash to mess around; the CIA has been facing budget cuts lately."
"Alright, let's leave it at that. Just tell them to stay safe."
Max would never imagine that future products of this area would be pirates. What was wild was that this gang started hijacking any vessel they could find.
Turning Africa into a disaster zone was undoubtedly a blunder for Europe. A single CIA was already troublesome; combine that with European involvement, and you could bet the entire continent would be painted chocolate brown.
This wasn't a joke; those fancy tech skills wouldn't mean a thing. Their high birth rate was their only strength, one that could crush everything else.
"You silly girl, the green one looks much better -- do you even know what imperial green is?"
"Hmph! It doesn't look good; it looks as green as glass." William White was speechless; if the glassy type didn't appear glass-like, then hadn't he been cheated?
"Fine, fine! As long as you like it. Say, shouldn't we take a break? By the way, where's Suzuki gone off to again?"
"Hmph! She's just not available today."
William White couldn't help but mumble internally. It wasn't as if he needed to have intimacy -- pure friendship was fine with him.
*****
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