[Chapter 767: The Timing Was Right]
"Sir, everyone is already using Oracle's systems. Is that going to be a problem?"
"What problem? This is a public company, and we're one of the shareholders. Andy, can you pay a bit more attention? William White is someone who strictly follows the rules of the game. Of course, there's one caveat: if you break the rules first..."
Andy had some reservations, but he had to admit that it wasn't William White who was the first to break the rules.
"Sir, it seems that White Capital has increased its investments in China again. This time, many companies are optimistic."
"Ha, with a market of 1.3 billion people, that's only natural. Besides, their current exchange rate is finally within a reasonable range -- previously, it was completely off. It's a pity, though; they remain cautious and haven't opened up the financial sector."
The old guy from Morgan Stanley had a point he didn't say aloud; one of William White's twins had moved to the Shanghai, while the other had gone to Hong Kong.
Even though they were just two little ones, it held quite a lot of connotations.
Tsk. He really shouldn't poke this guy anymore; it seemed like a wasteful fight was about to unfold. Given his position, there was hardly anything left to misunderstand. This incident had truly gotten under that kid's skin. Tsk, if he acted recklessly, it would surely be a disaster.
...
"Sir, we made about eighty million from shorting Citigroup and Boeing."
"Not bad. They must have finally learned some fear."
Filson was at a loss for words; Citigroup's CEO had been ousted, which meant they planned to backtrack. They knew he would pull this move, and they clearly wouldn't dare retaliate.
It was too late to discuss this; the relationship between the two companies was already dire, and it had been completely torn apart.
As for Citigroup, that was Citigroup, and the families behind them were another matter entirely. They had stirred up trouble for everyone; now, they owed an explanation. It wasn't just us -- Pentagon was equally displeased, and the big changes from the CIA were simply unavoidable.
"Sir, next, they might be a little more compliant."
"Ah, as long as the interests are substantial enough, I could have a knife to their throats, and you better believe it, Filson, they would still be tempted to reach out."
"Yeah, greed is the original sin."
"By the way, Filson, how is Sequoia doing?"
"They've been having a hard time in Silicon Valley; if we ramp up efforts here."
"Kick them out; they are one of those who thinks they are entitled."
"Okay, sir. By the way, should we increase investments in China?"
"Yes. What about Motorola? The other shareholders still don't agree?"
"Yes, they aren't optimistic about the long-term development of China. They believe your plan is somewhat aggressive."
"Ha, go ask Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs if they'd be interested in buying up the shares I have. Filson, it's time to cut ties with Motorola."
"Sir, are you sure about this?" Filson was startled; although he had long had this plan, he hadn't thought it would come so soon.
"As long as they pay a sufficient price, what do I have to care about?"
William White truly couldn't wait any longer; his money was running dry. Once those knockoff devices hit the market, everyone would be sunk together.
Gradually stepping back from the American market had always been William White's method. Legendary World and Viking Comics were both decisions made in this context.
As for Motorola, he had grown impatient long ago. It was now the digital communications era; their experience in radios wasn't that significant anymore.
Holding onto that was actually hindering his investments in China. Motorola had always been a bit too self-assured.
Indeed, their brand still had some pull, but they had clearly overestimated their influence.
If you all thought you were so hot, then go play by yourselves.
...
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir, it's not just us getting this news. Japan and the European consortium are eager for those shares."
"Goodness, building a factory in China with such enormous market demand? Even if it fails, what is a single factory worth? Now it's good -- a lot of people have backed out. This guy is overly confident; does he think it's really that simple to start from scratch?"
"Sir, we absolutely must participate in this bidding. We at Morgan Stanley cannot just sit it out."
"Of course, get Goldman Sachs on the line. If we lose to those Japanese, it will be a big problem."
"Sir, what about Europe? They've been unable to break through in China."
"Ha, this time they should finally be satisfied."
The old Morgan Stanley guy had clearly thought too much; the faces of those old-timers weren't looking too good.
People are always like this; when you have something, you often don't think it's that big of a deal. When you're about to lose it, many, many difficulties charge right at you.
It was already pointless to think about all this; what they needed to focus on first was to stop those barbaric invaders.
...
"Why? Steve, a robust company can actually let go of their hold. Is William White out of his mind? You're the one who knows him better; tell me about it. I hold quite a few of his stocks."
"If it were me, I wouldn't have partnered with him from the start. It's like a supercar racing against a bunch of tricycles; I'm not sure what he was thinking. As for the stocks, there won't be any short-term impact. Long-term, I wouldn't keep them. Just like Apple, I'll just hold onto one as a memento."
"Is that so? Now I get it; I want to invest in something safe, and why is it so difficult?"
Although he said that, he was still smiling. Investing in William White's stocks or his movies had brought him plenty of profits.
"You brag all you want, George. If you have guts, you go invest in that big ship."
"Ahem, I dare not say that. Besides, he didn't even film it himself. The truck driver really has talent, but his cost management was atrocious. Two hundred million dollars? Goodness, thirty million over is the minimum!"
"That's absurd. Without five hundred million at the box office, it would definitely be a loss."
"Five hundred million? Are you kidding? Unless it breaks the box office record, it would be considered a failure. This is a movie that's ninety-nine percent likely to flop; I'd be crazy to invest in it. However, William White has plenty of money. He has a large number of shares, and as long as he sells them smoothly, tsk, three to five hundred million wouldn't pose a problem."
...
William White was admittedly feeling helpless; he simply didn't have enough cash. If he expanded borrowing again, it would genuinely put him in a dangerous position. If the richest man became the most indebted, it could really be a headache.
In truth, the richest guy was overthinking this. Even without further borrowing, he would still be in debt. How much he had borrowed was hard to keep track of unless he seriously calculated it.
...
"It doesn't have much impact, Alan. Is this their assessment?"
"Yes, William White is a strange guy. Unlike other professional managers, he hasn't placed too many of his own people in key positions. Design, production, procurement, sales -- his working style completely baffles me," Greenspan said, clearly a bit awkward. For a man of his age to say he didn't understand something was rather amusing.
"Do you know, Alan? Nowadays, many business cases in our schools reference his work. As far as I know, Harvard Business School uses them more often. If we're to say there's a genius, fine, I admit it; William White is indeed something special," Paul Volcker remarked, equally nostalgic. Talent emerges with every generation; could it really be that he was getting old?
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