[Chapter 768: The Trojan Horse]
"Sir, this is last year's market assessment report for the Asian markets," Filson said.
"Wow, this economic growth rate is really something to envy. Filson, something doesn't add up here. What's there to invest in Thailand? This foreign investment of over a hundred billion bucks -- what project is it for?"
"Sir, it's not just Thailand; the Four Little Dragons and the Four Little Tigers are also seeing massive flows of hot money. As this year just kicked off, both Japan and the U.S. have increased their investments."
"Japan? Their situation doesn't seem too rosy either."
"Sir, it's mainly about interest rate differentials. The yen's interest rate is low, and besides, not all the money is coming from their own investments."
"Hmm, from what you're saying, then it isn't really about industry. With that much money flowing in, are they planning to start manufacturing airplanes?"
"There's an intention to shift production capacity. Some light industry plants are indeed relocating overseas. However, most of the money has gone into the financial market. Real estate and stocks are seeing nice increases."
"Filson, what's your take on this?"
"Sir, there's an issue here. If this continues, their finance will run into major problems. The tourism industry isn't as promising as it seems. Our think tank predicts that if problems arise, they'll fare worse than Japan."
"Yeah, I can agree with that assessment. By the way, how's the sale of White Square going?"
"Very well! Over seventy percent of the properties have been sold. Sir, the remaining ones are basically all profitable."
"Hmm, we don't need to bring these funds back for now. Since they're playing the arbitrage game, we can too. Isn't the bank interest rate high? Let's leave it in the banks for now. By the way, it seems China is planning to build highways. Let's see if we can get involved there. If it works out, we'll gradually withdraw those funds. Speaking of which, what's that intriguing character Soros up to? Does he think crushing their currency is harder than striking the pound?"
"Not sure yet, but I'll have someone keep an eye on it."
"Filson, with JPMorgan and Citibank also in this strange market, there's definitely something amiss. Can we really see what they're ignoring? Hundreds of billions of dollars, no wonder Citibank is feeling weak. They must also be investing in Asia."
"Cough, Sir, Citibank definitely has a significant investment. They have branches in numerous places."
"Ah, capital is inherently evil; it oozes filth from every pore. Filson, are we about to witness a repeat of what happened with Japan?"
"That's precisely our analysis, but they'll suffer more than Japan did. Plus, the U.S. may not be able to stand aside unscathed."
"Stand aside unscathed? Ha! There's no need for that. Those vampires are just here to profit. Do you think they care about others' welfare?"
"Sir, if that's the case, it might be wise to pull back for the time being."
The U.S. was just digging itself a hole, waiting to see when it would explode. After enthusiastically introducing the euro, the European pals faced a global economic crisis.
Most non-U.S. currencies crashed, plagued by severe inflation and unstable political situations. The Asian turmoil began in 1997 and roughly concluded by 1999. Just look -- the euro was launched, and the U.S. stepped back.
After World War II, those Asian areas had shown decent growth. Japan's economy had skyrocketed, naturally generating a multitude of derivative demands -- timber, oil, various minerals. Japan was a country heavily reliant on imports, and its GDP was double that of its neighboring countries.
Japan went under, bloodied by the U.S. They were almost wiped out.
Looking at the surrounding nations, remarkably, hardly any were affected. It seemed too unbelievable. If you thought this didn't smell fishy, William White surely wouldn't believe it.
However, he couldn't quite grasp how the U.S. executed it all. He racked his brain for half the day, and instead of clarifying things, he felt even more confused.
Yet one thing was clear: the U.S. was definitely fattening the pig. Regardless of whether you were one of the Little Dragons or Little Tigers, once they took a bite, your survival was all that mattered.
There was, of course, a crucial turning point. If Japan had stepped in to assist, things wouldn't have spiraled out of control.
Unfortunately, not only did they not have allies, but they also decided to withdraw their funds. Were the people of Japan foolish? With this level of bleeding, they'd end up losing everything.
Well, if Daddy America insisted on it, they had no choice. What Japan didn't expect was that as their economy finally showed signs of recovery, it was hit hard again.
The U.S. had no scruples. On New Year's Eve, did they really have to strike? The outcome was that Japan would no longer have the opportunity to bully others.
Later on, no matter what, Japan remained silent, smiling without a word.
"Whatever you need, just say it. We're good for it."
"Will you follow our lead?"
"Pff, let's try that again, and not even divine intervention could save us!"
The Americans sadly realized that Japanese people were starting to resemble the Germans -- no investments, no fuss.
Europe was plagued with refugee issues, while Japan seemed to be just fine.
Well, this time, if the U.S. wanted to shear some sheep, they might just have to resort to outright robbery. As for any other methods, there truly weren't any; the people of Japan were already scared stiff.
What? No need to back down so soon.
Cough, as mentioned earlier, the combined GDP of the surrounding countries was not even half that of Japan. Right now, investing was no problem, but when you decide to escape, it's not going to be that simple.
Regarding Citibank and JPMorgan, they were different stories. William White excelled in real business, while they thrived in finance. Picking off scraps in others' strongholds was doable once or twice, but if you made it a habit, you'd become a target.
When Japan's bubble economy collapsed, William White saw an opportunity to dig a pit.
What happened then?
The Great Escape! Citibank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Rockefeller -- all came out laden with cash. These guys, if they got ensnared, wouldn't have any time to play games.
However, that rascal Soros still needed to be given a proper lesson. If your boss isn't speaking up, buddy just acts oblivious.
Some said this was a currency war that the U.S. initiated.
Cough, that's overthinking it. Or maybe that famous book called Currency Wars is just too well-known.
The U.S. and the Federal Reserve are not the same thing, nor are the financial consortiums the same as the Fed. There's no such thing as a currency war -- just a bunch of greedy bastards looting.
As for why Pentagon helped out?
You catch profits, which generates tax revenue for them. A pile of lobbyists and various campaign donations. They nurtured you from the time you were poor.
Dude, doesn't kindness demand reciprocation? The American economy has long been riddled with holes. After the 2008 crash, why didn't Soros short the dollar?
He knew too well that while getting that money was easy, digesting it wasn't. Except for a few big consortiums, almost everyone who shorted the U.S. stock market ended up under investigation later.
American securities laws operate under a presumption of guilt. If you can't explain yourself, they'd come for you, no questions asked.
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