[Chapter 817: The Importance of Right to Speak]
If you succeed, everything would be better. No matter how ridiculous the claims, someone would always step up to defend you.
The Tesla rocket wasn't exactly reliable. At least, at that moment, William White couldn't resolve the engine coupling issue.
NASA overlooked such an obvious problem, and the European Space Agency showed concern. Still, it was commendable that Mr. White intended to contribute to humanity's spaceflight endeavors.
NASA even held some small expectations since they were a bit worn out from working with that heavy-handed giant. No one had seen anything like this -- their technology should have matured by now -- so why were costs still rising? Launches costing hundreds of millions of dollars were draining for everyone involved.
People thought Lockheed Martin was NASA's golden child, but that wasn't true. After the Challenger disaster, NASA's funding gradually declined.
Things got worse; the Russian space program collapsed, and the so-called Star Wars initiative was essentially non-existent.
If all the satellites in this plan were launched, the Federal Reserve might even have to shut down.
It's not a big deal to be a spendthrift, but if you end up this way, it's overwhelming. So, having one more competitor wouldn't hurt. What if this venture succeeded? Wouldn't that give us an excellent option?
At least negotiating prices would be much easier this way. Therefore, NASA gave this newly emerged rocket company a very positive and enthusiastic review.
Of course, they were quite fond of that planned blockbuster movie, which showcased NASA saving all of humanity. It was super inspiring, definitely a mainstream film.
...
"Andy, speak English. I can't understand a word you're saying."
"Cough, cough, sir, this is the information NASA provided. I studied it all night." Andy looked aggrieved; after all, he was a finance major. 'How can you expect me to research cosmic black holes? Can we be a bit reasonable?'
"Ahem, just get to the point. None of these people will understand what you're saying! I want to know if this is just a movie prop and whether this rocket is reliable.
Is there even a need to continue developing such outdated engines?"
"Sir, if we can solve the coupling issue, its cost will indeed be significantly lower than that of the Hercules.
Tesla defines this rocket as a space taxi, which means they plan to go into mass production."
It was clear that William White aimed to drastically reduce launch costs.
This meant that exploring space was just a business move; if successful, it could be incredibly lucrative.
Let's talk about Elon Musk. Why did he get labeled as the king of hype?
So what? He succeeded in the end.
Ahem, that's a low-probability event. The market crash in 2008 nearly took him out; at one point, his account had only twenty million in cash left.
That's how the world works; if you're successful, everything you say is deemed correct, no matter how outrageous. Even if you say something wrong, who would care?
William White wasn't a scientist. He was, at best, a programmer and a director. Despite stepping into such unfamiliar territory, no one questioned his judgment.
Sure, there were skeptics; Lockheed Martin displayed some skepticism. But it wouldn't be appropriate to voice it now.
William White might have some questionable abilities, but his talent for confronting doubters was beyond doubt. Rest assured, Citigroup may have no qualms about him, but that definitely wasn't true for William White.
...
"William, are you serious? This sounds like a story to me!"
"George, a lot of people are planning to invest. Your remark is honestly disappointing.
But it's not that easy -- let's say ten years from now, we'll see the light of day, for better or worse."
George was visibly annoyed. Alright, he realized that this guy was just playing with concepts. Ten years? How much money would that take?
But William White had money, and it seemed like he genuinely didn't care. Oh man, rich people were the worst.
"Ten years? And people are still willing to invest?"
"You see, if I say next year, those investors will definitely walk away; they wouldn't even consider you a player.
Okay, fine, I admit I'm painting a big picture. But what does it matter? As long as the picture looks appealing, there will always be people willing to join in."
George was truly speechless. Was it too much to have a proper conversation? At least pretend to be convincing.
...
"Dad, it's not that simple. Listening to that guy, we won't see any results for ten years. Success still relies on luck."
"Ha ha ha! That's exactly right! I was wondering why so many people were inquiring; it seems this isn't a scam after all."
George rolled his eyes. "Dad, what kind of vision do you have? If William White needed cash, he definitely would have an easier way to get it."
"Son, not convinced? What's the deal? Successful people can't deceive? I'll tell you, it's cheaper to deceive those in power and far less likely to get exposed."
George stayed silent, somewhat skeptical. To someone like William White with so much money, it was just a number. Right now, he was just looking into space. If he decided to pursue immortality, there could be even more interested parties.
Take a look at the investments of Rockefeller -- all about life sciences, right? They just want to live a couple more years.
William White felt a twinge of regret. Why didn't these old geezers just take some kind of miracle drug? If everyone became immortal, the world would surely be much safer.
...
"Sir, a large influx of Rwandan refugees has appeared in Zaire. Oh man, this is a disaster."
"Max, did fighting break out again? What are the French doing?"
"Sir, they've been merely spectators from the beginning. But those guys are so weak, it's like they'd crumble at any second."
William White shook his head; massacres and warfare were fundamentally different. With the tragedy in Uganda, how could it still be so easy for victory?
"Ha ha ha, Max, their teachers were all weaklings. That French troops are hardly anything to brag about.
This is a mess; now, it looks like those foreign circles won't be doing well either. Millions of refugees? The United Nations may as well disband."
"What about us, sir?"
"Proceed as planned. For a long while, whoever has the bigger fist holds the truth."
"Alright, got it. With this lot, they seem to be keeping themselves occupied."
"Ha ha ha, just be careful. Those brothers are good at chaotic battles. In places that get too chaotic, like cities, it's best to minimize exposure."
"Got it."
Limits are meant to be pushed; they could not be dictated by William White's will.
You needed skilled hands; that couldn't be taught.
The president's Secret Service members were the product of intensive training.
When Kennedy and Reagan faced attacks, they didn't show the skills one would expect.
To train a group of wolves, you needed to keep feeding them. It's not just about simple wealth.
Just like athletes, if they're kept away from the field too long, even the best soldiers will lose their edge.
Thus, keeping this group in relatively chaotic environments was crucial.
*****
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