[Chapter 844: Hopes Were Shattered]
William White never anticipated there was such a skill as foresight. If one lacked corresponding countermeasures, they were nothing but a fish on the chopping block.
"Damn it, you better tell me some good news. I haven't slept a wink in days."
"Sir, something happened. There was a major earthquake in the Kansai region, and since it struck in the early hours local time, the casualty numbers are going to be staggering."
"Kansai? I didn't even know there was a city like that. As long as it's not Tokyo or Osaka, it shouldn't be too bad, right?"
"Sir, looking at the situation, it seems Kobe was hit the hardest. We don't have the full picture yet--communications are down, and the transportation systems are offline. From what we've seen on the helicopter footage, it looks to be on par with the San Francisco earthquake."
"Damn it, why is this happening? Wait, that Kobe--ain't that a beef-producing area? There shouldn't be too much damage, right?"
Well, William obviously didn't realize that the name of the place might be misleading. Kobe beef was famous precisely because of this city's reputation. If one told food enthusiasts it was Tajima beef, they'd surely be bewildered.
"Are you kidding me? I came all the way to Kobe for that beef, and you're telling me it's only from Tajima? What a rip-off. Not only do they not export, but they also have the nerve to pull a fast one on me."
"Sir, your phone."
"Uh, give it to me." William wiped his greasy mouth, still savoring the bite he had just taken. Kobe beef may not be for export, but that didn't matter for him--he was thoroughly enjoying it.
Of course, hearing about the earthquake in Kansai also sparked thoughts of beef. The loss of those cows would mean he might not have access to it for a while.
"Hey, boss, Kobe is a very important port city. With a concentration of chemical and heavy industries, a disaster of this scale will severely impact the economy."
"Is it really that serious, Filson? You're not joking, are you? Isn't most of the industry concentrated in Osaka and Tokyo?"
Filson was speechless, unsure how to explain. Kansai was a relatively small area; with its slim geography, a single quake could do a lot of damage.
"Sir, this is going to be very serious."
"Okay, I get it. You all keep going. I need to consider the fallout here. Filson, don't make any major moves; that might put me in a tight spot."
"Got it. I know what to do."
William White's message was clear: make money discreetly; no aggressive moves. Short selling was merely a business tactic. As for the earthquake, that was just a coincidence.
He continued to relish his Kobe beef, knowing that this disruption would take at least six months to recover from. With every bite of that Kobe beef, he didn't want to waste a single morsel.
Wasn't that cruel? Not really. Who told them to choose such a troublesome location? Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis--good grief, how unlucky could they get?
Others might have found it odd, but his assistant felt a shiver run down their spine. In a daze, the assistant thought that the man across from them seemed like a monstrous beast ready to devour someone.
Goodness, that beef was still too raw. The assistant jolted, lost in thought; that meticulous cutting of the food felt almost cannibalistic.
Women could sometimes be seem overly sensitive. Whether one liked the victims or not, seeing others in distress always struck a chord in their hearts. As for William White, he felt no remorse.
For a capital mogul, moral integrity mattered little--the only truth that mattered was to protect one's assets.
The financial crisis of 2008 had only swept away the weak; Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley had profited immensely. Did anyone accuse them of feeding off others' suffering? Not at all; the second tier banks just had bad luck. If they hadn't been so greedy, they might have fared better.
In the end, it wasn't the strongest that faltered, but rather other nations that faced the consequences. The United States seized the opportunity, leading to a booming market.
William White didn't have time to dwell on those sentiments--and neither did Soros. He had lost the thread of sleep and knew he was just beginning to dive into chaos.
What? He had to short sell immediately.
Ahem, but he needed someone to take the bet too, right? The earthquake was considered an act of God; the usual trading rules didn't apply here. If things got too chaotic, there'd surely be restrictions against short selling.
Soros merely felt frustrated. Nick Leeson and his buddy had already sunk into despair.
Previous losses were merely in the millions, but now that number had jumped, easily adding a zero. If the situation continued to worsen, that could escalate to double.
But that didn't matter. Fifty million was a stretch; five hundred million was just nonsense. Faced with such enormous losses, the only option was to dive deep into the crisis.
Despite the grim atmosphere, he believed a two-hundred-year-old bank wouldn't plunge into ruin. In other words, recovery was still possible.
Unfortunately, the two men seemed to have become mere shells of their former selves. They only repeated past mistakes while deluding themselves.
"Alright, boss, I got it. I'll arrange to donate supplies under the names Viking Comics and Legendary World."
"Fujita, is the situation that dire?"
"Yes, I don't quite understand why the quality of those buildings is so poor."
"Ahem, no offense, but this area faces many geological disasters--more than San Francisco, even. Did those big shots not think of putting some guidelines in place?"
"This is troubling. If my estimates are correct, the political landscape here might experience its own earthquake. You probably don't know this, but the first groups on the ground to restore order and aid were those social organizations."
"Pfft, cough cough, excuse me, Fujita, are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure how to explain it; we have several plans from Kobe locals in the office, and their morale is quite low."
"How about this: you can let them be in charge of the aid efforts."
"Alright, boss, I know what to do. Thanks for everything."
"Everything will be alright. Just like that."
William White might have been a bit ignorant. The infamous Yamaguchi-gumi was based in Osaka. Many members hailed from Kobe. They wouldn't ignore their own during a crisis.
Moreover, despite their bad reputation abroad, they were often viewed more favorably in Japan. At least, there weren't many stories of them victimizing ordinary people. Their conflicts generally stayed within their circles.
"Mr. President, I must say, the IMF's aid can't solve all the problems."
"Alan, if I recall correctly, $20 billion should suffice. What has happened now?"
Greenspan felt torn; he simply didn't know what to say. The devastation was immense; how could there still be aid available? Besides, the higher-ups likely wouldn't keep their jobs after this.
"Mr. President, you know the Kansai region experienced a massive earthquake. However, their performance in the rescue efforts doesn't reflect a developed nation.
Their political system operates differently than ours, and I think a lot of things will require renegotiation."
"Damn it, how did it come to this? What kind of political system is this, it's just trash."
Greenspan scoffed, feeling frustrated--lack of education was truly concerning. To curb their growth, we devised these rules. How did this clumsy idiot even get into power?
*****
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