Genius Grandson of the Loan Shark King

The truth is not necessarily the truth.

"You don't ask why I'm attacking the New York Times."

"Isn't it because they jumped into the acquisition battle for the Wall Street Journal that Murdoch is trying to acquire?"

The superficial reason is no.

But from her witty answers, one could guess that Bush knew more than what was on the surface.

"How much do you know?"

"You know all this has to do with China."

"Do you know the person behind it?"

"The old guys on Wall Street? Or those shady guys in Europe?"

He seemed to know quite a bit about it. After finishing speaking, Bush hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth again with a troubled expression.

"I can't help you with this. I know that, so I don't think you're going to ask me for help."

"That's right. It might be easier if we get help from the President and the United States. But even if we win that way, it won't be a victory achieved entirely by our own strength; it will only be a victory for the United States."

When I said that I had no intention of escorting the tiger, President Bush looked at me with interest.

I continued speaking while looking straight into those eyes.

"I don't know yet what they want. My downfall or my simple surrender. But I have no intention of backing down from the fight I've been fighting. Once I back down, they'll try to shake me up from time to time."

Bush nodded slightly and spoke in a soft voice.

"Charlie, do you know that I never intended to be President?"

"yes?"

President Bush's sudden confession was disconcerting.

"I got into politics thanks to my father's influence, and before I knew it, I was president."

What kind of crazy bombshell statement is this?

These were not words that would come out of the mouth of a president who had successfully completed his re-election.

"Dick Cheney and the neocons know my tendencies very well. That's why they used me to push through most of their policies. It was very annoying."

It's annoying. When I heard that, I nodded without realizing it.

There was an anecdote that was reported in the media that showed his personality well.

A crucial meeting time for senior Bush administration officials and military leaders to plan the operation for the invasion of Iraq.

At that time, Bush yawned and seemed to ignore the plan, Rumsfeld harassed the military leaders, and Dick Cheney dozed off.

It was a total mess, and an example of how President Bush is not a president who cares about running the country.

"But a fresh person has appeared before me. A person who is not afraid of me at all, who boldly demands what he wants, and who tries to overturn the neocons' plans. That person is you."

Bush's face was very serious as he said that.

What on earth are you trying to say by bringing me up like this?

"It's a deal. I give what I can, and I get what I want. And what I said back then was very common sense. If we had invaded North Korea back then, we would have been in big trouble."

"I knew it, and the staff knew it too. Only the neocons didn't know. Anyway, I was shocked at that time. It was so satisfying to see those evil neocons being treated like that with my own eyes."

Advertisements

Just thinking about that time made Bush's face faintly smile.

"I was thinking of reducing neoconservative influence during my second term. Then you came along. You had the same idea."

It was a bit different from Bush's intention, as he was trying to provoke the neocons in order to shake up the New York Times from the outside.

Bush burst out laughing as if he had read my subtle expression.

"Of course I know that shaking the neocons is not the point. If the goal is different but the result is the same, then isn't that it?"

"That's right. Even if the intentions and processes are different, the end result is the same."

Ultimately, it was an effort to undermine the credibility of the New York Times.

Even in my previous life, the influence of the neocons was reduced because of Leakgate.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if maybe it wasn't all President Bush's plan.

Leakgate was a major scandal that undermined the morality and credibility of the Bush administration.

"Would you like to be my gun, Charlie? Then I'll solve this conflict with China."

Bush's offer was sweet. If the Bush administration went to war, China would have no way to respond.

But I had to think not only about the enemy right in front of me, but also about the enemy in the distant future.

Even though China may now bow to American pressure and back down, in a few years it will not be afraid of conflict with the United States.

In order to fight against a stronger China, I needed to overcome this with my own strength.

Unfortunately, we had to decline Bush's offer.

"I'm sorry. I don't intend to be anyone's consumable."

"Hmm······."

When I flatly refused, Bush leaned back on the sofa with a pouty face.

He muttered in discontent, his legs crossed and his feet wiggling.

"You're leaving the easy way out and trying to take the hard way."

"I've never taken the easy way out. I think once you take the easy way out, you'll continue to do so."

"Tsk."

President Bush clicked his tongue and shook his head. But his expression relaxed, as if he was quite pleased with my answer.

"So what's the plan?"

I talked about my plan to shake up the New York Times.

Black Bear's American intelligence teams were mobilized to collect evidence.

"It's not enough. There's not enough hard evidence. There is circumstantial evidence, though."

President Bush stroked his chin after hearing my plan and said:

"Because some of it has already been revealed to some extent. Vice President Dick Cheney will try to stop it by any means necessary, but he won't be able to. You don't intend to let him stop it, do you?"

President Bush shrugged.

"Well, isn't this a scandal that could be a huge blow to me? If it were to spread to the extent that it could reduce the influence of the neocons······."

"I'm thinking of expanding the board. I've already made arrangements with Wilson and Flame."

"Umm······."

After a moment of hesitation, President Bush opened his mouth.

Advertisements

"Good. Do as you wish. I won't stop you, but I won't help you either."

"That's enough."

After hearing that, I checked the time on my wristwatch.

Since I got the answer I wanted, there was no need to stay here any longer.

"I've taken up too much of your precious time. I'm sure there are still many people you want to meet, so I'll get up now."

President Bush nodded, and I stood up and bowed slightly.

Han Kyung-young also got up from his seat and followed me.

"Congratulations on your re-election once again."

"Thank you."

Before I finished my greetings and left the room, something suddenly occurred to me.

I turned my body slightly, holding the doorknob, and looked at Bush.

"Mr. President. The one who leaked Valerie Plame's identity was… Deputy Secretary of State Richard. As you probably already know."

President Bush's eyes widened. I smiled, one corner of my mouth lifting.

"Well, the truth you know isn't necessarily the truth. See you next time."

I just turned the handle and opened the door and went out.

As I came outside, I saw that the aides who had been with President Bush earlier were divided into several groups and talking.

"Just go in."

They glanced at me and started to go in one by one.

Everyone went inside, and Karl Rove, who was about to go in last, stopped walking and glared at me.

"Charlie, this disgrace will be repaid someday."

"If you can, please do it. I will wait."

As I answered calmly, Karl Rove's face turned bright red.

"this······!"

"Shouldn't you hurry up and get in? Don't you have a lot to say? If you happen to get kicked out of the White House, it won't have a positive effect on what happens later. You should stay in your seat until the end."

At my mockery, Karl Rove bit his lips hard and went inside.

I smiled as I looked at the firmly closed door.

'At this point, Baltice won't be able to use the US government to sway me.'

I warned Bush. I think Bush heard my warning.

I know the whole truth, and if you interfere with me, I will reveal everything I know.

To do that, he mentioned the name of the first leaker, Deputy Secretary Richard.

'By the way, I never thought you'd even consider abandoning Karl Rove.'

Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has been one of President Bush's closest aides since his days as governor of Texas.

President Bush seemed intent on sacrificing even his own right-hand man.

He showed his confidence in him by announcing that his re-election victory was as good as that of Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

I finally got the feeling that politics is a field where you have to be ruthless to survive.

Advertisements

"What are you doing, Muhyuk? Let's go."

At that moment, Han Kyung-young hit me on the shoulder and laughed. Thanks to that, I was able to come out of my thoughts.

"Sorry. Were you bored just listening to me?"

"No? That was funny. I had no idea President Bush was thinking like that. As expected from Kim Moo-hyuk!"

The mood lightened thanks to Han Kyung-young's whining.

When we returned to the party venue, Han Kyung-young took me somewhere.

"Chairman Buffett."

Warren Buffett was waiting there.

"James!"

The two people shook hands warmly and exchanged a few words.

Then, out of the blue, Han Kyung-young turned his arrows towards me.

"And this is Kim Moo-hyuk, the owner of our Dream High."

Warren Buffett looked at me with a strange look and then held out his hand.

I held his hand and smiled.

"Chairman Buffett. It's an honor to meet you."

Warren Buffett was a legendary investor known as the Sage of Obama.

He started investing at the age of 11 and began investing in earnest in his late teens.

Warren Buffett's investment philosophy was long-term investment and value investing.

He preferred to invest in undervalued companies and then hold those stocks for a long period of time to make a profit.

Of course, that doesn't mean they didn't make aggressive investments.

For example, there was a time when I used a trick to acquire LTCM, which I had acquired, at a cheap price, but Dream High and I intercepted it.

"Hahaha. It's nice to meet the owner of Dream High like this."

It would be natural to feel bad about losing the company I was aiming for, but he greeted me with a smile instead.

After shaking hands, we continued our conversation in earnest.

Then the story about the Dow Johnson takeover battle came up.

"James. Aren't you trying too hard?"

"Are you talking about the Dow Johnson acquisition?"

"Although Chairman Murdoch's News Corporation is the acquiring entity, we all know that Dream High is behind it."

James nodded in agreement.

"Well, from an investor's perspective, it's honestly not a good investment."

"You know what I mean. Even though the Wall Street Journal is a prestigious newspaper, it's 45 times the operating profit······."

I tilted my glass of wine while listening to the two men's argument.

Their discussion went on for quite some time.

"Charlie, what do you think?"

Warren Buffett asked me.

Advertisements

"My thoughts are James' thoughts."

"Hmm······. That's unexpected. I thought you prioritized money."

"Money is of course important, but money is only a means and cannot be an end in itself."

Money protects me and is a means to get what I want.

My philosophy has always been that the more you have, the better it is for what you're trying to do, but you don't have to get caught up in it.

"Mr. Murdoch's dream is worth more than money. How fun is it to be able to buy what he wants? I'm not really interested in companies like Dow Johnson or the Wall Street Journal. I'm just interested in Mr. Murdoch's dream of being the emperor of media."

"It's funny. It's funny. It's been a while since something funny happened on Wall Street. I heard a rumor that George Soros is aiming for Dream High. That's why I'm giving you this advice. The Sulzberger family and George Soros's allies will probably just raise the amount and then get out."

Warren Buffett gave advice with a hearty laugh.

That was my prediction, but I don't know how long that alliance will last.

We moved as a single unit, but the Sulzbergers and George Soros were in a loose alliance, so we couldn't move in the same direction.

Perhaps even if we were to acquire the Wall Street Journal, it would be a ploy to force us to buy it at a high price.

"I have a rough idea. But I have no intention of missing it."

I had no intention of backing down.

Warren Buffett's smile deepened as he read my determined gaze.

* * *

The outcome of the Dow Johnson takeover battle was unknown until the very end.

The Sulzberger family and George Soros' allies raised the acquisition price to $65 per share.

So Murdoch and I took the risk of raising the acquisition price to $75.

Amid fierce competition, Dow Johnson's stock price broke through $60.

There were predictions floating around Wall Street that whoever won this takeover battle would suffer the winner's curse.

< The truth is not necessarily the truth > End