Rebirth as an American Tycoon

[Chapter 804: Cultivate a Sense of Awe]

The World Cup, in full swing, seemed to allow the world to view the United States in a new light. The American team actually performed reasonably well, even against the Samba team; it wasn't a total slaughter. At least they didn't park a bus in front of the goal.

By making it past the group stage, they had achieved their goal. The cocky French had no way to insult them; they made it to the Round of 16, better than those mere spectators.

The American World Cup also set records for attendance, even if it was not for particularly significant matches, scenes of empty stadiums didn't occur.

The booming fan market spurred many industries, with the vibrant Los Angeles caught in a frenzy.

Well, the police weren't fond of the World Cup. It really was troublesome -- a group of hormone-fueled guys had nowhere to vent their energy. Fighting and brawling became the norm.

William White was quite pleased. Whether the police were busy didn't concern him. With the World Cup's continuous hype, two of his games became a worldwide sensation.

Describing the current Legendary World as "earning piles of money daily" was a remarkably fitting phrase.

...

"Sir, Tom is here; he says he needs to talk to you."

"Ha ha, let him come in."

Seeing the noticeably thinner Tom, William White couldn't help but chuckle. Being excessively overweight wouldn't allow one to live long, and this guy, to live a bit longer, was putting in quite the effort.

"Tom, you look quite haggard. Losing weight is fine; just do it through exercise; taking pills and dieting are terrible ideas."

"Sir, I hired a really good fitness trainer."

"Alright, alright, as long as you're doing fine. What's the matter today?"

"Sir, take a look at this project proposal?"

William White took it and saw, "Geez, what a bunch of clowns, they're planning to create an African version of Red Alert. Ahem, Tom, that's not a good idea. Do you know what happened in Rwanda?"

"Civil war; many people seem to have died."

"No, no, that wasn't any war. They simply stripped innocent lives away. If you call that a war, I think our world would be gray."

Tom certainly understood that the boss had more information channels than he did. But from what he gathered from the boss, it was simply a carnage.

Damn, what on earth were those media doing? How could they let that happen? Wait a second, didn't the boss's media report on this?

"Sir, is Pentagon planning to handle this quietly?"

"Ha ha, you're not that foolish. Somalia took quite the fall. If you were to say the truth now, the public would only feel fear and anger. No matter how powerful those black folks are, they lack industrial groundwork and technological strength. So if little mustachio didn't arise, nobody would want to interfere. As for the media supervision you mentioned, ahem, just think about it; the concept exists, but it's also true that it sometimes doesn't. And also, what position do you want the media to take? You roasted Clinton enough over Somalia. If interference in Somalia was wrong, why should involvement in Rwanda be justified?"

Tom had nothing to say, yet he felt it was a pity.

"Sir, this idea actually isn't bad. Can we modify it?"

"Of course we need to change it. Actually, you guys could focus on Sarajevo. What about the subsequent themes related to WWII? Red Alert? Buddy, the Russians are already out of Africa. Besides, that mess isn't theirs. Even if it's not the CIA, it's definitely the French. What we're into for business is profit, so just be careful not to help others sweep their mess."

"Wait, is there an inside story behind this?"

"Hmph, how could there not? The French lent more than three hundred million dollars; what do you think that money was used for? They clearly didn't go to sell food. Of course, the French is scared now that the CIA has fled; this is a hefty problem. Sooner or later, the world will discover the truth. As for us, we can't rely on this to turn a profit."

"I get it now, sir. It was my oversight."

"Hmm, one should cultivate a sense of awe. In fact, anything related to Africa should be approached with caution. Money is endless; if another massive chaos like Los Angeles happens again, it would be impossible to settle it."

Tom hadn't realized that since the Los Angeles events, American society had undergone evident changes.

Regarding how to treat the issues concerning black folks, the Americans became subtler, especially public figures. Words like black, monkeys, gorillas were best left unsaid, even if you didn't mean it.

This is where the term African-American originated.

As for whether discrimination ceased to exist, ha, that's wishful thinking. Anglo-Saxons looked down on everyone from their very bones.

Human migration was ultimately unavoidable. The better your country develops, the more those from less developed areas want to come.

If you turn America into something like Rwanda, who the heck would want to come?

In fact, the ridiculous walls built were fundamentally to increase the American population. No matter the original intent, the outcome was inevitable.

...

"Sir, BHP's shipments have increased significantly. Looking at this trend, iron prices are expected to surge."

"Andy, if I recall correctly, our steel production is declining."

"Sir, it's different here. The equipment in America is outdated. The quality can't be called good at all. At least, Tesla has never used it."

The old-timers at Morgan Stanley could only smile bitterly, fully at a loss for what to say. They didn't know one could find such absurdities. The assembly line used German parts, while on-site management relied on Japanese. As for the Americans? They weren't absent but primarily at the sales end.

In fact, they were using it at first; they simply didn't realize it. Why was their price higher than General Motors? If you were all that amazing, then don't sell a scrap of metal; no matter how cheap, they wouldn't buy.

Tesla is a public company; even if they lose money, it wouldn't cost just them.

"Andy, didn't they buy from the Japanese as well?"

"Yes, they did acquire some locations for exploration. Unfortunately, the luck wasn't on their side. The mine William White bought is like sitting on a treasure trove. Moreover, in terms of distance, Australia was the most suitable. That large steel factory in Shanghai almost relies entirely on Australian iron ore."

"Ha ha, Vale and Rio Tinto must be fuming!"

"Exactly, but they seem a bit reluctant to complain too much."

Yes, people's positions varied. Given that everyone had a tacit understanding of pricing, it was best to leave the rest unspoken.

BHP is close, but the machinery costs are high. When calculated, it's roughly equal.

Of course, once these machines expire their depreciation, their costs drop significantly.

The Morgan Stanley elder was indeed overthinking. Japan and China were not foolish; if simply sourcing from one, wouldn't the prices then be dictated solely by them? Even if the distance was a tad farther, shipping wouldn't differ too much.

Sadly, they underestimated capital's audacity, and even with the Indians, that wouldn't help. As long as it's something in demand, there's no price that won't increase.

Oil prices rise; iron prices rise; even the LV bags the flirts liked would increase every year. 

*****

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