Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Widespread Controversy
The Tesla Automotive Group was just a minor player in the industry. The reason it received any attention was due to its powerful boss.
"What is Ramos Arizpe?"
"Old man, William White went to Mexico to see the World Cup and took a little tour. Maybe the local officials were overly enthusiastic."
"And what about the other place?"
"Montreal."
"Oh boy, this is going to cause trouble." Bush Sr.'s political instincts were something his son could never match.
With an indifferent look, young Bush said, "It's just two assembly plants. I don't know what this guy is thinking, the engine assembly is in Europe, but he's setting up factories in the Americas."
"Listen, son, their sales targets are obviously aimed at the United States, yet they've deliberately chosen not to build here. What does that imply? How will the public perceive the officials?"
"That's definitely not good; they'll probably be quite angry?"
Bush Sr. sighed inwardly, thinking, you fool, you know people are angry, yet you have that indifferent look on your face. Is there such a level of naivety?
...
Bush Sr. had indeed guessed right; the auto market was still going through massive layoffs. And now, it turned out they were up to something peculiar with those two large automobile plants not being built in the U.S.
The factory in Ramos Arizpe was easy to understand. According to reports from Tesla, it mainly produced compact cars. Vehicles priced under $10,000 certainly hinged on cost.
The local income level was only about one-sixth of that in the United States, which was clearly the primary reason.
As for Montreal, that was simply puzzling. The living standards there weren't low, and technical workers were far fewer than in the United States. This operation was a bit irritating.
However, this guy didn't even count as a public listed company. When it came to the location choice for a private firm, it truly wasn't for anyone else to criticize.
Tesla acted just this way.
Questions?
Let them question, but they better have something new to say; otherwise, there's no need for us to report back.
...
Sitting in the Oval Office, the big boss clearly felt some discomfort; otherwise, he wouldn't be so restless. He didn't really care where the factories were located; the issue was that the impact was rather unfavorable.
Otherwise, let that old fool retire sickly. But again, he couldn't appoint the position, which truly was a headache.
...
The most unstable emotions were naturally coming from the union members. For years, the Automobile Workers Union had voiced loud opinions. This damned economic crisis had caused them to lose many jobs.
You say the Plaza Accord is useful, telling us to be patient for the market to recover. Well, we haven't seen any improvement; it seems more and more clunkers fill the streets.
Who is William White?
If you didn't know him, could you still call yourself an American?
Here's a golden ticket, and yet he doesn't know how to play it. In the eyes of the auto union, the politicians in front of them were just a bunch of all talk and no action.
What was particularly frustrating was that the guy causing the ruckus was now frolicking in Hollywood, completely unconcerned.
Anyway, no matter what anyone said, this guy seemed determined to throw caution to the wind.
...
"William, is this car factory really promising?" Lucas asked.
"The U.S. has absolutely no hope. Other places are fifty-fifty."
"If that's the case, why bother investing?"
"Ah, Lucas, our financial capacity is different. Industries that need large sums of capital are just limited. A 50% chance of success is already remarkable."
"I get it now. If you have that much capital, why not go into finance? That industry seems to be the best, right?"
"Can't do it; there's no opportunity. Unless someone fails, otherwise, I can only watch from the sidelines." This topic wasn't worth discussing much; what they needed to figure out was how to resolve the stunt driving issues.
William White wasn't keen on automobile stacking or anything like that. This scene could work in a comedy, but it didn't fit the project he was working on, where he was a top-tier hitman.
"Lucas, I'll switch the camera angles and have them tackle the first action piece, then cut it together, splitting into two sections. That should work, right?"
"That depends on the editing. If it drags on too long, it definitely won't do."
"Let's shoot it that way for now. I'll edit it tonight and see how it turns out."
"Uh-huh, that'll have to do."
Lucas realized he had underestimated the guy in front of him. The style of this film was different from Speed; without a skilled editor, the footage would surely be messy.
For a director, recklessly changing one's style wasn't a good idea. If audiences didn't accept it, there would be real trouble.
At that moment, just like his marriage, he faced the proverbial bottleneck. If not, why would he swallow his pride and invest in someone else's film?
However, changing styles carried too much risk. Having achieved fame and success, he truly didn't want to gamble.
Hollywood was ruthless; investors cared little for the films. All they saw were numbers. Make one flop film, and their enthusiasm would plummet. If it were a mega-flop like Heaven's Gate, you'd have to bid Hollywood goodbye for a while.
Of course, if you were currently popular, no words needed; producers would be begging you for projects. Tom Cruise was in that position right now.
...
"William, it must be lively over there, huh?"
"Don't get me started. This congressman and that congressman, I don't want to offend anyone."
"Hahaha, you're killing me! Don't offend anyone? Half the peanut gallery is cursing you out, and you still say you won't offend anyone?"
"George, you're mistaken. Without concrete interests involved, I'm still happy to help. I guarantee any congressman leaving here won't have anything against me personally."
Young Bush was stunned. He thought this guy would be in a desperate position, ready for him to poke fun at him. Instead, he realized he might have gotten it wrong.
In truth, no one would dare to cross this big shot. He not only had money but also the tools for promotion. Most importantly, if someone came from a political family, they especially wouldn't dare offend him.
For no other reason than that he was too young. At just under thirty, if you crossed this guy, the family could be in big trouble. Unless something unexpected happened, for decades to come, he would remain a sturdy tree standing tall.
Mutual compromise was the essence of American politics. The Donkeys and Elephants weren't so black and white. Some special characters often changed sides, and no one regarded them as traitors.
"Alright then, I can't convince you. If -- just if -- you would open a factory in California..."
"Ah, as long as you help me suppress the union, it's not a problem. You know, labor doesn't account for that much of the cost in the auto industry."
"Okay, I see."
*****
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