Chapitre 436: Chapter 436: The Whole World is a Pit
[Chapter 521: The whole world is a pit]
Regardless of whether the acquisition was successful, the merger between BHP and Billiton seemed impossible now. Even if you succeeded, in the end, it would still benefit William White.
"Jason, now is a good time. If you want to invest in real estate, you can take your time with it."
"Boss, a lot of people from Japan are starting to liquidate their assets."
"The best assets they'll sell are the ones they own. I think a 20% discount would be a reasonable price."
"Sir."
"Yeah?"
"Hello, Jason."
When Filson showed up, he wasn't concerned. As long as it wasn't top-secret, William White didn't mind having people around.
"Hey, Filson, why the rush?"
"Ha ha, the Japanese are planning to auction some artwork. I brought over the list."
William White knew the Japanese folks were having a hard time. He didn't expect them to need to liquidate assets this fast.
"They can't be holding up for long. They seem a bit weak!"
"Sir, they've tightened their wallets, so it's naturally tough for them."
"Sunflowers? Are you joking? That piece can't show up at my auction."
Filson didn't get it. Did the boss actually dislike that guy, Van Gogh?
"Sir, what excuse do we use to refuse it?"
"Filson, an artist of Van Gogh's caliber is practically a legend. If it were one of his more ordinary pieces, there might be a chance it's real. Sunflowers? You're kidding; that almost represents his peak work."
"Are you saying it's fake? No wonder you didn't compete back then."
"Art of that level requires a pedigree. This suddenly appearing painting is absolutely nonsense. If it were real, who would let it leave the country?"
The burst of the bubble economy changed a lot of habits for the Japanese. By the time they recovered, no one was investing in stocks, real estate, or artwork anymore.
"Sir, the stuff you sold won't be forgeries too, right?"
"Are you kidding? Everything I sell comes with legitimate provenance. Sure, the prices may be a bit steep. If they're willing to sell at half price now, I'll consider it a charitable deed."
"What? That's even possible?"
Jason and Filson couldn't help but mock. William White was being quite shady. The prices of those artworks were driven up by him.
"Sir, how about you trade something in exchange?"
William White shook his head. Sadly, while William White owned paintings by both Picasso and Van Gogh, none could compare to Sunflowers.
He was certainly interested in those famous works. However, he was very sure those wouldn't become available.
Jason was merely enjoying the spectacle, but Filson knew the boss was indeed planning to acquire artwork. And it seemed he had set his sights on the offerings of the Japanese.
"Sir, those folks won't last much longer. I think we can prepare for the auction on Lanai Island."
"Well, we need to prepare more artists to show our support and make the people here feel at home. The performances must be professional."
"Got it, sir. You all take your time chatting; I've got to get back to work."
Filson couldn't help but sigh quietly. His boss was something else. It seemed he was planning to make another big kill.
"Boss, your investments in Australia are substantial. I'm just saying, the resources here in America are plenty. Why do you bother reaching far?"
"America? There's a lot of resources, but who can I sell to? Morgan Stanley have suggested a few names, but I didn't even care to look."
"The Japanese economy is failing; who are you selling your Australian goods to? I toured around Australia and the biggest takeaway was that they really lack any industry."
"Don't forget, there are many countries in Asia. While the Japanese economy is down, South Korea is developing rapidly. But I'm not in a rush; when the Japanese economy deteriorates, plenty of aftereffects will surely follow."
William White certainly wasn't speaking lightly. Oil prices had dropped again, inching closer to ten bucks a barrel.
With the economy in decline, energy consumption naturally fell. The Soviets felt utterly powerless regarding the current oil prices.
As for Saddam, he was going crazy. The core problem wasn't simply repaying debts. If this price held, he could never reassure people back home.
Their only output was oil. If prices didn't rise again, supplies at home would go into serious trouble.
America's game here was indeed a bit too grand. William White couldn't be sure if Japan was a part of it. If it was, the genius behind all this was surely remarkable.
...
William White's mining team entered Australia, and this time, no one grumbled. If they were willing to risk it, they could go ahead. They didn't believe there would be any rewards.
Much of the land William White occupied had been abandoned by them. Of course, when William White struck iron ore, the expressions of these folks would be priceless.
"Sir, they rejected it. The resources here in America aren't what they need."
"Ha ha, I knew it. It's too complicated here. If they truly wanted to invest, they'd need their own steel mill."
"Looks like we still need to start from Australia."
"Yeah, let's move quickly. This time, don't give anyone a chance to talk."
*****
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
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Power Stone 
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