Hearing Clinton's words, Simon shrugged and said, "Bill, whether the Blue House is in an awkward position or not is South Korea's own problem. Of course, Kim Young-sam can choose to turn a blind eye and let the country's economy collapse to ensure the continuity of his ruling party's power. In any case, it's their choice."
Clinton's mouth twitched. "Simon, you promised me."
"I know, Bill," Simon replied. "But if we deliver bread to the Koreans' doorstep and they refuse to eat it out of pride, even if it means starving to death, that's not on me."
Clinton sighed helplessly. "The issue is, Simon, the current ruling party is quite close to the U.S. We can't predict how the other two candidates might behave toward the U.S. if Lee Ki-chang loses the election."
Kim Young-sam had been in power since 1993, and on the surface, U.S.-South Korea relations hadn't been great, with various frictions and disagreements.
In reality, however, over the past few years, trade negotiations between the U.S. and South Korea on food, tobacco, and automobiles had all ended with South Korea compromising. In contrast, Japan had held its ground during automobile trade negotiations with the U.S. two years prior, ensuring its auto industry didn't suffer the same fate as its semiconductor industry.
Moreover, in history, it was the Kim Young-sam administration that signed the IMF bailout agreement, which essentially relinquished South Korea's economic sovereignty, just before stepping down.
This was the true stance.
It also reaffirmed the old adage: "Don't listen to what someone says; watch what they do."
Simon crossed his legs, leaning casually against the armrest of the sofa, and said lightly, "Honestly, Bill, do we really need to care about South Korea's attitude?"
Clinton gave a bitter smile. "Simon, we still have to follow the rules, at least on the surface."
"Which means we don't actually need to care," Simon added, then continued, "Don't worry, I'm sure Washington has a more detailed assessment of the other two candidates than I do. Besides, the Blue House's influence in South Korea isn't as strong as you might think, especially after this crisis."
There were indeed divisions within Washington about whether to save South Korea.
Without going into specifics, within the White House, Clinton was a staunch supporter of South Korea, which was why he was frustrated with Simon's actions over the weekend, which had escalated the situation. However, seeing that the young man across from him had made his position clear, Clinton decided not to press further and instead shifted to a lighter tone. "Simon, you know, at the end of the month... I mean, regarding China, you just returned from Beijing a few days ago. Can you give me some advice?"
"What kind of advice are you looking for?"
"Economically."
"Bill, do you want to hear the truth?"
"Of course."
"Then the advice I can give is to deepen cooperation, to the greatest extent possible."
Clinton was visibly surprised, his tone carrying a hint of teasing and probing. "Simon, are you sure you're saying this from the U.S. perspective?"
Simon smiled and looked at him. "Bill, do you think anyone can buy me off, in any form?"
Clinton pondered for a moment and then understood.
Given the wealth and status of the young man before him, it was nearly impossible for anyone to change his stance unless Simon himself was willing.
"Even so, I'm a bit confused."
Simon thought for a moment and said, "Let me give you an example. A hundred years ago—well, imagine if you could go back a hundred years, and you were a British capitalist. To ensure the long-term prosperity of your family business, you needed to choose the next direction for investment. Bill, what would you choose?"
Clinton, being a smart man, immediately replied, "The U.S."
"Exactly," Simon said. "A hundred years ago, Europe's biggest mistake was thinking it would always be the center of the world. But a hundred years later, the U.S. became the center."
Clinton digested this for a moment, his expression turning serious. "Simon, if we follow your logic, what we should be doing is containing China, not investing heavily in it."
"Bill, do you think Europe didn't try to contain the U.S. back then?" Simon continued to look at him. "Moreover, this isn't a hundred years ago anymore. We're in an era of inevitable globalization. And with the advent of nuclear weapons, as long as we don't want mutual destruction, we can no longer use large-scale war—the most effective means—to contain competitors."
Clinton thought for a moment but still said, "Simon, I still think your idea is a bit off."
Simon chuckled. "That's why I asked you earlier if you wanted to hear the truth, Bill. I could have easily made up a lie for you."
Clinton pondered again and then said, "Simon, the current economic gap between the U.S. and China is more than tenfold. I suddenly feel that your analogy might be a bit exaggerated?"
"I remember reading in a book once, Bill," Simon said with a calm expression and a slight smile. "Weakness and ignorance are not the barriers to survival; arrogance is."
Clinton took a moment to process this and nodded. "That's a profound statement. It seems like it should be backed by a grand story. Simon, can you recommend that book to me?"
Simon shook his head. "I've read too many books. I can't remember where I saw it—just this one line."
Clinton didn't press further and returned to the earlier topic. "Alright, then, according to your logic, Simon, if we invest heavily in China, it will actually facilitate China's rise. That doesn't seem to benefit the U.S. at all."
"Going back a hundred years, Bill, if you were a far-sighted British capitalist and invested heavily in various sectors of the U.S.—steel, oil, electricity, and so on—then perhaps, like Italy's Agnelli family, the Clinton family would now be the true 'royal family' behind the scenes in the U.S. That's the benefit."
Clinton immediately understood this time, but instead of responding, he gave Simon a somewhat peculiar look.
Given the vast wealth and influence of the young man before him, the Westeros family could already be considered the 'royal family' behind the scenes in the U.S.
Clinton then thought of Simon's repeated analogy to a hundred years ago, and a somewhat absurd idea crossed his mind. However, being a pragmatic and rational man, he quickly dismissed these fanciful thoughts and said, "Simon, perhaps what you're saying makes sense, but I don't think it will be easy to convince others using your logic."
Simon spread his hands slightly. "You don't need to convince them, Bill. I'm already doing it. Besides, if they don't follow suit, it just means less competition for me."
Clinton was taken aback, then laughed. "Alright, now I fully understand why you've been so enthusiastic about China in recent years."
At this point, there was no need to continue the conversation. However, as the two stood up to return to the reception, Simon added, "One more thing, Bill. You can use this to curry some favor."
Clinton nodded slightly, showing interest.
Simon said, "In Hong Kong, when the Hang Seng Index hits 10,000 points, George Soros and I will step in to support the market. If you know anyone playing the hedge game, you can tell them to back off at the right time. Of course, if they think they can take on George and me, I have no objections."
Clinton was genuinely shocked this time. His outstretched hand froze mid-air. "Simon, is this really necessary?"
"Bill, I'm a businessman," Simon explained, shaking the president's stiff hand with a smile. "You should know that Forbes originally planned to release today's list at the beginning of next month. They moved it up to now to help me build momentum."
Clinton regained his composure, realizing he couldn't change the young tycoon's mind. In fact, Simon's suggestion to let him curry favor was clearly aimed at reducing resistance to his next moves, much like the early release of the Forbes list.
After a moment's hesitation, Clinton nodded. "Alright, I'll spread the word and do some favors."
As he said this, Clinton couldn't help but think that Simon had probably already handed out countless 'favors' behind the scenes.
Perhaps, without Simon needing to lift a finger, international financial speculators targeting Hong Kong would retreat on their own, intimidated by the combined might of the Westeros system and Quantum Fund. After all, Asia had more than just Hong Kong to offer. South Korea was looking particularly tempting right now, and Hong Kong, backed by mainland China, was a tough nut to crack.
Clinton was also fond of China's The Art of War. As he processed all this, he couldn't help but recall a line from the ancient text: "To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.