Chapter 167: Underlying Currents

Words : 1566 Updated : Oct 6th, 2025

If the Who Wants to be a Millionaire show brought joy, the Friends show was downright thrilling, at least for the NBC staff. Right after its debut, the ratings hit 15 million, which was just fantastic. As for the current CEO, nobody doubted his abilities anymore. "It's no wonder it's so funny -- the writer is William White." Well, although there were a bunch of other names involved, not many paid attention to them. The general public might not care, but that doesn't mean industry insiders don't. Everyone now knew that William White's comics were not his solo work. Many talented writers were helping him fill in the content. At the start, some people might have tried to flaunt their seniority, but now nobody says anything. Facts have proven they're quite foolish, so it's better for them to stay quiet. That's how it was with comics, and now it's the same with TV shows. It's terrifying; if he started mass-producing American TV shows, others would have no chance at success. They were overthinking. Even if William White had so many ideas, he couldn't possibly roll them all out, and it wouldn't be of much use if he did. ... "Boss, it seems NBC's valuation is going up again. Those old guys at Citigroup must be pissed." "Who cares if they're pissed? What level do you think they're at? What is General Electric's level? It's all nonsense." The world always has a bunch of people who think too highly of themselves. Just because William White succeeded, they assume they can too. Wall Street's other institutions don't take such notions seriously. If they've got what it takes, they should try buying a company themselves. NBC has a solid foundation, and they might criticize it, but what about MTV? This is a TV station that came from nothing. Its ratings kept increasing. If you've got the skill, go set up one yourself. ... William White's threat seemed rather childish on the surface. After all, Citibank was a giant, and it couldn't be coerced easily. But is that really the case? Apparently not. At least, the Rockefeller family was quite displeased. That's how it is with conglomerates. If the person in charge gains lots of benefits, there's nothing to say. You can do as you please. But if there's a significant loss, then you'd better prepare to pack up and leave. In the short term, it seemed the losses weren't great, though the benefits weren't exactly rolling in either. "Geez, what's going on? Go ask those old geezers if they're planning to keep dragging this out." "Alright, boss." The Watergate scandal was still a somewhat taboo topic in America, one that most media outlets were unwilling to discuss. This time, not only was it discussed, but it was also by a major outlet. NBC concluded that the president was obviously set up, and what was called the eavesdropping incident was actually a conspiracy. Dang, who could be so audacious to play this way? When mentioning the achievements of that president, many noticed that the Rockefeller Group was repeatedly brought up. Whoa, that's something else. I haven't heard about them in years. Have they suddenly vanished? Is there any connection? Yes, indeed. Before the Watergate incident, the Rockefeller family was quite active in American politics. Many major diplomatic affairs involved them weaving the threads. What's up with them suddenly disappearing? Television and newspapers didn't explain it -- not that they didn't want to -- because no one actually knew. You'd think these speculations would be pointless to talk about, right? But not necessarily; the more mysterious something is, the more the audience is interested. Indeed, it's a bunch of smoke and mirrors, but don't forget that nearly thirty percent of the audience considers it significant -- this isn't just some tabloid gossip. The most irritating thing is, everything they're saying is factual, but you're pinning unrelated events together -- what are you trying to say? Actually, even William White didn't know what he wanted to express. His goal was simply to annoy people. Well, he did succeed. Many people were indeed irritated, especially the Rockefeller family. People are showering you with praise; surely you can't deny it? ... William White's ruckus was certainly causing headaches for the elders. If this incident was further turned into a conspiracy theory, many people would be in dire straits. They were very sure of one thing: that rascal didn't know anything, or knew very little, but that wasn't the point. The point was no one wanted to mention it. Now the Donkey party was defeated down to the streets. Some people said they had framed Nixon and that the Watergate scandal was nothing but a farce. No one likes turmoil, especially not the conglomerates. The problem now is, when will it end? The Citibank conglomerate was baffled by William White's fierce reaction. "Do you really have to go all out over something so trivial?" NBC set the ball rolling, so naturally, others joined the fray. Not knowing the truth, people just spouted nonsense. If such things happen during election times, it wouldn't be anything unusual -- it's just smear campaigns. But at this time, it is peculiar. What's the agenda? Ever since Roosevelt took office, Congress had been in the hands of the Donkeys. This time they were quite unlucky, not only losing the presidential position but also Congress. So, now what happened? Are they planning to take them out completely? Just like William White, Citibank was also a major supporter of the Elephant party and an important arms supplier. However, at this stage, maintaining balance was crucial. Without the Donkey party, what use would they be? As the situation escalated, the elites could no longer sit still. "You two idiots, economic measures should suffice. Why turn it political? Are you trying to go all out?" And worse, you're dragging populism into it. What exactly are you plotting? They were now very certain: if mediation didn't occur, the next step could involve religious issues. The current economic situation was strikingly similar to the pre-World War II era. The Jews had a rough time due to the Great Depression, right? With such high unemployment and so many bankrupt farmers, if someone suddenly shouted, "It's all the Jews' fault," that wouldn't go down well. Though real severe conflicts wouldn't happen, because America isn't Nazi Germany. William White didn't mind thinking this way, but the Jews certainly wouldn't agree. Yes, Rupert Murdoch is Jewish, so you help him, but first and foremost, shouldn't you be American? ... "William, haven't you had enough of this?" "Ha! George, tell them if needed, I'll switch religions tomorrow." "Haha, they're looking to make peace." "Don't provoke me anymore. I'm quite familiar with Hitler's antics." It's a sore spot and vulnerability. Just as William White expected, they really didn't like anyone discussing it in this manner. Without your support, how could Murdoch have had a chance to win? A bunch of fools ran off to help that Australian rogue. If the benefits were tremendous, it wouldn't be such a big deal. Businessmen chase profit; it's how things work. But supporting a loss -- that's just blatant humiliation. Since they don't play fair, William White doesn't need to either. What difference does a Jewish conglomerate make? There are emotional folks everywhere, and if things go off the rails, William White wouldn't be the only unfortunate one. Honestly, without America's backing, those desert tycoons could finish you off. Right now, Uncle Sam is gearing up for battle. Look at the timing you've chosen! Is this an attempt to dig your own grave? Citibank's boss didn't see this coming. Is this all just about some lucky kid? Manipulating him should be a piece of cake. So what's going on now? Forget about external forces; even within the conglomerate, there's a lot of skepticism. Are you nuts? Who's really important? How is this any different from the moves of Big Blue? The innocent Rockefeller family was also quite upset. They planned to retreat from the political scene, so how did they end up being dragged back into the spotlight? It's really maddening. They didn't catch the fox, but ended up wreaking havoc on themselves -- a situation that left everyone speechless. And they're not the only ones fuming. William White sought refinancing again but turned to Goldman Sachs directly, making it clear that Morgan Stanley was no longer the sole option. The reason? Unreliable. Everyone knew Citibank had close relations with Morgan Stanley, but William White wouldn't trust their integrity. Having multiple investment banks to work with was better. "Boss, isn't his reaction a bit too much?" "Hmph, damn Citibank. This bunch is just clueless. That last financing round was their goodwill gesture, yet they take the benefit and pull a fast one. What a bunch of idiots." ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 167: Underlying Currents

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