Chapter 171: Calm Before the Storm

Words : 1248 Updated : Oct 6th, 2025

William White's reckless behavior was indeed a bit over the top. He didn't care anymore because others couldn't do anything about it. Citibank was certainly arrogant, but what of it? They weren't even playing in the same industry. If they had the guts, they could try dabbling in the entertainment business. Actually, William White was also frustrated. How long has it been since they became the number one consortium, and they're already acting so important? When talking about being number one, it was mostly in terms of investment banking. Citibank's assets did rank first, but as a consortium or family, they were definitely no match for Morgan Stanley. As for those big sharks hidden in the sea? Those were prehistoric crocodiles. Not even the rich folks knew much about them. "Boss, it seems like NBC has called a truce. Rumor has it Barry Diller got a stern talking to. When he left White Films, he didn't look too pleased." "Geez, is this guy's health better?" "Seems so. Apparently, he was completely unaware." "Ha! That's shameless! It's just too funny." Barry Diller had to take the fall for his boss. He couldn't do anything about it. He realized he had underestimated his boss's integrity. This sort of excuse might fool someone once or twice, but after many days of reporting, pretending ignorance was uncanny. Does someone say it's unnecessary for you? Actually, it is. At least it won't be so awkward when meeting Reagan. You say no one would believe it? Ha, you're wrong again. You're very valuable right now. No one will throw you to the wolves. If you did, you'd be politically stupid. Regarding any possible misunderstandings, well, don't overthink it. In William White's position, people only need to talk about interests. "Hmph, I'm being nice by offering you an out. Even if I don't, you need to find one yourselves." William White mumbled. Citibank was already furious. Using all means? Seems like you're the same. William White's message was clear. If you dare not play by the rules, he wouldn't either. Everyone's part of a big family, and everyone's got their underhanded tactics. Whether they're crude or not, as long as they're effective, who cares? And Murdoch... William White's media group had already started entering Australia. In this situation, Citibank couldn't act anymore. NBC was no small player now. Besides being one of America's largest TV media, it aimed to become the world's largest media enterprise. What's the American TV narrative? Mainstream American values. The importance of this can't be overstated. Creating obstacles for such a company would be politically foolish. Murdoch was still breaking things when he heard of William White long ago and was dismissive then, thinking he was just some nouveau riche and by no means a threat. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone as he thought. William White's television business was doing well. Whether it was variety shows or sitcoms, they were excellent. As a future media tycoon, Murdoch had an eye for talent. William White's programs were good, and his choice in CEOs was great too. Poaching? Heh, those positions might not even interest them. Well, Citibank would still support him. That was the only good news. William White had no choice here. Citibank couldn't back down now. There would still be struggles in the future, but methods would matter. Competition, as long as within the rules, was understandable to all. For decades, struggles among conglomerates never stopped, but that never affected their cooperation. Look at company shares, you'll know. Citibank and Morgan Stanley's holdings were highly overlapping, especially in the IT industry. Their stakes were almost identical. As for why they got angry this time, the reason was simple. You're also a shareholder, yet you tripped us up without a sound. That's unacceptable. Now, a bunch of old folks had the right to laugh at Citibank. Did you really think William White was easy to bully? You've been warned: play fair with TV and newspapers, but don't touch the gaming and comics companies, or the software company. Unless you want to make everyone against you. They had more troubles. As an investment bank, it's best not to get involved in client disputes. That's seen as unscrupulous behavior. Who knew what other clients might think, but the desert tycoons were now afraid. What if you ran off with my money? Impossible? Hard to say. You had nothing against William White and were even related in interests. If they could do that to him, can we trust our investments? If that wasn't enough, add some calculated instigation, and it changes things. Citibank's old folks never thought that one William White could cause such huge losses. It's pointless to say they regret it now. The main thing was settling with shareholders, and Star Wars was out of reach -- it was like dreaming. There was no way around it. The big boss was already angry. Alright, it's just a gesture. ... "What, feeling upset, old man? Don't worry, if you mess with me again, you can start making arrangements for your affairs." Faced with a disgusted old man, William White's foolish personality kicked in. He was ready to act. "You, you--" The old man was trembling with anger, and William White didn't care. He had to be considerate for the Bush family, but not for the old folks at Citibank. "What's with you? If you wanna fight, just say it. I'm ready. I got no one at home, but you got a whole brood. Not afraid to tell you, if anything happens to me, my angel fund will start up. I'll take everyone in your family down, one by one." Looking at William White's fierce expression, the old guy couldn't say a word. He wasn't seeing a noble heir, but a gang leader. ... No results came from negotiations, but after word got out, a bunch of old bystanders couldn't help but grimace. This guy had no finesse; couldn't they just talk it through? Yeah, why didn't you talk before messing with my business? You think I'm dead? Don't insult my intelligence by saying you didn't know. It seemed like a never-ending conflict, but that wasn't the case. Nothing was settled, but the old guy nearly got a heart attack. Actually, William White's intention was clear: if they didn't follow the rules, he wouldn't be polite. As for cooperation, forget it. As harsh as it sounded, it wasn't about continuing war. William White was just warning them to stop the tricks. Fair competition was fine. Running an investment bank, don't you know what current interest rates are? Banks and factories are alike. If a lighter costs $1 to make, selling at $1.5 is fine, $1.3 is a price war, and $1.2 would have all the factories on your case. Same goes for banks. Everyone's at 20% now, what do you mean by going below 12%? That's almost the same as the deposit rate. Don't tell me you aren't targeting me on purpose. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 171: Calm Before the Storm

Comments (0)