wavenovel Chapter 1307, page 1316: "The Neon Threat Theory"? Another storm is brewing!
Chapter 1307, page 1316: "The Neon Threat Theory"? Another storm is brewing!
Chapter 1307, page 1316: "The Neon Threat Theory"? Another storm is brewing!
Once separated by the low bamboo wall, the Yama-Sakura Courtyard becomes a separate world from the outside world.
In late October, as temperatures dropped, the cherry blossoms at Yama-oka-in Garden bloomed again!
A light rain fell during the night, and the slightly damp, fresh air carried a faint fragrance.
In the dry landscape garden, fallen cherry blossoms traced a rough circle beneath the trees, layering in an orderly fashion, pressing down on the white sand to form a pink floral carpet; while on the trees, buds and blossoms clustered together, plump and glistening as if soaked in water, weaving together in clusters on the canopy into a pink and white brocade.
"As expected, the cherry blossoms at Naoki and Akina's house are truly beautiful!"
Michael Jackson, dressed casually, couldn't help but praise him.
"Now I understand why this place is called Yama-Sakura-in."
When Michael Jackson visited before, he didn't get to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom because it wasn't the right time. This time, he finally got to see them.
Actually, Michael Jackson's visit was partly due to the end of his tour in Japan, which was considered a farewell.
On the other hand, his global tour was also affected by the sudden stock market crash. Fortunately, his translator told him that Naoki Nagayama had a deep understanding of stock market crashes, so he thought he would ask him about it. He also trades stocks!
"The cherry blossom tree in my yard blooms twice a year."
Naoki Nagayama said with a smile,
"The spring cherry blossoms were more spectacular, but then the whole of Tokyo was covered in cherry blossoms, so they weren't as noticeable. This autumn, however, there were fewer cherry blossoms."
"Isn't this the most beautiful one?"
Michael Jackson remarked that he had never been to Japan during cherry blossom season, so he couldn't imagine what it would be like if it were even more beautiful.
Just as the two were admiring the cherry blossoms on the veranda, Akina brought over hot tea and snacks, and then they sat down to chat:
"Michael, you can come for vacation early next year, and you'll see the whole city covered in cherry blossom petals!"
"Haha, that's something to look forward to!"
Michael Jackson nodded first, then shook his head.
"However, I'll probably be very busy early next year. I need to work on a new album."
"Ah, that's true~"
As a singer, Akina deeply understands this, as releasing a new album is also her busiest time, and she is only a singer; while Michael Jackson was a singer-songwriter, and he personally handled everything from songs and compositions to styling, cover design, stage design, music videos, and even promotion.
Generally speaking, Americans don't drink tea; they don't like the bitter taste. However, Nagayama's teas are all top-grade Gyokuro, so even Michael could smell the wonderful aroma. The tea snacks were also delicious.
The three chatted over tea, mentioning that Yamaoin would be hosting a party soon, but Michael definitely wouldn't be able to attend.
At this juncture of rapid change, a cherry blossom viewing party can bring peace of mind to those around Naoki Nagayama.
Suddenly, a little person came running over. Xia Hua, wearing long sleeves, ran up to Naoki Nagayama, squatted down with her father's arm, and took a tea snack from the tea tray.
"Hmm? Do you want some flower jam too?"
Naoki Nagayama affectionately hugged his daughter and asked Akina,
"Can she eat it?"
"Just eat a little less at lunchtime."
Then Naoki Nagayama lowered his head and said to the little guy:
You can only eat one.
Michael, standing nearby, watched this heartwarming scene with a mixture of envy and curiosity:
Why can I only eat one? There are plenty more here.
Akina began to explain:
"We are very strict about controlling Huajiang's snacks, otherwise she won't eat her regular meals. Irregular meals will disrupt her digestion, and snacks are not nutritionally complete. It's important to cultivate good habits from a young age."
The young pop star listened with great interest; he had never known that raising children could be so meticulous. In America, raising children was simply a matter of keeping them fed.
Xia Hua stopped shyly when she saw that three adults were looking at her, especially the adult in black in front of her.
After thinking for a moment, she suddenly handed over the tea and snacks she was holding.
"Oh? For me?!"
Michael Jackson was pleasantly surprised and happily accepted the tea and snacks.
"Thank you so much, you flower-like little girl!"
He wasn't very familiar with Japanese names, so he always called Natsuka a little girl who was like a flower.
Naoki Nagayama and Akina watched this scene with smiles, without stopping it. It was naturally good for their daughter to make friends on her own.
After the little one finished his snack and went back to play in the living room, the three of them continued their conversation:
"Naoki, the translator, told me that you are very knowledgeable in finance and have a good understanding of stock market crashes. Is that true?"
"Stock market crash, you know a little about that, right?"
Naoki Nagayama nodded calmly.
"What happened? Did Michael also lose money in the US stock market?"
“Yes,” Michael Jackson sighed. “My investment advisor called the day before yesterday, saying that the New York stock market is in a terrible state, and my stocks have suffered significant losses.”
"Michael, did you participate in stock index futures?"
"No, I don't have that time. Most of my money in the stock market is invested in music-related stocks."
In fact, Michael Jackson's investments were mostly centered around his music career, with the bulk of his investments going towards acquiring copyrights. He had already bought ATV Music Publishing Company and owned the copyrights to hundreds of songs by artists such as The Beatles and Elvis.
Some of the remaining funds were used to buy stocks in companies such as Sony.
“Then there’s no need to worry too much,” Naoki Nagayama said. “This stock market crash wasn’t a consequence of economic collapse, but rather an accidental event.”
"For a company like Sony, if there are no operational problems, then as long as you hold onto your stock, it will recover to its original level!"
After hearing Naoki Nagayama's explanation, Michael's expression softened considerably.
"Naoki, when do you think the stock market will recover?"
"I think the stock market crash will be over by the end of the year, but it will probably take a year for the stock market to recover to its previous level."
This statement was Naoki Nagayama's reply to everyone who inquired. He did know that the stock market crash would soon be over, but not many people knew that it would recover by the end of the month.
"That would be good for a year."
Michael Jackson laughed,
"My estate should be completed within this year. Please be sure to come and visit then!"
He's already bought the land for his dream farm and is ready to go back and start construction!
"Okay, definitely!"
Go on vacation abroad~
Furthermore, Naoki Nagayama plans to expand into Europe and America next year, so he'll definitely be visiting the US frequently.
"Oh, right. The Tokyo International Film Festival has been postponed to November, so I probably won't be able to walk the red carpet."
Michael Jackson said,
"And what about Naoki-san's 'Jurassic Park,' is it also going to be postponed?"
"You must let me know if it's postponed! I'm going to have a cameo role!"
"!!!"
Michael Jackson's words were like opening a long-dusty window, startling Naoki Nagayama!
Yes, he's preparing for the filming of "Jurassic Park," and casting is only halfway done!
He's been dealing with one thing after another these past few days, and hasn't had time to think about his movie plans!
And then there's Harrison Ford, the male lead, who's been living in seclusion at his semi-closed Jurassic Island resort for ages! He probably doesn't even know about this stock market crash!
(Harrison Ford, who was sunbathing on the beach, suddenly felt a chill. "It's getting colder.")
"Oh, of course!"
Naoki Nagayama quickly laughed it off and brushed it off.
"Speaking of which, Michael, do you have any ideas about the movie's theme music?"
After returning to the topic of music, the three of them chatted enthusiastically for a long time until Nonaka Mari announced that lunch was ready. Only then did they stop talking and enjoy a very simple and delicious home-cooked meal.
Yuanta Nakai in New York is still awake.
The security situation in New York has become increasingly serious in recent days. Although it is said that "gunfights happen every day in free America," serious incidents generally do not affect downtown areas like Manhattan.
However, with the stock market crash, countless people were swindled out of everything, not to mention many of them were originally "upper-class" people living in Manhattan. Naturally, the safety situation deteriorated rapidly!
Especially at night, there are drunk people who go crazy, commit armed robberies, and even, according to Nakai Genta, someone robbed a bank!
Since I've run out of money, I can only ask rich people for it!
"Fortunately, I followed Naoki-san's advice and bought a lot of supplies to stock up. We've only been in contact by phone these past few days."
Nakai Genta heard two more crisp snaps—gunshots!
"The NYPD is no good! Why can't they maintain order?! Are we supposed to wait for the National Guard?!"
When the police are unable to maintain order, what is needed are naturally more violent individuals!
"And...didn't the price stop falling these past two days? Why are there still people looting?"
With the voices of many influential figures, the intervention of the president and the Treasury secretary, and the bailout measures of major banks and corporations, the New York stock market crash has gradually come to an end. Stock prices have begun to stabilize and have stopped falling.
The stability of the New York stock market has also gradually calmed the turmoil in other global markets.
Nakai Genta opened his laptop and recorded the latest data for the day. Looking at the final profit column, with its countless figures, the fire in his chest burned even hotter.
"We've already bought a significant amount of shares in companies like IBM and Microsoft in the past few days. And there are still so many left."
Considering that this number will continue to increase as the market recovers, Nakai Genta finally understands what it feels like to have more money than you can spend!
"No, we still need to go all out and buy at the bottom. Oracle, and other emerging technology companies, are also worth considering!"
"And Coca-Cola!"
Naoki Nagayama always says that this stock will remain strong for the next half-century!
Unbeknownst to Nakai Genta, with his continuous investments over this period, the name of Tree Friends Capital's New York branch has become known to more and more people.
"Who is this person? How could they possibly buy back so many companies' shares during a stock market crash?!"
John Phelan, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, looked at the report sent by his subordinates with surprise. Although the authorities had encouraged companies to buy back their shares, such a series of large-scale acquisitions worth hundreds of millions of dollars had already aroused the vigilance of the regulators.
"This is an investment company called Tree Friends Capital, a Japanese company."
The subordinate responded,
"This company was very active in the stock market before, and it made a fortune during this stock market crash!"
"Japan's capital!"
John Ferran was initially relieved. He knew that Japan had many well-established and financially powerful conglomerates, and that the Japanese economy had been booming in recent years, with Japanese capital frequently acquiring assets in the United States—this was nothing new.
but,
"You mean, this Japanese investment firm made a fortune during the stock market crash?"
"Yes," the subordinate replied dutifully. "This company chose to short the stock market before the crash, buying a large number of bearish futures contracts. Now, naturally, they're making a fortune!"
Stock exchanges generally don't know investors' profit or loss situation, but they do pay attention to large transactions.
"."
John Ferran rubbed his chin, and conspiracy theories instantly surfaced.
"Do you think it's possible that Japan orchestrated this stock market crash to profit from it?!"
Now that the stock market crash is under control, many people will soon be looking for the reasons behind it. As the origin of the crash, the New York Stock Exchange naturally needs to provide an explanation!
Meanwhile, another Japanese capital firm profited against the market crash and aggressively bought up stocks at the bottom. So, could we fabricate a "Japan threat theory" and directly shift the blame to Japan?
In any case, Japan's massive buying spree in the US in recent years has made Americans very dissatisfied!
"Cough cough."
The subordinate quickly interrupted his superior's thoughts.
"Chairman Ferran, have you forgotten how many investors have profited by shorting the stock market? On the morning of the 19th, before the New York Stock Exchange even opened, some people were already shorting stocks in other markets!"
"There are still quite a few speculative companies!"
In fact, many astute Americans had long ago spotted the signs in the stock market and made a fortune from them.
Some hedge funds, such as Tudor Futures Fund, also made a lot of money during the stock market crash by relying on the concept of "risk hedging." TreeFriend Capital is just one of the more outstanding companies among them.
"."
In that case, it's going to be a bit complicated to try and shift the blame to Japan!
"Large share transactions of listed companies need to be disclosed, and transactions in which Shuyou Capital purchases shares that meet certain standards should be made public."
In such a counter-trend, this kind of trading is very conspicuous, so let the media write about it, giving the public an outlet for their emotions.”
Although John Ferran was restricted by confidentiality agreements and could not directly disclose the relevant information, at this point, public opinion did not need too much obvious evidence; a pretext would suffice.
Another storm is brewing surrounding TreeFriend Capital.
However, this is unavoidable. There are gains and losses. Taking advantage of the stock market crash, Shuyou Capital made a fortune in the stock market, and naturally it has to face the consequences!
In Japan, Naoki Nagayama is a big celebrity with a solid and complex network of connections, which is why he was able to reap the benefits and secure a place in the upper echelons of finance.
In the United States, TreeFriends Capital was just a small to medium-sized investment company. Suddenly becoming a large corporation meant it had to face the envy of others during the stock market crash and the scrutiny of American capital.
Fortunately, Naoki Nagayama's actions this time were all aboveboard and pre-planned. If any violations were discovered, such as insider trading or stock market manipulation, he might have been torn to shreds by those capitalist hyenas!
(End of this chapter)