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Chapter 182: Black October Part 4
"What's so important that you want to interrupt my meeting?"
The President of Baylor Federation stood in the lounge, somewhat displeased. His principal aide had just interrupted his discussion with several international affairs experts, making him feel he had poor manners. Naturally, his tone wasn't pleasant.
The principal aide sighed with a wry smile, "Mr. President, the bond issue has been exposed. What should we do next?"
Initially, the President of Baylor Federation wore a look of impatience, but upon hearing this news, he immediately became tense.
During the time before the end of the world war, war bonds had always been his proud political maneuver. By purchasing war bonds—a kind of protection fee—the flames of war didn't reach Baylor Federation. Moreover, after the war, these bonds could also be converted into substantial wealth.
Believing it to be the most brilliant policy of his political career, he used the slogan, "We don't need to participate in wars, but we'll still enjoy the spoils of victory," when promoting it, which resonated deeply with the public.
Recently, he had been trying to solve this problem, facing considerable pressure because the entities capable of buying large amounts of these bonds were mainly banks and financial institutions somewhat representing the national stance.
These groups usually operated silently but controlled many people's destinies and were closely tied to people's lives.
His initial intention was to form an alliance with some neutral countries to protect interests, then solve part of the bond issue and calm the public's anxiety, addressing subsequent problems gradually.
He and his aides believed the difficulties were temporary unless the victorious countries intended to push them into the defeated nations' camp.
Unexpectedly, it erupted at this moment. Feeling tense, he also became angry, "Which idiot did it?"
The principal aide then explained the whole situation. Actually, neither the President nor his cabinet, including his aides, had anticipated the banks and financial institutions would shamelessly shift the risk.
Knowing the bonds were practically worthless, they had spread them among financial companies and, through some operations, hyped these foreign bonds, making ordinary citizens the main victims.
"Those damn, greedy mongrels." the President cursed, then solemnly looked at his principal aide, "Quickly come up with some solutions. Also, restrain the media, asking them to keep their mouths shut. I don't want to stand at a press conference looking like a fool when I don't know how to solve these problems, understand?"
Every year, the President would spend millions of bucks and countless invisible benefits to maintain these aides. Now was the time to show their value.
The principal aide nodded solemnly, "I know what to do. Within twenty-four hours, we will have measures ready."
Only then did the President's expression relax a bit. After straightening his collar and tie, he turned and walked towards the meeting room, "I hope the next time we meet, you will have good news for me as promised."
Shortly after, a call from the President's private office notified nearly all mainstream and non-mainstream media outlets, even charitable magazines and advertisements. Now, they were racing against time.
Even if they couldn't prevent the sudden outbreak, they had to come up with a truly effective solution before the big explosion.
However, not everything would go as desired.
Mainstream media like "Trading Report," "Federal Times," "Baylor Daily," and "International News Review" indeed followed the President's private office's request and stopped publishing the news. But some small newspapers didn't.
"Happy Weekly" was one such newspaper. Its name was related to its content. Their mission was to connect wealthy philanthropists with girls in need of support.
There were always people in need and those willing to help. Such platforms existed in every state of the federation, and everyone was accustomed to it.
After all, solicitation was illegal in many states, but aid was legal. The newspaper naturally earned some intermediary fees, which was one of their main income sources.
Such charity newspapers usually had no connection with ethics, current events, or politics, knowing that even if they published such news, no one would read it.
Instead, readers would call to berate them for half an hour, then tell the newspaper that if they didn't see boobs on the front page next week, they would cancel their subscription and not call their hotline.
So, regardless of what happened outside, such newspapers remained unmoved. But today was different.
"Most of our clients are actually beneficiaries of financial transactions."
In the president's office, the editor-in-chief, senior editors, and other editors gathered. Although the newspaper was small and had special content, it had all necessary positions.
The president of the newspaper, smoking a pipe, said, "If a financial crisis really occurs, our clients will become poor, and we will become poor because of it."
"No one will continue to subscribe to our newspaper, no one will call the hotline, and no one will pay us intermediary fees. So, we need to publish this news to remind our clients to minimize their losses."
At this point, the editor-in-chief couldn't help but interject, "But the authorities have asked us not to report this news."
The president nodded, "That's true. But so what?"
He looked at everyone in the office indifferently, "Those major newspapers are backed by conglomerates or politicians. They have to obey their masters who will give them bones. But our clients are our only support."
"Without clients, what will we eat or drink? What will those girls eat or drink?"
"When we are about to go bankrupt, do you think the authorities or those conglomerates will save us?"
The president shook his head, "No, only our customers can keep us fed. Trust me, start the presses immediately." He paused, then said what everyone wanted to hear, "Even if there are consequences, I will bear them alone."
Soon, "Happy Weekly" began publishing extra editions. They generally only did this for significant events, like new girls needing help or adult film companies releasing major series.
This sparked the curiosity of many subscribers, and soon the extra editions of the newspaper were sold out overnight, prompting distributors from various regions to call in and request more copies.
This action also led more newspapers and media outlets to start reporting the news; after all, they were just following the trend, and the only one who would be in trouble was the first to report it.
Within one night, everyone in the federation knew about banks refusing to honor any foreign bonds, and foreign issuers also refusing to honor the bonds people held. Bonds bought for thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands were now as worthless as scrap paper.
What's even scarier was that many people, like Frank, had just taken out personal loans to invest in these bonds.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Yet, at the center of the storm, Frank and his broker likely still didn't realize that they weren’t just uncovering a wound—they were hitting a major artery.
The next morning, around nine, there was a commotion outside a villa, even with sirens blaring.
Frank, who had slept on a comfortable sofa all night, woke up instantly. The sofa was too comfortable, even better than his bed. That was the value of money.
Still groggy, he walked to the window and looked outside. What he saw next instantly jolted him awake, completely dispelling his drowsiness.
A large number of police officers had gathered outside, along with armed police and some soldiers. Realising that damn broker must have called the police, Frank cursed and pulled his head back from the window.
Actually, last night when the broker didn't return, Frank already had this feeling. He was just waiting, waiting for a glimmer of hope, or perhaps the broker calling the police was also part of his plan.
If the broker truly couldn't cash in those bonds, this place would become a crime scene. Frank had seen many TV shows and films with similar plots.
When criminals took hostages, they could make demands such as requesting journalists and media to gather before them. This way, they could explain the reasons behind their actions to the public.
At that time, the entire nation would inevitably be in an uproar, and people would sympathize with him, standing by his side. Even if he were to go to prison later, at least he would be able to get his money back.
It must be said that this was indeed a creative idea. While it was nearly impossible for an ordinary person to gather a large number of reporters, a criminal could easily achieve this.
However, in reality, things wouldn't always unfold according to the script of films.
While Frank waited in the bedroom for the hostage negotiator to call out, a special operations team had already begun breaching the door. From the outset, their objective was simple—neutralize Frank and silence him.
The situation had unraveled beyond repair. Frank's fate had become inconsequential, but for some, closure was necessary. The death of Frank seemed to satisfy certain individuals' desires.
From the initiation of the operation to the sound of gunfire, barely five minutes had elapsed.
In the end, the team leader of the operation reported to the scene commander with a cold expression, narrating a terrible incident with a tone filled with regret.
He reported that Frank had resisted fiercely, wielding a lethal weapon in an attempt to harm the hostages. To ensure the safety of the hostages, they were compelled to fatally shoot Frank, the kidnapper, on the spot.
The scene commander raised an eyebrow and offered a disingenuous lament, "That's truly regrettable."
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