Somewhere in America.
“George, are you certain that the man you selected will carry out the instructions and not just give up midway?” asked Aubrey.
They were the sole occupants of a lavishly furnished room, accompanied by a towering screen exhibiting stock market charts before them. They were conversing to pass time as they awaited the execution of the planned attack and for the results of it to be reflected on the large screen.
All necessary preparations and instructions had been meticulously programmed into their systems, leaving only the execution of their prearranged commands.
“You needn’t worry, Father,” George responded assuredly. “If he still desires the safe return of his family, he will fulfill our instructions.”
“Remember, son,” Aubrey imparted, attempting to instill a valuable lesson. “Do not assume that something will be accomplished until it is actually done. Otherwise, you may find yourself betrayed at the most unexpected moment. It is crucial to avoid placing unwavering expectations on others, regardless of any leverage you may hold against them, in order to shield yourself from the shock of their betrayal.”
“That’s precisely why I have contingencies in place for such situations,” George affirmed, acknowledging his father’s concern.
“Good. Make sure you are always prepared like this,” Aurey said, a satisfied smile adorning his face.
“I understand, Father,” George acknowledged his father’s wisdom, refraining from expressing any disagreement. He was well aware that he could be replaced by his brothers should his father ever grow dissatisfied with him.
“It has begun. It seems there is no necessity for the backups to take action. Congratulations, son,” Aubrey commended his son as soon as the screen before them displayed the market’s descent.
…..
As Arieh delved into the files pertaining to his business, he asked Charlotte, “Has she transferred the funds from her investment account, or do they remain untouched?”
“No transactions took place during the short period we could monitor the account. Once she deposited the funds, she assumed personal control over the account and utilized her authority as the CEO to restrict access to the account’s information for everyone,” Charlotte responded.
“What on earth does she intend to invest in with that money, anyway?” Arieh exclaimed upon hearing Charlotte’s response.
“I don’t know, sir,” Charlotte replied honestly.
Arieh glanced at Charlotte and stated, “My question wasn’t directed at you.”
Upon receiving the response, Charlotte felt a twinge of embarrassment, yet she composed herself and bid Arieh farewell. She then made her way back to her office, to carry on with her work.
Once Arieh found himself alone, he redirected his attention towards his work. However, just as his concentration was regained, Charlotte abruptly barged into the room without even seeking permission. Bursting in with urgency, she exclaimed, “Sir, something terrible is happening in the stock market!” while attempting to hand him the tablet she held in her hand.
Arieh, on the verge of reprimanding Charlotte for her uninvited entrance, found his words caught in his throat as he received the tablet and witnessed its contents.
Gathering himself quickly, he attempted to repeat his question, “What is goi—” but was abruptly interrupted by the incessant ringing of his office phones, a realization dawning upon him that the tablet’s contents were far from a mere prank.
He answered one of the calls and asked, “What is it?”
“Sir, the stock market is plummeting, and your personal investments are reporting significant losses,” the voice on the other end relayed, representing Arieh’s designated private investment monitor.
Arieh’s memory kicked in, and he queried, “As far as I recall, my investments are under the control of high-frequency traders (HFTs), and they should be sold once the losses reach a certain threshold. Am I mistaken?” he asked, directing his question to his investment manager.
“Yes, sir, they are currently executing the sales, but the market is flooded with similar actions, causing a delay in selling the shares. Consequently, the prices are plummeting, resulting in escalating losses,” his investment manager explained.
“Fuck! Minimize the losses as much as you can,” Arieh exclaimed, cutting off the call without waiting for a response. He swiftly answered the second ringing phone, to address the unfolding crisis
Another call from one of his private investment managers reiterated the disheartening news.
After concluding the conversation, Arieh chose to ignore the subsequent incoming calls, leaving Charlotte to handle them in his stead.
“What could be the reason behind this?” Arieh muttered anxiously, his gaze fixated on the stock market data displayed on his screen, clearly indicating the market’s downward spiral.
Despite also being responsible for overseeing one of the family’s investment funds, Arieh understood that his team would only contact him once they had managed to minimize the damage, providing him with a comprehensive assessment of the losses incurred.
“No signs of this crash were evident in the market in recent days. If this was avoidable and I missed it, then I’m in deep trouble,” he ruminated silently, his eyes fixed on the screen, unable to tear himself away from the unfolding situation.
……
[Rina, it has started,] Ava informed, alerting Rina to the commencement of the morgans attack. Rina halted whatever she was engaged in and shifted her gaze to the computer screen, where the falling stock market confirmed the unfolding events.
“Arieh must be freaking out right now,” Rina remarked, a mischievous smile gracing her face at the mere thought of her brother experiencing extreme distress.
“What is the projected loss for our family businesses once it’s all said and done?” Rina asked Ava, seeking an estimate of the anticipated impact.
[At the very least, your family businesses are expected to incur a loss of no less than 750 billion in assets,] Ava reported, conveying the initial estimate. [The precise amount can only be determined once everything has concluded.]
“Once everything is finalized and the losses are calculated, I will be the sole beneficiary,” Rina declared, a smile forming on her face.
[Don’t you feel any sadness seeing your own family suffer such significant financial losses?] Ava questioned Rina, seeking to understand her perspective.
“I am indeed affected, but not to a great extent since I don’t have control over the money at the moment. Instead of feeling sadness or hurt, I am filled with anticipation. I can hardly wait to witness Arieh’s expression when the full extent of the damage is revealed,” Rina responded, her smile slightly diminishing but still present.
[That’s true. Not only Arieh but also the other family members entrusted with the control of different family funds will face the loss of support from the board and other family members. It will likely lead to the family head removing Arieh from his current position, which in turn will restart the power struggle for the position. This presents you with the perfect opportunity to seize that position once and for all,] Ava explained, emphasizing the potential consequences of the unfolding events.
“Yes, that’s where the control over the board members becomes valuable. All I need to do is instruct them to shift most of the blame onto Arieh, highlighting his responsibility for the majority of the family business while the family head assumed a more passive role. If the conversation is steered in that direction, the family head may ultimately agree to their proposition,” Rina explained, outlining her strategy to leverage the board members’ influence in order to shift accountability and further her own ambitions.
[But you won’t be able to avoid scrutiny either. Arieh may inquire about the personal loan you took and whether your investments have been successful or if you’ve incurred losses, potentially requiring the family’s assistance. It’s crucial that you make a decision now regarding how you’ll address this matter when he brings it up as a diversionary tactic,] Ava reminded Rina, emphasizing the need for her to formulate a clear response in advance.
“Not at this moment. I will make a decision about whether or not to disclose it once I assess the extent of my gains from this event. If I have profited significantly, it would be wise to withhold the information to avoid raising any suspicions regarding my knowledge of the situation. Arieh might even attempt to paint a picture of me conspiring with the Morgans to orchestrate his downfall and seize his position, resulting in the family having heavy losses.” Rina replied, her mind immersed in contemplation after Ava’s reminder.
…….
[Sir, the Morgans have initiated their actions,] Nova informed Aron, who was engrossed in reading a document within the universal simulation.
“So, they’ve chosen today to make their moves. Excellent. This will divert the international community’s attention towards America for approximately a month, allowing us to evade their scrutiny entirely,” Aron remarked, shifting his focus back to Nova as he responded.
[As they say, when America’s economy sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold,] Nova replied with a smile.
“Bring up the chart. Let’s examine which aspects our simulations accurately predicted and where we may have overlooked certain factors,” Aron instructed, setting aside the document he was reading and directing his complete attention to the unfolding events.
[Yes, sir,] Nova responded, materşalizing hundreds of holographic screens, some displaying information in green and others in red.
Once the complete visualization appeared, she explained, [The green screens represent predictions we made with complete accuracy. However, the red screens indicate that while our predictions were correct, there were certain degrees of deviation. As a result, we are still benefiting from those situations, but not to the extent we initially anticipated.]