Rebirth: My 80s

Chapter 1226 Public Opinion War (2)

Bank Street is noisy.

At this time, less than two hours had passed since the press conference of Huaqiang Taikoo Bank ended. When the breaking news from the press conference was first broadcast by the media, the Bank Street, which had been in chaos for a long time and gradually calmed down because most Western banks began to redeem savings deposits, became chaotic again as if hit by a meteorite from the sky. People gathered, and their anger and momentum were far greater than before.

“Don’t let Western capital run away!”

“It is only natural to pay back debts!”

"If you dare to deny my hard-earned money, I will fight you!"

...

The fighting nation is not just talk.

A force like a landslide and an earth-shattering collapse formed at a rapid speed.

Western banks were trembling internally, and the management was dumbfounded. They were not afraid of smart people seeing through their plans, because their plans were already planned and coherent, step by step. Besides, even if smart people saw through their plans, what can you do to me if I haven't done it yet? They even compared this "smart person" to two people.

First, the Russian officials can only watch helplessly. It's like I want to kill someone, but I'm only thinking about it in my mind. Before I kill them, why do you come to me and blame me?
The second is Jack Lee. A very unfavorable public opinion is entangled with him. Jack Lee now owns the most companies in Russia. He will operate here for a long time in the future. He cannot ignore the series of influences brought by public opinion. This is a conspiracy. In the eyes of Western capital, Jack Lee must be overwhelmed under such a situation. He even dares not show up, because he cannot respond directly to the issues involved in this public opinion. He will probably use the procrastination tactic that he is very good at. Ordinary people are always forgetful. Even if Jack Lee takes other measures, any method, the conspiracy is not so easy to crack. It takes time, and it only takes three to five days for the next wave of their planned wave to start.

Western capital never expected that Jack Lee would come up with a solution in such a short time, and his solution was this: he hardly said a word about the current public opinion, diverted attention, and exposed what they had not yet started doing.

Haven’t started yet!

How could you, Jack Lee, a world-renowned capital giant, play by the rules?
Don't you know this is slander?!

We can sue you for slandering almost all mainstream capital and financial groups in Western society, causing serious reputation damage and economic losses to us!
You will be in trouble! !

However, Jack Lee did it anyway.

Citibank Eastern European Headquarters on Bank Street. Ever since Stone, CEO of Chase Bank in Eastern Europe, was kicked out of the deal by Jack Lee, Barnes, CEO of Citibank in Eastern Europe, has become the head of Western capital representatives in Moscow.

The incident happened suddenly, and in a state of confusion, the representatives of Western capital were all in chaos. They swarmed into Barnes' office, hoping to huddle together for warmth and pool their wisdom to find a solution to the impasse.

"Damn Jack Lee, why did he go to such lengths to hold a press conference and speak so confidently about something we haven't even done yet?"

"His remarks have caused us serious damage. We will sue him until he loses all his pants!"

"Yes, sue him..."

Everyone raised their arms and fists, sharing the same hatred for the enemy.

Barnes, who had never spoken, glanced at his allies. He didn't know whether to say a curse word or not, but finally spat it out with his teeth bared, "Sue your mother..."

What a bunch of idiots, don’t you know how powerful Jack Lee is? Haven’t you suffered enough at his hands?
Since Jack Lee dared to do this, there is a subtext in his remarks: Come on, sue me.

I'm not afraid at all!

It was their negligence. Out of inertia, they predicted Jack Lee according to Western thinking. At the same time, they underestimated Jack Lee's wisdom again and overestimated themselves. They thought that I was going to give up the Eastern European business and didn't want anything. You still want to control me? Wishful thinking! It was a negligence caused by being proud and complacent.

Now, Barnes calmed down and thought about it.

Even if Jack Lee had slandered them, they really couldn't do anything to him.

First of all, this incident happened in Russia. Not to mention that Russia is still in the process of transforming into a capitalist society, whether the laws in this regard are sound or not, we only need to consider one question: which side will Russia take between Western capital and Jack Lee?

This won't work in Russia.

Go to the West to sue Jack Lee?
This damn calculating conspirator had already secured all his assets in the West during the chip war. You can't control him. At most, you can impose a few bans on him, such as listing him as an unwelcome person and prohibiting him from going to the West in the future. The problem is... how willing do you think he is to go?

With Jack Lee's wealth, even if people here don't love him, there will be other places that do. The world is big, and there are plenty of places that welcome him.

To take a step back, we can go through international arbitration.

Come on, since we are taking the legal route, we have to follow the procedures. Can Jack Lee not afford a lawyer? It will take three to five years for this case to be concluded.

The problem is that Jack Lee has plenty of time, but they are the ones who don't have time.

There must be an explanation for the money owed to the Russian government and the Russian people. The most pressing problem is that the ruble cash that cannot be taken away has begun to be redeemed, but it is destined to be insufficient, and it has even reached the bottom. In another three or two days, when there is no money to redeem... Barnes doesn't know if there are any powerful people among the allies who dare to stay in their own bank, but he doesn't dare to do so.

According to the plan, they were no longer in the bank at that time. So, Jack Lee's words came true, and it was not defamation. You can sue him for nothing.

Cruel, too cruel, and without omission. I can't tell anyone, but Barnes even has the urge to worship this man.

They can’t beat them, they really can’t beat them, so you see, even the bosses have no choice but to make the decision and run away.

Barnes glanced at the landline phone on the desk. The news had already been transmitted to the neighboring country of Ukraine. The bosses gathered there two days ago to negotiate with Jack Lee over the phone. They were all very angry and had not left yet.

The question they need to consider now is not whether to sue Jack Lee, but whether to carry out the original plan. If the answer is "yes", Barnes puts his hand to cover his face...

However, for the first time in his life, Barnes felt that his brain was too stupid. He really couldn't think of any other way to reduce the losses.

This idea was simply not something they could come up with. In fact, there was not much point in them jumping up and down anxiously. All they had to do was wait for the phone call to come in.

"Go back and arrange people to deal with the angry depositors. Calm them down first. Remember, the status of the people you arrange should not be too high." Barnes rubbed his temple with his hand, looking very worried.

How did it come to this?

Even someone like him who thought he was thick-skinned felt his cheeks getting hot.

----

noon.

When the sunlight penetrated the slightly gray clouds over Moscow and shone on Bank Street, angry roars exploded in the street and reached the sky.

It was time for banks to open, but not a single Western bank was open.

When the angry people broke down the door and rushed into the bank, they found that the light inside was dim and it was completely silent, like a ghost cave. Overnight, the building was deserted.

It's the same with all Western banks.

Destroy it, vent it.

People wanted to raze the headquarters of Western banks to the ground.

Alarms sounded from all directions, and senior municipal officials rushed over and told people with loudspeakers: This is our building, and Western Bank is just renting it!
The people whose brains were occupied by anger finally calmed down a little. Then they heard some women crying. Did the Western banks really run away? Was their money going to be wasted?
"Jack Lee Cheng doesn't lie to me!"

"The evil Western capitalists, they said that day that what Jack Lee said was complete nonsense!"

"My hard-earned money! I curse them to death!"

"Where are our people? Jack Lee has been alerted, how can they escape like this?!"

...

Municipal staff picked up loud speakers, patiently comforted people, and assured them that the management of Western Bank would not escape. A situation that was difficult to resolve was finally calmed down.

On that day, a news bulletin began to spread from Moscow and spread rapidly, causing an uproar across the country and official outrage.

The press release came from the "Western Banking Alliance" and was sent to several mainstream media in Moscow. The latter did not dare to neglect it, knowing that this was a serious matter and that the people of the whole country must be informed as soon as possible, so they immediately released it through the fastest broadcast form and then published it in the newspaper.

The news announcement was full of pages. Western capitals pointed out by name that they were originally invited by Russia to help the country revive its economy, and they were both guests and friends. However, in the past year, while they were doing their best to help the country implement economic reforms, they were calculated by capital forces from the East, so that they fell into the capital trap set by Jack Lee due to negligence. If Jack Lee's wish was fulfilled, they would suffer unbearable huge losses, while Jack Lee would make a lot of money. The Russian side turned a blind eye to this, and they felt regretful and disappointed.

Western capital pointed out that the country, which is still in the process of transforming into a capitalist society, has not yet achieved perfection in many aspects of law and regulations, but this should not be an excuse for not complying with internationally accepted laws.

They deeply regret some of Russia's past actions.

After careful consideration, they decided to declare the Eastern European Division bankrupt in accordance with the laws of most countries in the world...

The person who wrote this news release is quite capable and convincing. He quoted many provisions of relevant laws and regulations on corporate bankruptcy that are commonly used in Western countries. After analyzing all aspects of the operation of capital society, he came to the conclusion that after Russia completes its transformation and reform, it will inevitably have to refer to these laws.

Therefore, after learning the content of the news announcement, many Russian people were a little confused and could not tell whether such behavior was right or wrong. After all, on the one hand, it is a mature law in Western society; on the other hand, it is their country that is in the process of transforming into a capitalist society and is not yet mature.

At this time, Li Jiankun's prediction in advance that Western capital would run away played a huge role.

Now that Western capital has indeed fled, more Russian people have subconsciously come to believe that Western capital is bad and a bastard, so no matter what the bastards say, they don't believe it.

People gathered on Bank Street again, and this time it was not just those whose savings in Western banks had not been redeemed.

Loud.

People held up signs or held up banners, and the combined roar resounded throughout the sky above the City of a Thousand Heads.

People are demanding that the heads of Western banks be arrested and severely punished, not only to make them pay back their debts, but also to make them pay the price for not paying back their debts and openly running away.

----

"Haha, actually it's good to be forced to speed up for a few days."

"Yeah, every day I stay stuck in that mess feels like a year less of life."

"Staying in a bank could be dangerous at any time."

"What's the possibility? Didn't you hear that Stone was beaten half to death?"

"From now on, we will take a long vacation. Have you arranged places for everyone to enjoy themselves?"

"That's natural."

"Haha, come on, cheers!"

...

The hustle and bustle of Moscow city is destined to have no impact on this place. This place is located in a small town in the suburbs, a quiet and leisurely small manor nestled in the mountains and beside the water. It is a place for Barnes to rest for himself in advance.

Now a group of managers from Western banks stationed in Eastern Europe are toasting each other, having a farewell party before going off to have fun, and everyone looks very relaxed.

What does the ensuing chaos have to do with them?
The bosses have already declared their Eastern European businesses bankrupt. They are just workers. Even if the Russian side wants to hold them accountable, it cannot hold them accountable. There is no such logic in the laws of any country in the world.

As for causing trouble for them in private, they are not afraid. Apart from the promises of their bosses, who are not citizens of a powerful country?

Therefore, they will not get into any trouble.

The only price they have to pay is that they cannot leave the country within a short period of time. On the one hand, this is a punishment from their boss, and on the other hand, the Russian side will not allow such a small matter to be easily excused.

So they just decided not to leave.

Russia is a vast country with abundant resources, and there are Slavic and Caucasian beauties everywhere, so there will be no shortage of enjoyment and fun.

"Do you think Jack Lee is smashing plates and bowls right now?"

"Haha, of course! He may be smart, but why did he expose our plan in advance? He just wanted to use the Russian side and the Russian people to make us submit. But this is all he can do."

"Hehe, even if he is extremely smart and has predicted that we will declare bankruptcy, he has no way to deal with it. We don't even care about the Russian side, so how can we care about him and buy rubles from him at a high price?"

"Let his roubles in the treasury rot!"

"He wanted to rip us off for a watermelon, but in the end he only got...a grape. The goal and reality are so far apart, it would be strange if Jack Lee wasn't trembling with anger."

"Hahahaha, what a relief! Finally he got defeated for once. Come on, come on, let's do it!"

...

As everyone was chatting and laughing, a middle-aged woman who looked like a secretary walked quickly into the living room and handed a black mobile phone to Barnes. Barnes turned his head to look at her expression, and the smile on his face faded. He did not answer the phone first, but frowned and asked, "What's the matter?"

The female secretary swallowed her saliva and said, "A press release signed by Jack Lee has just been released by the Russian media..."

"Clarify?" Barnes interrupted her, clicking his tongue to himself, "What a fast speed."

You know, their press release was only just released.

Everyone in the living room put down their wine glasses, and their hearts inevitably sank. Although no matter how they looked at it, they had already escaped and no trouble would involve them, it was obvious that Jack Lee's every move still touched their nerves, like a nightmare.

"No, it can't be considered a clarification." The female secretary said in a deep voice, "It's a revelation. Jack Lee publicly revealed our earliest plan to enter the Soviet Union and... the purpose in the press release. He also produced some evidence and sorted out the entire context from beginning to end. The logic is clear and seamless..."

Snapped!
Barnes slapped the armrest of the sofa, startling the female secretary, who shouted, "What evidence? Where did he get the evidence?!"

The female secretary stammered back, "It's not really important evidence. It was taken from some corrupt officials in the former Soviet Union who are now incarcerated. But the small evidence that we bribed and instigated them, combined with Jack Lee's rigorous logical analysis, seems... particularly true."

The secretary thought, there’s no way it couldn’t be true.

Barnes frowned, and there was a moment of silence in the living room, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

After a long time, someone suddenly laughed and said, "What does this have to do with us?"

Someone immediately agreed, "Let's not talk about the lack of complete and conclusive evidence. From the perspective of economic reform, we are just expert consultants who have only made suggestions and have no decision-making power. From the perspective of running a business, I am just an employee, and now I am an employee who has been fired by the company, so I still have no decision-making power. No matter how unwilling Jack Lee is and how much trouble he makes, no matter how angry the Russian side is, they have the ability to find the decision maker behind the scenes."

"Will the bosses care about Jack Lee, the troublemaker? At this point, the Russian side is nothing. The bosses don't care at all."

"If they have the ability, they can go to the West and call for justice. See if anyone will pay attention to them."

"Come on, let's drink. We're leaving like this without making any big money. It seems Jack Lee is really furious. Oh no, no, the cornered dog will jump over the wall. Haha!"

The glass was raised again.

Barnes looked around the living room. He was the only person sitting on the sofa who didn't raise his glass. For some reason, he felt a little uneasy.

Will Jack Lee, like a nagging woman, expose the whole thing to vent his anger when he sees that nothing can be done?

Jingle bell bell~
The mobile phone in his hand rang. Barnes pressed the answer button with slightly trembling fingers and put the microphone to his ear, "Hello..."

Seeing Barnes jump up from the sofa with his eyeballs about to pop out of his sockets, the faces of the other people in the living room changed drastically.

After a while, there was obviously no sound on the other end of the phone, but Barnes was like a wooden man, still answering the phone, motionless.

When he was a little closer, Xiaoyi asked, "What's wrong?"

Barnes came back to his senses, looked at the other party, and said in shock: "Boss, we were intercepted by Russian agents next door..."

Everyone: "!!!"

(End of this chapter)