The American Kill Line: I Can Predict the Future

Merrill Lynch uncovered the "truth" in less than an hour after the incident.

A former technical manager, dissatisfied with the company's arrangements, secretly installed a backdoor on Victor's computer.

Because the other party was well aware of Merrill Lynch's system vulnerabilities, they only downloaded the transaction records and did not operate the account.

Therefore, Merrill Lynch's alarm system did not trigger a warning.

He then altered the transaction record and gave it to a mid-sized New York newspaper.

This person left New York by plane last night.

The last recorded departure was at 8:00 AM.

The whole process sounded flawless and logical.

Merrill Lynch has reported the incident to the police and has issued an urgent public announcement.

"So? This son of a bitch is unhappy with your Merrill Lynch, and then he's ripping me off? Do you believe that?"

"I understand how you feel, Ron, but it's true," Victor said helplessly, then moved his phone away a little.

"To hell with the facts!" Ron roared.

"Is this the explanation Merrill Lynch gave me?"

Victor smiled wryly and said, "The company has decided that, as compensation, we will refund all of your transaction fees at Merrill Lynch and waive all trading commissions for the next year."

"You think I'm short of that little bit of processing fee?" Ron laughed angrily.

"From now on, you will enjoy the same level of confidentiality as top family offices at Merrill Lynch."

"Is this what you call compensation?"

Tony glanced at the CEO beside him, and after receiving the other's tacit approval, took a deep breath and said:

"If you raise Fund 2 again within the next two years, Merrill Lynch will recommend your fund as a core product of the year to Merrill Lynch’s top clients and underwrite more than 30 percent of the shares."

Ron was silent for a moment, knowing that this was the highest compensation Merrill Lynch could offer.

Besides, it has already happened.

He said in a deep voice, "Find out who's behind this, Tony. You should know that a mere technical manager doesn't have the guts to go against you."

Tony nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, Ron. Even if you don't tell, we won't let the guy behind this get away with it."

"Also, please help me resolve the issue of international public opinion."

Ron just checked the international news, and it's all criticizing him.

If he really made $100 billion, he would accept it.

In this situation, it's clear that someone is using him as a shield.

The entire morning was spent discussing this matter online.

Ron's phone was almost ringing off the hook.

Some were shareholders who had subscribed to the fund, some were investors I met at a charity gala, and some were colleagues I had recently added.

They all wanted to confirm whether the news was true or not.

He didn't answer any of those calls.

Ron hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button when Philip called:

"Philip, if you also think I've made 100 billion, then you might as well just hang up."

"What 100 billion? I'm asking you, are you still coming to tonight's presentation?"

"You really weren't trying to gather information?"

Philip on the other end of the phone scoffed, "Do you think I'd believe that kind of news? Our old money family has just declined, not disappeared."

He knew Ron must have made a lot of money this time, probably around 500 million.

But 100 billion is a joke.

"Okay, I misunderstood you." Ron could tell that the other person wasn't faking it.

Philip chuckled. "Looks like you're having a real headache."

"What do you think!" Ron gritted his teeth. "Damn rat, don't let me catch him."

"Do you need my help? I mean, the current public opinion."

"You have a way?" Ron's eyes lit up.

"Never underestimate any century-old money family."

Philip hung up the phone with a confident air.

At 3 p.m. that day, a secret recording of Hollywood superstar and director Mel Gibson appeared on the Internet.

In this recording, Mel Gibson made personal threats and insults against his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva.

Furthermore, it used a large number of insulting terms targeting Black people, Mexicans, and other ethnic groups.

She even made the horrific statement that she hoped a group of black people would rape her.

The recording quickly dominated the headlines of major portal websites shortly after it surfaced.

Race has always been a sensitive topic in the United States, and Mel Gibson is a top Hollywood star. With this double boost, it quickly sparked heated discussions across the country.

Even Wall Street joined in the gossip, and few people continued to pay attention to Ron's "minor" exploitation of the euro market.

Ron first browsed through international news websites.

Compared to this morning, I'm much calmer now.

In the morning, it seemed like the whole world was calling for his execution, with some even threatening to kill him.

It seems that Merrill Lynch has indeed kept its promise.

However, this also reminded Ron that he needed to further increase his security level.

Afterwards, he browsed some domestic social media platforms.

Compared to this morning, there is almost no information about myself now.

Mel Gibson is the talk of the entire internet.

For the first time, Ron confronts the "old money" of a century-old family.

Just as Philip said, they have simply declined, not disappeared.

They are not as powerful as they were at their peak, but the network of relationships they have built up over a century should not be underestimated.

More importantly, this group of "old money" has learned to stick together for mutual support.

After shutting down the computer, Ron went to the window and dialed Philip's number.

"Philip, just letting you know that I'll be there on time for the presentation tonight."

With the public outcry subsiding, Ron felt a little relieved.

Now we need to deal with the mastermind behind it all.

Given Merrill Lynch's influence, there has been no follow-up news to date.

They didn't even catch the tech manager who ran away.

This shows that the other party is extraordinary.

Thinking about it more deeply, the force that dares to touch Merrill Lynch and its parent company Bank of America must be no small player behind the scenes.

Instantly, Ron felt a chill run down his spine.

He couldn't recall when he had offended someone of that caliber.

"Could it be that the Euro market is influencing the other party?"

Ron quickly dismissed the idea.

With my limited funds in such a massive Euro market, it's like throwing a slightly larger stone into a lake.

Although it may cause some ripples, it will soon be swallowed up by the huge market.

At most, he was just going with the flow; it would absolutely not affect the strategic plans of this force.

"Carlyle, Bridgewater Associates, Blackstone Group... or JPMorgan Chase?"

There are many suspects, including these top giants.

Moreover, even if there is direct evidence pointing to a particular family, Ron is powerless to do anything about it.

Compared to these giants, I am just a slightly larger ant.

However, this incident also served as a wake-up call for him.

He realized he was being watched, and this was likely just a warning.

Given his current size, if he continues to be as aggressive as before, he is very likely to be forcibly expelled.

In the afternoon, WPG Security upgraded the security level to L3 as requested by Ron.

A professional security team of 10 people.

One chief security officer, four bodyguards, three residential security specialists, and two mobile emergency response personnel.

Each person is equipped with a hard-shell Level 3 body armor, a concealed compliant pistol, a tactical radio, and a satellite phone.

And a Mercedes-Benz S600 armored vehicle capable of withstanding AK47 and grenade attacks.

In the evening, Ron appeared in the underground parking garage of the Hilton Hotel in this armored car.

Tonight is a promotional event for the TV station, and many entertainment media reporters and Hollywood stars are here.

The main entrance is definitely not an option; you can only use the internal passageways.

Philip thoughtfully waited for Ron at the elevator entrance, accompanied by two middle-aged men of similar age and attire.

The three chatted and laughed.

Ding--

The elevator doors opened.

Two bodyguards in professional uniforms and wearing headphones stepped out of the elevator first.

They first checked out the surrounding environment.

After confirming it was safe, he spoke a coded message into the walkie-talkie on his chest.

Just as Philip and his two companions were stunned, Ron appeared unhurriedly at the elevator entrance.

"Hi, Philip, I'm not late, am I?"

Ron greeted them nonchalantly.

Philip snapped out of his daze, glanced at the four bodyguards surrounding Ron, and said speechlessly:

"With your demeanor, I highly doubt the rumors from this morning are true."

"If the rumors are true, you should be at my doorstep right now, instead of me coming to you."

Ron chuckled and joked, glancing at the other two middle-aged men.

"That's true."

Philip turned to the side and introduced the two people beside him to Ron.

The commotion here naturally attracted the attention of those inside the venue.

Many of the celebrities in the industry have met Philippe and his two old friends, and some even claim to be "friends".

To them, these old money people were the local bullies in New York.

To get by in New York, you have to get to know these old-money types.

For these Hollywood stars, receiving an invitation to their banquet is a great honor.

Now, the three old money tycoons are welcoming the same person at the same time, and judging from their attitude in chatting, they are treating each other as equals.

The crowd immediately stirred.

Everyone was speculating about the young man's identity.