The Great Sage Returns from Ten Years of Imprisonment

New York, early morning.

Goldman Sachs headquarters.

With more than an hour to go before work, Lloyd arrived at the headquarters building early, looking preoccupied.

When he arrived at the office door, the investment director, who had received a call in advance, was already waiting there.

After exchanging greetings, they walked into the office together.

The door closed, and the investment director immediately began to report the situation, but his expression was quite conflicted, with a hint of excitement amidst his seriousness.

"Boss, I have some bad news and some good news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Lauder turned to look at him, hesitated for a moment, and then made his choice.

"Let's start the day with some good news to get things off to a good start!"

As he spoke, he walked straight behind his desk, sat down in the boss's chair, and casually turned on his computer.

He then pointed to the chair opposite him, indicating that the investment director should sit down and talk.

He then called his secretary and asked her to bring in two cups of coffee.

As soon as he hung up the phone, the investment director immediately chimed in:

"The first piece of news, as you probably already know, is that after two days of one-sided surge, global stock markets have indeed begun to plummet today."

"The magnitude and ferocity of the global stock market crash are chilling; today's market performance can definitely be called Black Wednesday."

"Fortunately, we copied that prodigy's homework yesterday, quickly flipped the pages, and seized the opportunity to make a fortune."

"The only regret is that we had doubts yesterday and didn't go all in on a long-short strategy; otherwise, we could definitely have made more!"

"If we have another opportunity like this in the future, we must increase our bets. I have to admit, that little rascal is the most amazing investment genius I've ever seen!"

Upon hearing this good news, a smile finally appeared on Lauder's face.

He nodded slightly and chimed in with a few words of agreement.

"I anticipated this situation. When I woke up this morning, I went online to check the situation in the Asia-Pacific and European financial markets, and the plunge was indeed quite astonishing."

"In just one night, market sentiment has completely reversed; this financial crisis is far from over!"

"For a considerable period of time, the financial markets will continue to decline. Let's continue shorting and take this opportunity to make a fortune."

"As for copying that little brat's homework, it depends on the situation. Ultimately, it's up to our own judgment; we must act on our own initiative!"

You predicted this? Don't fucking flatter yourself!

If you're really that great, why did Goldman Sachs almost follow in the footsteps of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and teeter on the brink of bankruptcy recently?

If you're that great, why would Goldman Sachs have fallen into that trap set by that amazing guy and taken on huge debts related to stock index options?

The investment director muttered a few disdainful thoughts to himself, then nodded with a smile and continued the previous topic.

"The second piece of good news is that we also made a fortune in the international crude oil futures market through large-scale short selling!"

"If we generate profits of this scale four or five more times, the crude oil futures investment department can wipe out the losses caused by Tommy's misjudgment..."

This time he didn't mention copying Lingyun's homework again, so that Lauder wouldn't use it to glorify himself; it was disgusting to even hear!

But it's a fact that no one can deny!

Next, the investment director shared two or three more pieces of good news.

Goldman Sachs has been granted the necessary financial qualifications to establish a commercial bank and accept public deposits, which should be approved in the next couple of days!

There's also a loan from the Federal Reserve worth tens of billions of dollars that will be deposited into Goldman Sachs' account today, and so on.

After sharing the good news and discussing it amongst themselves, Lauder took the initiative to change the subject.

"Tell me the bad news, what are they, and how bad can they be?"

The investment director nodded and then explained the situation.

"The first piece of bad news, which was also expected, is that after three rounds of negotiations, the Hong Kong Island branch and Yuanda Investment have reached a preliminary agreement on the previous performance-based debt."

"Over the next two years, the company will need to repay 65% ​​of the debt related to the stock index option betting to Yuanda Investment. This is significantly higher than the minimum amount the company has given, but it is still within the stipulated range."

"The only saving grace is that Yuanda Investment isn't fixated on cash; we can use various other assets to repay our debts. There's a lot we can do here..."

When the investment director mentioned this, Lloyd felt a chill run down his spine.

But he could only force himself to remain calm and offer a few words of explanation, feigning helplessness.

"I understand. There's nothing we can do about it. The Treasury and the Federal Reserve are putting pressure on the company, demanding that we resolve this debt as soon as possible."

"If we do not reach an agreement with Yuanda Investment as soon as possible, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is prepared to freeze all of the company's assets in Hong Kong Island and the Mainland for debt repayment."

"Moreover, China will put pressure on the Treasury and the Federal Reserve through large-scale selling of US Treasury bonds, which will then be passed on to the company. We have no choice but to accept this outcome."

"As for the assets used to repay debts, as long as they are not cash, they are not a big problem for us. We can take this opportunity to dispose of a batch of dormant assets."

"For example, many properties in New York and Hong Kong Island, as well as controlling stakes in Globe Television and local television stations, cannot generate cash flow in the short term and will only become a burden."

The investment director nodded helplessly, having no choice but to accept this explanation.

Then he brought up another matter.

"The second piece of bad news is that almost all the industrial spies the company recruited in Hong Kong and mainland China were wiped out today, with only a very few escaping unscathed."

"Not only that, several senior executives from the Hong Kong Island branch and the mainland branch of China were also arrested by the police. The mainland branch was controlled by the General Security Bureau, while the Hong Kong branch was controlled by the Commercial Crime Bureau."

"The mainland and Hong Kong acted simultaneously, with the exact timing and clear targets. It was obviously premeditated. We had no time to react and could only watch helplessly."

"I just spoke with the security director, and according to him, after this major blow, the financial intelligence network that the company invested heavily in building in China is basically paralyzed..."

Upon hearing this bad news, Lauld's eyelids twitched violently again.

Fortunately, scapegoats are readily available and can be used immediately, and they always work.

"The simultaneous operation by police from both mainland China and Hong Kong clearly reflects the national will of the Chinese government and was a premeditated arrest operation."

"Nine times out of ten, the person who betrayed those corporate spies was that damned bastard Lewis, and the damage he caused to the company continues to grow."

"Our company previously engaged in a stock index options bet with Yuanda Investment, falling into the trap set by that amazing kid. That bastard Lewis deserves to die a thousand deaths..."

Just then, the secretary knocked on the door and came in to report the latest situation.

"Boss, there are a few new developments I need to inform you about."

"September retail sales data and PPI (Producer Price Index) have just been released. September retail sales saw the largest drop in three years, and the PPI fell more than expected month-on-month."

Almost simultaneously, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke told reporters that bailouts could not quickly reverse the economic downturn, and a full-blown recession was inevitable.

"Spurred by these negative news, European stock markets have begun to fall rapidly, and experts unanimously predict that US stocks, which will open later, will also plummet..."

Before he finished speaking, Lauder acted swiftly, starting to search for relevant financial news online.

The result is self-evident!

Upon seeing these newly released major negative news items, Lauder was so angry that he started cursing.

"Fuck! Is Bernanke senile? Why is he adding fuel to the fire at this time? The US stock market is bound to be bloodbathed today!"

Unlike him, the investment director's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Boss, don't forget, we're one of the biggest short sellers in the financial markets right now!"