Rebirth as an American Tycoon

[Chapter 821: Ignorance or Dreams, It Was Hard to Tell]

Forget the outsiders; even William White's chief advisor, Filson, found himself in a state of confusion. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. "Sir," he said, "it's one thing to add a role, but completely changing the script is just not right."

"Filson, whether they're spoiled brats or silver spoon kids, do you think those old foxes would buy it?"

Filson sighed. While many knew that William White was quite the character, few underestimated his intellect. "Sir, it's not much else, but the investments are way over budget."

"Ha! Don't worry; there will definitely be backers. Filson, while rocket science might be a bit sketchy, solar energy and lithium batteries are solid investments. Don't even think about places like Japan lacking resources. Those oil tycoons from the deserts would jump at the chance."

Filson sighed inwardly. His boss was so clever that it left little room for accomplishment among his subordinates. While he hadn't figured it all out yet, William White had already delivered the results.

"Sir, they actually sent people to talk. And they do seem quite interested in investing. But I can't help but wonder, why is that?"

"You're overthinking it; it's all about political correctness. Energy and space are symbols of national strength. We've crafted a good plan within a private company. Sure, the Motorola deal was shaky, but you might notice, they had no shortage of investors."

Filson blinked. He could only offer a wry smile. That boardroom was a battlefield. With representatives from dozens of countries, one could easily mistake it for a mini United Nations.

...

Soros disagrees with the term "big dreamer." No matter how much hot air you blew, you couldn't hide the signs of divesting from Asia.

"Sir, it seems he's shifted focus to Hong Kong."

"Strange; the bubble there is so obvious, yet he still dares to enter. Hmph, does he really think I'm afraid of him?"

"Sir, there's one more development. His company, Tesla Rocket Dynamics, has attracted a lot of investors. Here in America, it includes Morgan Stanley and a fund from Rockefeller. Warren Buffet and Fidelity are interested too. And let's not get started on overseas investors; there are too many to list, including a couple of tycoons each in Japan and Hong Kong."

Soros felt speechless. He had more intelligence than his subordinates and, honestly, other than feeling envy and frustration, he had little to say. How did William White's angel fund operate? They weren't investing in mere projects but in the person himself.

If you were someone of merit, even if the project was risky, William White would still invest. At least, from the current state of affairs, he was quite successful. It was evident that venture funds were beginning to adopt this model as well.

That raised a question; why would William White attract investments using his name? Why wouldn't anyone believe he would succeed?

The operation cycles were long, wrapped up in high-risk projects. If it panned out, it might even invoke Pentagon's meddling.

The domestic consortiums were manageable; it was the foreign investors who bore significant risks. If Pentagon decided to go rogue, they'd all be out.

Despite numerous unfavorable factors, there were still people eager to throw money at him. Denying that jealousy existed would be unrealistic. Soros's ability to sway matters stemmed from his substantial capital.

He viewed William White as more of an entrepreneur. Yet, it was precisely such an entrepreneur that kept tripping him up.

This plan seemed far too vast; one tiny screw-up could easily lead to disaster.

He couldn't overlook this issue anymore. William White had considerable influence, and Soros felt uncertain about what those so-called international speculators would decide.

If he was right, Hong Kong would become the center of conflict.

Abandon ship? Not likely. It was just a game of chess. How can it end early? This could very well lead to intense confrontations.

Hmph, when the dust settled, let's see if he dares to get in my way.

...

To be honest, some people always overestimated their capabilities. When had William White ever been concerned about Soros? The thing he feared was only the looming Federal Reserve.

With just one old man, he could easily crush him.

Were they the only ones who played dirty? The guy excelled at outsmarting expectations. Financial warfare was the most mundane tactic; if it became tedious, he could erase them from existence.

Suddenly, it seemed there was a military contractor. Well, not precisely a contractor. Word was Tesla didn't take on military projects. Anything with military applications was deemed immoral. Tesla's motto was to seek peaceful exploration in the universe.

Alright, that was no longer just being dramatic; it bordered on paranoia.

...

Lockheed Martin was taken aback by how satisfied investors were. Everyone believed this was the right move; weapons were distasteful and bad luck.

Damn, this guy is so shameless. Doesn't he run a security firm in Africa that use weapons?

Military firms were considered immoral; what kind of logic was that?

Ah well, best to keep quiet. Making a scene now would only paint a target on his back.

...

Fine, William White had no choice. Military companies and tech firms were entirely different concepts.

If his work was deemed military-related, oh boy, NSA and CIA wouldn't let him off easily. If he wanted to avoid those guys knocking at his door, he had to play it cool.

...

"Henry, can you confirm that Tesla's rockets are strictly for civilian use?"

Bill's question left Henry flustered. Having only taken the helm at the NSA for a few days, he couldn't claim to know the intricacies yet.

"Mr. President, even if there are military applications, that's a decade away at best. I've consulted NASA's experts, and according to current tech, they can't solve the parallel engine issues."

"Impossible? Then explain why so many are interested? Nasa? Don't even mention that bunch. With all their research funding, they've produced next to nothing."

"Well, Mr. President, there are a lot of believers in William White. I mean, if he announced plans to mine on the moon tomorrow, I believe investors would still flood in."

Clinton shook his head, according to this guy, William White was just a conman. However, he personally wouldn't align with that thinking.

Just like William White himself had claimed, he already had plenty of money. Pursuing endless wealth was nothing short of immoral.

What kind of person do you label a conman?

Cough, so you expect me to believe in something globally regarded as impossible? You sure don't think highly of the president.

Ten years? Okay, even seven or eight isn't my concern. William White was becoming a handful. Just days after taking the NSA job, he realized managing White wasn't going to be a cakewalk.

Fine, you all avoid this guy; I'm not foolish. So, whether it's a con or a dream, if it's civilian use, I'll play dumb too.

No, wait. There should be times I need to step up my appearance; that solar array still seemed pretty impressive. Surely, it couldn't be a bluff.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.