Cross lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “Currently, the funds I personally control amount to about 3 billion dollars. I need more capital—more than that, the more the better. I’ve done the calculations. If we merely want to target the British pound, around 10 billion dollars should suffice. But if we also intend to strike the Italian lira, then without at least 14 billion dollars directly under our control, it would become a difficult battle with no clear winner. At that point, it might turn into a war of attrition and a prolonged conflict.
You know as well as I do that if things reach such a stage, it will place us in a very disadvantageous position. After all, we are attacking the monetary systems of entire nations. Once they have room to fight back, our advantages will vanish completely. Our strength lies in launching a short, sharp, and decisive strike—ending the war before either country even realizes what’s happening. So now I want to know exactly what chips you hold.”
After hearing Cross’s words, Mu Lin and Claire both wore thoughtful expressions. Claire, in particular, had remained silent throughout. Although she had been looking at the documents Mu Lin handed her, her heart was filled with joy at meeting him again, and she hadn’t really absorbed the materials at all.
Only when she heard how much capital Cross required did she realize why Mu Lin had summoned her. All of Mu Lin’s assets, aside from the funds in his personal account, were basically entrusted to her for management. Now she quickly began mentally calculating her available capital, since she would soon have to answer Cross’s question.
After a careful mental calculation, Claire lifted her head and smiled sweetly at Mu Lin before beginning to speak. “The liquid funds we currently control and can use amount to about 9 billion dollars. That’s just the capital we can deploy immediately. If I have half a month, I believe we could mobilize up to around 16 billion dollars.”
As soon as Claire finished speaking, both men in the room instinctively inhaled sharply. Mu Lin hadn’t expected his woman to have earned him so much money! Cross, on the other hand, hadn’t anticipated that Mu Lin was this wealthy—compared to him, Cross was practically just a small-time player.
Mu Lin said to Claire, “You should immediately transfer that 9 billion dollars through formal procedures into Cross’s foundation account. I’ll cover the shortfall from my personal account. As for the remaining funds, you need to start raising them right away. Raise as much as you can—factories can be mortgaged to banks for emergency short-term loans. That should be enough for Mr. Cross to use. Alright, Mr. Cross, why don’t you go rest and get some sleep now? We’ll discuss the specific operational details tomorrow morning.”
After the passionate encounter between Mu Lin and Claire, Claire lay in Mu Lin’s arms and asked, “Mu Lin, how did you come up with such an idea for a counterattack? And is Cross reliable?”
Cross lowered his head in thought for a long moment before raising it again and saying, “Currently, my own fund controls around $3 billion. I need more capital—the more, the better. I’ve calculated that if we only intend to target the British pound, roughly $10 billion would suffice.
But if we also want to take on the lira, then without a total of $14 billion directly under our control, it would turn into a hard-fought defensive battle. At that point, it could easily devolve into a war of attrition.
You know as well as I do that if the situation reaches that stage, it would put us in a very unfavorable position. After all, we’re challenging a nation’s monetary system. Once they gain room to maneuver, our advantage would vanish entirely. Our strength lies in launching a swift and decisive blitzkrieg—ending the battle before these two countries even realize what’s happening. So, I want to know the resources you have at your disposal.”
Upon hearing Cross’ words, both Mu Lin and Claire fell into deep thought. Claire, in particular, had remained silent the entire time. Though she had been glancing at the documents Mu Lin handed her, her mind was preoccupied with the joy of seeing him again, barely registering their contents.
Only now, upon learning that Cross required such a massive sum, did she grasp why Mu Lin had called her here. Aside from the funds in Mu Lin’s personal accounts, nearly all his other assets were managed by her. She quickly began calculating their available capital in her head, knowing she would soon have to answer Cross’ question.
After a careful mental tally, Claire looked up, flashing Mu Lin a radiant smile, and said, “Right now, we have about $9 billion in liquid assets that we can mobilize immediately. If given two weeks, I estimate we could raise around $16 billion.”
The moment Claire finished speaking, both men in the room inhaled sharply in unison. Mu Lin was stunned—he hadn’t realized his partner had amassed such wealth for him! Cross, meanwhile, was taken aback by Mu Lin’s immense fortune, realizing that compared to him, he was barely a minor player.
Mu Lin turned to Claire and said, “Transfer the $9 billion immediately through formal channels to Cross’ foundation account. I’ll cover any shortfall from my personal funds. As for the remaining amount, start gathering it as quickly as possible—whatever you can secure. If necessary, we can even mortgage factories to banks for emergency short-term loans. That should give Mr. Cross enough to work with. Alright, Mr. Cross, get some rest now. We’ll discuss the specifics of our plan in detail tomorrow morning.”
Later, after their passionate reunion, Claire nestled in Mu Lin’s arms and asked, “Mu Lin, how did you come up with the idea for this kind of financial strike? And can we really trust Cross?”
Mu Lin chuckled and began explaining the backstory. During his two months in hiding, he had meticulously studied the financial policies of European nations. He believed the linked exchange rate system had major flaws, especially given the uneven economic development across Europe. Sure enough, less than a year after the Maastricht Treaty was signed, some European countries struggled to align their economic policies.
With Country Y’s economy stagnating and mired in difficulties, maintaining high interest rates was unsustainable. The only viable way to stimulate growth was to lower rates. But if Germany refused to cut its rates, Country Y acting alone would weaken the pound, forcing it out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
As time passed, Country Y’s government faced mounting pressure to sustain its high-interest-rate policy. It pleaded with the German Bundesbank to lower rates, but Germany, fearing inflation and economic collapse, refused.
Country Y’s economy continued to decline. Devaluing the pound to boost exports was necessary, but the European Exchange Rate Mechanism forced Country Y to maintain the pound’s value against the Deutsche Mark. Experts questioned the high-rate policy, and domestic business leaders demanded rate cuts.
Last summer, though Country Y’s prime minister and finance minister publicly insisted they would maintain the status quo and keep the pound in the ERM, they secretly doubted their ability to do so. Their bravado was just a facade.
Now, with the truth about Mu Lin’s case coming to light, wealthy individuals across Europe had begun large-scale capital withdrawals. The pound’s value against the Deutsche Mark kept falling—from 2.95 to 2.85, then to 2.7964. To prevent speculators from pushing it below the ERM’s lower limit of 2.7780, Country Y’s government ordered the Bank of England to buy £3.3 billion to intervene. But the move failed to stabilize the market, reinforcing Mu Lin’s conviction that the time to strike was near.
However, as a publicly “missing” person, he couldn’t personally lead the charge in the forex and stock markets. That’s why he had sought out Cross—a financial genius who, through their interactions, Mu Lin sensed harbored deep resentment toward Country Y’s government, likely stemming from discrimination he faced during his studies there.
“So, our relationship with Cross is one of mutual benefit,” Mu Lin explained with a smile. “This is a win-win situation. Plus, we’ll be operating under the cover of his foundation. If we succeed, he’ll gain fame and fortune—who could resist such an opportunity?
As for keeping Cross in check, we’ll need someone who can command his respect—and that’s you. You’ll also handle communications with Germany. Remember the senator I once treated? He’s now the German chancellor. We’ll need his full cooperation to lobby German politicians against lowering interest rates, framing it as vital for Germany’s interests.
Additionally, you’ll need to rally wealthy investors from Country U. I want this pack of wolves to join the hunt and take their share—that’ll depend on your persuasion skills.”
As time passed, Country Y’s high-interest-rate policy faced increasing pressure. It requested the German Bundesbank to lower interest rates, but the Bundesbank refused, fearing that a rate cut might trigger domestic inflation and even economic collapse.
Country Y’s economy continued to decline. Its government wanted to devalue the pound to stimulate exports, but it was constrained by the European Exchange Rate System and had to maintain the pound’s exchange rate against the Deutsche Mark. Country Y’s high-interest-rate policy was increasingly questioned by financial experts, and business leaders strongly demanded lower rates. Last summer, although Country Y’s prime minister and finance minister repeatedly emphasized their commitment to the current policy in public appearances, claiming that Country Y had the ability to keep the pound within the European Exchange Rate System, many believed that Country Y could not maintain its position within the system and that the government was merely bluffing.
Currently, as the truth about the Mu Lin incident has come to light, wealthy individuals across various countries have begun withdrawing their investments en masse. The pound-to-mark exchange rate has continued to fall—from 2.95 to 2.85, and then from 2.85 to 2.7964. To prevent speculators from pushing the pound-mark exchange rate below the lower limit of 2.7780 set by the European Exchange Rate System, Country Y’s government has ordered the Bank of England to purchase 3.3 billion pounds to intervene in the market. However, this government intervention has not produced the desired effect, further strengthening Mu Lin’s previous judgment. He decided to strike when the crisis became apparent.
However, he is still officially listed as a missing person and cannot personally enter the currency and stock markets to act. Therefore, he had his eyes on Cross, a genius in finance. Through their interactions, Mu Lin sensed that Cross harbored considerable resentment toward Country Y’s government, possibly related to the discrimination Cross experienced while studying there. Thus, Mu Lin chose Cross.
“Hehe, so our relationship with Cross now is one of cooperation—one that benefits both parties. Moreover, we will eventually carry out our actions under the name of his foundation. If this succeeds, Cross will become famous overnight and earn a huge profit. So who could possibly refuse such a win-win opportunity?
Cross lowered his head in thought for a long moment before raising it again and saying, “Currently, my own fund controls around $3 billion in capital. I need more—the more, the better. I’ve calculated that if we only target the British pound, roughly $10 billion would suffice.
But if we also want to take on the lira, then without at least $14 billion directly under our control, it’ll turn into a hard-fought defensive battle. At that point, it could easily devolve into a war of attrition.
You know as well as I do that if the situation reaches that point, it’ll put us at a severe disadvantage. After all, we’re challenging a nation’s entire monetary system. If they’re given any room to maneuver, our advantage will vanish. Our strength lies in launching a swift, decisive strike—ending the battle before these two countries even realize what’s happening. So, I need to know what resources you can bring to the table.”
Upon hearing Cross’s words, both Mulin and Claire fell into deep thought. Claire, in particular, had remained silent the entire time. Though she had been glancing at the documents Mulin handed her, her mind was preoccupied with the joy of seeing him again, barely absorbing any of the content.
Only now, upon learning that Cross required such a massive sum, did she grasp why Mulin had called her here. Aside from the funds in Mulin’s personal accounts, nearly all his assets were managed by her. She quickly began mentally tallying their available capital, knowing she’d soon have to answer Cross’s question.
After a careful mental calculation, Claire looked up at Mulin with a radiant smile and said, “Right now, we have about $9 billion in liquid assets that we can mobilize immediately. If you give me two weeks, I estimate we could raise around $16 billion.”
The moment Claire finished speaking, both men in the room inhaled sharply in unison. Mulin was stunned—he hadn’t realized his partner had amassed such wealth for him. Cross, meanwhile, was taken aback by Mulin’s immense fortune, realizing that compared to him, he was barely a minor player.
Mulin turned to Claire and said, “Transfer the $9 billion immediately through formal channels to Cross’s foundation account. I’ll cover any shortfall from my personal funds. As for the rest, start raising it as quickly as possible—every bit counts. If necessary, we can even mortgage factories to secure emergency short-term loans. That should give Mr. Cross enough to work with.” He then turned to Cross. “For now, Mr. Cross, get some rest. We’ll discuss the specifics of our plan in detail tomorrow morning.”
Later, after their passionate reunion, Claire nestled in Mulin’s arms and asked, “Mulin, how did you come up with this idea for a financial strike? And can we really trust Cross?”
Mulin chuckled and began explaining. During his two months in hiding, he had meticulously studied the financial policies of European nations and concluded that the linked exchange rate system had major flaws, especially given the uneven economic development across Europe. Sure enough, less than a year after the Maastricht Treaty was signed, some European countries struggled to coordinate their economic policies.
With Britain’s economy in prolonged stagnation and mired in difficulties, maintaining high interest rates was unsustainable. The only viable way to stimulate growth was to lower rates. But if Germany refused to cut its rates, Britain acting alone would weaken the pound, forcing it out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM).
Over time, the British government faced mounting pressure to sustain its high-interest-rate policy. It pleaded with the German Bundesbank to lower rates, but the Germans, fearing inflation and economic collapse, refused.
As Britain’s economy worsened, devaluing the pound to boost exports became necessary—yet the ERM forced Britain to maintain the pound’s exchange rate against the Deutsche Mark. The high-interest policy drew criticism from financial experts, and domestic business leaders demanded rate cuts.
Last summer, though the British prime minister and chancellor repeatedly vowed publicly to uphold the current policy and keep the pound in the ERM, Mulin was certain they were bluffing—Britain couldn’t hold its position.
Now, with the truth about Mulin’s disappearance coming to light, wealthy investors worldwide were pulling out en masse. The pound’s value against the mark had plummeted—from 2.95 to 2.85, then to 2.7964. To prevent speculators from pushing it below the ERM’s lower limit of 2.7780, the British government ordered the Bank of England to buy £3.3 billion to intervene. But the move failed, reinforcing Mulin’s conviction—he decided to strike when the crisis peaked.
However, still officially listed as a missing person, he couldn’t personally enter the currency or stock markets. That’s why he chose Cross—a financial genius who, through their interactions, clearly harbored resentment toward the British government, likely stemming from discrimination during his studies there.
“So, our relationship with Cross is purely cooperative—mutually beneficial,” Mulin explained. “When this succeeds, he’ll gain fame and fortune. Who would refuse such an opportunity?
But we also need someone to keep him in check—and that’s you. You’ll also handle communications with Germany. Remember the senator I once treated? He’s now the German chancellor. We’ll need his full cooperation to lobby German politicians against cutting interest rates, framing it as vital for Germany’s interests.
Additionally, you’ll reach out to wealthy investors in the U.S. I want this wolf pack to join the hunt and take their share—that’ll depend on your persuasion.”
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