Cross lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “At the moment, the funds I personally control amount to approximately three billion U.S. dollars. I need more capital—more than that, the more the better. I’ve done the calculations: if we only plan to target the British pound, then around ten billion dollars should suffice. However, if we also intend to strike the Italian lira, then without direct control of at least 14 billion dollars in total, it would become a hard-fought battle with no clear winner. At that point, it might turn into a prolonged war of attrition.
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 currency systems of entire nations. Once they gain room to maneuver, our advantages will vanish completely. Our strength lies in delivering a swift and decisive blow—ending the war before either country even realizes what has hit them. So now I want to know what chips you currently 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 mind was preoccupied with the joy of reuniting with him, and she hadn’t really absorbed the material at all.
Only now, upon hearing how much capital Cross required, did she begin to understand 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. She quickly began mentally calculating her available funds, as it would soon be her turn to answer Cross’s question.
After a careful mental calculation, Claire lifted her head and smiled sweetly at Mu Lin before beginning to speak. “We currently control and can immediately access about 9 billion U.S. dollars. That’s just the amount we can deploy right away. If given half a month, I believe we could mobilize up to approximately 16 billion dollars.”
As soon as Claire finished speaking, the two men in the room instinctively inhaled sharply. Mu Lin hadn’t expected that his woman had earned so much money for him! Cross, on the other hand, was astonished that Mu Lin was actually this wealthy—compared to him, Cross himself was practically just a small-time investor.
Mu Lin turned to Claire and said, “Immediately transfer 9 billion dollars of those funds to Cross’s foundation account through official procedures. I will cover any shortfall from my personal account. As for the remaining funds, you should start raising them as soon as possible. Raise as much as you can—factories can be mortgaged to banks to secure emergency short-term loans. That should be sufficient for Mr. Cross’s use. Alright, Mr. Cross, why don’t you rest now, get some sleep, and tomorrow morning we can discuss the specific action plan in detail.”
After a passionate encounter, as Claire lay nestled in Mu Lin’s arms, she asked softly, “Mu Lin, how did you come up with the idea of launching such a counterattack? And is Cross reliable?”
Mu Lin smiled and began explaining the whole story to her. In fact, during the past two months of lying low, he had thoroughly studied the financial policies of various European countries. He believed that the linked exchange rate system had significant vulnerabilities, especially when the economic development levels of European countries varied greatly. Indeed, within less than a year after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, some European nations already struggled to coordinate their economic policies.
When Country Y’s economy remained sluggish and mired in difficulties, it became impossible for Y to maintain high interest rates. To stimulate its economy, the only viable option was to lower interest rates. However, if Germany refused to lower its rates, and Y unilaterally cut its own rates, it would weaken the pound and force Y to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM).
As time passed, Y’s government faced increasing pressure to abandon its high-interest-rate policy. It requested that the German Bundesbank lower interest rates, but the Bundesbank refused, fearing that rate cuts might trigger domestic inflation and even economic collapse.
Y’s economy continued to decline. The government needed to devalue the pound to stimulate exports, but was constrained by the ERM, which forced it to maintain the pound’s exchange rate against the Deutsche Mark. Y’s high-interest-rate policy was increasingly questioned by financial experts, and business leaders at home strongly demanded lower rates. Last summer, although Y’s prime minister and finance minister repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to current policies in public, they privately believed that Y could not maintain its position within the ERM, and that the government was merely bluffing.
Currently, with the truth about the Mu Lin incident coming to light, wealthy individuals across various countries have begun withdrawing their investments en masse. The pound’s exchange rate against the Deutsche Mark 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 below the minimum threshold of 2.7780 set by the ERM, Y’s government has already ordered the Bank of England to purchase 3.3 billion pounds to intervene in the market. However, this government intervention has failed to produce the desired results, further reinforcing Mu Lin’s earlier judgment. He decided to strike when the crisis became fully apparent.
However, he was still officially listed as a missing person and could not personally enter the currency and stock markets. Therefore, he had his eyes on Cross, a financial genius. Through their interactions, Mu Lin sensed that Cross harbored resentment toward Y’s government, possibly stemming from the discrimination he experienced while studying there. That’s why Mu Lin chose Cross.
“Haha, so our current relationship with Cross is one of cooperation—a mutually beneficial arrangement. Moreover, we will eventually carry out our actions under the name of his foundation. Once this succeeds, Cross will become world-famous and make a huge fortune in the process. So who could possibly refuse such a golden opportunity that brings both fame and wealth?
As for maintaining contact with Cross, we need someone who can command his respect—and that someone is you! Furthermore, you will also be responsible for contacting the German side. The German Chancellor currently in office is the former senator I once helped. Our plan will require his full cooperation—specifically, persuading German politicians to firmly refuse any interest rate cuts for the sake of Germany’s national interests. Additionally, you will need to reach out to the wealthy elite in Country U. This time, I hope those wolves will also join in and get a share of the spoils. That will depend entirely on your persuasive skills.
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