Chapter 379: Final Income

[Chapter 379: Final Income]

"There's a point where money can make people numb," Chris said, sitting in his office at Firefly Investment Company. He finished organizing the last futures settlement document and looked up at Eric, feeling contemplative.

Back in July, when he had to handle a massive transaction worth seven hundred million dollars, Chris hadn't rested well for an entire month. He had been anxiously worried that he would lose the money. But after the Gulf War broke out in August, watching the funds in his futures account soar day by day, Chris found himself feeling a lot less concerned.

Eric sat on the couch holding a report filled with profit statistics. "Some people say that once wealth reaches a certain level, it becomes just a number. But I think that's oversentimental. Huge wealth also means enormous power and a superior social status, along with access to resources that ordinary people can hardly reach. Wealthy individuals experience the immense energy that money brings, which is why so many spend their lives endlessly pursuing even more wealth."

Chris shook his head with a smile. "Eric, if I didn't see that face of yours, I would think I was talking to a worldly middle-aged man."

Eric stroked his smooth cheek, chuckling along. "Maybe I should try growing a beard; it might make me look a bit more mature. But the women aren't too fond of my bearded look. I've been complained about more than once for forgetting to shave."

"Wow, 'the women'!" Chris emphasized the last word. "I don't know how you handle so many women. I can hardly manage Emily alone."

"That just shows how lucky Emily is; she found herself a good man," Eric said with a hint of praise. Chris had a personality very similar to Jeffrey's; he was cautious in matters of relationships, and dating Emily Brighton was clearly seen as heading toward marriage. Emily obviously recognized this as well, and though they hadn't spent much time together, Eric noticed how much she valued their relationship.

However, Eric also realized that both Chris and Emily were quite strong-willed individuals. If they were to be together long-term, one of them would have to compromise, much like Jeffrey and his late wife. From Jeffrey's recollections, it was clear that he always maintained a protective role in his marriage.

"Thanks, Eric. Let's talk about the task at hand. What do you plan to do with this money?"

Eric glanced at the numbers on the report again: 3.675 billion. That was the final profit after deducting various commissions and fees from the principal investment. As a form of speculative trading, the fees involved in futures trading already included various taxes, so this money completely belonged to Eric, meaning he wouldn't even have to pay hefty personal income taxes, which was one of the things that excited him the most. Otherwise, even though the money came in easily, a potential 35% personal income tax could drive anyone crazy.

"It's still not enough. A lot of the plans can't be realized. I initially thought that since oil prices increased by double, then with leverage of ten times, I could at least make double the profit. Instead, I only managed half of what I imagined."

"If we hadn't entered the market long in advance and had a competitor take over, we wouldn't have been able to earn even half of our principal, let alone five times our principal. Just because oil futures prices have doubled over the past two months doesn't mean that newcomers entering after August would earn even half their principal - and expect to be laughing too. Futures trading is fundamentally different from stocks; it's a gambling contract. With oil prices skyrocketing, not many would be foolish enough to short-sell in the short term."

"I completely understand. I was just lamenting. It seems the only thing to do is wait for the war to end and then short the market."

Chris looked at Eric with exasperation. "You're truly greedy. For a person to have only one opportunity like this in their lifetime puts them in the realm of being kissed by Lady Luck. Many know that oil prices will definitely drop when the war ends, but with the war still not even started, who can predict when it will conclude? The Korean War and the Vietnam War dragged on for years, and many are guessing this conflict will likely stretch out for years too."

Eric smiled confidently at this. Chris immediately recalled how Eric had been obsessed months back with the notion that a war would erupt in the Middle East. He couldn't help but lean in closer and asked curiously, "Eric, do you have a feeling about this one?"

"Sort of, but this isn't a feeling; it's a deduction based on reality. I believe this conflict won't drag on like the wars decades ago. If you keep tabs on current news, you'll see that this will be a high-tech war. The mass troop tactics from decades prior won't have much of an impact, so Saddam could have a million men deployed, but it might be pointless. Moreover, Saddam no longer has the backing of the Soviet Union, and the previous wars had far greater adversaries than just a handful of small countries."

"I've certainly read plenty of materials, but I haven't found anything about this 'high-tech war' you're mentioning," Chris shook his head and added, "let's drop that subject. Even if you're right, war isn't something that concludes within a day or two, so we should have enough time to strategize. Speaking of which, what do you mean that this money isn't enough?"

"Last year, Sony acquired Columbia for over five billion. Just over a month ago, Panasonic acquired the parent company of Universal Pictures, MCA, for six billion. Yet, here I am with just over three billion. Of course, it's not enough."

Chris immediately realized Eric's plan. "You're planning to acquire a major film company?"

"Absolutely, which is why I said this money falls far short. To buy any major film company now, it wouldn't be less than five billion."

"If you're aiming for MGM, it seems Kirk Kerkorian would be more than happy to sell it to you for 1.5 billion," Chris joked.

Thinking of MGM's current condition made a wry smile appear on Eric's face. "I won't be acquiring trash. MGM has been wrecked by that casino tycoon; half of their film library has been stripped away, their distribution channels have shrunk significantly, and the company doesn't even hold valuable series movie rights anymore. Even their properties have been converted into hotel businesses by that tycoon. I can't see any value left in MGM."

*****

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