Chapter 200 Radical Gains and Losses

Sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, with his head leaning on Lily's shoulder, Carter at this moment resembled a spoiled second-generation heir. Meanwhile, the true big boss, poor Julian, transformed into a humble driver, dutifully navigating from the front seat.

Ignoring, for the moment, his unfortunate neck strain and instead inhaling the fragrance emanating from Lily's hair, Carter momentarily set aside his woes. If he could just trust Roy—though Carter knew Roy's last name was actually his surname, he preferred to believe otherwise!

After all, lawyers named Roy were generally not up to any good. If he could just trust him and momentarily set aside the issues with the fat boss's family, then this journey would actually be quite enjoyable!

Casually explaining the meaning of "doubi" to Julian while they drove, the car soon arrived at the New York branch of the SEC.

"Hey, John! You're here again? Still no news?"

Just as Carter stepped out of the car, before he could even get a glimpse of the highest regulatory authority in the American securities industry, he saw Julian suddenly dash toward someone not far away, who was striding into the lobby with a briefcase. Shouting as he ran:

"Mr. Robertson, are you here to collect your RIA license? It should be about time, congratulations!"

Forced to smile as he shook hands with Julian, this man named John appeared somewhat bitter. Though his blessings were sincere, there was a sense of isolation, as if his own joys and sorrows were entirely his own.

"Thanks for your wishes, old buddy! I also wish you success. I believe in your ideas! It's just that us old stubborn folks need some time to consider your innovations. Also, how about joining my dinner party tonight?"

Shaking hands with the man, Julian patted his shoulder. Seeing Carter approaching with Lily by his side, he continued:

"Oh, and let me introduce you. This is my partner, Mr. Carter Blake. He looks quite young, doesn't he?"

"Indeed! Mr. Blake, you seem to be only in your twenties. I'm curious, how did you two get acquainted? Also, John, John Bogle!"

Carter's extremely youthful appearance, juxtaposed against the SEC's entrance, not only clashed with Julian's appearance but also with the surroundings. There wasn't a person under thirty in sight. This anomaly piqued the curiosity of the somewhat worn-out old man, prompting him to ask a bit more.

"I used to be Mr. Robertson's client."

With a hint of reserve, Carter offered this brief explanation. And that was enough.

"Young and promising!"

John's face showed a knowing expression, with a hint of nostalgia as he complimented. His gaze seemed to flicker with something he wanted to say, but ultimately, he chose to remain silent.

After a brief introduction, the two old men walked side by side ahead, chatting about the dinner party while entering the SEC. Carter and Lily, the young duo, naturally followed suit.

It wasn't until they reached the depths of the lobby that the two men bid farewell. The RIA license that Carter and Julian were here to collect was issued by the SEC's Division of Investment Management. On their way to the relevant office, Julian said to Carter:

"This RIA license is essential if you want to establish an investment company or investment bank. You can come here to apply in the future. And just now, John—"

"He used to be the CEO of Wellington Company. His life experience is quite similar to yours. After graduating from Princeton with a degree in economics, he joined Wellington. Fourteen years ago, he led a major acquisition, and several local investment companies in Boston were absorbed by Wellington, making it the top player. He became the president at the age of 37."

"And then?"

Sure enough, Julian's circle of friends seemed unable to view things with too normal a perspective. After being shocked by a similar incident last year, Carter was no longer surprised to find that a fallen old man had once been a financial titan. However, he couldn't help but ask curiously as they walked. After all, with such a brilliant past, the present couldn't be too bleak, could it?

His vision, experience, network, and expertise all exceeded those of ordinary people by miles. Especially in light of their current location—the Securities and Exchange Commission.

His return here, or as Julian mentioned earlier, it wasn't his first time encountering him here. This indicated that he hadn't left this industry.

"Well, young people are always more aggressive, just like when you invested in gold. Then he ran into the crisis seven years ago, lost a lot of money, and was eventually ousted from Wellington by the other partners."

Julian chuckled, directly comparing John's situation to Carter's:

"You've basically got personal sole proprietorship over your businesses now. You don't need to worry too much about following in his footsteps. But the principle remains the same. Many of your current investment strategies, in my opinion, are too aggressive! Let's leave aside the gold issue; what about HT Company? When you only had one store, you poured millions into it. Once you start lending money like there's no tomorrow, have you considered that if anything goes wrong in this plan, your entire system will collapse? How much you put in will be how much you lose!"

"Sigh, I know, but there are things you can't help."

Carter sighed, feeling somewhat complicated:

"Last year, the bank almost went bankrupt due to asset structure issues, and this year, with the new law, it directly brought about an anticipated wave of bank failures. With enough cash on hand, I can naturally not worry about not being able to pay interest or collapsing due to asset issues. But—"

"But for someone who's already made money, suddenly telling him not to make money anymore, that's too difficult! Just thinking about the money in the bank decreasing continuously, bad loans increasing, it makes my scalp tingle!"

"I'm doing this to find a way out! To give people jobs, a chance to earn money. If the bad loan ratio decreases, banks will be able to lend more, and you have to find a way to get it flowing! "

Concerns about the bank, concerns about the development of HT Company—Carter hadn't ignored them. But sometimes, even if you're worried, you still have to act, don't you?

When it comes to the top banks in the United States, such as Citibank, **** Bank, and others, they're all commercial and investment banks. Savings banks? Not a single one on the list.

Why?!

Originally, Carter didn't understand, but now, Carter, who was personally caught in the vortex of this era, understood very well. In this era of great change, conservative, stagnant savings banks, even with a large scale and ample cash, would eventually be worn down by the currents of time.

And finally, they would quietly exit the stage of history.