As the President of the United States, he could ensure that anyone living or doing business in America had to bow to his will, or he had ways to deal with them.
But if someone didn’t want to live or make money in America, his influence over them was practically zero.
Ask farmers or the underclass in less developed countries, and they might not even know the name of the U.S. President. If Bernard Arnault abandoned the American market, his relationship with the President would be like that of those farmers: despite the vast difference in status, neither could touch the other.
Moreover, Bernard Arnault publicly announced that his U.S. stores would be closed for at least three years, potentially costing him ten billion dollars in profits.
To cut costs, he’d likely have to lay off tens of thousands of U.S. employees, whose families would then turn against the President, and public opinion would undoubtedly side with Bernard Arnault.
The President was furious, itching to slap the old man across the face.
At that moment, a CNN reporter, with a grim expression, asked Bernard Arnault, “Mr. Arnault, if you truly shut down all your U.S. stores, does that mean your company will lay off tens of thousands of American workers? Do you think that’s fair to those employees and their families?”
Bernard Arnault sneered inwardly. “Layoffs? Don’t be ridiculous. How could I lay anyone off? These tens of thousands of American employees are my golden ticket. Each one might not cost much, but together, it’s an astronomical sum. At least a billion dollars to start. Business is like rowing against the current; if you don’t move forward, you fall back. If I close all these stores, I lose billions in annual sales and profits, plus I’d have to cover the rent for thousands of stores and the salaries and benefits for tens of thousands of employees. How could I pass up such an opportunity?”
With a grand wave of his hand, he declared magnanimously, “Closing the stores is my personal protest against the U.S. government’s protection of Blackwater. How could I let tens of thousands of American employees suffer because of my personal decision? So, I’m announcing to all our U.S. employees that, during the three years of store closures, everyone’s salaries will be paid in full.”
“Holy crap.”
The Washington crowd was utterly defeated.
Facing an opponent like this, even a god couldn’t win.
The reporters at the scene were dumbfounded.
Having worked in the news industry for years, they’d seen all sorts of bizarre things, but nothing like this.
A boss, over a personal grievance, shutting down a market worth billions annually.
And not only that, he wasn’t laying off any employees and would keep paying their salaries.
If they’d known, they would’ve quit their jobs a day earlier and joined one of his stores, lying back and collecting three years’ worth of pay.
At that moment, employees at all of Bernard Arnault’s U.S. stores were celebrating wildly. The happiness came so suddenly, it was a dream too good to imagine. It was so good you wouldn’t dare ask God for it in church.
But now, Bernard Arnault had made it happen.
When Bernard Arnault said these words, he felt a pang in his heart.
As a capitalist, he wasn’t pained by losing money, because in his eyes, losing money was a way to gain experience points with Ye Chen.
What truly pained him was that his employees would get three years’ pay without working. It felt too generous.
The essence of a capitalist is to extract surplus value from employees. Paying for employees who couldn’t be exploited made him feel like he was taking a massive loss.
But as a seasoned capitalist from an old capitalist nation, he quickly devised a solution and said with a smile, “Of course, let me clarify. Closing the stores doesn’t mean sending employees home or locking the doors. My employees will continue working in my stores, and the stores will remain open to all American customers. However, all U.S. stores will no longer function as sales outlets. They’ll serve as showrooms, displaying our products and brand philosophy to the American public.”
With those words, the employees’ earlier euphoria came to an abrupt halt.
But it didn’t affect the public’s admiration for Bernard Arnault.
For Bernard Arnault, closing the U.S. market, paying salaries for thousands of employees, and covering rent for thousands of stores would make the group’s U.S. financials look disastrous, with losses reaching astronomical figures. This would maximise his experience points with Ye Chen.
Yet, thousands of stores open only for display, not sales, would still generate significant brand exposure despite contributing no revenue.
This way, Americans wanting to buy his brand’s luxury goods would have to purchase overseas or through international proxies or online shopping.
Those U.S. orders would then count towards the group’s sales in other countries, allowing him to make money while continuing to lose money in the U.S. market. It was the perfect plan, earning him experience points and profits through a different route.
