The leader on the other end of the phone felt utterly defeated.
He despised the sensation of swinging a big stick, only for it to turn to air just as it seemed it would crush the opponent.
The leader couldn’t fathom why Bernard Elno dared to challenge his authority so brazenly, goading him into imposing a fifty-billion-dollar fine.
It felt like threatening someone with a slap for disobedience, only for them to taunt back, begging to be shot instead.
Furious and humiliated, he took Bernard Elno’s sincerity as provocation and said coldly, “Fine, I get it, Elno. You think you’re a hero now, untouchable, fearless. But rest assured, I’ll make you pay!”
With that, he gritted his teeth, hung up, and summoned his aides, “Find ways to put pressure on Bernard Elno’s group. See if we can reasonably and effectively raise their tariffs. Once the White Horse Island matter blows over, dig for vulnerabilities in his group. Ideally, hit him with a hefty fine! I want him to feel the pain!!!”
A chubby, bearded aide spoke up, “Leader, the world’s eyes are on Bernard Elno right now. Rashly imposing tariffs or investigating his group could easily be seen as retaliation for the White Horse Island and Blackwater incidents. I suggest we wait.”
“Wait? I can’t wait a second!” The leader smoothed his sleek fringe, grinding his teeth, “That old scoundrel didn’t give me an ounce of respect, even daring me to fine him fifty billion dollars! I can’t issue a fifty-billion-dollar fine, but five hundred million? That’s the least he should lose!”
The bearded aide paused, then said, “How about we propose a bill urging American citizens to cut unnecessary luxury spending? To achieve this, we could uniformly raise tariffs on all luxury goods by fifty percent, whether from France, Italy, or even Britain.”
“If anyone questions our motives, we’ll say European luxury goods are draining American wallets. Americans should spend on domestically produced industrial goods to make America great again, not on overpriced European trash worth a fraction of its price.”
The leader’s eyes lit up, “Good idea. Our supporters are working-class folks. Those high earners who don’t vote for us and mock us on social media? This’ll teach them a lesson.”
Meanwhile, after hanging up on the leader, Bernard Elno felt utterly exhilarated.
He was like a gamer who’d found an exploit to farm experience points from the highest-level boss, eagerly awaiting the moment his experience soared and rare gear dropped.
His wife, seeing his smugness after mocking the American leader, couldn’t help but chide, “I’d advise you not to get too carried away with your heroics. For your laughable sense of justice, you’re picking a fight with the American leader. If he sanctions you, you’ll lose billions annually, if not more.”
“You don’t understand,” Bernard Elno chuckled, dismissing her ignorance. She didn’t know about the rejuvenation pill. If she did, she’d be even more fanatic than he was, considering the fortune she spent on beauty treatments.
So, he closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and thought smugly, “This trip to America, I’ll give the leader a real challenge!”
…
As Bernard flew over the ocean, a new day dawned on the Maldives’ White Horse Island.
It was the last day of Ye Chen’s family’s stay on the island.
Per their plan, they’d check out at noon, take a seaplane to Malé, then Ma Lan and Xiao Changkun would head to Dubai, while Ye Chen and Xiao Churan would catch an international flight back to China.
Ma Lan was reluctant to leave.
The scenery was stunning, the climate pleasant, far better than China’s freezing weather or Dubai’s scorching dryness.
Still, with plenty of dollars in hand, Dubai’s shopping malls held strong appeal.
As departure loomed, Xiao Churan felt melancholic. To her, this Maldives trip was her first, and last, vacation with Ye Chen.
After returning, she’d prepare to leave him.
Noticing her low spirits, Ye Chen asked with concern, “Darling, are you reluctant to leave? How about we stay a few more days?”
