Everyone with clear eyes knows that the sudden exposure of Bernard Arnault’s past scandals by American media is because Bernard Arnault refuses to back down on the White Horse Island issue.
Though the tactics are clear, once Bernard Arnault’s scandals were exposed, many people felt some dissatisfaction towards him, or their admiration for him was no longer as strong as before.
In fact, this move by the President was an open strategy.
Everyone knows I’m exposing his scandals, but so what? Once the scandals are out, people’s attitudes towards him will surely change.
However, no one expected Bernard Arnault to be so hardcore, shutting down thousands of stores across dozens of his brands in the U.S. at the drop of a hat.
The American market generates billions of dollars in sales and billions in profits annually. To abandon it so easily, he’s truly ruthless.
The President, watching the live broadcast in his office, was stunned.
He had been following the live press conference, waiting for the reporters’ questions, eager to see how those reporters would grill Bernard Arnault about his scandals and how the old man would handle it, surely putting him in an awkward spot.
But to everyone’s shock, before it even reached the Q&A session, the old man dropped a bombshell.
The round-faced aide beside him was equally stunned, muttering, “This… is the old man insane? Shutting down all stores tomorrow over something so trivial? Is it worth it?”
The President was equally baffled. “Yeah… no matter how you look at it, this isn’t a good deal. It’s like I accidentally let out a fart that offended him, and he threatens to chop off his own leg unless I apologise. This is pure madness. He needs a neurologist and a psychiatrist at the same time.”
The aide asked awkwardly, “So what do we do now? The situation has become too passive because of this old man. We only threatened him, maybe slapped a few fines on his car, but he’s ready to ditch the car entirely. If he really shuts down all his stores, public opinion will definitely swing in his favour.”
“I don’t know what to do now,” the President snapped in frustration. “This is ridiculous. Utterly absurd. Originally, we could’ve both stepped back, and this would’ve been over. But this old bastard didn’t give me any face. I was about to smear his name, and he just decided to burn it all down.”
At the scene, after Bernard Arnault announced his decision, reporters eagerly raised their hands to ask questions.
This time, Bernard Arnault prioritised Agence France-Presse.
The AFP reporter asked, “Mr. Arnault, as far as I know, your group earns roughly two to three billion dollars in profit annually from the U.S. market, possibly more. By suddenly shutting down all your stores in the U.S., isn’t the loss a bit too great?”
Bernard Arnault replied without hesitation, “The loss is significant, but it doesn’t matter. What I care about now is whether justice can be served.”
At this point, he looked at several American media reporters in the audience and smiled. “The American journalist friends here must know full well that your media started digging up my past actions and deeds just a few minutes ago. I admit that, during the process of primitive capital accumulation, like many businesspeople who’ve topped the rich lists, I’ve carried some degree of original sin. I won’t deny it, nor can I. What I can do now is take action to give back to society, to atone for the mistakes I made back then. Everyone makes mistakes, but some never admit to them or pay a price for them. I’m different. I admit my faults and am willing to take responsibility.”
The onlookers, seeing this, instantly changed their view of Bernard Arnault. “The old man may have done some dirty things in the past, but now he’s turned over a new leaf. To uphold justice, he’s willing to give up billions in annual profits. So what if he was a bit shady before? What about it? Answer me. Look me in the eyes and answer.”
The reporters at the scene were also impressed. The old man’s attitude and words had built an impregnable wall; his defence was now unassailable.
Of course, this was on the condition that he followed through with shutting down the stores, not just making empty gestures to toy with the public.
Another reporter, sceptical of such a massive sacrifice, asked, “Mr. Arnault, are you certain all your stores will close at midnight tonight? Or is this just a word game, where shops naturally close at midnight but reopen for business the next morning? When will your U.S. stores resume operations after closing at midnight?”
Bernard Arnault calmly replied, “There’s no set timeline, but it definitely won’t be short. I know you’re worried I’m exaggerating for attention. I can promise you this: the U.S. stores will be closed for at least three years, with no upper limit.”
“Holy hell. He’s an absolute beast.”
The President, watching on TV, smashed his half-drunk cola onto the floor, seething with anger and feeling utterly powerless.
