It turned out that this local tyrant's strategy was very successful, and in a short period of time, the news of the 65-fold compensation payment went viral. Not only in the United States, but also in Europe, Asia, and even around the world, as long as there was internet access, the astonishing news had almost swept across the screens.
When the global onlookers learned that the Americans had spent 50 trillion US dollars to pay compensation for the land along the route, they were all so shocked that their mouths couldn't close.
Thus, subsequent related news was continuously revealed.
For example, the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company had previously financed 60 trillion US dollars, but 50 trillion US dollars were used to acquire land along the route, leaving only the remaining 10 trillion US dollars for research and development, laying pipelines, and building vacuum high-speed magnetic levitation trains, a shocking proportion.
Then, news broke that in the past three years, the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company seemed to have not built even 1 kilometer of vacuum pipeline. The construction site where the groundbreaking ceremony was held was still just a construction site until now.
A reporter bravely sneaked into the construction site, took photos, and found that the entire site was almost the same as when the groundbreaking ceremony was held three years ago.
Even the shovels used at the groundbreaking ceremony were still stuck in place, as if no one had touched these things in the past few years.
As a result, the United States immediately became a global laughingstock, especially the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company, which was directly put on the grill.
People from other countries naturally watched the show and mocked it wildly, but the American people couldn't stand it. Coupled with some politicians who seized the opportunity to win popular support, all sorts of investigation requests poured into the White House like snowflakes.
Under such circumstances, the White House naturally could not cover up anything for the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company.
If you cover yourself up tightly, the White House can pretend not to see it.
But now that the whole matter has been exposed, to stabilize the chair beneath oneself, don't blame the great President for being impolite.
Thus, a massive investigation team was formed within a week, announcing that it would fully investigate the entire United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company, uncover all the tricks, and give all American citizens the truth.
At this moment, the entire United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company was like ants on a hot pan, completely unaware of how to deal with this sudden change.
Fortunately, the Goldman Sachs Group behind it was quite astute. Professor Parkinson immediately convened a meeting with all the prominent directors of the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company to discuss countermeasures.
"Let the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company go bankrupt directly!" At the beginning of the meeting, a director made such a sensational suggestion, and many other directors echoed it.
This was indeed the best way to solve the problem, as all the information had been exposed online, the exaggerated acquisition price ratio, and the fact that not even 1 kilometer of pipeline had been worked on for three years were all irrefutable evidence. It was almost impossible to whitewash this matter from a logical perspective.
Therefore, the only way was to do the opposite and let the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company be destroyed directly.
At this meeting, one director explained clearly and vividly: "We have to admit that the angry voices on the internet are indeed very loud, and it is very difficult to solve this problem with conventional public opinion control methods."
"If we keep dragging this on, there will only be one outcome: the investigation team will fully enter our company, draw relevant investigation results, and then announce them."
"Regardless of the final investigation results, one thing is certain: the company's stock price is beyond saving. Forget the current market value of 60 trillion US dollars; it will be difficult to even maintain a market value of 600 billion US dollars at that time."
"More importantly, the confidence of the shareholders has been completely shattered, and they will no longer be willing to invest in us. At this time, the company's liquid funds have been completely depleted. If we cannot get those shareholders and retail investors to contribute money, the entire company cannot continue to operate. Are we still expected to use our own money to operate this doomed company?"
"Moreover, ladies and gentlemen, if we let the investigation team continue to investigate like this, do we still have to return the compensation we received from the company? Although this possibility is not high, it does exist, after all, those politicians will do anything to get votes."
"They can be our dogs today to please us, and they can eat us tomorrow to please their votes. I wouldn't be surprised if anything happened to them!"
"The most crucial point is that according to our original plan, the company will launch its third round of issuance this year, absorbing over 3 trillion US dollars. This money will be used to continue purchasing land along the route, and then the construction of the train pipelines will begin!"
"Now, expecting to raise 3 trillion US dollars from the market is simply impossible. This means that if we intend to continue operating this company and let it create value, we will have to pay 3 trillion US dollars ourselves."
"Ladies and gentlemen, who is willing to pay this money?" The scene instantly fell silent. With the company's reputation ruined, no one had the courage to continue investing in this company.
"In short, if things continue to develop, even if everything goes in the best direction, the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company will eventually cease to exist due to a lack of operating funds, the stock market will plummet, and it will also drag down a large amount of our funds!"
"Instead of that, it is better to be decisive and destroy the entire United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company now!"
"There are many benefits to doing this. First, it can quickly quell public anger. You may see that the anger of these people is very intense now, but it is also very simple to extinguish it. Just like controlling a forest fire, create a firebreak around the flames, and then let the forest fire burn the forest within the firebreak! After that, without wood, these angry flames will naturally disappear!"
"It's like we throw out the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company, let it be burned by angry flames, and finally blow up with a bang, the public's anger will be vented, and the matter will end there, and the flames will not spread to ourselves!"
This speech was met with enthusiastic applause at the meeting. Professor Parkinson frowned. He was probably the least supportive of this plan, as the actual control of the company was in his hands, and Goldman Sachs had also made trillions of US dollars in profits through this company. Abandoning it now would be a bit too regrettable.
Moreover, this might have a huge impact on the strategic development of the United States.
So Professor Parkinson hesitated for a moment and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if we abandon this company directly, then no company in the United States will have the courage to build high-speed magnetic levitation train pipelines in the next 20 years. And the Chinese pipeline trains will be fully connected within 5 years at the latest. Will doing this destroy the future of the United States?"
"..." All the directors looked at Professor Parkinson in surprise, as if surprised why this old fox would say such a thing.
Did he want them to vomit out the money they had already eaten for the future of the United States?
"When did I also become as concerned about the country and its people as Dr. Cooper!" Seeing the surprised expressions of those around him, Professor Parkinson shook his head and then said with a smile, "Never mind, since these foolish people are clamoring on the internet, there is no need for us to build high-speed magnetic levitation trains for them. Let them taste the bitter fruit they have sown!"
Professor Parkinson's words won enthusiastic applause. Everyone expressed that what Professor Parkinson said was excellent.
Those damn commoners dared to talk nonsense on the internet and point fingers at them.
Well then, let's part ways. You commoners will never be able to ride high-speed vacuum magnetic levitation trains in your lives. You should bear the consequences of your own actions, you foolish people. It is precisely because of the gap between the people that the United States is inferior to China!
However, this plan was not smooth sailing. Soon, some people worried and expressed that such a large company as the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company could not just be discarded. As long as the investigation team entered and conducted a thorough investigation, it would be easy to spread to their own homes. How should this be handled?
"Don't worry, I already have a proper solution, but it requires sacrificing some things and requires everyone's cooperation. I don't know if everyone is willing to part with it!" Professor Parkinson said with a smile, and then revealed his plan in its entirety.
After listening to Professor Parkinson's plan, all the directors applauded and praised it, saying that this was the Parkinson they knew.
Resourceful and able to come up with such a perfect, multi-pronged solution, everyone would strongly support and fully cooperate.
For a time, the scene was filled with praise for Professor Parkinson, making him feel very pleased. The meeting then concluded in such a pleasant atmosphere.
That evening, the board of directors of the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company collectively issued a statement, expressing their outrage at the company's behavior and supporting all official investigations.
In secret, there was a large amount of United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company stocks on the market, all in a state of sell-off. However, at this time, except for a few fools, almost no one dared to buy the stock of the United States United Super Vacuum Pipeline Railway Company at this juncture, so the company's stock continued to plummet, and the decline even reached a crazy level that triggered the entire Nasdaq stock market circuit breaker.
Yes, the US stock market also has a circuit breaker mechanism, and of course, this circuit breaker is overall, and it will not be triggered by the fall of a single company.
But now, only this one company has plummeted, causing the entire stock market to circuit break, which shows how devastating this decline was.