“Did you buy it?”
This was the most common greeting throughout early September. Anyone with a bit of money would ask their relatives and friends whether they had managed to purchase the third phase of the Western Mustang Foundation’s fund.
However, this third phase stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Many Black individuals expressed strong dissatisfaction, claiming that the first two phases were supported by their community, standing by Little Swift through thick and thin. But now, with the third phase, they felt excluded. The funds were entirely snatched up by white buyers, leaving Black individuals unable to afford or access the Western Mustang fund.
Their complaints weren’t entirely baseless. Although the third phase was advertised as being open to everyone equally, the reality was different. The mechanism favored those with more money, giving them a higher chance of securing the fund. And in the U.S., who had more money—Black people or white people?
The answer was stark. Statistics showed that white incomes were at least ten times higher than Black incomes, and Black individuals generally lacked the habit of saving, making it nearly impossible for them to muster enough cash to invest in the third phase. As a result, over 90% of the third-phase fund was bought by white investors. Many Black supporters of the first and second phases were left empty-handed, which naturally caused an uproar.
For a moment, the Western Mustang Foundation was thrown into chaos. Protests erupted, and Little Swift was on the verge of going from a Black hero to being labeled a traitor—well, more accurately, a “Black traitor.”
Fortunately, the Western Mustang Foundation acted swiftly. Just two days later, they announced an additional $10 billion third-phase fund, exclusively reserved for Black buyers. This $10 billion would not be sold online but through offline channels only, with purchases limited to Black individuals in person, and a cap of $20,000 per person.
Moreover, all future funds would be split evenly: half for white buyers and half for Black buyers. For example, if the fourth phase offered $40 billion, $20 billion would be reserved for white buyers and $20 billion for Black buyers. Even Zhu Yuanzhang would have given Little Swift a thumbs-up for this system.
This move was meant to fully protect the purchasing rights of Black individuals. Little Swift thought this announcement would surely win back their support. But to his surprise, the online backlash only grew louder.
After seeing Little Swift back down, Black netizens criticized him even more fiercely. Poor Little Swift was nearly in tears, feeling utterly wronged.
Just when he was at a loss, Boss Huang posted a fiery statement on the company website: “I’ve already admitted my mistake and added more shares for my brothers, but you’re still cursing me? Fine! If I see one more insult online, I’m done. I’ve already made billions in bonuses anyway. I’ll quit investing and go start a plantation in the South, become a farmer!”
The moment this statement went out, all the online insults stopped instantly. No one wanted to drive Little Swift away—who else would make them money? Almost overnight, the negative comments vanished, replaced by a flood of praise and encouragement. Countless “big sisters” appeared out of nowhere, flooding Little Swift’s Weibo with messages urging him to ignore the “trashy keyboard warriors.”
A wave of articles praising Little Swift’s authenticity also swept the internet, portraying his outburst as charmingly genuine—a mark of a great man.
Meanwhile, some people set their sights on the $10 billion fund reserved for Black buyers.
Jack, a native-born Black man in the U.S., had a background similar to Little Swift’s but lacked his luck. Addicted to drugs, Jack’s life was a mess. But one day, his luck turned. While lounging on a park bench, a middle-aged white man woke him up.
“Hey, kid, wanna make some money?” the man asked with a smile.
“Who doesn’t want money? But working? No way!” Jack replied, rolling over. Working was out of the question—he’d never do it.
He got by with food vouchers, trading them for near-expired food to avoid starvation. As for shelter, his trusty bench was perfect, won after a month-long battle with three other homeless men. Lying on it gave him a sense of pride and satisfaction. Work? That was for Chinese people, not a proud American like him.
“It’s not work, and it’s not hard. Just help me line up,” the white man said. “If you pull it off, I’ll give you $200.” Jack’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly followed the man.
When they arrived, Jack realized the man had brought him to the Western Mustang Foundation’s office. The task? Use his Black identity to buy the third-phase fund for the man. When the man handed him $20,000 in cash, Jack’s first instinct was to grab the money and run. But...
The result? The additional $10 billion fund sold out in a single day. However, less than 50% went to wealthy Black buyers—the rest was, once again, bought by white investors through proxies.
This time, though, Little Swift’s reputation soared even higher. Many had indeed made significant profits through him.
Three days later, Jack’s body was found—not due to foul play, mind you. He’d simply overdosed. After receiving thousands of dollars, instead of improving his life, he bought five times his usual dose of drugs, aiming for a big high. And, well, he got a one-way ticket to paradise.
This incident, however, underscored the Western Mustang Foundation’s status as a financial darling across the U.S. after the success of its first two phases.
At the same time, countless people awaited Little Swift’s downfall. A single 1% loss could shatter the fund’s mythos. Many watched curiously, wondering what he’d do next with the $40 billion in his hands.
Based on his past moves, Little Swift favored single-asset investments. While he later diversified, investing in over a dozen tech companies, those only accounted for about 10% of the funds. The remaining 90% went into a single asset. The first phase was Apple; the second was crude oil futures. So, what would the third phase be?
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Little Swift made his move.
On September 10, 2004, the market was stunned. In just three days, Little Swift used the entire $40 billion to short the market, targeting over a dozen companies, including big names like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and BlackBerry...