Robert looked at Steve in disbelief. Even though Steve’s words were a bit harsh, Robert felt happy for no apparent reason and at the same time had an indescribable sense of responsibility. He just wanted to quickly buy a roast goose for his great-grandfather.
Robert immediately said respectfully, “Thank you for your agreement, Grandpa. Don’t worry, I will go straight to Chinatown!”
Steve smiled kindly and said, “Go ahead, we’ll be waiting for you.”
“Good!”
Robert left happily.
Steve returned to the private room, saw Charlie, and smiled, saying, “Mr. Chen, you are looking for me?”
Charlie nodded, motioned for Steve to sit beside him, then asked, “By the way, Steve, there is something I might need your help with.”
Steve immediately replied, “Oh, there’s no need to be so polite with me. It’s my honor to serve you!”
Rachel felt numb to Steve’s flattery. He secretly observed Steve’s obedience to Charlie and increasingly understood that as long as he cooperated with Charlie, Charlie would definitely be able to make Steve bring huge benefits to his family. This gain was not money, but rather the importance of the Qing Society, which would make the entire family’s future life much easier.
Charlie then said to Steve, “I want international crude oil prices to soar in the shortest time, the sooner the better, ideally today!”
Steve was not surprised, but respectfully asked Charlie, “So, how much do you want crude oil prices to rise?”
Charlie said, “At least 10%!”
Steve breathed a sigh of relief and smiled confidently: “Oh, that’s easy. Recently, we used the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to manipulate the price of crude oil, causing it to fluctuate wildly. If we want to sell at a high price, we make the situation there tense; if we want to buy at a low price, we encourage peace talks. We sell a barrel of crude oil today, buy it tomorrow, and sell it again the day after. By taking advantage of the futures market, after a few rounds, the funds will double.”
Charlie laughed and said, “Too blatant?”
“It was nothing,” Steve said with a chuckle. “The President’s family members are all stock market experts. Ordinary people play the stock market by analyzing and predicting market trends, but top players don’t care about that. Top players create market trends.”
Steve continued, “In fact, the way the crude oil market works is very simple. We hardly participate in the extraction and production of oil. Apart from the Saudi royal family, most oil extraction is dirty and tiring work, and the money is made too slowly. We mainly make money in the international futures market. Moreover, we do not make money from the rise and fall of prices, but from creating price fluctuations. If many people take long positions in the market, we create several situations in the Middle East for short positions in the market. If many people take short positions in the market, we create situation to take a buy position (long). If there are too many short positions in the market, we will fight back; if there are too many long positions, we will repeatedly destroy the positions of retail investors, and the money from the destroyed positions goes into our pockets. Manipulating the price of oil with a remote control for us.
Charlie nodded and said with a smile, “Good. Arrange everything as quickly as possible tonight. I want to see the results in the shortest time possible.”
“No problem,” Steve said respectfully. “I will arrange it.”
Charlie smiled and said, “Okay, that’s all for now. Call Robert back for dinner.”
Steve said awkwardly, “I just sent this kid to Chinatown to buy roast goose. He probably won’t be back for at least an hour.”
“One hour?” Charlie smiled helplessly, “You treat him like an errand boy.”
Steve laughed and said, “Once I become the head of the family, their entire family will have to run errands for me, otherwise, I have many ways to limit their income.”
Charlie nodded and casually said, “Then you and Miss Getty can wait here. My sister and I will go first.”
Steve was surprised and asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Charlie shook his head and said, “I don’t want to eat. Arrange a plane to take us to Miami.”
The Getty family originates from Miami, and the core members and base of the family’s businesses are all located in Miami. Charlie concluded that once Rachel conveyed confidential information about the impending surge in crude oil prices to the Left Army Governor’s Office, the Left Army Governor’s Office would definitely send someone to meet with the Getty family.
All I need to do is wait in Miami before the other party makes any moves!
FAQ NovelQ: Why is Steve hesitant to return to the private room immediately?A: Steve understands that his position, while powerful within his family, is secondary to Charlie’s influence. He suspects Charlie has a specific, private reason for the meeting, not related to Robert, and wants to ensure the situation isn’t disrupted.Q: What is Robert’s reaction to being sent on an errand?A: Robert is confused and feels unfairly treated. As a member of a prominent family, he believes Steve could easily delegate such a task to others, questioning why he’s being asked to run errands instead of joining the meal.Experience the delicate dance of influence as secrets begin to unravel in unexpected ways.
FAQ Novel
Q: What motivates Steve to keep Robert away from the private room?
A: Steve, recognizing Charlie’s subtle cues, understands that Charlie intends to speak privately with Robert’s mixed-race girlfriend and strategically creates an excuse to remove Robert from the scene.
Q: How does the chapter illustrate the unspoken family hierarchy?
A: Despite his high standing, Steve readily defers to Charlie’s unstated wishes, even fabricating an errand for his great-nephew Robert, showcasing Charlie’s ultimate authority within the complex family structure.
What are your predictions for Charlie’s next move, and how do you think Robert will react once he learns the truth?