"Hey, Mark, you didn't hear wrong, it's about raiding Tokyo!" Jim put away his playful smile and said with a serious expression.
"Who are these two?" After a moment of silence, Maxim picked up a blue drink in front of him, took a small sip, and said casually.
Anyone who heard about raiding Tokyo would be shocked and distracted, especially when the Japanese stock market was booming. At this time, the Japanese stock market had been on a bull run for thirty months, and the prolonged bull market had made almost everyone money, leading to even more funds being invested in the Japanese stock market.
However, as a professional in capital markets, one needed to remain calm in such situations, just as Buffett said: "I fear when others are greedy." Who knew who would be left naked when the tide went out!
So after the initial shock, Maxim quickly calmed down. In fact, in his circle, many had tried to short the Japanese stock market, but all ended in tragic outcomes. They had raised funds with great ambition and spent a lot of time formulating strategies, but in the face of the bullish market, they were powerless, losing everything and more. Some who had well-formulated strategies managed to withdraw, while some aggressive funds and traders lost everything.
Maxim, who appeared calm, was trying hard to compose himself, but his trembling hands betrayed his inner turmoil. He coughed twice while drinking to hide his unease.
However, everyone present was a sharp individual, noticing his discomfort but pretending not to see it.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is Mr. William from Britain, from the ancient Hunter family. I'm sure you've heard of them," Jim smiled slightly and pointed to the white man with messy blonde hair.
The Hunter family was one of the oldest in Britain, reportedly with assets worth billions of pounds, holding hereditary noble titles, and with business interests spanning the globe, especially in former British colonies. Additionally, they had close ties with the financial conglomerates in New England, the northeastern United States.
Moreover, members of their family often held important positions in the House of Lords in the British Parliament, sometimes even serving as key advisors to the Prime Minister.
"Ah, a friend from Britain, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Maxim extended his right hand warmly to shake William's, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the subtle emblem on William's shirt.
That was the emblem of the Hunter family, a symbol of their honor. Maxim found these somewhat old-fashioned traditions a bit outdated, but he concealed it well, showing the utmost respect to William Hunter.
"I've heard you are the most talented trader in Jim's team, and your profits last year even exceeded those of others combined. I believe we have a great opportunity to collaborate!" William bowed slightly, displaying excellent manners. He mentioned Maxim's performance, indicating he had done thorough research.
"Alright, save the flattery for later. This gentleman is Mr. Yamamoto from the Sakura Group in Japan. Do you remember the stock market crash two years ago? The Sakura Group not only avoided losses but also made a substantial profit, all in dollars!" Jim introduced the other person, the short Japanese man they had seen earlier.
Yamamoto stood up and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, speaking in a perfect New York accent: "Mr. Maxim, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Generally, due to language barriers, Japanese people often spoke poor English. The heavy use of foreign words, especially Chinese and English, in the Japanese language made it difficult for them to distinguish between their native language and English. The fluent English of this Japanese man surprised Maxim.
"Don't be so surprised. Mr. Yamamoto graduated from New York University and has spent more time in New York than any of us!" Jim noticed Maxim's confusion and added.
What surprised Maxim was not just Yamamoto's fluent English but also his performance during the 1987 stock market crash. As far as he knew, the global stock market had plummeted, and only a few had made money through short selling, while most market participants had suffered losses. This unassuming Japanese man had managed to profit during a once-in-a-lifetime market crash, which was a testament to his capabilities.
After everyone retook their seats, Jim, as the convener, lit a thick cigar and, in a slow and steady voice, said, "The Japanese capital market has been on a bull run for three to four years, giving rise to a large number of world-class conglomerates and companies, especially in the banking sector, which is almost monopolizing the top ten global banks. Of course, we see this as highly irrational and false, and this time we are here to gather everyone's strength to help the Japanese government burst this bubble."
He spoke in a grand and noble manner, as if he were doing a favor for the Japanese. In reality, bursting this bubble meant plundering Japan's wealth, even though this wealth was mostly on paper.
"My bosses have discussed it and will act as soon as this year, with the exact timing still to be determined. We are the vanguard, and more funds will follow, and I believe this will be a great battle."
In Jim's seemingly casual speech, he hinted that he had the backing of a powerful consortium. Otherwise, with his fund's mere tens of millions of dollars, it would hardly make a ripple in the booming Japanese stock market.
In fact, Jim's fund was supported by a U.S. consortium led by the Goodman Company (to avoid naming, the real name will not be used again). Goodman Company supported over a dozen funds of Jim's size in Japan.
Within Goodman Company, there were funds dedicated to the Japanese capital market and a fund that invested in hedge funds, pouring large sums of money into hedge funds operating in Japan while sharing internal research and operational strategies.
Maxim knew that before founding his own fund, Jim had worked in the trading department of Goodman Company and still maintained close ties with his former company.
"Indeed, some of our British partners are also concerned about the prosperity of the Japanese market. If necessary, we will spare no effort to help the Japanese market become more rational," William sipped his whiskey, his face showing a relaxed and pleasant expression. His words sounded like those of a benevolent internationalist, but in reality, he was also a plunderer, just like Jim.
Of course, this plundering was legal and justified.
"Truly, coming from a country with a long history of capitalism, you can speak so grandly. It seems you have a deep 'cultural foundation'!" If Zhong Shi were present, he would certainly have made such a comment.
After both had spoken, they looked at Yamamoto. In their view, Yamamoto's position was somewhat awkward. As a Japanese person, if his short-selling activities were exposed, he would face significant pressure. Japan was quite xenophobic in some aspects, even in places like Kabukicho, which had its own signs.
However, they also understood that for people in finance, concepts like country and ethnicity were mere illusions; tangible interests were what truly mattered. Yamamoto himself was a "banana person," outwardly Asian but inwardly completely aligned with Western thinking.
"I have no problem. The Sakura Group has prepared one billion dollars in capital, and we are ready to follow your lead!" Yamamoto's eyes darted around, his face showing some discomfort, but after careful consideration, he nodded firmly.
In fact, he had no choice. Even if he disagreed, these people and their backing consortiums would not give up the opportunity to short the Japanese market. Instead of futile resistance, it was better to join them and take a chance.
This was a public strategy, a confrontation between bulls and bears, with the stakes being enormous wealth.
For the bulls, one more Sakura Group didn't matter; there were plenty of large Japanese conglomerates that wouldn't care about such a small player. Only by joining the bears could they gain more influence and profit.
More importantly, Japanese regulators were extremely sensitive to domestic short selling, with some nearly draconian regulations. Only by transferring capital to overseas conglomerates could they escape this deadly oversight.
"Since that's the case, we have reached a preliminary agreement. However, I must warn you all that this information must not be leaked, and the strategies and timing we develop must also be kept secret, or we will face significant trouble," Jim's face showed a hint of joy, but his expression quickly turned serious as he delivered this veiled threat.
"Of course!"
"As you command."
The other three quickly agreed, understanding that this would be a deal involving billions of dollars, and no one could afford to bear the responsibility of a leak.
They were just the public representatives; the real power lay with the backing conglomerates. Today's meeting was just an initial contact, and many details still needed to be discussed, with many operational strategies to be formulated and executed by their teams.
"To our victory, I propose a toast!" After finishing the serious business, Jim's face returned to its playful expression. They all raised their glasses and drank the strong liquor amidst the noise.
"This will be a great moment!" Maxim muttered to himself, as he was drunk! (Today, KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms, announced the launch of its first proprietary investment fund, KPMG Capital, which will primarily invest in the data and analytics industry. Truly, they are in a prime position to invest while auditing! Finally, a big thank you to the reader Best Listener~ for the generous tip!)