From legendary short seller to god of American capital

Chapter 342 Kennedy's Counterattack: Convenience Stores Are the Biggest Beneficiaries

Chapter 342 Kennedy's Counterattack: Convenience Stores Are the Biggest Beneficiaries

Kennedy scrutinized Larry, as if trying to extract information from him about his plan to acquire shares in Ford Motor Company.

But Larry kept his lips tightly pressed together, the lines of his lips forming two resolute curves.

After waiting for about ten seconds, Kennedy spoke softly, "Larry, if I want to exit my equity investment in Ford Motor Company, would you be willing to take over those shares?"

Larry looked up at the other person, his face filled with astonishment.

"My God, how could you think such a thing? Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Kennedy. This is completely wrong. Automobiles will ultimately change our future lives, and the most mature automobile on the market right now is Mr. Ford's car—you will definitely regret it if you back out now!"

Kennedy remained unmoved, staring at the cigar in his hand, and slowly said, "I can let you recoup your investment at the original rate—no discount, but if you don't have that much money on hand, you can pay in installments!"

Larry jumped to his feet, his face filled with righteous indignation. "No! This has nothing to do with money! Mr. Kennedy, you must believe that automobiles are the future. I don't lack money, but I think that if you back out now, you're personally cutting off your own path to wealth!"

You are my good friend. If you are truly short of money right now, I am willing to lend you money interest-free to help you through this crisis. Even so, I cannot stand by and watch my good friend lose his future financial prospects!

Kennedy's gaze shifted from the cigar to Larry's face. After a moment's thought, he said, "Is that really what you think?"

"Yes, I'm willing to lend you money for free, whether it's $5 or $10!" Larry replied.

Kennedy shook his head. "No, I'm talking about cars being the future."

Larry nodded solemnly. "Yes! Sooner or later, horse-drawn carriages will be replaced! Automobiles will become the mode of transportation of the future—of course, I don't know when that will happen. But I firmly believe it!"

Kennedy's expression remained unchanged. After a moment, he slowly nodded. "Alright—let's put this aside for now. As you know, the Democratic Party's campaign for next year's election has already begun, and I will be accompanying the campaign team on visits to various states—do you have any suggestions?"

Larry's face relaxed when he heard Kennedy no longer mention giving up the Ford Motor Company stake. He slowly sat back in his seat, took a couple of puffs of his cigar, and said, "We've already agreed that you should open a large number of bubble tea shops and barbecue restaurants during the presidential election campaign—ideally, before the Democratic presidential candidate arrives in a place, you should have everything ready to open—"

During the campaign, local Democrats announced support for the poor and immigrants, turning the Democratic campaign into a seed-planting machine. Wherever they went, they sowed the seeds of hope for poverty alleviation!

Kennedy nodded emphatically, tapped his fingers on his knee, and chuckled, "Yes! You're right, we must control the rhythm well."

Kennedy's smile encouraged Larry, who continued, "The best way is to register on the spot! After the presidential candidate finishes outings, registration for impoverished voters should immediately begin. That's the most effective way, and it will also create a sensational media buzz!"

"Great! Excellent! Besides opening a shop, do you have any other ideas?" Kennedy leaned forward, his back lifted from the sofa, showing a focused expression.

"Guide public opinion! Publicize the harm of the trade war! But the pain points should be emphasized differently depending on the actual situation in each state!" Larry said, his thoughts becoming clearer. "Did you know? This year, the agricultural states in the Midwest have had another bumper wheat harvest! But spot grain prices just won't go up? I just went to Chicago a few days ago, and the grain warehouses there are full, they just can't sell them."

When you're campaigning in the agricultural states of the Midwest, you must educate your farmer voters—who is preventing them from selling their crops, thus causing their dire poverty!

"Science popularization? But I still don't understand why the grain can't be sold." Kennedy looked puzzled.

"Foreign trade is disrupted! Previously, a large amount of grain from the United States was exported to Europe. Europe, with its limited land and dense population, also needs to import a large amount of grain. However, due to the trade war between the United States and Europe, retaliatory tariffs from various European countries have prevented American grain from entering Europe —"

Larry placed teacups on the table and explained the details of the trade war, concluding, "The problem now is! Because Europe is resolutely refusing to import American grain, American farmers are not being able to convert their grain into the money they need. This is the biggest harm the Republicans are doing to the agricultural states of the Midwest!"

Kennedy nodded, then asked, "What about the eastern states? They don't suffer from the hardships of agriculture, so what should we be promoting there?"

"It's still about popular science!" Larry explained with a laugh. "Ordinary people don't really understand what customs duties mean. Republicans tell them that high tariffs are paid for by the exporting countries."

But in reality, the prices of imported European necessities will rise accordingly, and the increased prices are actually paid by consumers—the Republicans cleverly exploited the public's lack of knowledge, and what you're doing is telling them the truth.

Kennedy nodded again, then quickened his pace and asked, "What about the western states? They don't suffer from the agricultural export problems of the agricultural states, nor do they import large quantities of European goods like the eastern states—"

Larry gave a mysterious smile, held up one finger, and said, "Educate them who's exploiting them!"

Kennedy's eyes lit up immediately. He unconsciously shifted his position forward, sitting as close to Larry as possible. "Please tell me quickly!"

Larry paused for a few seconds, organizing his thoughts, before saying, "Westerners aren't indifferent to tariffs! They're the ones most oppressed by tariffs, yet they don't know who's responsible. Republicans say high tariffs protect American industry, but that only protects the industries of the eastern states. Currently, the western states don't have any industrial products—"

But who uses these protected industrial products? It's the farmers in the west! They buy pears, they buy barbed wire,

The price of kerosene lamps and nails is now 40% higher than it was ten years ago!

Why? Because McKinley granted steel mills a monopoly, allowing them to set prices arbitrarily. Even worse, the railroad companies used these expensive rails to build tracks, then passed the costs on to farmers who needed industrial goods from the East!

Kennedy's body stiffened, and he asked, "You mean, the shipping cost includes customs duties?"

"Exactly! Westerners cannot live without the supplies brought from the East by the railroads. They are opening up new farmland and mines for America, but they are squeezed twice by the unreasonable prices and high transportation costs set by monopolies."

Larry waved his arms excitedly, as if speaking for the farmers of the West, "It all started with that tax bill on Capitol Hill that says 'Protect America'! Don't explain it the conventional way, Mr. Kennedy, use cartoons!"

A farmer carries a sack, with three mountains weighing down his back. One mountain is inscribed with "usury," another with "railway freight," and the top one with "import tariffs."

The title was simply—"You're not carrying wheat, you're carrying Republican taxes!"

Kennedy slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed excitedly, "God! This comic strip idea is brilliant! And the timing is perfect—it lets Westerners know that their miserable lives stem from the countless disastrous policies of the ruling party!"

Larry nodded and calmly said, "Actually, the logic is very simple. High tariffs cause industrial goods prices to rise in the East, while the West has no industry. So, those who actually pay the price for the overpriced industrial bubble are the farmers in the West. Using regional conflicts to incite discontent against political parties is a tactic that always works!"

Kennedy nodded repeatedly, then suddenly stood up. "Mr. Livingston! You've handed me a knife, and now I know which vein to slash in the Republican Party!"

He paused, then asked, "—Would you mind if I contributed this strategy to the Democratic National Committee in my own name?"

Kennedy's hidden message was actually—this will bring me enormous political benefits, and I am prepared to pay the bill for it.

Larry laughed, waved his hand, and said, "You don't need to take this to heart. If you insist on doing something for me—Senator, when the wheat ripens in the fall, I'll have you do something for me—"

"No problem!" Kennedy agreed immediately.

Three days later, the whole of Boston was in an uproar.

Senator Kennedy published a lengthy article in The Boston Globe entitled "Justice is not about skin color, it is about facts."

In the article, he condemned the act of "using ethnicity as a pretext to commit riots," opposed violence, and opposed harm to innocent people. He also announced a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved in the bubble tea shop arson.

In the article, the senator emphasized, "The Huang Meitang case will be decided by the jury based on the evidence, and the judge will make the final decision! I will never interfere with the judiciary."

What's even more ruthless is that on the same day, Kennedy held a press conference and signed the check on the spot.

He personally contributed $500 to compensate the bubble tea shop for its losses on behalf of the Irish community.

The senator emphasized that what we want is justice, not a dirty victory. We Irish people firmly believe in the fairness of the American justice system and are willing to uphold it unconditionally.

At the same time, Kennedy also announced, "Anyone who incites violence in the name of Irish honor will be removed from their list of asylum seekers!"

The news sparked considerable opposition within the Irish community.

Kennedy then sent his financial agent to register and deliver "hardship allowances" door-to-door in the community.

Each person receives a $5 voucher, for a total of $2.

The senator stated that this money comes from future dividends from the bubble tea shop! The bubble tea shop itself aims to help the poor, and its first profit will be used to help the largest immigrant community in Boston—the Irish!

Meanwhile, the Catholic church that partnered with the milk tea shop also contributed a share of the shop's profits, working with Mr. Kennedy, to conduct a large-scale relief and distribution of supplies to the workers injured at the Carnegie Steel Plant.

Because of this incident, the Irish community's initial outrage quickly turned into smug satisfaction. This clearly illustrates one thing: in electoral politics, money may not buy loyalty, but it can buy silence.

The most ingenious part is that Larry never appeared in person throughout the entire event. Yet, all the supplies were distributed, whether from the church or from Mr. Kennedy's vouchers.

The final consumer outlets are Larry's 717-Eleven convenience stores.

This incident not only helped the convenience store establish a positive public image, but also prompted it to launch a membership system.

Convenience stores treat impoverished workers aided by churches as special members, offering them internal discounts on everyday consumer goods such as food.

Other ordinary citizens who wish to become members only need to pay a membership fee of five US dollars per year and will also enjoy internal discounts.

Irish community residents who received the vouchers purchased items worth far more than five dollars. Many, seeing the benefits of membership, also chose to pay the extra $5 to become members of 717-Eleven.

Riding the wave of voucher spending and the influx of membership fees, the convenience store raised an additional $18 in working capital in a short period of time.

Mr. K, the convenience store manager, was nearly driven mad by the sudden addition of $18 to the account!

"Damn! I've been doing this for so long and haven't accumulated this much revenue—boss, you've only been back at the convenience store for less than a week and you've suddenly made so much money! How did you do it?"

Larry gave a mysterious smile but did not answer.

Mr. K then suggested, "Boss! I suggest we use this new money in the account to open more stores! This money is enough for us to expand new convenience stores in New England, and even outside of Massachusetts."

Larry shook his head, smiling as he explained, "Don't rush! I have a very important use for this money. I need to go to the bank—"

Mr. K was stunned. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly realized and said, "Good heavens, boss, you want to use the bank to get a loan so we can get more capital to open the store?"

Larry shook his head. "No!"

"No? Then why are you looking for a bank?" Mr. K stared, his face full of confusion.

Larry raised an eyebrow. "You know what? Interest rates are really high right now. Bank loan rates are already at 10%."

That's all. Taking out a loan now would be foolish.

"Then what should we do? What should we do with the $18 in the account?" Mr. K was even more confused.

Larry laughed. "Old K, sometimes extra money can get you something far more important than funding or expansion."

Mr. K frowned and asked, "What's more important than expanding the scale and increasing capital? Boss, I'm not well-educated, don't try to fool me."

"Increase credibility! Seek greater and more distant benefits!" Larry revealed the answer with a smile, but seeing Mr. K's still puzzled look, he continued, "Don't worry, you'll understand the importance of this later!"

Larry then had Mr. K organize the company's accounts and personally visited Mr. Wallace to get his own requirements.

Mr. Wallace, being a finance professional, quickly understood Larry's intentions.

Through Mr. Wallace's efforts, Larry directly contacted Lawrence Lowell, the president of First National Bank of Boston.

When Larry placed the convenience store's notarized ledger in front of Mr. Lowell, he took out his glasses and carefully examined it.

As he looked at him, the president's expression changed slightly. He gently took off his glasses, looked up at Larry, and said...

"A very impressive company! Mr. Livingston, I have reviewed the accounts repeatedly. If you are willing to take out a loan, I will have my senior partner come over now and process the loan for you on the spot."

Larry smiled and shook his head. "Mr. President! I'm not here to take out a loan, I'm here to deposit money."