[Chapter 921: I'm Broke, You Have to Help Me.]
The so-called logistics distribution centers were nowhere near as advanced as what would later appear on the west side of the city. To be honest, America didn't have the demand for such massive operations. Online shopping was popular but not a fit for everyone.
Anything involving people's labor was never cheap in the US. If you were thinking of turning Walmart into an online giant, forget it; it just wasn't going to happen.
There was no chance for an Alibaba or a west side e-commerce giant here, and as for some newcomers, they were bound to lose big.
When it came to making money, America just didn't have as much room to play the big game. China's dominant e-commerce players had a duopoly, yet even some newcomers could shake things up. That was rare, and definitely impossible for any country aside from China.
In the US, companies like Amazon and eBay were strong, but couldn't dominate alone. There were specialized stores: Newegg and Best Buy for computers, Booking.com for hotels, 6PM for discount apparel. They had all kinds of specialized online stores.
Antitrust laws were a big cage; if you didn't want the Department of Justice on your back, you better not expand your business without checking.
That was the fundamental difference between the US and China. Selling suits was decent business, and wool fabric was good too. If you invested, that would be a solid bet.
The problem was, those dealing in wool fabric found suit-making even more profitable. So China ended up with a few integrated fabric-and-suit factories.
Control over the entire supply chain was a dream for most companies. Bottom line: don't let anyone take advantage of you.
In the end, you'd realize that the road always leads to real estate. If you didn't have your own property company, you'd be paying rent somewhere.
If you tried to mimic that in the US, you'd crash and burn. Apparel makers trying to control fabric supply would be shunned. If you dabbled in real estate as well, people would think you were crazy.
Whether running a brick-and-mortar or an online store, it was best not to think about controlling the entire vertical chain. Horizontally expanding? Don't even think about it.
Of course, if you weren't afraid of the DOJ forcing you to break up, that was different. Trust me, there were plenty of big players ready to pounce--the easiest targets, and they wouldn't hesitate.
"Mr. President, welcome to our distribution center."
"I'm honored to receive this invitation. You know, supporting tech development has always been our policy."
"Great, let me serve as your guide and explain."
Even William White, wise and experienced, was startled by what he saw.
Not just him--several prominent business leaders and journalists accompanying him were dumbfounded. If things developed like this, would there be any workers left?
"Gentlemen, we have two such branch warehouses. What you're seeing now is the eastern one; our west coast facility is slightly larger but not yet operational.
You know, these are expensive. Considering employment, we preferred to tender projects to American companies. Look, Hall is overjoyed--he's making a steady buck."
Holfis smiled wryly. As an executive at Honeywell, he understood well. To take down Westinghouse and General Electric, they had paid an unimaginable price.
"Expensive? Come on, William. Who's richer than you in this world? In the foreseeable future, no one's got more money than you."
"Ahem, you don't know. To boost consumer spending and create jobs, I really pushed hard. Oh, by the way, this warehouse doesn't count--I still have a rocket research center. Man, I don't even want to look at the bills."
Hearing his complaints, White smirked. Without profit, you wouldn't invest. As for creating jobs? Yeah, right.
The massive warehouse barely showed any people. The so-called three-dimensional automated storage system was indeed impressive.
White examined it closely. The US did have automated storage, but none this advanced. Automatic identification and classification--from container truck unloading to stock sorting--it was unbelievably fast.
"William, one Amazon wouldn't need all this. Isn't this overkill? Ever consider expanding business?"
"We're negotiating. eBay is about there, although they're a bit tricky. Our current automation is basic; it requires standardized packaging and barcodes. Next gen will be different--just toss a bag of chips in anywhere, and it'll get sorted automatically."
Low carbon, eco-friendly, future tech--in America, concepts mattered big time. If you could hype it, not only would investors come, but you'd score subsidies too.
That was why few truly private companies existed here. When you were small, the government helped. But once big, you couldn't stuff all the cash in your own pocket--you had to share success and profits.
So now, asking for support openly wasn't embarrassing. If you didn't, others would definitely get uncomfortable.
"Virtual to physical? This guy's clever, even managed to get low-interest loans."
"What, George, a hundred million dollars is just pocket change to you?"
Soros shrugged disdainfully, annoyed with the old man in front of him. If it weren't for Greenspan meddling, his Mexico earnings would've been a lot higher.
"Hasn't Pentagonton run out of deficit? To me, they're the ones who should cut costs.
That damn healthcare plan--it's going to sink the US treasury."
Greenspan adjusted his glasses--a tell for anyone who knew him that he was troubled.
After a lifetime in finance, he had seen everything. It was clear the chattering guy on TV had cleaned his hands thoroughly.
So, next steps were obvious. Asia's mess wasn't his problem.
"George, be careful. William White will ignore the Southeast Asian issue, but what about Hong Kong? And surely South Korea and Japan won't both be hit?"
Soros glared at the little old man, clearly unconvinced. It seemed simple, but look at South American countries now--no progress at all.
"Alan, you're joking. This is controllable? If you really wanted rescue, you'd be calling the IMF now."
"Have you thought about it? If Hong Kong is involved, William White would lose his cool. And if South Korea gets hit again, we lose our position in Asia."
"Sorry, Alan, I'm powerless. Even if I don't move, their economy will still collapse."
Soros considered Greenspan's words nonsense. You want to have your cake and eat it too. He couldn't help with that.
Hmph. Like William White, a complete hypocrite. If you truly cared about jobs, you'd bring car factories home.
At least power plants could come back. Cashiers at supermarkets? Please, don't shamelessly spout nonsense on TV.
While Soros criticized White, he didn't realize his own lack of standing. White's company employed over 300,000 people directly and indirectly. This wasn't a joke.
White was visiting to mend fences and shore up votes. It was election year, and avoiding scandals was key to his smooth re-election.
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