After hearing Carson's words, David disregarded Jack's anxious inquiries on the phone and hung up directly. With a serious expression, he turned to Carson and asked,
"Who else knows about this matter besides you?"
"Only I know, but as far as I know, the executives in the East should all be aware of it," Carson replied.
David immediately called in his executive planted in Pacific Real Estate Group for questioning, and the results were even more exaggerated than what Carson had said.
Bang!
David slammed his fist onto the desk, releasing his immense dissatisfaction and anger.
"'4 billion! They bought less than half the shares, and it cost them 4 billion! Robert Lehman is such a damn fool!'"
After venting, David took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and forced a smile at Carson.
"Carson, we'll solve this problem, but not now. Give me some time to deal with the troubles from the East first. Afterward, we'll make Robert Lehman, that arrogant fool, pay the price!"
For David, this wasn't the best time to deal with Pacific Real Estate Group's problems. The more pressing matter was the hidden international media group under Berlioz's control.
"I'll follow your lead, after all, all of Pacific Real Estate's funds come from you. But I must say, this secret might not stay secret for long! I don't know how big the troubles from the East are, but this could also turn into a big problem here," Carson warned.
His words proved prophetic. Just as David's secretary had just booked his flight, the news of Pacific Real Estate Group misappropriating government funds for infrastructure and housing benefits in the West was exposed.
David threw the newspaper into the trash can and coldly asked his secretary,
"How's the investigation going? Did Carson leak this?"
David asked this because Carson was the prime suspect in the matter. After all, the Eastern shareholders still suspected it could be a setup.
His secretary shook his head, replying,
"It wasn't hard to find out. It wasn't Carson—it was Anderson, the one in charge of acquiring Jesse Real Estate!"
David frowned, saying,
"How could Lehman not even keep an eye on his own people?"
"He couldn't anymore. From what I know, Anderson has already joined the other company," the secretary said heavily.
David's face changed drastically:
"The shares we bought at such a high price for Jesse Real Estate won't be affected by his departure, will they?"
David was worried that Anderson's departure would cause problems with the shares Pacific Real Estate had spent so much money to acquire. If that happened, it would truly be an embarrassment in the business world.
"The contract was signed by Mr. Lehman, so Anderson's departure won't affect the execution of the contract," the secretary reassured him.
David sighed in relief, grateful that Lehman hadn't been completely foolish.
However, his unease grew as the feeling that this whole thing might be a trap became stronger.
Just then, the shrill ring of the phone interrupted his thoughts.
David picked up the phone, and Jack Morgan's voice came through:
"David, don't come back just yet. Washington just passed an amendment to the National Housing Act and has set up a special investigative committee for Western funds, with Thomas heading it. Most of the members are Leo's people. From what I know, they've already chartered a plane to the West. David, this whole thing smells fishy."
"So soon! Something's definitely off. Let them investigate; they won't get to the bottom of it so quickly. Let Lehman deal with this, it's his mess after all. We'll focus on solving the East's issue with the International Media Group's listing," David replied.
Jack, on his way out, added:
"We need to stop Leo from gaining momentum with public opinion. For him, that's too dangerous.
"Still, arrange for a reporter to buy a copy of the 'World Report.' The media's focus is already on us. They've used some very dangerous terms. Your grandfather and my father worked hard to make sure our families faded from the public eye, but now Leo's trying to put us right back in the center of it.
"I'm in the airport lounge right now, getting ready to fly to the West. We have to handle this carefully to prevent Thomas from steering things against us!
"Also, you mentioned they'll need time to investigate, but I don't think they will. The guy who's leading this, Anderson, has already joined Western Real Estate. He's a key figure."
The mention of Anderson immediately triggered David's realization. He hurriedly said,
"Then don't come to the West yet. Arrange to control Anderson's family. We need to silence him!"
"You think I didn't think of that, David? His family's already disappeared. I suspect they've already gone to Valentino's little town," Jack Morgan responded, losing his usual composure.
David also realized the seriousness of the situation. He didn't care about Jack's name-calling and said,
"Then you should go to Washington and try to obstruct the investigation from the back."
"Steelman has already gone to Washington. His connections are broader than mine. But I suggest you don't get your hopes up, because Leo Valentino himself is in Washington.
"Well, I'm about to board, but remember, the Governor of California, Earl, is Leo's man. Be careful, and we'll talk more when we meet."
Jack's words immediately silenced David, who felt a sense of helplessness.
He hung up and immediately arranged for his secretary to buy the "World Report" and "New Report."
When he saw the papers, his mind went black and he nearly collapsed.
"Leo is ruthless."
The "World Report," as a serious political and economic newspaper, had a relatively objective headline:
"Uncovering the Family Behind Pacific Real Estate Group"
"Eastern Giants Enter the West"
"National Housing Act Funds Misused"
Although it was somewhat biased and mentioned Morgan and Rockefeller, the primary focus was still on Lehman, the one responsible for the issue.
The "New Report," on the other hand, was much more pointed, subtly implying that all Eastern shareholders of Pacific Real Estate Group were involved.
"Shocking! Where Did Your Money Go?"
"Western Front: The Steak Roasted by Tycoons."
"Your Taxes Turned Into Tycoons' Money Again!"
"Who Gave Them the Nerve!"
"Wall Street Financiers Occupy the West, Acting with Impunity!"
It was the last headline that scared the Rockefeller family the most. Although the Great Depression had passed 30 years ago, the memories of national disaster and hunger were still deeply etched in the American psyche. Their instinctive hatred for Wall Street had remained.
The Rockefellers and Morgans had once been blind to what it meant to lay low.
They had ruthlessly exploited the lower classes, and it was the global wave of red power that made them realize the power of the people.
They began improving workers' benefits and moving away from the city center of New York.
After the Great Depression, they intensified these efforts, and after 30 years, they had achieved modest success. The younger generation barely knew about these families, instead blaming Wall Street as a whole for their past grievances.
But now Leo was trying to reignite those memories with the angry cowboys in the West.
No wonder Jack Morgan was rushing over—he needed to extinguish this fire that could burn the family's very foundation.
At this moment, David fully understood that, as Jack had said, Leo had set a trap, exploiting Lehman's greed while pulling them, the behind-the-scenes shareholders, into it.
But David, being in the West, had a more comprehensive understanding of the situation, and once he figured it out, he realized that this fire was not easy to put out.
Or rather, they had no authority to extinguish it; they could only try to contain it.
Just then, the phone rang again, and the caller was a politician involved in the Rockefeller family's West Coast investments.
"Mr. Rockefeller, my subordinates tell me that there's trouble brewing in Los Angeles. Many people have submitted parade applications. According to my investigation, it could involve several major shareholders of Pacific Real Estate."
A parade? David's pupils dilated.
"Impressive!"
After hanging up, David muttered to himself.
This was his first real confrontation with Leo, and Leo's strikes were deadly, with unrelenting attacks, leaving David at a loss for how to respond.
At least, he couldn't think of a good solution right now. So, he called his father, John Rockefeller, to seek advice.
After listening to David's account, John sighed,
"Now you understand why I said he reminds me of your grandfather.
You, me, and even Jack Morgan—we've had wealth handed to us since birth. Anything we wanted, we could do.
It wasn't because we were so capable, but because our family's wealth was intimidating.
We've never experienced the process of accumulating wealth from the ground up. We've never heard of someone like Leo who really came from the bottom up with these tactics.
David, this moment is significant. The most significant thing is that you won't underestimate him anymore.
Call him. This time, we, the Rockefeller family, will step aside."
"Do you think he'll agree? After all, he's put in so much effort," David asked.
"He
will. Don't forget, he's also a super-rich man, and in the future, he'll join us.
His goal this time is just the International Media Group. Tell him that the Rockefeller family won't interfere with the listing of the International Media Group.
David, I can't interfere with your future decisions, but I want to remind you—facing someone like Leo, being his friend is undoubtedly wiser than being his enemy."
When the committee arrived, the first wave of protests against Pacific Real Estate's misappropriation of government funds took place in Los Angeles.
Facing public anger, the U.S. government acted quickly, freezing all funds and business operations of Pacific Real Estate and launching an investigation.
The first witness was Anderson.
In such an urgent time, Jack Rockefeller also arrived at Pacific Real Estate. In the top-floor conference room, he, David Rockefeller, and Robert Lehman held an emergency meeting.
After reprimanding Robert, Jack finally asked the crucial question:
"What should we do now?"
"The best solution is for you to give me some money to replace the mortgaged government funds. As for the investigation committee, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. I don't think they'll target us too much," Robert Lehman replied.
"You still don't understand how serious this is, Robert. The head of the special investigation committee is Thomas, Leo's lover's grandfather. Do you think he'll let this go easily?"
David, now calm, said flatly.
David's outsider tone made Jack uneasy. He assessed David and realized that, if he guessed right, David had already given up resisting and may have even bowed to Leo.
Jack, still unfamiliar with the situation, didn't want to bow to Leo, so he decided to inquire further. After all, Robert Lehman's idea wasn't great, but it still left room for maneuver.
Jack had already prepared the money to block the International Media Group's emergency listing, and now he was considering whether using it to quell public anger would be worthwhile.
The only problem was the investigation, namely Thomas. Jack had many friends, some of whom were Thomas's, and though they were greedy, they could temporarily solve the problem.
Now, he had to think carefully about whether it was worth spending that money. So, Jack paused the meeting and arranged a smaller one with Robert Lehman and his executives at Pacific Real Estate.
The focus of the meeting was whether their investment would help acquire Jesse Real Estate, and if so, whether they could recoup the funds through stock market operations once Pacific Real Estate went public.
If it was a loss, Jack wouldn't be interested.
The meeting was somewhat reassuring. Robert Lehman, with a tone of relief, said,
"Thankfully, I personally signed the contract back then. Otherwise, this would've been much more troublesome."
"If it weren't for your stupidity, none of this would have happened. We've warned you repeatedly to be extremely cautious when dealing with Leo," Jack said, cutting to the point.
Jack felt that the situation was already clear. As top players on Wall Street, it was agreed that Lehman Investment would never make it to the table in their generation.
"Go, call Sean and Kevin. Since their best business is with Jesse Real Estate, we need to pull them in. Also, give them the money to buy out the other small shareholders' stakes," Jack instructed.
"I'll have my secretary call them right away. Since they've taken so much money from us, it's time they did their job," Robert Lehman replied.
The secretary soon returned, looking grim, and reported,
"Mr. Lehman, they said now that they've sold their shares to Pacific Real Estate, they don't want to be involved anymore. Sean just told me that to avoid any misunderstandings with their new boss, they're not coming."
Robert's face turned pale instantly.
Jack darkened and asked,
"Who's their new boss?"
"Western Real Estate, Mr. Valentino," the secretary replied, trembling.