Check out my new fanfic.
12th man to Cricket legend. It's a cricket book for cricket lovers only.
Please give it a go š
***
On Monday, July 2, 2007, an article by Robert Kolker, a New York Times contributor and investigative journalist, garnered significant attention from the public.
The content of the article was straightforward, logically and evidence-based, questioning Axe Capital's violation of the "FD Regulations."
It also provided the general public with a simple and clear introduction to the "Mosaic Theory," subtly indicating that an average annual return rate of 30% was achieved through extensive insider trading.
The New York Times' associate editor, an old lady named Kara Robbins, also began to speak sarcastically, and at the same time, BusinessWeek, which was on the verge of bankruptcy from losses, also launched a powerful attack.
After the release of this week's magazine, the current editor-in-chief, an old man named Stephen Adler, suddenly accepted an interview, hinting at a commercial dispute from last year:
"Canadian pharmaceutical company Biovail was clearly maliciously shorted. I hope the New Jersey Superior Court can provide an explanation to the public."
If one followed the financial world, CBS's "60 Minutes" program had extensively tracked and reported on this matter last year.
The re-emergence of an event from a year ago clearly signaled something.
The program had immense influence.
In 2004, it publicly questioned the President's service in the Air Force National Guard in 1972 and 1973.
After being accused of forgery, although CBS admitted and fired four staff members, the intended effect had already been achieved.
With two renowned editors leading the charge and young investigative journalists giving their all, Axe Capital, having completed its expansion, showed no reaction under these circumstances, and no investors stepped forward to speak.
Even if a 3% management fee and a 50% performance fee were deducted, people would still willingly invest their money.
Since the company's headcount exceeded 400, Axe Capital had to move again.
Office costs in a small town were much more cost-effective than in Manhattan, and there was even a discount on building rent in the core business district.
Axe Capital occupied a full five floors. After converting to floor-to-ceiling windows, the "workers" who stared at screens all day gained a better office environment.
Before 9 AM on Monday, many had already entered work mode.
After making a huge profit last year, most veteran employees received substantial bonuses, and the parking lot outside the building showed some clues, with a few overly ambitious ones even driving sports cars.
However, the most conspicuous was a black Cadillac Escalade, a full-size SUV clearly specially modified, differing significantly from those on the market.
Familiar staff knew that if Old Mike, the security director, drove the car out, Lee was definitely here today.
The office area on the fifth floor wasn't large and included a huge terrace.
Melinda, dressed in a dark blue professional suit, was examining the books on the bookshelf.
She occasionally pulled out a book, and upon finding no signs of it being read, she would pout.
The big-breasted girl waited for the discussion among a few people to subside before walking to the desk in high heels and suggesting:
"Go ask Wendy. Her husband is very likely to take over as the Southern District Federal Prosecutor. If he can be like Michael Garcia, there won't be any problems."
Michael Garcia is the current Southern District Federal Prosecutor, a Republican, and his promotion was largely thanks to his help.
From 1953 to 2002, the Southern District Federal Prosecutor was always a Republican.
There were rare instances of a Democrat or independent for a few years in between, but the overall situation remained unchanged.
Now the situation has changed.
New York has turned blue too quickly.
Since attending Mayor Giuliani's gathering, this old friend has revealed ominous signs.
Kim, also in a dark blue professional suit, stood with her arms crossed.
Hearing the big-breasted girl trying to go the "family" route again, she helplessly turned her back to her:
"What if their family has problems because of this? It's even more likely that Wendy will be caught with something, and she knows every employee's information here."
"The company has too many employees. A single surprise inspection by the SEC could find clues."
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has indeed begun investigating Axe Capital.
The media is just the prelude.
Melinda walked behind Lee and massaged his shoulders, rolling her big eyes, and then came up with another "bad idea":
"The lawyer from the OCIE department at the Commission is Erik Swanson, and he has now resigned and is even preparing to marry Shana Madoff!"
"I have information that a lawyer who wanted to investigate Bernie Madoff was warned by him. There are clearly problems within the SEC. Let's have Fox expose it."
"My dear, didn't you say Bernie Madoff was involved in a Ponzi scheme? The Commission should have had relevant complaints long ago. It's a good way to divert attention."
Bernie Madoff is still living comfortably.
He also took off after 2000, and his reputation is much larger than Axe Capital's.
Lee grabbed the big-breasted girl's small hand and kissed it.
Seeing Bobby still frowning, he again comforted him:
"Don't worry about BusinessWeek's report. Just warn the little guy at the New York Times."
"As for the New Jersey Superior Court, trust me, they will dismiss all of Biovail's claims against us."
Media reports and the SEC investigation are just the beginning.
Bobby took a sip of coffee, then shrugged helplessly, self-deprecatingly saying:
"The Fairfax case will most likely be dug up too. In short, Miss Lamis will probably be a regular at the courthouse for the next two years."
Fairfax Financial Holdings accused Axe Capital of hiring analysts from two other hedge funds to publish negative reports, and even provided emails as evidence.
If nothing unexpected happens, news about this will be reported in a few days. Melinda didn't care about this at all.
During her time at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, she was already used to the shenanigans in the financial world.
When Wendy, with her black wavy hair, knocked and entered, the four had already changed the topic.
She was a completely different person from a few years ago.
The high income after marriage had transformed this psychologist into an elegant mature woman.
Wearing black wide-leg trousers with a cinched waist and a light blue striped shirt, Wendy peeked in from the doorway.
As she slowly walked in, she said with a touch of wry humor:
"Is the evil plan over? I know Chuck will definitely cause trouble for the company, but that's for the future. He told me that the Governor and the Attorney General are also preparing."
Lee stood up and hugged his old friend, smiling and changing the subject, saying:
"Perhaps the Governor will have problems sooner. I saw the news. His approval ratings started to drop in just a few months, so we just need to resolve the lawsuit."
"Tell everyone that the company will get better and better. They believe your words."
Bobby casually tossed his black casual suit aside, returned to his seat behind the desk, looked at the screen, and showed a confident smile, proactively saying:
"If anyone is worried that the company will have problems, they are welcome to talk to me anytime. Now we just need to proceed as planned."
"We have the highest salaries in the industry. Cowards don't belong here."
Managing over 400 people is certainly not easy.
Lee simply gave a thumbs-up, then embraced the two girls and left, leaving the space to the two of them.
Wendy watched Kim, who seemed to be aging in reverse, walk away, and suddenly recalled the first time the four of them met.
In less than ten years, the development had far exceeded expectations:
"Has the period of peaceful development ended? It seems Wexler will also be leaving the Federal Prosecutor's Office soon."
Running his hand through his short hair, Bobby, wearing a dark gray T-shirt, was not so sentimental.
The opportunity was right in front of everyone.
Stabilize the company and investors, and the returns would far exceed those of the past:
"Don't worry about her. With this experience, Wexler can even go to Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
"As for Lee, I wouldn't be surprised if he became the Governor of New Mexico. Everyone needs this revenue. Greenbacks make life better, so who would refuse them?"
After saying that, Bobby raised an eyebrow, his face no longer showing much emotion.
Ever since the Chief of Staff suddenly invited Lee, he knew that what the other party craved was much greater.
Without denying the "money above all" viewpoint, Wendy just sighed, then swayed her hips and left.
Her salary was ten times her husband's, and she secretly murmured to herself about such a life:
"Yes, no one would give up revenue."
"ā¦"
Lee casually strolled around the fourth floor, occasionally greeting new employees warmly.
He didn't plan to attend the company's afternoon meeting, so after paying for everyone's lunch, he quietly left.
When he returned to the car, Old Mike, who was in the driver's seat, was wearing glasses and reading a newspaper.
Knowing what Lee wanted to ask, he stared at the rearview mirror and said slowly in a deep voice:
"I didn't leave any loose ends. The cash was sent out in batches by Nacho and me. They should have laundered the money by now after receiving it."
"There are no records, and as for those emails, they clearly can't constitute direct evidence. Unless Fairfax can convince the judge, we won't be affected."
Melinda smiled and nodded, then snuggled up to Lee's ear, playfully teasing Kim, who was touching up her makeup on the other side:
"In the future, we will definitely establish a law firm. Government regulation and internal investigation will become Kim's strongest suits, and as for banking law, perhaps we still need to find another person."
As the car started, Lee also put his arm around the somewhat nervous Kim.
He could feel the conflicting excitement within her:
"Don't worry, we'll get better and betterā¦"
Seeing Kim suddenly kiss him, Melinda on the side also showed a strange smile.
Tonight was definitely going to be an exceptionally fierce match.
On Thursday, July 5th, after two days of development, the gossipmongers didn't get much useful information and were eventually drawn away by various gossip news.
For NBA fans, this year's draft was suspense-free, but the blockbuster trades on the day certainly surprised many fans.
The Seattle SuperSonics had always claimed Ray Allen was part of their team plans, but on the night of the 28th, the All-Star guard was directly traded to the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics sent Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, who were selected with the 5th overall pick, and a 2008 second-round draft pick to the Seattle SuperSonics;
In return, they received Ray Allen and this year's second-round pick, Glen Davis.
This trade left Seattle fans bewildered. Even though Ray Allen had surgery for a bone spur, as long as his body was fine, he would still be an excellent scorer next season.
On the day of the draft, Greg Oden became the first overall pick, Kevin Durant was selected second by the Seattle SuperSonics, and Al Horford was picked third by the Atlanta Hawks.
None of these three became the focus. Ray Allen's sudden forced teaming with Paul Pierce became the subject of heated discussion among basketball commentators.
As the first week of July passed, the parties involved in the trade still hadn't spoken out.
Instead, Danny Ainge made a big move in the afternoon.
Boston Herald reporters got firsthand news, and then Boston Celtics fans on the internet went wild.
In the Reddit team forum, everyone was praising the general manager's big move:
"Three All-Stars! We're going back to the playoffs!"
Danny Ainge gave a definite answer, no longer acting as a "riddler," but instead straightforwardly told fans that he was going to trade away the team's Rookie:
"In this league, no one would refuse Kevin Garnett. We don't want to discuss the future. The Boston Celtics have waited too long. We need a championship!"
"Veterans chasing their dreams, I can't think of a reason for the team to fail."
After this statement was revealed, it quickly swept through ESPN's major media outlets.
Even New York stopped bragging about Thaddeus Young, who was selected with the 11th overall pick.
The blockbuster trade next door stole all the attention.
On Friday, July 6th, the Boston Globe confirmed that the team would hold a press conference for Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce next week.
This news once again ignited the NBA circle.
Basketball commentators also stopped gossiping about Yi Jianlian's agent, Dan Fegan, refusing to report to the Milwaukee Bucks.
A first-round, 6th overall pick greenhorn chinese Rookie naturally couldn't compare to the attention brought by the Four Giants.
After the news broke, the three still didn't accept interviews, and not one of them gave a response.
Such behavior was naturally regarded as tacit agreement.
By Saturday, while Boston Celtics fans were still discussing what jersey numbers the two new players would wear, Atlanta sports reporters also released shocking news:
"Stephon Marbury has decided to opt out of his contract! He is confirmed to join Boston, and for this, he will lose a large sum of money!"
Yahoo Sports immediately followed suit with a report.
On Reddit, the Boston Celtics forum exploded, and related posts suddenly surged:
"Four All-Stars?!"
What fans found most absurd was that when the Boston Celtics' salary cap couldn't accommodate Stephon Marbury's contract, the past-his-prime "New York's Son" actually chose to take a pay cut.
Unlike the previous three players, on Sunday, Stephon Marbury accepted an invitation to Stephen A. Smith's radio show, and through ESPN, he immediately declared war on his "beloved city."
During the afternoon broadcast, Stephen A. Smith didn't even need to guide him.
Stephon Marbury, with infinite grievances in his heart, poured out his emotions like spilled beans:
"Many people forget, I was the most talented guard in the 1996 draft class!"
"I don't understand why fans misunderstand me. For so many years, I have always pursued victory."
"I don't care about stats, and I don't want to pursue a big contract. Now I just want to win a championship, and I will give everything for it."
"This is why I'm going to play in Boston. Clay Lee is very successful, but that doesn't mean he's unbeatable. Don't underestimate a championship heart!"
"ā¦"
Stephon Marbury's heartfelt declaration almost left Stephen A. Smith speechless.
Like many basketball commentators, he felt that this was a "retaliatory" signing.
Not making money?
He must have lost his mind.
By Sunday, the Boston Celtics owner, Wyc Grousbeck, also came out to speak for Stephon Marbury.
In a phone call with ESPN, he passionately stated:
"This is the Boston Celtics! Stephon Marbury is a fighter, and he will succeed in Boston!"
"We don't want to deny the news. In fact, Danny Ainge began preparing this plan years ago. Head Coach Rivers will integrate these excellent talents!"
"The Boston Celtics will ensure a championship advantageā¦"
Although this program aired late at night, when the birth of the "Four Giants" was confirmed, many basketball commentators immediately published their prepared blogs overnight.
Bill Simmons, a die-hard Boston Celtics fan and well-known basketball commentator, immediately updated his column on ESPN, praising his home team's building strategy:
"Kendrick Perkins will alleviate Kevin Garnett's rebounding pressure, and Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen will become a backcourt combination that excels on both offense and defense."
"As for Paul Pierce, this All-Star who has stayed loyal to the team will prove himself again!"
"The Boston Celtics, with championship blood flowing through them, announce their returnā¦"
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)