At 7 a.m. on October 1, 2007, then U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson couldn't wait to drive to the Federal Reserve. He missed his weekly breakfast meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke because of a business trip last week, during a difficult time for the subprime mortgage crisis, which made him uneasy.

On this day, UBS suddenly issued a report saying that due to the crisis in the subprime mortgage market in the United States, banks lost more than 4 billion Swiss francs, or about 3 billion US dollars.

Before Paulson arrived, Bernanke received an email from a Fed clerk who gave him a preliminary idea of the latest market developments. With the trading day in Europe coming to an end due to the time difference and the US market before it began, Bernanke knew it was going to be a bad day.

I thought that entering October, there would be a good start, after all, the market had returned to calm in the previous month, housing prices had also recovered slightly, the financial crisis seemed to be over, and in the second and third quarters of 2007, the US economic output grew by nearly 4%, and the unemployment rate also remained low.

As a result, Bernanke also concluded to the media that "the impact of the subprime mortgage market on the broader economy and financial markets seems likely to be contained." ”

When Paulson and Bernanke sat opposite each other in the dining room, Bernanke looked at the financial page of the latest Wall Street Journal and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "This Andy Smith is really... ”

Paulson also shook his head and smiled bitterly, and he was quite understanding of the embarrassment of his old friend Bernanke, after all, he had just made a conclusion in the face of the interview, and the next day the media took out the words of Andy Smith, the most prominent financial prodigy, and slapped him in the face, which was really a bit hurtful.

In fact, Bernanke's judgment was wrong, and it was only a brief lull before the storm. —Quoted from Andy Smith's Facebook

"Every time I see this Andy Smith report, I feel really old, look, everywhere I go, there are beautiful women with me, the Italian goddess takes her child to travel with him in Paris, it's really an enviable kid. Paulson didn't want to embarrass his friend too much, and said mockingly as he flipped through the entertainment version.

Bernanke just smiled slightly at the divergent topic, well, the vast majority of men envy that young and golden-minded kid, after all, Americans are really very interested in Andy Smith's gossip scandals, even if they have a girlfriend, there are never fewer beauties around them, and they are of any age, but what makes people jealous is that they are all goddess-level, and many people are not without malicious speculation, Andy Smith's good teeth.

Especially this senior beauty like Monica Bellucci in Paris now, cough cough, if the two really have a leg, then this is a proper Idipus complex!

"Seriously, I don't care about his rebuttal, but I really hope I'm right, and if his judgment is right, the subprime mortgage crisis will turn into a financial storm, and then the US economy will bear the brunt, Wall Street... ”

Bernanke's words were not finished, but Paulson, as the Secretary of the Treasury, naturally understood, and his face couldn't help but become gloomy, thinking of Andy Smith's invincibility in the financial market for more than a year and all his current worth, he really did not make a mistake.

After a brief pause, Paulson said, "We can't ignore what he said, just like he told his media before the crisis began, to prepare for the risks and not to turn a blind eye to the risks like market participants and regulators!"

Bernanke nodded with a wry smile and said, "Who can ignore this young man's words now, look at the gold, it's really... According to my understanding, he bought $4 billion in gold at the Bank of America, 174 tons, or $648 per ounce, but now, it has risen to $750 per ounce, making $600 million in three months! This young man made money so easily. ”

"When a crisis comes, the most important thing is to see how the mentality of investors changes. When the stock market falls sharply, risk aversion is very high, and gold, which has currency properties, enters an upward channel. However, at present, because the market believes that the probability of another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve has increased, the dollar has depreciated, and crude oil futures have risen and fallen, but they still remain at a high level of $81 per barrel, both factors have played a role in the sharp rise in precious metal prices. ”

Paulson took the breakfast from the messenger and said as he unfolded his napkin, took a sip from a goblet filled with water, and cut through the food with a knife and fork in his hand.

"Even if there are concerns about inflation fueled by zero-interest rate easing monetary policy, the Fed will have to cut interest rates frequently this winter to release the pressure of the financial crisis, and my biggest concern now is whether it will be counterproductive, after all, anything can happen in a panic mood. ”

Bernanke's brows have been wrinkled into Sichuan characters, saying his plans and worries, this is not his lack of purpose, there have been too many such examples, sometimes under the panic mood, the more the rescue of the city, the more panicked, if not saved, it will collapse, and can only continue the vicious circle of adding firewood to fight the fire until it survives.

In fact, after the winter passed, frequent interest rate cuts, but housing prices fell unexpectedly, triggering more mortgage securities losses, financial stocks collapsed, and the subprime mortgage crisis turned into a financial crisis, entering the peak time of the financial crisis.

"Panic ... Paulson also frowned, muttered in his mouth, his brain was spinning rapidly, market panic is often the biggest enemy to save the market, mainly the problem of people's hearts, thinking of this, his eyes lit up, looked at Bernanke and said: "If one Warren Buffett is not enough, then we will set up another Andy Smith, and when the two stand up, they may play a key role in stability." ”

Bernanke's eyes were also fixed, but he quickly shook his head a little disappointed, and said: "Buffett can mobilize a lot of funds, but those funds are not his personal, and Andy Smith's funds are completely personal, the most important thing is his age, do you think he will look at wealth very lightly at this age?"

"It's nothing more than interests, Buffett won't act in vain, as long as it comes to the critical moment, pull him into the plan, and put the interests in front of him, I think this greedy young man will not give up the opportunity, and if he wants to get it, he will listen to our arrangement!" Paulson's eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

"His appetite is not too small, look at the previous footbasin, France, especially the British bank run, this Andy Smith has never been soft... Well, it's better to be a backup plan, after all, we don't know how far things will go, so let the mainstream media increase the promotion of his image. ”

Bernanke said as he spoke, and finally shook his head and smiled at Paulson, after all, Warren Buffett is too old, and America needs a new idol.

Andy, who was in Paris and was visiting a toy store with a beautiful little baby, didn't know that many people in the United States were thinking about him.

"Wow, little Deva, you have a good eye!" Andy stood in front of a giant two-meter-tall teddy bear holding Dewa, a little beauty who was only three years old and still eating her fingers.

Little Deva looked at the big bear and giggled, and stretched out his little finger to grab it, "Bear, yes." ”

Monica, dressed in a black suit, stood behind her, with a faint smile on her face, and didn't care about the paparazzi who were taking pictures on the glass at the door.

Looking at the big boy who can make her die and live spoiling her daughter, her heart is still very happy, in the past two days, the baby room of her Paris residence has been full of toys that Andy has swept.

It seems that Deva is also very fond of him, well, after all, an uncle who can meet all her requirements can easily please any child.

Deva lay on the teddy bear's tui and smiled happily, muttering Italian bear, looking at the big teddy bear more than two meters high, Monica couldn't help but pull the corners of her mouth, and sure enough, she heard Andy's voice, "Is there a new one? Okay, send one to this address... ”

"Andy, Deva's room is already full of toys... Monica walked forward slowly and said softly.

"Then you should give Deva a bigger room, don't you? Andy, who was squatting and frolicking with Deva, glanced up at Monica and said nonchalantly.