Just as Wang Ming seized the first wave of the financial crisis, made the first big business with Saudi Arabia, and began to implement China's large-scale infrastructure plan, the other side of the sea has fallen into a boiling sea of fire.

The futures market plummeted in blood red, and the stock market had no room to save it, even if the United States immediately came up with a rescue strategy and announced further easing on the spot, the almost vertical downward curve showed no signs of recovery at all.

As Chen predicted, the number of suicides in the United States hit a record high in a month.

Countless investors chose to end their lives at this time, and their departure triggered a new round of chain reaction.

The reason is simple.

They are often the main source of income for a family and hold the funds of the entire family.

When these funds are burned, the family will also be irretrievably shattered.

The wave of large-scale supply cuts and defaults has finally arrived.

Bank after bank declared bankruptcy, and hundreds of millions of depositors were driven to the streets in a huge panic to withdraw their own money.

But it is clear that under the tide of runs, even such an extremely reasonable request has become an extravagant hope.

At this point, social and economic activities have almost come to a standstill, and the crisis in the financial sector has finally spread to the real economy in one of the largest and most extreme ways.

There is an abyss ahead, but it is too late to brake.

In the office of the May meeting, Houston sat in a chair with a dead face, and the assistant across from him looked equally good.

Their eyes were glued to the television on the wall, where then-President George W. Bush was delivering his speech on the crisis.

This is a major tragedy, and there is no doubt that we are in trouble."

"But we promise that the federal government will not give up on anyone."

"We are already urgently discussing how to deal with it, and we believe that the sluggish economic situation will be reversed in the near future."

Hearing the president's speech, a bitter smile appeared on Houston's face.

Torsion? How to twist it?

By what?

Is it by your mouth, or by your money printer?

Yes, according to historical experience, when such a large-scale crisis erupts, it is indeed a good strategy to pass on the crisis to other countries by releasing water and printing money.

The problem is, even if the crisis is transferred, it will take time!

And right now, what we lack most is time!

Maybe wait another week or two, and the economy will break through the most severe key point, and then enter the fast lane completely.

At that point, it's too late.

So, what's the point of saying "discussing policy" and saying "not giving up on anyone" now?

Let's figure it out!

Even if you sacrifice a group of people and fight for your life to survive, it's better than everyone dying together, right?

Thinking of this, Houston directly picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.

Then, he turned to his assistant and asked:

"You've seen the current situation, and I don't need to repeat it. I would like to ask you, what do you think of the current situation? ”

"Or to put it another way-—— do you think we still have a chance?"

The assistant sighed deeply, then shook his head and replied:

"If we rely only on our own strength, there is absolutely no hope."

"I've never seen a financial crisis of this magnitude, and I can't find a similar case even in the history books."

"It came so quickly and violently that we didn't have any time to prepare."

"It will take at least a month before the policy tools are in place, and in that month, who knows how far things will go?"

"The only thing we can do now is to print as much money as we can, release as much water as we can, and then use administrative means to stop all financial activities as much as possible."

"Even if we are going to die, we must first hold our breath and delay the moment when the suffocation arrives until a few weeks later."

"Only in this way will we have a chance to turn the tables around"

Hearing the assistant's words, Houston nodded solemnly, and then, he continued to ask:

"You just said that if we rely only on our own strength, there is no hope."

"That means that if we bring in other aid, maybe we can turn it into a crisis?"

The assistant shook his head again and replied:

"It's impossible to turn it around, but if Europe is willing to step in and help us bail out the market, at least, it can save us from the abyss."

"The biggest problems we face right now are the sharp swings in commodity market prices, the plunge in equities, and bank bankruptcies due to massive mortgage cuts."

"The combination of these three has almost locked up our entire market economic activity."

"If even one breakthrough is found among the three, the follow-up work can be carried out smoothly."

"So where do you think you should break through?"

Houston asked.

"The impact of commodity market prices is extremely macro, and we have no way to control it for the time being."

"Stocks are largely dependent on expectations, but to reverse expectations, we must first pay back the money we owe to the people."

"So, the only viable breakthrough is for the bank to go bankrupt."

At this point, the assistant paused for a moment, then stood up, took out a pen, and began to write his plan on the whiteboard next to him.

"I think that's how we should handle it."

"First of all, we want to give all homeowners a grace period so that they can defer their repayments for a reasonable period of time."

"It gives them some breathing time and makes sure they don't end up on themselves because of a single default."

"Secondly, we need to actively look for new sources of funding for banks."

"It's useless to rely on central banks to release water, we have to seek help from other countries."

"Whether it's investment, or buying Treasury bonds, or new trade orders, it will give us a huge boost."

"I think it's time for us to talk to Europe."

"Now, in this world, only they can save us."

Houston nodded helplessly.

His heart was filled with sorrow.

Once, for a long time, he saw Europe as nothing more than a kind of vassal of the United States.

Whether it is economically or militarily, they seem to have to look at their own faces.

But now, things have changed.

I'm going to ask them for help. From World War II to the present, this is probably the first time in history.

Soon after, the White House.

The president sat on his throne and reprimanded his men in a loud voice.

"I've said it a million times that we have to keep the basic structure of the economy in place."

"The real economy cannot be abandoned, even if it is to engage in industrial transfer, it must ensure the bottom line of domestic productivity!"

"And now? A financial storm is almost going to destroy our entire country! ”

"This is a lesson, a painful lesson!"

"Everyone is responsible for getting to this point!"

Looking at his angry expression, none of the people present dared to speak.

——

Yes, the current president is simply throwing the blame, and even what he says is contradicting himself before and after.

This is not a discussion that is beneficial to the current situation, it is just pure venting.

But, even if it's venting, you can't interrupt him at this time.

Because, what happened half an hour ago, it was so embarrassing.

It was supposed to be a well-planned speech designed to boost market confidence and boost people's morale.

And the first half of the speech, in fact, went extremely smoothly.

Many of the people present had already been aroused, and they chanted in unison again and again as the president spoke, as if there was no obstacle in front of them that could not be overcome.

However, with the appearance of an intruder, everything begins to change.

The young man in military uniform, brandishing his prosthetic leg, rushed to the security guards desperately, and asked the president heartbreakingly, asking him why he had spent so much money to fight a meaningless war, why he had left his right leg on the battlefield, and why the money he had saved so hard was burned for some reason that he couldn't understand at all.

He was emotional, and if it weren't for the Medal of Honor on his chest and the prosthetic leg on his hand, there was a good chance that he would have been killed on the spot.

But even so, he was subdued by the security guards and firmly pressed to the ground.

The president tried to calm him down, tried to explain to the people who were there what had just happened, but no one wanted to listen.

Their eyes have been completely attracted by this tragic hero.

There were even people who had lost their minds and began to storm the security guards in an attempt to pull the veteran off the ground.

The scene was chaotic, and gradually another voice began to sound in the crowd.

“Pay back my money！”

"Pay it back."

These four simple words soon converged into a wave.

The situation is completely out of control, the security personnel are busy fighting the fire, and even the innermost bodyguards are affected.

Then, at one point, the man stood up.

Then, he gave the president a resentful look and threw the prosthetic leg out of his hand.

Years of military life made his arm unusually developed, and the prosthetic leg broke through the encirclement and smashed into the president's face.

The emergency evacuation plan was immediately initiated, and the president, protected by bodyguards, finally returned to his palace.

However, even though half an hour had passed, his face still had the red marks of the prosthetic leg on his face.

So his anger is not unreasonable.

At least, everyone can understand it.

So, everyone present listened to him quietly, and it was not until he had vented his anger and completely calmed down that this significant discussion finally began.

The president sighed deeply and apologized for his gaffe.

He then asked a question that everyone expected:

"Where else can we get help?"

Hearing this, the staff member standing on his left hand side hurriedly replied:

"This issue has been discussed in the early stage."

"At present, the May Meeting has conducted the first round of communication with many European countries, the Middle East, East Asia, and Australia, but the results. Not satisfactory. ”

What does it mean to be unsatisfactory? Tell me the results directly! ”

The staff member took a deep breath, he tried to organize his language so that his words did not appear so sharp, but after thinking about it for a long time, he still spoke bluntly:

"As a result, all countries rejected us in the first place."

"They are too busy to take care of themselves, the crisis has already begun to spread, and no one is immune."

"Compared to us, they just have an extra buffer time."

"But if we want to talk about the impact, maybe, they will suffer more losses than we do."

"How big can it be? Can they compare with us? Don't they know that if this crisis is to be resolved, we are the key? ”

The president's expression was again furious, and he could hardly understand such a "betrayal".

Are these allies of their own crazy?

Their official, which was supposed to be a collection of the most rational elite in the world, but judging by the current situation . They seem to have made the most conservative, stupid, and visionary decision.

Looking at his expression, the staff also guessed his thoughts.

So he replied:

"Actually, sir, these things you are talking about, our allies are well aware."

"But what they know better is another key point."

"That is, even if they overdraw all their strength, it may not be enough to save us."

"In this case, going blind will only make their own situation worse, and I can understand what they are doing."

"I can't understand it, it's completely unreasonable."

The president slammed the table, and he grabbed his hair anxiously as he walked around his desk.

"We have to convince them. Endogenous motivation is not enough to get us out of the crisis, we need assistance! ”

"Yes. But no one wants to help us. ”

The staff's emotionless words made the president suddenly quiet down, and at this moment, a word he learned from an ancient book from China a long time ago flashed in his mind:

There is much help for the righteous, but little help for the unjust.

The current United States is probably a typical example of unrighteousness and little help.

What exactly did we do?

Why is this happening? Why can't we find even a true ally at a time of such a crisis?

The president sighed heavily, and after a moment of silence, he asked:

"What about Huaxia? They are willing. Shot? ”

"That's the crux of the matter, they're willing to even, they're capable."

"So far, their financial markets are rock solid."

"If they can help us save the market, then this crisis may have room to recover."

"But here's the thing. Their conditions are too harsh. ”

"How harsh?"

The staff handed over a document in due time, and the president's expression distorted when he saw the request on the document.

"It's too much!"

"We can't possibly agree!"

"These conditions will completely destroy our development potential, and I will never allow such a thing to happen!"

"But we have no other choice"

"Nope."

The president interrupted his staff.

Then, with a gloomy face, he said:

"We still have a choice."

"Oil."

"Oil in the Middle East, this is our only chance."

A few days later, the Zagros Mountains.

Under the cover of layers of rocks, a well-equipped squad took advantage of the darkness to bypass the snow-capped mountains and grope their way to a military base hidden under the mountains.

They numbered as many as 25 men, which was enough for an elite unit like them to complete a small annihilation operation.

But this time, their goal is not annihilation, but destruction.

There was silence on the radio, and the only way to communicate with each other was the dim light source on their watches and shoulders.

Maybe if you are not careful, you will completely lose the sight of the team members in front of you.

And under the principle of complete radio silence, no one will find out that he is left behind.

For the team members who have straggled, the failure of the mission is still secondary, once he loses contact with the large army and cannot join the follow-up evacuation operation, then what awaits him is only the result of ten deaths.

After all, this is the landlocked of another country.

Once discovered, their actions will be considered aggression.

Luckily, however, the squad's superior qualities ruled out all surprises, and at around 3 a.m., they managed to reach the predetermined assembly position.

Subsequently, all the team members gathered together, and several team leaders pulled up the blackout cloth and began to make a final check on the next battle plan.

So the goal of our operation this time is very simple, which is to destroy industrial facilities one kilometer to the northeast."

"According to intelligence, that facility may be related to weapons of mass destruction, maybe a nuclear bomb, maybe poison gas."

"But in any case, it's none of our business."

"All we have to do is get close to there, guide the drone to drop the bomb in, and then evacuate quickly."

"Note that according to the preliminary deduction, the arrival time of the opponent's rapid reaction force is about 3 minutes."

"In other words, we must evacuate outside the range of the other side within three minutes of the explosion."

"Add in the time it takes for the drone to delay dropping the bomb, and we have a total of five minutes."

"The route has been planned, and I need everyone to remember where you are."

"Understood!"

Several detachment leaders whispered in unison, and then they marked the location on their PDA and checked the time again.

"It's 3:15 a.m., and the changing of the guard is between 4 a.m. and 4:05 a.m."

"In order to avoid bumping into their changing of guards, we had to leave after 3:50, which means we needed to approach their base safely, quickly and covertly within 10 minutes."

"Now, everyone rest in place, keep the radio silent, and wait for my departure instructions!"

"Understood."

After receiving everyone's answers, the commander-in-chief turned off the flashlight and lifted the blackout cloth.

Then, he groped his way to find a suitable place to sit down, quietly looking at the brightly lit base in the distance, and deduced the details of the next operation in his mind again and again.

It's a mission to gamble with your life.

But compared to its meaning, one's own life seems to be nothing.

Because, if the action is successful, it is possible to redeem those in their homeland who are still struggling in the storm

This is really a disaster, and yourself, will have the opportunity to become a hero to end this disaster.

He was a little distracted, and just then, someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

By the glimmer of his watch, he recognized that the person in front of him was the captain of Detachment 2 and his most trusted partner.

The detachment leader leaned over to him, lowered his voice and asked:

"So, is there really a weapon of mass destruction there? I think we've used this argument once, and it's not very convincing."

Hearing his words, the commander-in-chief subconsciously shook his head.

Then he replied:

"Weapons of mass destruction are just a broad term."

"Actually, there's an underground uranium enrichment facility."

"It hasn't been officially put into use yet, however, according to intelligence, a range of equipment, including centrifuges, has already begun to be moved in."

"You know, their transit time, it's today."

"What we need to blow up is not an industrial facility, it's just a centrifuge that they haven't had time to install yet."

"But does it make sense?"

The detachment leader asked puzzled.

"Of course it makes sense, we don't want them to have nuclear weapons, that's the point."

Hearing his answer, the detachment leader was silent for a long time before continuing to speak:

"But I think our actions this time are actually far more simple than they seem."

"At least. We're not just going to blow something up. ”

"Perhaps, we need to leave something behind."

"Am I right?"

The commander-in-chief did not answer, but his silence itself was an answer.

The two stopped talking, and the time passed quickly, and at 3:50 a.m., the squad began their movement as a long motorcade appeared from a distance.

Hidden like ghosts in the night, they silently swooped down the ravine of the plain to less than two hundred meters from the edge of the base's security perimeter.

This is the limit of what they can reach.

Even their strongest projectile weapon wouldn't be enough to reach the core of the base without revealing their location.

But thankfully, their drones can.

In the silent night sky, a black shadow slowly flew over the base.

Subsequently, ground beacons were locked, and all combat units began to evacuate according to the predetermined plan.

Everything went smoothly, even so smoothly that it made people wonder if such a large team was needed for this operation.

——

But at this moment, in the evacuated squad, someone was suddenly knocked down by a cold gun without warning.

It was a full two seconds before the sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance.

Subsequently, someone in the team fired back.

Immediately after that, the drone dropped a bomb.

The flames are blazing.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds.

It was like it had been rehearsed and it happened incredibly smoothly.

The squad leader on the side looked at the commander-in-chief in amazement, and in the dim firelight, his expression was extremely resolute.

Yes, he already knew the plan for a long time.

That plan to "leave something behind".

A few days later, news of the attack on military facilities in Iran spread throughout the world.

The drones used in the raid, as well as the bodies of the attackers left behind at the scene, pointed the finger at another country.

Saudi.

This is a crude and absurd conclusion.

But people who are in the midst of the fear of an impending economic crisis do not think it is absurd.

They only know one thing:

The real storm in the desert is coming.

(End of chapter)