John Pierpont Morgan was a illustrious figure, a legend in American and world business history. An American banker and art collector, he funded the construction of the Titanic, which departed Southampton, England in 1912. He single-handedly propelled the Morgan family to the pinnacle of power, even forcing the Rockefeller family to concede defeat.
Later, Morgan even became a creditor of the entire world. Before the Spanish-American War, the Mexican government was on the verge of bankruptcy due to its inability to repay its old debts to the Spanish government, and it was Morgan who pulled it back. The same thing happened to Argentina. After the war with Paraguay from 1864 to 1870, Argentina was severely weakened and fell into an economic crisis in the 1890s, and it was Morgan who again came to its rescue.
A mere businessman saved the economy of the entire South American continent—this should have been a glorious and proud achievement. However, Morgan's pride didn't stop there. What made Morgan most proud was that even the British Empire had to bow down and ask him for help. While the British were fighting the Boer people, they were also engaged in an arms race with the Germans, which plunged the British government's finances into an extremely difficult situation. As a result, this "empire on which the sun never sets" had no choice but to condescend to ask Morgan for help.
By the early 20th century, it was no exaggeration to say that Morgan had become the world's creditor.
Before the Great Depression, the Morgan system possessed a total capital of $74 billion, equivalent to one-quarter of the total capital of all businesses in the United States. They controlled three-fifths of the nation's steel production, wielding the power to decide the fate of nearly 170,000 steelworkers. Their 167 board members, originating from Morgan & Co., controlled the entire Morgan system, executing the directives issued by Wall Street's Morgan—a glorious empire that dominated the world's financial system!
But even the most beautiful flowers wither, and even the bravest generals grow old. The Morgan family was no exception. With President Roosevelt's rise to power, the US government's control over capital and markets greatly increased, the era of monopolies was over, and the Morgan family fell from its glorious peak.
But that was only a three-meter fall from the pinnacle of glory; their status remained awe-inspiring. When the head of the Morgan family passed away, celebrities worldwide expressed their condolences. Within 12 hours of the announcement, 3,698 telegrams flooded in from around the world, from kings, popes, art dealers, bankers, and industrialists. Generally, only the death of a major member of royalty garners the attention and mourning of both the elite and ordinary citizens.
Although Morgan was an ordinary white man, he was known as the "Napoleon of Wall Street"! He twice revived the American economy, and some even jokingly say that three generations of US presidents worked for him.
Facing such a powerful and influential family, Duanmu Ci could not have been wrong to be extremely cautious. Conversely, to underestimate them based on a few minor trump cards would have been a sure and obvious path to certain death!
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The weather was beautiful that day, sunny and warm. Perfect for an outing.
At a golf course in Washington state, an ordinary-looking elderly man wearing a sun hat gazes at the open green in front of him, a golf club in his hand. He seems to be pondering the angle and force needed to swing the ball into the hole.
"Smack!"
The old man swung his club, striking the golf ball with an elegant arc, sending the white ball soaring high into the air. It glided gracefully into the distance, and a caddie prepared to guide him back to where it had landed. But the old man waved his hand, indicating it wasn't necessary, and then looked away.
"Frank, how many times have I told you not to be late on the golf course? It's incredibly rude! You should be glad you're not a professional golfer, or you'd definitely be disqualified!"
The "Frank" the old man mentioned was a middle-aged man. Although he was wearing sportswear, his shrewd and capable demeanor was undeniable. He said with a wry smile, "Please forgive me, Father. Actually, I was just about to leave the company when my secretary told me that there was a very important meeting that I had to attend. That's why I was a little late. I promise it won't happen again!"
"Hmph! You always say that, but when have you ever kept your word? You can't be untrustworthy!" the old man said angrily. "Do you know that because of your frequent lateness, you've been considered the 'most unpopular player' by the members of this golf club? I've already changed clubs three times, and I don't want to change to a fourth!"
Frank quickly stated, "I'm serious this time, and I'll never be late again."
"Hmph! I hope you can do it this time." After saying this, the old man followed the caddie to the landing spot to prepare for his next shot.
Frank followed closely behind, and when he saw the caddie crouching down by the hole to reach for the ball, he quickly pushed him aside. Then he knelt down by the hole, holding the putter grip and leaning against it, ready to bend down and retrieve the ball from the hole. He had just been late, which had upset his father, and he wanted to appease him.
To everyone's surprise, the old man glared at his son and shouted, "Stop! What are you doing?"
Flac looked up, looking bewildered.
The old man knocked the putter out of his son's hand and said, "Do you know how fragile the grass on the green is? Your move just now could easily damage the turf, causing the ball to deviate from its intended path and altering its roll on the green. Damaging the turf is a major no-no on a golf course!"
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