Chapter 515 What is Capitalism? (Leaning Back)
Seeing Lu Yiming's unrepentant look, Dominic Burton was so angry that his teeth were itching. He wanted to take out his pistol and make a hole in Lu Yiming's forehead and send him to see God.
"Don't you feel ashamed for what you have done? Do you know how many people will lose their jobs and their families because of your actions?"
Dominic Burton stared at Lu Yiming with sharp eyes, as if to pierce through him.
Facing Dominic Burton's hostile and angry gaze, Lu Yiming shrugged slightly. He was not afraid of his aggressiveness at all. Instead, he said in a relaxed tone: "Everything I did was allowed by the rules. Instead of criticizing me, you might as well criticize those who made the rules. As for shame, I'm sorry, I'm not a US citizen. What does everything that happened here have to do with me?"
Seeing that Lu Yiming was so unrepentant and stubborn, Dominic Burton wanted to scold him loudly, but unexpectedly Alex Acosta had already rushed over with his lawyer and Li Yiwen.
Inspector Lancelot Harrison hurried forward to greet him, but Alex Acosta ignored him and walked straight to Lu Yiming, saying in a gentle tone: " Mr. Lu , I'm sorry for wronging you. Don't worry, you can leave immediately after paying the bail. But for the time being, you may have to stay in the United States for a while, just treat it as a trip to relax."
Lu Yiming immediately became unhappy and asked with a frown, "Can't leave the United States? And there are restrictions on leaving the country? Doesn't this mean there is no evidence to accuse me of a crime? I still have to go to school. Can you afford to compensate me for the loss of my schooling?"
Alex Acosta certainly didn't believe Lu Yiming's words. He was the richest man in Xia Country. What difference did it make whether you went to school or not? No matter how well they studied, wouldn't they still have to work for you after graduation?
Lancelot Harrison sighed, stepped forward and patiently explained: "Hey, these are the regulations, and we have to follow the procedures. I hope you can understand our difficulties, Mr. Lu."
In the United States, many things have to take public opinion into consideration. After all, many politicians rely on votes to get to power, so they naturally cannot make the voters unhappy.
Now that the US stock market was being shorted, the Bureau of Investigation directly sent people to openly take Lu Yiming away, which meant that Lu Yiming was a suspect. Even if there was no evidence, at least they had to pretend and go through the procedures, and they couldn't just let him go.
Otherwise, if things are instigated by someone with ulterior motives, they may become out of control.
Lu Yiming thought about it and knew that he couldn't leave the United States for the time being, so he could only nod his head reluctantly: "Okay, then you can clear my name as soon as possible."
Dominic Burton, who was standing aside, had a grim look on his face and expressed that he could not tolerate Lu Yiming's words.
The facts are there, the evidence is solid, and you still have the nerve to say that you are innocent?
Are you innocent?
But there was no way. Although anyone with a discerning eye could tell what was going on, a civilized society was all about evidence. Without evidence, no one could do anything to Lu Yiming.
"So can I go now?"
Although the seafood dinner was not finished yet, Lu Yiming did not feel reluctant to leave. After all, compared with the warm villa, this place was too simple. Staying here for even a second longer would not be in line with the temperament of the richest man.
"Of course, Mr. Lu, please come this way." Lancelot Harrison smiled slightly, and bowed very gentlemanly to make a "please" gesture, which looked very funny. Obviously, he was in a high position and did not have the talent to be a waiter.
Watching Lu Yiming and the others leave, Dominic Burton was not happy and protested angrily to Lancelot Harrison: "How can you let him go like this? Do you know what he has done? The crimes of all the criminals I have seen over the years combined are not as destructive as this one!"
Lu Yiming, who had not walked far, seemed to have heard Dominic Burton's roar. He immediately turned around and waved to Lancelot Harrison with a smile: "Justice Detective, see you next time."
Dominic Burton was so angry. He had never seen a "criminal" so arrogant. He simply ignored the law enforcement agencies. He couldn't help but walk towards Lu Yiming, holding the gun handle at his waist with his right hand, ready to shoot at any time.
It was really because Lu Yiming insulted them too harshly, he was basically shitting on their heads!
Lancelot Harrison did not expect that Lu Yiming would dare to challenge him, the inspector, and he was of course very angry. However, he was able to sit in his current position not because of impulse or recklessness, but because of his brain.
The reason why Lu Yiming dared to provoke them here was because there was someone behind him, and he even did it on purpose. If they took action, they would be caught by someone, and losing their job would be the least of their worries, and they might even commit suicide.
Lancelot Harrison also knew a thing or two about the bloodiness of the upper class.
Lancelot Harrison grabbed Dominic Burton, who was about to lose his mind, and said helplessly: "Don't be impulsive. Don't you want your job anymore? Do you know who the person next to him is? He is a big shot in the political world. He can just raise his foot and crush us to death like a stink bug."
Watching Lu Yiming and the others walk away, Dominic Burton, who was feeling depressed and had no place to vent, turned around and kicked his desk to the ground. He walked around the office frantically with a grim look on his face, as if there were ten thousand lice biting his body, but he could do nothing about it.
"Ridiculous! It's ridiculous! Stealing or robbing a few hundred dollars is a felony and the offender will be sent to jail. However, those who shorted the stock market and blatantly stole tens of billions of dollars from retail investors are not subject to legal sanctions at all. What is wrong with the United States?"
Lanstro Harrison patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "Look at it more positively. The world is so unfair. We can only do what we can."
After leaving the office, Lu Yiming straightened his wrinkled suit and complained, "I don't like wearing this kind of thing. Not only does it restrict my hands and feet, but it will also wrinkle if I'm not careful. It looks very ugly and not humane at all. Shouldn't clothes be worn for comfort? This world is really unreasonable."
Lu Yiming walked outside while complaining, but as soon as he walked out of the office building, a group of reporters who had heard the news surrounded them.
A reporter put the microphone directly to Lu Yiming's mouth and asked a very sharp question: "Mr. Lu, now everyone calls you the Great Thief from the East. What do you think about this?"
Lu Yiming cleared his throat and retorted in fluent English: "What nonsense! I am a legitimate businessman. I came to the United States simply for investment. I am not a thief. I am doing legal business."
Another reporter seemed to have not heard Lu Yiming's rebuttal at all, and continued to ask: "The Saltwater Fund you invested in shorted the US stock market, causing huge losses to the entire United States. How do you plan to explain this matter ?"
This is a very hurtful statement. After all, although short selling is legal, ordinary people don’t think so.
They would only think that it was Lu Yiming who had snatched the money from them and made them impoverished.
Lu Yiming was just about to speak when suddenly an idea flashed in his mind.
Why does this question seem to have a trap?
Didn't we just explain that short selling is legal? Why did the focus suddenly jump to the loss caused to the United States?
If we follow his explanation, wouldn't this be agreeing with the statement that "it caused huge losses to the United States"?
Otherwise, what are you explaining?
Questioning method with preset answers.
As a high-intensity surfer in the 21st century, Lu Yiming encountered various cases of this type on the Internet every day, especially news about slander and defamation by European and American media, so he reacted immediately.
"I'm just an investor. What does Saltwater Fund's shorting of U.S. stocks have to do with me? There are so many shootings in the United States every year, but I haven't seen you go to Lockheed Martin?"
Lu Yiming's response left the reporters speechless for a moment.
The old men on Capitol Hill have been discussing the gun control issue for years, but the interests involved are too great, so how dare these little reporters make random comments?
However, some people could not be persuaded by words. Several Texas rednecks rushed over angrily and yelled at Lu Yiming: "Go back to Asia, you yellow-skinned devil!"
These people were all Texans who lost their jobs due to the bankruptcy of Enron. They didn't care whether what Lu Yiming said made sense or not. They only knew that because of Lu Yiming and the Saltwater Fund, they lost their jobs, their income, their homes, and all the good things in their lives!
Seeing the redneck showing a desperate attitude, the reporters who were originally thinking about how to continue to make things difficult for Lu Yiming suddenly had their eyes brightened. They rushed forward and accused Lu Yiming of causing everyone to lose their jobs and leading to bankruptcy, and asked Lu Yiming to go back to Xia Country.
Seeing that the interview was about to turn into a street fight, Zhao Tiezhu and Alex Acosta's bodyguards teamed up to protect Lu Yiming and Alex Acosta.
Lu Yiming said unhappily: "Do you think I am an Asian and easy to bully? Are you engaging in racial discrimination? Is this what you call democracy?"
The reporters were caught off guard by Lu Yiming's counter-attack.
In the United States, freedom, democracy and opposition to racial discrimination are the greatest political correctness. Lu Yiming directly brought out these two powerful weapons, which immediately silenced the reporters.
Lu Yiming couldn't help but sigh in his heart, it turns out that magic has to be used to defeat magic.
The car quickly left the crowd. Li Yiwen was still frightened and complained: "What kind of people are these? Too barbaric and unreasonable. Where is the United States, which was supposed to be a beacon of civilization?"
Lu Yiming's face didn't look good either. He almost got beaten up just now. Those muscular Texan men, getting punched and kicked by them, would definitely not be a pleasant experience. Those with less luck might have to be hospitalized directly.
"I was just brought back today to assist in the investigation, and the news came out immediately. Moreover, they brought people over to block the door. If there is no one behind this, no one would believe it."
Alex Acosta said with a gloomy face: "I'm sorry for giving you two a bad experience. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. You are so bold to rush to me!"
The car drove to the gate of Lu Yiming's villa in Manhattan, which was also crowded with reporters and protesters. Even the walls of the yard were covered with graffiti and all kinds of garbage.
Obviously, the angry crowd also stormed here. Those who went bankrupt because of the stock market crash angrily directed their spearheads at Lu Yiming.
Seeing this scene in the car, Lu Yiming couldn't help but sigh.
This is truly freedom and democracy.
"Does this count as trespassing?"
Alex Acosta immediately said seriously: "Yes, of course! I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation."
After taking a look from a distance, Lu Yiming knew that he might not be able to return here for the time being, so he immediately said, "Let's find another place to stay. I hope there won't be any accidents this time."
Alex Acosta immediately agreed: "Mr. Lu, please rest assured. I will arrange a new place for you to live and ensure that no one will disturb you again."
Lu Yiming is everyone's cash cow now. No matter who you are, if you want to make money with Lu Yiming, you have to be polite.
We live in a money-oriented society now, and this is even more so in a capitalist country like the United States. Even the presidential election is a competition of who has more funding, and politicians rely on money to maintain their status. Who will care about you if you don't have money?
A few hours later, Alex Acosta placed Lu Yiming in a luxurious villa in the suburbs.
Alex Acosta said: "This villa has all kinds of facilities, and I have arranged for someone to be stationed outside, which can absolutely guarantee your safety, Mr. Lu."
Lu Yiming took a look at the villa and found that this one was bigger and more luxurious than the one he lived in before, so he said reluctantly: "Well, I hope so. I hope my things will not be damaged."
After entering the villa, Alex Acosta said, "It seems that things are more complicated than we thought. I need to deal with some things. You stay in here now and don't go out."
"Um."
After Alex Acosta left, Li Yiwen said worriedly, "We can't go back to Xia Country now. Even our residence has been exposed. Looking at the behavior of those people, they probably want to beat us to death. Oh, nothing will happen, right? It would be too shameful if we die in a foreign land at such a young age."
Lu Yiming took a bottle of sparkling wine from the wine cabinet, opened it, poured a glass for himself and Li Yiwen, and said with a smile: "It's not that exaggerated. Come, have a drink to calm your nerves."
Li Yiwen drank the wine in one gulp, but his mood did not calm down.
In his opinion, the current situation is very bad. If Lu Yiming is prosecuted or even imprisoned, the day will really come when the world will collapse.
"What if you get caught and go to jail?"
Lu Yiming laughed: "How could I possibly go to jail? Just rest assured, I will be fine."
Li Yiwen frowned slightly and said in confusion: "Do you trust these foreigners so much? I don't think Alex is a good person. You know, they only care about money and not people. Aren't you afraid that he will sell you out as soon as he goes out?"
Lu Yiming said confidently: "Of course he is not a good person, but that is why he will not sell me out."
Li Yiwen felt even more incredible and asked, "Why?"
Lu Yiming laughed and said, "Let's not talk about whether the FBI has evidence to accuse me. Even if there is, you don't think that the United States is a place that respects law, fairness and justice, right? Don't be ridiculous, this is a capitalist world, do you know what capitalism is? If you have money, you can do whatever you want, this is capitalism. If you have money but can't do whatever you want, that's called... Forget it, just remember one sentence, money makes the world go round, don't worry about anything else."
The current predicament seems dangerous but is actually safe.
Because the benefits that Lu Yiming can bring to Alex Acosta and others are what no one else can give, so they have to protect Lu Yiming even if they try their best.
What's more, Lu Yiming was innocent to begin with, so they had no pressure in helping him.
Lu Yiming and Li Yiwen drank some wine in the villa, then each found a room with a large bathtub and took a comfortable bath.
After taking a shower and curling up in bed, Lu Yiming called Shi Qingxue.
Before he could even say anything, he heard Shi Qingxue ask impatiently, "Lu Yiming, I heard from grandma that you were arrested?"
When Lu Yiming heard this, he was immediately impressed that his grandmother was really well-informed and had gotten the news so quickly.
Hearing Qingxue's hurried tone, Lu Yiming quickly said to comfort her, "What do you mean, arrested? That's not true. If I were arrested, would I still be able to call you now? They just asked me to go over and assist in the investigation. Don't worry."
After hearing what Lu Yiming said, Shi Qingxue felt relieved and said, "Why don't you come back quickly? It seems very dangerous outside. Besides, the school is already in session."
Lu Yiming did not tell Shi Qingxue that he could not leave the country now, but just said: "Okay, I will do it as soon as possible. I will go back immediately after finishing the matter. Don't worry, I will be fine."
After much persuasion, Shi Qingxue was finally persuaded, but just as she hung up the phone, Lu Ding called.
"I just heard that you were arrested by the FBI over there? What happened? Are you going to go to jail?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "It's impossible for me to go to jail. At most, I can leave a little money for my passage. The United States still has dignity now. If they really sentence me severely, who will dare to play in the US stock market in the future?"
Lu Ding sighed and said, "Alas, I didn't expect stock trading to be so dangerous. I didn't even dare to tell your mother about this."
Lu Yiming assured again and again, "Dad, don't worry, I have found a protective umbrella here. If you want to deal with me, it depends on whether the person behind me agrees."
Lu Ding is now in China, and he is out of reach of Lu Yiming's situation. Even if he is anxious, he can do nothing. He can only say: "Okay, if you have any problems, don't hide it from your family. Your mother and I will definitely get you out even if we have to sell everything we have."
Lu Yiming didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Not really, Dad. I've already said that this is just a small scene. I'll just go through the motions and I'll be fine."
"Okay then, when will you be back?"
"It won't be long in a few days, don't worry."
