Chapter Six: Beware of Digging a Pit and Burying Yourself

There’s no denying that the Hunter family was truly extraordinary in their eccentricity. Since they had already decided to play the silver futures game, why bother making things more complicated? This penchant for courting disaster was truly astonishing. The White family, for all its discretion, was still part of the wealthy elite and not to be bullied at will.

“Young Master, the futures traders are in place. They’re all our people. How would you like to proceed?”

“Uncle Fu, our goal this time is to pick up bargains. Don’t let our identity be revealed.”

“Understood, Young Master. I’ll have someone keep an eye on things.”

“There’s no major issue in London, but be more careful in America. Open a few more accounts, just in case.”

“Of course, Young Master. I’ll see to it right away.”

Uncle Fu could more or less guess that his young master intended to hitch a ride on the Hunter family’s scheme. Their move into the silver market was hardly a secret. Clearly, the young master planned to trip them up a bit.

It was only April—there was ample time before the BY market would really heat up in June. Plenty of time to lay the groundwork.

The Hunter family’s maneuvers had already crippled the metal futures market. It would be many years before leverage was allowed to increase again. These same people had manipulated the soybean futures market just a few years prior, causing the ruin of numerous brokers. And yet, they had never faced any repercussions.

This time, too, was long in the making. With the addition of desert tycoon capital, the Hunter family’s clout could not be overstated. To oppose them meant guaranteed ruin. Better, then, to follow in their wake.

There would be no end of commentary on this madcap family in later years. For now, it was clear the situation was anything but simple; the games being played here were many and intricate.

As William White reflected on all this, he found himself filled with emotion and no small amount of confusion. Compared to building a vast silver empire, White Oil was nothing remarkable. He simply couldn’t fathom what drove these people—why was greed never sated?

“Young Master, the people you requested have arrived.”

“Good. Take them to the computer room.”

“Yes, sir.”

Faced with a room full of computers, the newcomers finally believed this was no empty promise.

“Hello, everyone. I’m William White. There’s a small test I’d like you to complete. If you finish on time, we can sign the contracts right away.”

Despite their impressive résumés, William White was cautious—he didn’t want chancers slipping through.

The two electronic engineers, meanwhile, were not idle; they were tasked with assembling two simple circuit boards.

“You have two hours. If you don’t finish, it’s fine, but mistakes are not allowed.”

“Uncle Fu, bring them something to drink. If they need anything else, do your best to accommodate them.”

“Of course, Young Master.”

“I’ll be back in two hours.”

These men were no slackers; they set to work briskly. Good jobs were hard to come by, and this was a generous employer—they had every reason to give their best.

William White’s goal was office software. The market potential was huge, and it would soon attract attention. This was the last chance to get in early.

The team proved themselves reliable, finishing in just over an hour—enough time to sit back and enjoy afternoon tea.

They were content with the environment. Texans themselves, they found the rough-and-ready atmosphere hardly surprising. Still, they were curious: what exactly was the young master of the White family up to?

“Carry on, don’t mind me. I’ll just check the results myself.”

Despite his words, he had no intention of sitting idly by. When he said he’d be checking, the software engineers were unconcerned—until they watched him at the keyboard. His typing speed outstripped theirs, a skill that took countless hours to master.

“Hmm, this machine passes. Not bad—you even caught my mistake.”

Their faces darkened; the earlier smugness vanished. So this was the test. They’d been grumbling about the questions, unaware they were being evaluated so closely.

“The circuit boards look good too—two faulty circuits, both corrected.”

Congratulations, you all passed the test with flying colors. I’m very pleased. Next, our lawyer will discuss your contracts with you. If all goes well, we’ll be colleagues.

The pay was thirty percent above the norm; they had no qualms about signing non-disclosure agreements. They might not understand the reasoning, but as long as they got paid on time, they cared little for the rest.

Once the ink was dry, they soon learned their employer’s intentions. In their eyes, the product had vast market potential. At the very least, they felt they’d joined a solid company.

Clearly, their boss had already completed part of the coding. The only reason for hiring was a lack of time.

The two electronic engineers were delighted—they were enthusiasts at heart, and this was their favorite kind of work. There was no doubt these products would be in high demand.

Bathed in the glow of the evening sun, the ranch was breathtaking. Under a deep blue sky streaked with red clouds, the beauty was almost overwhelming.

William rode his horse through the farm, watching the cowboys drive cattle, the sheepdogs barking furiously at the flock. It was, undeniably, a beautiful place.

The workers on the farm were reassured—the young master of the White family was reliable. He had no intention of abandoning the ranch.

Recent years had been tough for the farm. If the workers lost their jobs, it would be difficult to find new ones in the short term.

It was the same for everyone; cowboys here had it hard, but other places were likely worse. For now, it seemed nothing bad was going to happen.

Farm or oil company?

To most, the choice was simple—the oil company was obviously more profitable.

But they failed to see that the oil company couldn’t be held onto. With oil prices so high, many would be coveting it.

The proceeds from selling the farm would barely cover the taxes. He would still be saddled with debt. In such circumstances, how could one hope to outwit the old foxes? Being devoured, bones and all, was the only possible outcome.

It was a pity that William White in his past life hadn’t seen this. Within a few years, the oil company had been swallowed up. He was left with a tidy sum, but his self-destructive tendencies were too great; if not for the family foundation, he’d likely have ended up begging on the streets.

Life is full of choices, and we so often choose wrongly—just as William White once did. In the pursuit of greater profit, he lost everything.

On the surface, the White family’s decision to abandon the oil industry seemed unwise. Oil was highly valuable, and prices looked set to continue rising.

As for the farm, there was little to be said—most American farms lost money, and even well-managed ones like White Ranch turned only a slim profit. Outsiders, understandably, found the situation puzzling.

By rights, those coveting these assets should have made their move, but the reality wasn’t so simple.

After all, the White family still held firmly to thirty-five percent of the shares. The second largest shareholder had barely a single-digit stake. Swallowing an elephant whole was no easy feat.

The economic climate was dire; banks were unwilling to lend. If you tried to dilute shares through capital maneuvers, the banks might support you. But a full takeover, or privatizing and delisting the company, was all but impossible.

So-called capital operations were just a matter of buying low and selling high. As the actual controller, the White family could certainly play that game.

The problem was, the controlling shareholder could change at any moment—a risk too great to ignore. And there would always be other competitors. To hope for a monopoly was pure fantasy.