Chapter 274: A Magical Extravaganza

"Why is Facebook suddenly launching this coin?"
In the meeting room of Fanghuan Investment, Su Hao listened to his subordinate's report and asked with great interest.
"It's said they started planning it during the last Bitcoin frenzy, and they've already partnered with 28 companies."
The price of Bitcoin once surged to over $30,000, before plummeting back to $3,000.
During that time, rumors and gossip were rampant, both outside and within the company.
Fanghuan Investment itself didn't trade cryptocurrencies, but the price of Bitcoin was a barometer of the entire market.
Its drop meant a collapse in market attention.
This was a fatal blow to the revenue of "Fanghuan Exchange."
Unexpectedly, what ultimately revitalized the cryptocurrency market was their arch-rival—Facebook.
Just this announcement of "We're giving away cryptocurrency!" pulled the price of Bitcoin back from its slump, sending it soaring back above $10,000.
“But,” the subordinate continued,
“After Facebook’s announcement, governments from Europe to the United States have expressed serious concerns.
These concerns mainly focus on financial stability, money laundering risks, and consumer protection.”
This is quite interesting.
While Bitcoin exists, it is decentralized, its price determined by the market, and governments have little control over it.
But the cryptocurrency Facebook is about to issue is centralized, controlled by Facebook itself.
A company that has just been embroiled in the biggest data breach scandal in history, its reputation ruined, is going to issue a “quasi-currency”?
This is tantamount to a blatant challenge to the authority of central banks worldwide.
“Now, almost all major economies are against it, and even Facebook itself is starting to waver.
Those companies that agreed to cooperate are now looking for opportunities to jump ship and run away.”
Thus, a truly surreal drama has unfolded.
Wow.
After going around in circles, Facebook gained nothing and instead attracted all the criticism, bearing the brunt of global condemnation.
Meanwhile, Su Hao's "Fanghuan Exchange" became the biggest beneficiary.
This feeling… how to put it?
Facebook doesn't seem like a rival, but rather like a benevolent saint sent to save all beings.
It even managed to bring smiles back to the faces of their exchange's gloomy employees.
***
On the other side of the world, in France.
As with election dramas around the world, the left and right wings usually fight to the death.
But this time, France produced an outlier.
A political newcomer who didn't belong to any traditional party, established his own political platform under the banner of "centrist"—Kmarón—miraculously won the election.
This elite, who came from the Rothschild investment bank and had served as Minister of Economy, was ready to implement sweeping economic reforms as soon as he took office.
"The core of this reform is to abolish the wealth tax and shift to a real estate asset tax.
Once this is achieved, large domestic corporations will provide tremendous support to our government's work."
At the staff meeting, everyone offered their opinions.
"But won't this exacerbate public discontent? This is clearly a tax cut for the rich."
“Therefore, a digital services tax must be implemented immediately!
We must teach those tech giants residing in tax havens, who only know how to leech off France, a lesson!
Use their money to fill our tax revenue gap!”
Cmarone nodded silently after hearing this.
To successfully implement the policy, the support of the wealthy who control the nation's economic lifeline is essential.
Moreover, those financial backers who poured money into him and campaigned for him during the election must receive some return, right?
“But the digital tax wasn’t originally planned for next year…”
“Yes, but now it seems the plan has to be brought forward.”
A senior aide said gravely,
“Because we’ve discovered that some overseas companies have penetrated our economy far more deeply than we imagined.”
“Oh? You mean?”
“Google, Facebook… those traditional giants go without saying.
But now, there are several companies whose influence is even more terrifying!
PikPik in the social media field, Netflix in streaming, Fanghuan Exchange in cryptocurrency, even the shipping and automotive supply chains…
And what’s most frightening is that all these names I just mentioned point to the same company.”
“What? All of these are one company?” Kmalon was also shocked.
“That’s right.” The aide’s voice carried a hint of apprehension.
It’s that company from the East—Fang Huan!
Facebook and Microsoft, these giants, each dominate only one field.
But this company is different. Trade, media, virtual assets—it’s everywhere.
Just recently, even Renault’s painstakingly built alliance with Japan was torn apart by Fang Huan.”
“What? Renault was also targeted?”
A flash of anger crossed Cameron’s eyes. Renault, on which France had placed high hopes, had its years of planning destroyed in an instant. This grudge couldn’t go unavenged!
From “Picpic,” which threatened Facebook’s dominance, to Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service, to the world’s leading shipping group and Bitcoin exchange…
Behind them all stood the same father—Fang Huan.
Other whales each ate their own fishpond.
But Fang Huan, this behemoth, was like a giant octopus, stretching its tentacles in all directions, expanding wildly, trying to devour the entire ocean!
It must be contained!
“But…Mr. President, isn’t there a risk in doing this?” an aide asked worriedly.
“The recent economic crisis in Japan is said to have been orchestrated by Fang Huan.
There are rumors that they maliciously triggered that crisis!”
“So what?” the aide, advocating a hardline stance, scoffed.
“Does our French Republic fear a distant Eastern company?
On the contrary, this is the perfect opportunity for us to demonstrate the power of our new government!
Use a digital tax to deliver a heavy blow to those foreign companies that exploit tax havens!
At the same time, enact a Bitcoin regulatory bill to curb the arrogance of the Fang Huan Exchange!”
The Fang Huan Exchange is already the uncrowned king of the global cryptocurrency world.
It was thought that Bitcoin would never recover after the Bitcoin crash, but then Facebook suddenly announced its own cryptocurrency, a stroke of genius that miraculously saved Bitcoin's price.
"This company called 'Fanghuan' definitely needs to be put in a good talking-to," Kermalon decided.
“Yes, Mr. President. Its shipping business has become uncontrollable. We cannot allow it to grow into such a behemoth in other sectors!
We must nip it in the bud before it fully takes shape!
Even if we can't completely destroy it, we must at least make it pay back double the money it has consumed through taxation!”
“What about the fuel tax increase?”
“Simultaneously! We have declared to the world that France will be a leader in environmental protection, and this promise must be kept!”
“Very good.” Camarón stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes.
“Then don't delay, announce it as soon as possible. Catch them off guard, don't give Fang Huan any time to react!”
Camarón was smug, believing that his years of experience in the economic field gave him a keen grasp of the global economic pulse.
But perhaps he was too focused on political struggle, neglecting the fact that a giant dragon from a distant Eastern country had already bared its fangs, ready to devour the entire world.