Conflict

Mo Fei said unhappily, "Yes, burn it. What's wrong with that? Can't bear to part with it? Don't forget, my share is 1.2 million, while yours is 3.6 million. There are now 3.6 million in your company account, and the anonymous account you opened for me has 1.2 million. We've all received what we were supposed to get."

"But that's more than four million dollars!" Jack said, struggling with the decision.

"Yes, but it's also trouble. This is stolen money. It doesn't belong to you, and holding onto it is like carrying a ticking bomb that could explode at any moment. Jack, think this through. Do you want to live peacefully, or spend every day worrying over this money?" Mo Fei's tone turned stern as he began questioning Jack.

Jack shuddered. "I understand. I'll burn it immediately, but please don't hang up. There are some things I want to discuss with you."

"Fine." Mo Fei agreed. Talking might not necessarily be a bad thing. He needed agents, and it was still unclear whether Jack was a suitable candidate, but he could give him a try. In any case, Jack could not find him.

Jack walked over to the car, opened the trunk, and took out six large travel bags. After checking the surroundings and seeing only Jerry and Roy, he opened the bags and dumped out bundle after bundle of U.S. dollars.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Jerry hurried over.

"I'm going to burn it!" Jack said without stopping what he was doing.

"Are you insane?" Jerry rushed forward and shoved Jack aside. "This is dollars, U.S. dollars! You're actually going to burn them?" Jerry roared.

"Hey, Jerry, calm down. Jack must have his reasons for doing this, right, Jack?" Roy also looked at Jack.

Jack said calmly, "That's right. I'm going to burn it, because we've already received what we deserve. The money is in our company account, and this cash is a bomb that could blow us to pieces at any time."

"No, this money isn't a problem. We can hide it for now," Jerry said urgently.

"Jerry, we already have money. Why are you still so attached to this cash? We can take a few tens of thousands, but the rest must all be burned. If anyone finds out or becomes suspicious, we could be exposed. Jerry, I don't want to live in constant fear. Remember what I said yesterday? We can start a company. We can partner with Mr. Ghost to start one, but we must eliminate every potential danger." Jack's tone became stern.

"No, I don't agree. There's a share for me in there, Jack. I'll just take my share—1.2 million. How about that?"

"Jerry, get up and step away from the money. It must be burned today. None of this money belongs to any of us. If you expose us, none of us will be safe." Jack pulled out a handgun from behind his back. Only then did Jerry and Roy notice that the three handguns originally in the trunk were gone.

"Jack?" Jerry lost his nerve. Jack's face was grim and his gaze sharp. He truly believed Jack would shoot. With no other choice, Jerry moved aside. Jack signaled Roy with his eyes, and Roy hurried forward to pile the money together.

"Jack, since we only used one hundred thousand dollars as capital, why did we rob so many dollars?" Roy was timid, but he still asked.

Jack froze for a moment. Then Mo Fei spoke. "I heard that. The answer is simple. That way, no one would pay attention to the small amount of money the three of you had, and they would only focus on the larger sum. Besides, isn't one hundred thousand dollars still money? Could the three of you have come up with it?"

Jack understood. It was merely a smokescreen. Now that Ghost had told them to burn the money, the smoke would vanish completely. Jack also thought of something else: Ghost was using a major bank robbery to control the three of them. Once any of them was caught, all three might spend the rest of their lives in prison.

"Keep going, Roy. This is only a cover. Once we burn this money, no one will notice us. From now on, we'll be successful investors. As long as Mr. Ghost is willing to help us, we can start a company and become bosses someday, truly living like rich men." Jack's words carried another meaning. The call had never been disconnected, and Mo Fei heard him clearly.

"Hmph, help you? That depends on my mood. But it seems the three of you aren't very united internally, are you?" Mo Fei naturally would not be threatened by him.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Ghost. I'm not threatening you. I'm sincerely expressing my wish and hoping that you will help us. I already have a rough idea. Please don't hang up." Jack sounded extremely earnest.

"Fine. I think highly of you. If you satisfy me, I may be willing to give you a hand. Now hurry up. You've stayed there too long." Mo Fei was getting impatient.

"Roy, take out one hundred and fifty thousand in cash. Burn everything else!" Jack said firmly.

"Okay." Roy took out one hundred and fifty thousand in cash, then set the rest ablaze. It was the most extravagant bonfire imaginable, consuming more than four million dollars. Jerry watched the flames with aching regret, but once it was burned, it was over and done with.

Jack lowered his gun. "Jerry, I'm sorry. I never disengaged the safety, and I never intended to hurt you. But your behavior disappointed me. I hope you understand that burning this money is for our greater safety."

"I understand." Jerry was dispirited. Although he knew this was the right thing to do, it still hurt to see that money go. It could have all been theirs. Counting the money in the company account, each of them could have had 2.4 million dollars, but now half of it was gone.

"Alright, each of us takes fifty thousand in cash. But don't spend too much at once over the next few days. We'll wait until I transfer the money from the company account to the United States." Jack took out all three handguns and began wiping them down. He wanted to erase the fingerprints.

The three guns had to be dismantled and discarded, along with the travel bags and the equipment they had used during the robbery. Everything had to be disposed of. Although they had left no records behind, nothing connected to the robbery could remain. The cleanup had to be thorough.

At first, Mo Fei had not actually considered burning the money. He coveted such a large sum too, especially at a time when he needed to accumulate capital. But he had been monitoring Wall Street recently, and the information there was truly well-connected.

**** was going to suppress Bear Stearns. The clash between two commercial banking giants was exceptionally brutal. On the surface, the media was still doing the talking, but the hidden financial battle made Mo Fei truly understand the power of capital predators. At the same time, he found George Soros.