Chapter 240: Paid Service (3)
The Delphi Institute must become an advisor to the world’s top nations.
If that is the goal, it would make no sense not to have China, a key player in the global economy, as a client.
That’s why I had planned from the beginning to include them on my client list.
However—
“You want us to use Delphi’s consulting services?”
The Deputy Prime Minister looked as if it wasn’t even worth considering.
Well, it made sense—thanks to me, the global animal kingdom was currently stomping on top of China’s house.
It wasn’t exactly an environment conducive to open-mindedly subscribing to a service.
“Give us the poison and then the cure, is that it?”
At the scornful question, I shrugged and calmly replied.
“The one who gave the poison is always best at making the antidote. If it’s an antidote that works perfectly against the poison, wouldn’t it make sense for the original maker to create it?”
“......”
“Of course, I’m not the one who brewed the poison. I didn’t create China’s shadow banking system, nor did I encourage the use of WMPs.”
Still, regardless of how the problem started, it was a fact that China’s house was now teetering.
So even though I had explained logically why they needed to hire me, the response was firm.
“We decline.”
But I couldn’t back down.
China had to become my client no matter what.
“Of course, it’s entirely your choice whether to use our consulting services... but if you don’t, we’ll be releasing the information I just mentioned to the global public for free.”
At that, the Deputy Prime Minister’s face turned red.
“You dare call this not a threat? Absurd!”
I sighed quietly to myself.
As expected, they think I’m threatening them.
When your argument is too persuasive, it sometimes gets mistaken for a threat.
Of course, I couldn’t deny that this method was borderline coercive.
But still.
Coercion isn’t always a bad thing.
There was a problem, though.
“We have no intention of negotiating with someone who’s holding a knife to our throat. That is China’s position.”
At this point, the Deputy Prime Minister was treating me like a terrorist.
He must have missed the most important part of what I’d said.
I looked at him innocently and spoke again.
“A knife to your throat? I’m afraid you still misunderstand me. Please recall my offer. I never said I would simply release ‘dangerous information.’ I said I would provide you with *solutions* through our consulting service.”
“Solutions?”
“Yes. A one-stop solution to address everything from the ticking time bomb of China’s shadow banking system to the yuan issue.”
Yes, there was a solution.
He continued to eye me suspiciously, but I added confidently.
“I know this field well. Our past record speaks for itself.”
The Delphi Institute had accurately predicted the MDB crisis and the Greek default.
More importantly, I had already uncovered the very things China most wanted to hide.
It may not have pleased them, but that in itself was proof of my skills.
“And you would refuse to even hear me out—simply because you don’t like us?”
The Deputy Prime Minister was silent for a long time.
Finally, after calculating in his head, he spoke in a resigned voice.
“Very well. I’ll hear you out.”
I immediately nodded.
“Wise decision. However, payment is required up front.”
“......”
“I understand that you’re in the business of selling information. Naturally, you’d prefer to see the material first before deciding whether to buy it, but that’s not how this works. It’s like going to a restaurant and deciding whether to pay after you’ve finished eating.”
He frowned but sighed and asked.
“So, how much?”
“For issues that can be resolved in about three months, it’s $70 million per issue. For mid-term issues resolved within a year, $200 million. For long-term structural or severe crisis issues, $500 million. For ongoing monitoring, $300 million annually.
In this case, since it’s a ‘severe crisis’ issue, it would be $500 million, or $800 million total if you also want ongoing monitoring.”
I explained calmly, and the Deputy Prime Minister nodded.
It meant he could afford it.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“However, this is purely the ‘information fee.’ Given the special nature of this case, additional costs may arise, and I ask for your understanding in advance.”
...
I wished he wouldn’t look at me like I was a scam artist.
“Is this Delphi’s standard practice?”
“No. This is not for Delphi. It’s more of a cooperation fee for ‘Pareto Innovation.’”
Pareto Innovation had already declared a short-selling war against China.
In other words, if China wanted to achieve its goals, it would need Pareto Innovation’s involvement in addition to Delphi’s advice.
The Deputy Prime Minister gritted his teeth but couldn’t refute my logic.
“So, what do you want out of this?”
“I’m not asking for money.”
“Ha!”
He clearly didn’t believe me, but I was sincere.
“I believe all transactions should involve the exchange of equivalent value to avoid problems later. The service I’m offering is difficult to price in money. Therefore, I’d like to receive compensation in a form that isn’t monetary.”
“And what would that be?”
“I want access to BG Group’s DNA genome database.”
At that, the Deputy Prime Minister was speechless.
Beijing Genome Group’s DNA database is the world’s largest and is classified by China as a ‘strategic resource.’
Foreign access was strictly prohibited.
“That’s impossible. We can’t give a non-ally like an American access to the genome data of hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens.”
“I’m aware. That’s why I’m asking for an exception.”
“And your reason?”
“I want to use the data to train a healthcare AI.”
In AI, the most important thing is quality training data.
And I intended to obtain that data from China.
“Of course, since it’s a strategic resource, I wouldn’t expect it to be carelessly exported. My proposal is simple: the company I’m investing in will set up a joint venture in China and conduct the research there.”
My AI development was already gaining momentum.
I had already tested the basic mechanism using animal data.
But to apply it to humans, I needed human data—which was hard to access in the U.S. and Europe due to personal data protection laws.
But in China?
Would China really be as sensitive about patient consent and personal data as the U.S.?
Maybe...
If China cooperated, I could complete my own medical diagnostic AI within a few years.
That would accelerate drug development.
And I could predict outcomes for Russian Roulette patients before they died, drastically reducing mortality rates.
After a long pause, the Deputy Prime Minister finally spoke.
“I agree that this is a value that can’t be measured in money. But I can’t promise it now without even knowing what your solution is.”
I nodded.
“Understood. Then, let’s review the solution first. Oh, but we’ll need to sign a contract before that.”
I pulled out the prepared documents.
Both parties signed and exchanged copies.
Then I handed over the solution overview.
Flip flip flip!
For a while, the only sound was pages turning.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s eyes gradually widened.
After quickly skimming through, he went back and began reviewing everything carefully.
“Well? What do you think?”
“I don’t think there’s a better solution under the current circumstances.”
Still no response.
But I couldn’t wait forever.
“Well, if you really don’t want to proceed, we can forget the whole thing…”
As I reached out to retrieve the materials, the Deputy Prime Minister stopped me.
“No.”
He cleared his throat and pulled the materials closer.
“However, this is not a decision I can make on my own.”
“Of course. With the kind of solution I just proposed, only someone with presidential-level authority could make the decision. I hope for a prompt decision."
***
On the plane back to China after the meeting with Ha Si-heon.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s mind was swirling endlessly.
Ha Si-heon’s words kept echoing in his ears.
—First, you must lose the yuan war.
That was the solution he had proposed.
“Crazy bastard.”
Give up defending the yuan in front of the entire world?
And lose to a mere hedge fund?
It would be no different from trampling on the nation’s pride.
But.
—It’s like getting a slap when you’re already on the verge of tears. In truth, don’t you also want the yuan to depreciate?
The Chinese government also wanted a weaker yuan.
The U.S. had recently started moving toward raising interest rates, which was putting upward pressure on the yuan, as it was pegged to the dollar.
If left unchecked, this would deal a direct blow to exports.
With economic growth already slowing, an additional hit to exports would be nothing short of a disaster.
Therefore, China needed to lower interest rates quickly before the U.S. did.
However, there was one reason they had hesitated so far.
The cost was simply too great.
“The whole world would rise up against us...”
The U.S. would accuse them of being a currency manipulator, and Europe could retaliate with tariffs.
On top of that, a large-scale capital outflow could trigger both a trade war and a financial crisis.
That’s why the Chinese government had set a limit on currency adjustments—only 2-3%.
But then—
—I can help you adjust it by 7%.
Ha Si-heon had proposed a 7% depreciation.
That level of adjustment could shake the entire international financial order.
And that wasn’t all.
—Internally, you’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments freely—without worrying about appearances.
Internally, China’s situation was a mess.
The real estate market had overheated and then collapsed.
Policies meant to contain the damage had instead fueled shadow banking, and the stock market, which citizens had been steered toward instead, had recently experienced a disaster.
Strong action was urgently needed.
But even China was conscious of international scrutiny, making it hard to act openly.
For a simple reason.
If China suddenly started hammering away at the cracks in its house, it would be openly admitting that the house was about to collapse.
For the sake of stable governance, they had to maintain the appearance that all was well—right up to the moment of collapse.
That was why they had not aggressively pursued yuan depreciation.
But.
If Ha Si-heon’s method really works...
The Deputy Prime Minister held his head in his hands.
In the end, there was only one conclusion he could reach.
“This isn’t something I can decide on my own.”
As soon as he returned to Beijing, the Deputy Prime Minister reported the matter.
Soon after, an emergency meeting was convened with the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, National Development and Reform Commission, People’s Bank of China, Ministry of Finance, and other key agencies.
Copies of Ha Si-heon’s solution were distributed in the meeting room.
The initial reactions from those reading it were intense.
“Is this madness?”
“You want us to voluntarily abandon currency defense?”
“What about our national prestige?”
But the Deputy Prime Minister remained calm and said firmly.
“Let’s hold off on further discussion until everyone has read the entire proposal.”
For a while, the room was filled only with the sound of pages turning.
Following the Deputy Prime Minister’s example, everyone skimmed the contents first, then returned to the beginning for a careful read.
Occasional exclamations of disbelief broke the silence.
“Crazy...”
“This is insane...”
After everyone had read the document at least three times, the discussion began.
“Well? What do you think?”
But no one answered immediately.
Most were nodding in agreement, but they seemed hesitant to speak up.
“Please share your opinions. Minister of Finance?”
Only after being called upon did the Finance Minister speak.
“It’s a bold and daring plan, but not a bad alternative. If we follow this method, it will minimize the global focus on ‘China risk,’ which should reduce capital outflow.”
“Diplomatically, it will be noisy, but it also gives us leverage.”
“I agree. Unless we address these issues fundamentally now, they’ll still be unresolved ten years from now.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce also voiced their support.
But the most satisfied party was the Central Propaganda Department.
“In terms of public opinion, this approach is overwhelmingly advantageous. When there’s an external enemy, internal cohesion strengthens.”
The majority were in favor.
But there were still concerns.
“If this scenario plays out as described, it would be the best possible outcome. But—is it even possible?”
That was the Deputy Prime Minister’s main concern as well.
Could such an absurd scenario really be implemented?
Everyone in the room was likely thinking the same thing.
But the Deputy Prime Minister’s conclusion was clear.
“Of course, the chances are slim... but the person who proposed this is none other than Ha Si-heon.”
At that moment, the mood in the room shifted.
Looking back at Ha Si-heon’s track record, each of his past actions had seemed equally improbable.
As a rookie, he had criticized Wall Street giants on national TV.
He had transformed a failing food company into a symbol of pride for Black culture.
He had exposed the massive Theranos fraud.
He had united retail investors to take down Wall Street giant Ackman.
And now, he had declared war on China.
On top of that, he had brought them a ‘cure’ after giving them the poison.
The key players in the room were seriously considering this prescription.
“Sometimes, even a mad dog is a formidable ally if it’s on your side.”
At someone’s muttered comment, everyone nodded.
In the end, this outrageous solution passed the meeting—and was even approved by the Politburo Standing Committee.
The nation of China had decided to adopt Ha Si-heon’s strategy.
Now, all that remained was to wait for his signal.