pertwk Chapter 136 Game Theory
Chapter 136 Game Theory
Ling Yun slept soundly at the hotel until 7 p.m. when Li Taijian called.
"Something's happened!" His voice trembled slightly. "Several of my friends were called in for a talk by the central bank, who asked where the pre-sale funds for the digital city went."
"What did they say?"
"They said...that it was for paying for the project and purchasing equipment." Li Taijian's voice trembled more and more, "But they wanted bank statements, and I said it was still in the process of being processed."
"The central bank has its eyes on us."
"What should we do? That money... that money has already been converted into US dollars and sent abroad. If they find out..."
"Calm down," Ling Yun said coldly. "Are your friends high enough in rank?"
"Enough...enough. But this time it was the central bank governor who personally took charge. I heard that someone from the royal family also got involved."
Ling Yun remained silent.
Thailand's political situation is complex, involving a power struggle among the military, the monarchy, conglomerates, and the civilian government.
The Digital City project, a massive undertaking, generated over 30 billion Thai baht in pre-sales, half of which was converted into US dollars and flowed out. This has touched a nerve with some people, or rather, it has threatened the interests of certain factions.
"Stop construction for now," Ling Yun said. "Pre-sales are suspended, and construction on the site is temporarily halted. Tell the public that we are optimizing the design plan."
"The money that has already been received..."
"Don't move for now."
"How long will it take?"
"have no idea."
Lee Tae-geon slumped into a chair.
"I'm doomed... my friends will tear me apart."
"Tell them that the money we prepared for them is in frozen accounts. As long as they withstand the pressure, the money will be returned," Ling Yun said. "But if they can't withstand it, we're all doomed."
Lee Tae-geon raised his voice: "Are you threatening me?"
"No, it's true," Ling Yun said calmly. "We're all in the same boat now."
After a long silence, Li Taijian said, "I'll make the arrangements."
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Hu asked, "Mr. Ling, is the money really safe?"
"Our money is in Singapore, which is beyond the reach of the Bank of Thailand," Ling Yun said. "But our assets and accounts in Thailand may be at risk."
"The Digital City plot?"
"Yes. If the Thai government deems us to have violated the law, they may confiscate the land."
"What about the pre-sale price..."
"The pre-sale funds have already been converted into US dollars, and they're overseas. They can't get them back." Ling Yun turned around. "That's why I'm in a hurry to exchange currency. Thai baht is theirs in Thailand, and US dollars are mine overseas."
Zhao Hu understood.
"So, we've actually... successfully cashed out?"
"That's right," Ling Yun said. "Whether the digital city can be built or not is no longer important. What's important is that the money has been allocated."
"So, what's next?"
"Wait," Ling Yun said, sitting down. "Let's see how determined the Bank of Thailand is."
The phone rang again. It was Sun Peng calling from the construction site.
"Brother Yun, some government officials and police officers have come to the construction site. They say they want to check the construction permit and see you. But we haven't started construction yet."
"Let them investigate, cooperate, and tell them I'm in Hong Kong, not in Thailand."
"it is good."
Account freezing, investigation launch, and public opinion campaigning – this is a coordinated set of measures.
But he was prepared and had already transferred the funds.
Ling Yun sat at the table, with three telephones in front of him: one local Hong Kong line, one international leased line, and one encrypted satellite phone.
He called the CFO, "Account status?"
"It's still frozen. The Bank of Thailand sent a formal notice requesting us to provide detailed information on all cross-border capital flows over the past three months, especially transactions related to Thailand."
"the term?"
"72 hours, now it's hour 16."
"How's the data preparation going?"
"We're sorting it out, but some transactions..." the CFO paused, "those fund exchanges, don't have official receipts."
"Make sure everything is compliant," Lingyun said, "purchase contracts, service agreements, design fee payments, and that the amounts match up."
"Understood, but if the Thai side verifies with the recipient..."
"The recipient of the payment is an offshore company that we control, and they will cooperate."
"Okay, I'll do it as soon as possible."
Now, all we need to do is wait, wait for the day the Thai baht collapses.
At that time, all the pressure we face now will become a driving force.
And he had already gotten what he wanted.
Just as I hung up, the international line rang; it was Lee Tae-geon calling from Bangkok.
"Mr. Ling!" His voice was urgent. "We've found out. It was the Thai National Security Agency that got involved. They detected an unusually large outflow of funds from our account, triggering an anti-money laundering alert. The Ministry of Finance cooperated with them and temporarily froze the account."
"The State Security Bureau?" Ling Yun frowned. "That should be under the jurisdiction of the central bank."
"That was true at first, but the National Security Bureau has recently been investigating cases of 'endangering economic security,' and they've been targeting abnormal flows of foreign capital." Li Taijian lowered his voice. "We've been made an example of."
What conditions are needed for thawing?
"A joint review by the Security Bureau and the Ministry of Finance is needed to confirm the legality of the funds. If a reasonable explanation cannot be provided within 72 hours, a formal case may be opened and the case transferred to the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau."
Ling Yun remained silent.
I could hear Li Taijian's heavy breathing coming from the other end of the phone.
"Mr. Ling," his voice lowered, "the money in the account... includes money from my friends. If they find out the money's been frozen..."
"I know," Ling Yun interrupted him, "Let them do the work."
"It's already underway, but the security bureau is taking a hard line this time, saying it's a direct order from the royal family to rectify the financial order."
"The royal family?"
"His Majesty King Rama IX is celebrating his 50th year on the throne this year, and to showcase the country's governance achievements, financial stability is a key focus."
Ling Yun understood; this was a political mission.
"Are your friends high enough in rank?"
"It's enough... but the Security Bureau won't give face to anyone right now."
"Then find someone bigger than the Security Bureau."
"You mean...?"
"Whoever gave the order, find their superior," Ling Yun said. "The money doesn't belong to us alone. Those who own the money should contribute their time and effort, and speak up as needed."
Lee Tae-geon remained silent for a few seconds.
"I'll give it a try."
"It's not a 'try'," Ling Yun's tone turned cold. "It's a must. If the money is gone, then it has nothing to do with me. If the money is returned, we can still be friends."
"……Understood."
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Hu brought over coffee.
"Mr. Ling, the situation is not good?"
"It's a bit troublesome." Ling Yun took the coffee. "It's definitely the Thai security bureau's involvement, political factors."
"What can we do?"
"Wait," Ling Yun said. "Let's see how much power Li Taijian's network of connections has."
It was truly a case of the storm brewing, but none of these matters concerned Ling Yun anymore.
All that remains to be seen is the outcome of this power struggle among these high-ranking officials and nobles.
If we win, we'll continue singing and dancing; if we lose, we'll just forget about the digital city, since we've already got the money.