"When I read about the loan offer back then, I thought it was satire. Not everyone can really be so incredibly stupid, I thought. But they are. They really are all so incredibly stupid. Every politician. Every head of state. Every member of your directorate. Nobody knows anything about anything, but they all know they're right. If you only learn fairy tales in business school, then the world becomes a fairy tale land with lots of unexplainable phenomena, I suppose." She shook her head in slight disbelief. "You don't even know the craziest thing yet. I offered my brother-in-law to pay off Jena's debts completely and he refused. They're so indoctrinated that they thought I was trying to lure Jena into a debt trap or something. Why should I set up such an elaborate plan? If they don't give me anything in the end, I'll still have to send my army. Why not just send the army? Instead, I used the money to buy their hospitals and the rest is still lying around here somewhere."

Marah picked up her cup and took a drink. In passing, she looked at Reyji's watch. Mr. Jens remained silent.

"Let's get to the real reason why you're here today. You are of course aware that the free currency has the same evaluation by BYCH as the S-Mark. But like the supreme organization of the free banks itself, BYCH has its funds in Fee. I see a certain bias there. In reality, Fee is a bird that is too fat to fly."

"What are you suggesting?"

"All right... Want to take a quick guess who has even more of your money than BYCH? Me personally. It's all in my vacation fund. You have to know, when I go on vacation, I usually buy the land and because I want to buy a whole country, there's quite a large amount I've accumulated for it. To be honest, I don't even know how much it is anymore. When you're back at headquarters, can you find out for me how much of your money I have?"

"Why don't you get to the point?"

"Every complete idiot can get a loan from you, as long as he is still halfway liquid. There are enormous amounts of the Fee because nobody dares to take it back from the rich. They only ever look at inflation and think they are creating stability via the prime rate, but the only thing that really keeps the Fee in the air is the fact that nobody knows what to do with so much money except make even more money, and because everyone is always making more money and can always borrow more, you think it will go on forever, but everything always remains on paper. There are hardly any real values. Parents admonish their children: 'Money doesn't grow on trees.', and they are right. Money doesn't grow on trees. Money grows in books. The financial market is a burning glass. Every sack of rice has five derivatives before it is sown. Large companies are taking out loans to earn money on their own shares. Real estate prices are exploding. Many people can't afford a house and have to live in a rented apartment. The rest each have 20 houses, but live in a condominium in the city center. Only the houses that nobody will live in are being built, because only those are classified as an attractive investment. The global economy has more than just one bubble. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, because the only people who can't take advantage of your system are those who can't get a loan. At the same time, they are told the fairy tale of equal opportunities through education and performance. It must have been a real shock to the free banks back then that I first leave them, then deny them, then destroy their reputation, then gut their daughter like a goose and then raise the S-Mark over their trash currency from one day to the next. Well, anyway, the country I'm going to buy is your fucking island. I'm buying the free banks. As of today, you are working for me."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Marah turned around. "Reyji, my favorite photo." she asked with an open hand.

Reyji took a photo out of her jacket pocket. The picture was of a house by the sea. It was a real villa. It was in a forest and on a steep coast. The building was a little older, but still very impressive. It would certainly be a dream house for some people. Reyji gave the photo to Marah and Marah passed it directly across the table to Mr. Jens.

"This is a villa in Nordkap in Jena. Who do you think it belongs to?"

"By the introduction, you, I presume?"

"I own the person who owns it, so I'll let that count. What do you estimate the value of this villa to be?"

"Without further information, I would guess maybe 250 million Fee?"

"Unfortunately, that's not even close. It's obvious that you haven't been a real estate agent for a while. The Nordkap of Jena is a very popular area and real estate prices have risen dramatically, especially in the last 10 years. This villa is valued at 4.7 billion Fee."

"You have a highly overvalued villa and so what?"

"It's not overvalued. That's an average market value in that area. You have to understand. There are only houses like this in the neighborhood. There is no crime. It's very quiet. You can pick mushrooms near the house. In the last week, this villa in particular has become a liquid asset due to ground erosion. But I have a feeling that it has sunk, could lead to problems with the mortgage. Can you tell me what happens in such a case? After all, the mortgage is with your daughter bank."

"You have a mortgage with us?"

Mr. Jens looked more and more intimidated. Reyji leaned forward and placed a sheet of paper on the table. It was a list.

"These are properties that belong to me and you, and securities that belong only to you. Please note the leverage and which banks are the holders."

Mr. Jens looked through the page in concentration and grew paler and paler with each line.

"That doesn't change anything. It has no influence on us. You can't harm us. That's far too little for that."

"This is a page from a folder from a cabinet from a room from a floor at the financial court."

Mr. Jens shook his head weakly. "Never..." he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Reyji went behind the palm tree. She pulled out a file folder and placed it on the table. Mr. Jens immediately started looking through the papers.

"I'll tell you something. The private banks sold you off. Actually, they only sold securities for me to other banks. They've always done that. I just took advantage of it because I knew about it. And because it's so normal for them, nobody noticed. I can publish all the files and claim that Baele left the free banks back then because of this uncertainty in your system, then you will have your economic crisis. It will break the necks of all your daughter banks. It will ruin the free banks and the Fee. Delxawe will be the first to leave. Besides, I also have the money. What do you think will happen if I plunder my vacation fund and go buy relevant goods for once? Well, I can tell you that you'd be better off investing in a wheelbarrow. You will need it to cart your money to the bakery."

"What do they want? You're trying to blackmail me?"

"Yes, I'm blackmailing you. Have you noticed? When you're weak, the strong take advantage of you."

"You never have enough. I don't believe you. That's impossible. Even if, it would affect Baele too."

"Do you really believe that? Why do you think we are so closed off, why I built the state-owned companies, why I went to so much trouble to eliminate our dependence on imports, why we left the free banks, why we have our own financial market? The bubble bursts without us."

Mr. Jens lowered his gaze. He seemed to be thinking. "Damn communists..." he muttered angrily.

"Communists? Because there are so many state companies? I think you're misunderstanding something. In a communist country, everything would belong to everyone, but that's not the case. Nothing belongs to everyone. The state companies belong to me. The private companies belong to me. The citizens belong to me. Every stone in this country is mine. It is all mine. Baele is not a communist country. Baele is the end of capitalism. Everything belongs to a single person."

Mr. Jens remained silent. It seemed like a world was falling apart for him.

.../ End Part