Chapter 3504: Choose to Get Lost!

When Bernard Arnault finished the interview at the airport and, escorted by UN officials, headed straight for the UN headquarters, all major American media received instructions from Washington.

The instructions were simple: smear Bernard Arnault as much as possible, the blacker the better.

Although American media claim press freedom on the surface, behind the scenes they are all controlled by a group of conglomerates that operate in Silicon Valley and Wall Street, essentially profit-driven, often fabricating fake news and distorting facts to curry favor with Washington—even when the current president was not yet in power, he would denounce these media as "fake news."

However, to the president, these media are just toilets: when he doesn't need them, he finds them noisy, smelly, and dirty; when he does need them, he happily sits on them all day, relieving himself.

These media now dare not defy the president, and since Bernard Arnault indeed gave them no face, everyone is eager to take a shot at him; with the president's order, it's tantamount to carrying out imperial revenge, and everyone is naturally delighted.

Thus, everyone began employing their own tactics to dig up dirt on Bernard Arnault.

Speaking of dirt, Bernard Arnault actually has plenty.

For example, when he acquired the Dior brand years ago, he once played the French government, promising to retain workers and positions before the acquisition, only to fire thousands directly after taking over, turning his back on people, even manipulating the stock market and suspected of money laundering, and during the LV acquisition, he conducted numerous irregular backdoor deals to achieve an illegal takeover.

But Bernard Arnault doesn't care about these at all.

He is a standard pragmatist, results-oriented, everything only for achieving the goal, and for this he can have no bottom line.

Thus, American media professionals immediately began using every trick in the book, exposing Bernard Arnault's past various improper and even suspected illegal business competitions, then competing to report them.

For a time, news headlines emerged one after another.

Such as "The Dirtiest Billionaire in History," or "What You Don't Know About Bernard Arnault," or even "Former World's Richest: A Shameless Scoundrel Who Rose by Robbery and Theft," and "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing."

After Bernard Arnault arrived at the UN and was resting in the lounge preparing for the later donation ceremony, his assistant said with a dejected face: "Boss, the American media are frantically smearing you!"

Bernard Arnault didn't even lift his eyelids, coldly snorting: "Smear me? Nothing but those old things from years ago, already international public knowledge, meaningless—let them smear away."

The assistant said somewhat anxiously: "But their current intensity is a bit too high—almost all of American media are doing this, the coverage is quite extensive..."

"Not afraid!" Bernard Arnault sneered: "Let them revel to their heart's content—who became the world's richest by starting with clean hands? Wasn't the president also up to all sorts of shady dealings when he did business? Suit yourself—let them smear as hard as they want, best if they smear me out of America entirely!"

The assistant was stunned.

What on earth is the boss trying to do?

He wasn't like this before!

Before, he was profit-driven to the extreme—for business, he could even turn against his own father, and his first malicious acquisition, squeezing the founder out of the founding team, was tested on his own father as a trial run; once successful, he used that trick for decades.

Now, this profit-driven person is actually indifferent to his American business, even wanting to withdraw from America—what on earth is going on?

The assistant doesn't understand, but Bernard Arnault had figured it out before coming.

Relying on Ye Chen's permission, accumulating experience bit by bit—fifty billion experience points aren't easy to gather, maybe not enough even after ten or eight years.

Since Ye Chen let me come to America to cause trouble, I must seize this opportunity to offend them badly, actively cause losses, so as to ensure maximum loss.

For me, the greater the loss, the greater the return.

This strange logic—few in this world can figure it out.

So he gave an evil, charming smile and thought: "If I destroy the American market, Ye Chen had better not deny the account!"

……

Twenty minutes later.

When all kinds of dirt on Bernard Arnault had already blanketed the skies of free America, Bernard Arnault tidied his suit, walked out of the lounge, and stepped under the spotlight.

Media reporters snapped photos of him nonstop, many hoping for the interview session later, because the recent public opinion battle had already one-sidedly sounded the charge against Bernard Arnault, while he had not yet retaliated, everyone waited to see what response he would have.

UN officials, however, weren't interested in this gossip—they only hoped Bernard Arnault's money would arrive quickly.

Two hundred million US dollars— for the American government, it might not even cover a year's coffee for federal civil servants, but for the UN, it's truly a substantial sum.

These days, the UN's position is getting weaker and weaker—let alone generating revenue, they can't even collect membership fees, funds are often stretched thin, and besides, they occasionally get slapped around by America; now someone is giving two hundred million US dollars for free— isn't that like a pie falling from the sky? France's annual UN dues are only 1.3 million US dollars.

Thus, UN officials enthusiastically and actively handled the entire donation process: big check, photos, thanks, group photo.

After the series of procedures, the UN official excitedly said: "Thank you, Mr. Bernard Arnault, for everything you've done for the counter-terrorism cause—next, please invite Mr. Arnault to deliver his speech."

Under the UN official's enthusiastic invitation, Bernard Arnault took the microphone, faced countless media reporters, and smiled: "It is truly an honor to have this opportunity to come to the UN and contribute my share to the global counter-terrorism cause."

Saying this, he paused slightly, scanned the reporters below, and continued: "Everyone knows that a few days ago on White Horse Island, a shocking global terrorist attack nearly occurred—fortunately, at the critical moment, I used financial pressure to bribe the terrorist leader, thus avoiding my own demise, as well as that of my wife, Miss Svet, and hundreds of guests and staff."

"I originally thought our lives were far from terrorist attacks, but after this incident I realized that danger actually lurks beside each of us!"

"This world is not only prone to terrorist attacks in certain special regions—even in remote, tranquil holiday resorts, there are people harboring illicit intentions and hiding dangers!"

"So, I have come here today, boldly stepping into the spotlight, hoping through this donation action to lead by example and stand on the front lines of counter-terrorism."

At this moment, Bernard Arnault, face filled with righteous indignation, loudly said: "Actually, many people have asked me, you so choose to confront terrorists and their backers head-on— aren't you afraid of being smeared, retaliated against, or even assassinated?"

The crowd below momentarily smiled— everyone are media people, they know Bernard Arnault is mocking and satirizing the American government's smearing; this man is indeed clever— you smear me, no problem, I directly categorize your smearing behavior as retaliation from the terrorists' backers, thus stepping on you.

Just then, Bernard Arnault waved his hand, face stern, and shouted loudly: "I want to say, I'm not afraid! Afraid of nothing! Before, I might have been hesitant, afraid of affecting my business development, afraid of bringing negative impacts to the group, but now, I no longer place personal and group interests first! Because on White Horse Island, I have already died once— from that day on, every extra day I live is a gift from God! Since that's the case, what do I have to fear? I must bravely step forward! Bravely say no to the world's filth! Even if they wave knives, guns, and clubs at me, even if I am smashed to pieces, I will not shirk!"

The impassioned, righteous speech left the reporters below stunned!

Besides American reporters feeling a bit sour and uncomfortable, other reporters began applauding enthusiastically.

Bernard Arnault's words were flawless— daring to say before the world's media that he fears no terrorist retaliation or assassination, such courage is unmatched.

Moreover, Bernard Arnault is nearly one of the few smartest people in this world— if the mastermind behind White Horse Island were those Middle Eastern extremists, even if Ye Chen let him farm experience, he wouldn't dare be so arrogant, because those people might really launch various extreme attacks to strike and retaliate— the Soul-Returning Pill is good, but one also needs to be alive to take it!

But coincidentally, the mastermind behind White Horse Island is none other than America, Blackwater, and the Syrian opposition that can't even hold up a wall with mud.

And he, Bernard Arnault, doesn't bother with the Syrian opposition— he just goes all out against America and Blackwater.

Because these two, though shameless, at least still operate within the normal world framework— they absolutely dare not assassinate oneself in this setting; the most they can do is attack one's business, which just happens to help me farm experience!

So Bernard Arnault can thus recklessly treat America and Blackwater as soft persimmons to squeeze.

The applause at the scene lasted at least two or three minutes.

After the applause finally subsided, Bernard Arnault faced the camera, expression stern, and said: "Just now, before I went on stage, I heard some things— it seems the American media are digging up my past actions and promoting them widely; here, I don't want to explain— after all, businessmen more or less always have some unconventional methods, nobody can avoid that."

Having said that, he coldly snorted: "However, given the American media's coordinated, intentional smearing at this time, I have completely lost confidence in America's market environment, so I announce that all my group's brand stores in America will officially cease operations after midnight tonight! If the American government and American media want me to choose between shutting up or getting lost, I choose to get lost!"