Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

342: Chapter 342 Star Coins: The Anchor of the New WorldOctober in Shenzhen, the sky was clear as if washed.

In the global press conference hall at Xingchen Headquarters, the atmosphere was as solemn as a historic funeral—though not anyone’s funeral, but the funeral of an era.

On the wall in front of the press hall, fifty national flags were hung. The tricolor flag of Russia, the green flag of Saudi Arabia, the crescent flag of Malaysia, the red and white flag of Indonesia, the yellow and green flag of Brazil... They were arranged neatly, like an army waiting for inspection.

Below the stage, more than three hundred global reporters were already seated. Long lenses and short cannons were aimed at the podium, and the red lights of the cameras flickered incessantly. Standing in the aisles were hundreds of people, all commercial counselors and economic officials from various embassies in China.

Su Chen walked onto the podium.

He was wearing a dark gray shirt and black trousers, with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. On the big screen behind him, there was only one line of text: Xingchen Coin — The Anchor of the New World.

There was no unnecessary embellishment, no sensational opening remarks. Su Chen stood still, his gaze sweeping across the audience.

Over the past seventy years, global trade has been settled in US dollars. What does the US dollar anchor to? It anchors to the credit of the United States.

He paused. But credit is something you cannot see or touch. It can be worth a hundred years, or it can evaporate in a single day.

Someone in the audience nodded.

Su Chen continued: Today, what does Xingchen Coin anchor to? It anchors to a basket of physical goods—oil, natural gas, grain, rare earths, lithium mines. Every Xingchen Coin can be checked on the Xingchen Chain for its corresponding physical reserves.

The big screen switched, displaying detailed data:

Xingchen Coin Anchored Basket (Initial)

Oil: 30%

Natural Gas: 20%

Grain (Wheat/Corn/Soybeans): 25%

Rare Earths: 15%

Lithium/Nickel/Cobalt: 10%

Reserve Scale

Oil Reserves: 200 million tons (Strategic Reserves + Long-term Agreements)

Natural Gas Reserves: 50 billion cubic meters

Grain Reserves: 30 million tons

Rare Earth Reserves: 500,000 tons of oxides

Lithium/Nickel/Cobalt Reserves: 100,000 tons each

Down below, reporters were frantically taking notes.

A reporter raised his hand, a senior financial reporter from the Financial Times: Mr. Su, does this mean Xingchen wants to be the ’World Central Bank’?

Su Chen smiled, a faint but meaningful smile.

No. Xingchen is not a central bank. Xingchen only provides the tools. Countries use their own currencies to peg to Xingchen Coin, and Xingchen is responsible for stabilizing the basket. Whoever issues the currency is in charge. Xingchen is just—the one who prevents the currency from becoming waste paper.

He signaled, and the big screen switched to a world map. Fifty countries were marked in green, spread across every continent.

Today, fifty countries announced simultaneously—joining the Xingchen Chain and accepting Xingchen Coin settlement. These countries account for 65% of global GDP and 52% of the global population.

Applause thundered below. At the same time, in Brussels, at the SWIFT headquarters. CEO Javier Perez stood in the center of the trading hall, watching the data jumping on the big screen.

SWIFT single-day transaction volume: down another 30%.

Cumulative decline since the beginning of the year: 70%.

His assistant stood beside him, voice trembling: Mr. Perez, we have already laid off 30% of our staff. If it continues like this...

Perez raised a hand to interrupt him. I know.

He turned and walked toward his office. On the desk lay a resignation letter. He picked up a pen and signed his name on the last page.

Javier Perez.

In New York, in the trading hall of Goldman Sachs headquarters, the atmosphere was ten times more tense than usual.

More than three hundred traders sat at their workstations, staring at the real-time exchange rate of Xingchen Coin on their screens. The numbers were jumping: 1.42 US dollars, 1.43 US dollars, 1.42 US dollars—as stable as a ship anchored on the seabed.

CEO David Solomon stood on the central command platform, fifty-five years old, with graying hair and a crisp suit. In front of him was an open encrypted phone.

On the other end of the phone was Su Chen.

Mr. Su, Goldman Sachs has decided to accept Xingchen Coin settlement starting today.

Su Chen’s voice came through, as calm as if he were chatting about the weather: Mr. Solomon, aren’t you afraid of the White House finding trouble?

Solomon gave a wry smile. He looked up at the traders in the trading hall—those young people were using Xingchen Coin to settle one bulk commodity transaction after another.

Mr. Su, Goldman Sachs’ clients want Xingchen Coin. If we don’t accept it, they will go to Morgan. Wall Street’s rule—where the client goes, we go.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a second.

Then Su Chen said: Welcome to the fold, Mr. Solomon.

The call hung up.

Three minutes later, the call from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon also arrived. The same request, the same reason.

Sixty minutes later, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America—all five major investment banks on Wall Street announced they would accept Xingchen Coin settlement. As the news spread, the US Dollar Index fell another three points.

At the New York Stock Exchange, Chairman Jeff Sprecher urgently convened a special committee.

Twelve people sat around a long table, and in front of each person lay the same document:

Emergency Proposal on Allowing Stocks Denominated in Xingchen Coin

Someone spoke: Mr. Sprecher, does this mean we acknowledge the legitimacy of Xingchen Coin?

Sprecher shook his head: No. It means our clients can buy our stocks with the money they have in hand. If their money is Xingchen Coin, we will accept Xingchen Coin. This is not politics, this is business.

Someone asked: Will the SEC approve it?

Sprecher gave a wry smile: The SEC? The SEC is still waiting for instructions from the White House. But our clients cannot wait.

In Washington, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin received the news about Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan in his office.

He froze for three seconds, then grabbed the phone and dialed Solomon’s number.

David, have you lost your mind?! This is betrayal!

Solomon’s voice was very calm: Mr. Secretary, Goldman Sachs has not betrayed the United States. Goldman Sachs is just serving its clients. If the US government does not allow us to use Xingchen Coin, please have the US government pass a law to ban it. But until then, we follow market rules.

The call hung up, Mnuchin stood there stunned, the hand holding the receiver trembling slightly.

Washington, White House Situation Room. Seven people sat around an oval table.

The new president, Michael Brown, sat in the main seat, sixty-two years old, with gray hair and a heavy expression. He was the successor as Vice President, having been in office for only three days. Three days ago, he was still an obscure political figure; three days later, he had to face the most serious financial crisis since the founding of the United States.

Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin was reading the data, his voice as heavy as reciting a eulogy: Fifty countries have joined the Xingchen Chain, accounting for 65% of global GDP.

SWIFT transaction volume has fallen 70% since the beginning of the year.

The US Dollar Index has fallen below 75, hitting a record low.

Inflation is at 15%, unemployment rate is at 17%.

The President was silent for a long time, then he asked: How many allies do we still have?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was silent for three seconds, flipping through the folder in his hand: Israel... is still hesitating. Japan and South Korea are also hesitating. Europe has all run away. Except for Israel, the Middle East has all joined the Xingchen Chain. In South America, only Argentina remains.

The President closed his eyes: So, are we now ’isolated and helpless’?

No one answered; in the Situation Room, there was dead silence.

In the secret conference room of the Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sat in the main seat, with two documents on the table in front of him.

On the left was Emergency Interest Rate Hike Plan: Raise interest rates by another 150 basis points.

On the right was Emergency Interest Rate Cut Plan: Cut interest rates by 50 basis points, and simultaneously launch a new round of quantitative easing.

His advisors were divided into two factions, arguing fiercely.

We must raise rates! Inflation is at 15%. If we don’t tighten the money supply, the US dollar will become waste paper!

Raise rates? If we raise rates by 10%, the stock market will collapse! Businesses will die!

Then what should we do?

Powell raised his hand to signal for silence.

He looked at the two documents, remaining silent for a long time.

Then he picked up a pen and drew a question mark on the document on the left.

On the document on the right, he drew an even bigger question mark.

Tonight... let’s rest first.

At nine o’clock in the evening, Su Chen stood by the window, looking at the night view of Shenzhen Bay.

The lights were bright, the traffic was like a weave, a scene of prosperity.

Lin Wan stood behind him and said softly:

Mr. Su, the situation in the United States is in chaos. The new president has been in office for three days and has already received protest letters from seventeen states. The Federal Reserve is still arguing, and the Treasury Department doesn’t know what to do.

Su Chen did not turn back.

As expected.

Lin Wan asked: What do we do next?

Su Chen turned around and looked at her.

Do nothing. Let them solve it themselves. Xingchen just provided a choice. Which one the American people choose is their business.

He walked back to the window.

Seventy years of US dollar hegemony, seventy years of the American century, it ends today. It’s not that we defeated them, it’s that they defeated themselves.