A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 316: The 100-Billion Race (12)

Crown Prince Fahid bin Salman, left alone, sank into deep thought for a long while.

After Ha Si-heon had left.

‘He’s not an easy man.’

The Crown Prince stood at the pinnacle of power. His word alone was as good as law. People always watched his every move, and it was always he who controlled the flow of any situation.

But today—he’d been swept along by Ha Si-heon’s pace from beginning to end.

It was a deeply unpleasant experience for him.

‘I won’t let myself be led by that man’s will.’

Ha Si-heon wanted to attract Saudi investment. But he had no intention of dancing to that man’s tune.

“Get Masayoshi Son on the line.”

About ten minutes later, his secretary brought the call through. A slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver.

[Yes, speaking.]

“Do you know of Ha Si-heon?”

A brief silence followed. Then Masayoshi spoke.

[You mean that Ha Si-heon from the Chinese yuan war?]

“He’s planning to raise a one-hundred-billion-dollar fund.”

[……That’s the first I’ve heard of it.]

It wasn’t surprising that Masayoshi didn’t know of Ha Si-heon’s plan. No private fund could ever match the intelligence apparatus of a nation.

The Crown Prince gave a brief account of Ha Si-heon’s recent moves. He even added that he’d offered Ha Si-heon thirty billion dollars in exchange for waiting three years—and had been turned down.

But the purpose of this call was to warn Masayoshi ahead of time, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard by Ha Si-heon’s sudden actions.

He could have ended the call right there…

Yet the Crown Prince still couldn’t shake the echo of that man’s voice from his mind.

—Because the thirty billion you invest in me now will be at least a hundred and fifty billion three years from now.

Impossible, of course… But still worth verifying.

“He said something absurd. Claimed he could quintuple the investment within three years.”

[Boastful talk. To attract capital, people promise impossible returns. Anyone can make promises with words.]

That was exactly what the Crown Prince himself had thought. Yet, somehow, he was disappointed. He’d expected something a bit more original.

“So you’re saying it’s impossible.”

[Of course. Fivefold growth in three years… that’s nearly unthinkable, even theoretically.]

“But hasn’t he already achieved what was thought to be theoretically impossible several times before?”

Unlikely as it was, what if he managed it again this time? With enough luck, he might hit the mark once or twice more.

But the tone on the other end suddenly changed.

[You don’t actually believe him, do you?]

“Of course not.”

The Crown Prince drew a firm line. He wasn’t foolish enough to be swayed by a serpent’s temptation.

Still…

“What harm is there in verifying his claims? If the healthcare sector really does have such hidden potential, why shouldn’t we move in ourselves?”

[Are you saying we should invest based on Ha Si-heon’s words?]

“More precisely, I’m saying we should use the information he’s let slip.”

In other words, the Crown Prince suggested that the Visionary Fund make a move into the healthcare field Ha Si-heon had mentioned. That way, they could profit from his insights without falling into his trap. If it turned out to be baseless talk, they could always pull out later with minimal loss.

But Masayoshi’s reply was cold.

[That kind of investment doesn’t align with our fund’s identity. If we scatter our capital without a consistent philosophy, we’ll quickly lose focus. The portfolio will blur, our brand image will weaken, and before long, we’ll lose both deals and credibility.]

His reasoning against healthcare investments was perfectly logical. Yes—every word made sense.

But still…

The Crown Prince heard another voice echoing in his mind.

—It’s too late for Your Highness to win in tech.

—At this point, everyone knows tech is hot.

—Even if Saudi enters, it’ll only be seen as a wealthy latecomer, patching up its lack of foresight with money.

The audacity of it. Even now, thinking back, it was outrageous.

Of course, the Crown Prince hadn’t let his emotions show. Still, he admitted that part of what Ha Si-heon said was worth considering. Investment in tech was no longer revolutionary, nor did it carry the same impact it once did.

“Tech seems too weak an angle. Simply scaling up investments in an already crowded sector—there’s nothing new in that.”

[That’s precisely the point. No one has yet succeeded in shaking the entire market at once by deploying this much capital. If we do it, it will be unprecedented.]

“But surely everyone already understands the importance of tech.”

[Exactly. That’s why public attention will converge on us. If we seize the opportunity everyone else overlooked, the impact will be immense.]

He had a point. If the whole world was watching, a successful strike would send shockwaves everywhere.

And yet—why did the Crown Prince still feel unsatisfied?

—Your Highness could be the first to plant your flag.

—History would record it like this: ‘Saudi Arabia—the first capital to open the gates of medical innovation.’

—Profit, prestige, and legacy—all would be yours.

He wasn’t naïve enough to fall for flattery. Still, there was something intoxicating about Ha Si-heon’s proposal—something that tugged at ambition itself.

What if he were the first to open a new frontier?

What if, instead of chasing Western innovation, he became the pioneer who launched an entirely new age in a field no Westerner had ever dared to enter?

Then perhaps, someday, people would say the future wasn’t in Silicon Valley—but in Riyadh.

“A new revolution is rising in the desert.”

That phrase alone seemed powerful enough to sweep across the world.

But—

[Of course, Your Highness may invest there if you wish.]

Masayoshi’s calm words pulled him back to reality.

[But if you don’t act, he’ll run out of capital and accomplish nothing. The moment you do, though, his fund will come alive. Please remember—Your Highness’s decision could determine the fate of the Visionary Fund.]

To this, the Crown Prince had only one reply.

“Of course. I have no intention of investing in Ha Si-heon.”

The call ended.

Yet a faint bitterness lingered in his chest. Masayoshi’s reasoning had been entirely sound—but Ha Si-heon’s vision had felt far more thrilling.

Even now, a single line still echoed in his mind.

—A new revolution is rising in the desert.

***

Meanwhile, Masayoshi Son sat motionless in the dark for a long time after hanging up. The clock showed 4 a.m., but sleep refused to come.

“Ha Si-heon… launching a one-hundred-billion-dollar fund?”

The news hit him like a bolt of lightning.

The moment Ha Si-heon announced such a fund, people would inevitably compare it to his own hundred-billion-dollar Visionary Fund.

And the world would ask—

—Between Ha Si-heon’s fund and the Visionary Fund, who will emerge the victor?

Unintentionally, he now found himself facing the most talked-about newcomer on the planet. The man who had brought China to its knees. The prophet who foresaw the Black Swan. The charismatic figure who led millions of retail investors to conquer Wall Street.

The man at the forefront of the AI revolution—Ha Si-heon, the icon of a generation.

And that was far from the only thing troubling Masayoshi.

Until not long ago, the Saudi Crown Prince, who had shown full confidence in his vision, was now expressing doubts. The one who planted the seed of that doubt was, of course, Ha Si-heon.

Under different circumstances he would have erupted in anger. But now the opponent was not one to take lightly.

‘Dangerous.’

His instincts sounded an alarm.

Faces of prominent figures who had confronted Ha Si-heon and lost flashed through his mind. The White Shark, Ackman, and countless titans of macro funds… Masayoshi remembered vividly the moments of public humiliation those men had suffered.

He had scoffed at the news back then—‘Even legends aren’t immortal’—but he would never tolerate seeing his own name added to that list of losers.

‘I must avoid a head-on clash at all costs.’

The wisest choice was to proceed with his planned investments while operating in areas completely different from Ha Si-heon.

But reality was not so accommodating.

‘How on earth can I extract myself from this structure?’

The moment Ha Si-heon declared a $100 billion fund, Masayoshi would be dragged into the ring whether he wanted to or not. Moreover, every piece of evidence so far indicated that Ha Si-heon was clearly targeting him.

‘Why me…?’

That was the most baffling part. He had never once met Ha Si-heon. There had been no business friction or personal grudge—so why had he become the target?

Masayoshi Son thought for a long time, then picked up the phone. The person he called was unexpected.

<Ackman>

They often crossed paths at major investment events. They weren’t close, but they were in contact when necessary. There were plenty of big names he could have called, but he had one reason for picking Ackman.

Ackman had gone head-to-head with Ha Si-heon before.

After briefly explaining the situation, the response that came back was…

[My condolences.]

It was a message of sympathy.

“Cut the jokes—this is serious. Why on earth is he targeting me?”

[Maybe because you’re too famous.]

“That doesn’t explain it. There are plenty of famous people in the world—why me? And why you before me? He must have some criteria.”

[How would I know that madman’s thoughts? Maybe he rolled the dice.]

Masayoshi’s eyebrows pinched together at that answer. That couldn’t be the reason. There must be some other rational basis.

“I’m asking seriously. Even Ha Si-heon must have at least minimal logic when picking targets—like you accidentally provoking him or something…”

[There was nothing like that. You just happened to get bitten because you were unlucky.]

“No way he bites at random passersby!”

Frustrated, Masayoshi raised his voice, and a cynical laugh came through the receiver.

[That’s the essence of a ‘mad dog.’ It doesn’t bite because you poke it; it makes it look like you provoked it only after it has bitten. The order’s reversed, my friend.]

Realizing nothing useful would come from this conversation, Masayoshi changed the subject.

“Did you try to avoid him?”

[No use.]

“I’m asking if you tried—just answer whether you tried, please.”

Ackman sighed into the line.

[Don’t try to analyze him rationally. Usually there’s no clear reason when he moves. You’re just unlucky enough to be in his path. Once he’s got you, he’ll pull you in no matter what you do. Do you think those who’ve been defeated so far were merely stupid?]

It was a useless exchange.

Masayoshi ended the call and sat alone in thought.

What was his intention?

‘Ha Si-heon is provoking me through Saudi…’

He was sowing doubt in his key investor to elicit a reaction—this was a provocation.

‘I see.’

Masayoshi still couldn’t determine Ha Si-heon’s selection criteria. But at least the pattern of his behavior was clear in one respect.

Ackman and the other magnates had all succumbed after responding to the provocation.

Therefore the answer was simple.

Never respond to provocation. Ignore every stimulus and let it pass.

Just as Masayoshi hardened his resolve, a headline flashed across his screen.

<Breaking: Ha Si-heon launches Pareto Innovation’s $100 billion “The Cure Fund”>

Ha Si-heon had made his move.

***

<He vows to build a world without disease… Ha Si-heon launches $100 billion fund>

<The largest showdown in fund history: “Ha Si-heon vs. Masayoshi Son”—Who will dominate the future?>

<Vision Fund vs. The Cure Fund… Wall Street on edge over $100 billion collision>

At last, news of my fund’s launch spread to the world.

As expected, the press splashed headlines portraying my firm and Masayoshi Son as engaged in an unprecedented head-to-head battle in investment history.

Wall Street erupted almost instantly.

[This fund isn’t just a healthcare play. Ha Si-heon is approaching it as a means to seize future infrastructure. It’s not betting on an industry—it’s betting on the direction of human civilization.]

[What’s interesting is that there is someone else proposing ‘civilization’ as a theme: Masayoshi Son. If the Vision Fund talks about the ‘singularity of technology,’ Ha Si-heon presents a ‘disease-free future.’]

[Ultimately, it’s a philosophical showdown. The market will decide which side truly has vision.]

[Philosophy matters, but the real question is whether global liquidity can sustain two $100 billion funds at once. It’s likely to be zero-sum. Investors will have to choose one.]

So far things were unfolding exactly as I had designed.

There was only one unforeseen variable…

[We welcome Ha Si-heon’s fund. It’s good for the industry to see capital with such vision enter the market.]

[We are not competing. We are merely dreaming of the future in different ways.]

Masayoshi Son was wholly avoiding the confrontation I’d hoped for.

‘Did the Saudi Crown Prince fail to convey my words properly?’

I had deliberately provoked him with epithets like ‘epilogue’ and ‘a fading figure’ to stir him up… Apparently that message hadn’t been delivered at that level.

As a result, the tense standoff I wanted hadn’t materialized. The press was eager to manufacture a rival storyline, but Masayoshi himself was playing peace-loving pacifist and backing away.

That was no fun.

“This is unexpected. For someone like Masayoshi Son to run from a fight like this… I must admit I’m a little disappointed.”

Pierce snorted softly at my remark.

“Isn’t that obvious? Think about what you’ve done so far. Who in their right mind would stand toe-to-toe with you?”

“I thought a heavyweight like Masayoshi Son would at least accept the challenge once.”

“Avoiding the mad dog isn’t out of fear.”

Mad dog—really. Frankly, it stung a little.

“I’ve always fought rationally.”

“That’s maddening. You’re the only rational one; the world’s gone insane. You just make others crazy.”

“Make others crazy? Me?”

“Now no one lets their guard down around you. Everyone’s learned.”

My formidable reputation had become a shackle. I felt a strange bitterness.

“I only want a fair fight… but no one seems willing to take one.”

Pierce didn’t answer; he changed the channel with the remote.

“So what will you do? Son will keep his distance.”

He was right. Masayoshi showed no sign of being rattled by ordinary provocations.

I shrugged calmly.

“Let’s proceed with this line for now.”

“There’s no reaction.”

“Well, it hasn’t even started yet.”

If provocation doesn’t work, I’ll find another method. There are plenty of reasons people fight. Try them one by one, and sooner or later I’ll find Masayoshi’s weak spot.

I toyed with the dice and said, “It’s fine. Keep scratching, and eventually it’ll burst.”