A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 282: The Invisible Hand (17)

Meanwhile, Kissinger, having ventured out for the first time in a while, could hardly contain his excitement.

“How long has it been since I last saw that fellow!”

Since the Terranoson incident, Ha Siheon had shown great care for Kissinger. For instance, he never failed to attend Kissinger’s lectures, sitting quietly among the audience each time.

“He’s trying to elevate my status.”

After all, wasn’t the current superstar setting the global financial world ablaze none other than “The Orca,” Ha Siheon? This alone was a clever display that showed the world just how much Siheon valued Kissinger—a touching gesture, indeed. And that wasn’t all. Knowing that stamp collecting was Kissinger’s hobby, Siheon also made sure to send him a new collection every month. He never forgot.

“Where else would you find such a considerate young man treating an old fogey like me with such warmth? He’s a hundred times better than my own grandson...”

However… Recently, things had changed a bit. The last time they’d seen each other was a full five months ago—at Kissinger’s birthday party.

“It can’t be helped. He’s at the busiest point of his life...”

For the past year or so, Ha Siheon had been deeply immersed in his AI ventures, spending half his time in California. Then suddenly, this message had arrived:

— I've been troubled by something lately... Would you have time to meet?

Most young people, after achieving such success, naturally become arrogant and self-absorbed. But even now, Ha Siheon was willing to humble himself and seek Kissinger’s advice. Looking at the message, Kissinger nodded in satisfaction. The meeting place with Ha Siheon was the Palace Hotel. Coincidentally, Kissinger’s regular steakhouse, “20 Club,” was nearby. So he thought he might as well have a meal with Ha Siheon while he was at it.

However...

— “I’m sorry, I already have a prior engagement...”

Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t great. So, while he was in the neighborhood for the first time in a while, he dropped by alone, slicing through his steak and nursing a faint disappointment... Just then, a familiar silhouette passed by.

“Siheon?”

“Professor...?”

He could see that Ha Siheon was visibly startled, like someone caught in a scene they shouldn't have been seen in. Naturally, Kissinger’s eyes shifted to Siheon’s companion. A familiar face.

“It’s been a while, Ambassador Yang.”

Someone he’d run into multiple times at diplomatic events—none other than Yang Weiqing, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S.

“Well, this is an odd pairing. You and our Siheon, together...”

Though he was smiling, Kissinger’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Surely this isn’t some lingering grudge from the past?”

He said it like a joke, but there was a subtle weight behind the words. The implication was clear: was this meeting some form of retaliation for the currency war Ha Siheon had once sparked in China? At that, Siheon quickly interjected.

“It’s nothing like that. We just met for a business discussion.”

Business? That seemed too simple. Siheon’s expression wasn’t entirely convincing. Kissinger’s curiosity flared—but this wasn’t the place to dig deeper.

“I’ll have to ask about this later.”

After seeing off Ambassador Yang, Kissinger headed to the originally planned location, the Palace Hotel. He even booked a room, sitting down to ask Siheon directly:

“May I ask what kind of conversation you had with China?”

But this time, Ha Siheon—who had never once faltered in answering any of Kissinger’s questions—wore a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry, but it’s a confidential matter. I can’t speak about it yet.”

“If there’s a problem, tell me. If it’s something involving China, I might still be able to help.”

He was, after all, a legendary diplomat who once influenced global affairs. Even though he had stepped back from official duties, the network and influence he wielded within the government remained formidable. However, Siheon simply smiled and shook his head gently.

“Of course, if it becomes truly necessary, I’ll definitely ask for help. But for now, I’d like to try resolving it on my own.”

Even under repeated questioning, Ha Siheon kept his words guarded. In the end, Kissinger never learned the details of Siheon’s conversation with China.

“He could lean on me a bit more if he wanted to...”

Watching the young man he cared for—more than his own grandson—carry such heavy burdens alone made his heart feel uneasy. And yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel proud.

“He really is on a different level than Holtz.”

“And comparing Siheon to that con artist who used to whine for help all the time… that’s just insulting.”

With that thought, Kissinger felt even more proud of Ha Siheon, and then asked:

“But didn’t you say you had something troubling you? What’s been on your mind?”

“Well… it’s the AI business. There’s a lot to think about.”

From there, Ha Siheon began sharing various concerns tied to his AI endeavors, and Kissinger offered advice willingly. However… even while they were talking, part of Kissinger’s mind remained stuck on the earlier encounter with Ambassador Yang.

“So… China has approached Ha Siheon…”

His diplomatic instincts were ringing alarm bells—this was no ordinary matter. As their conversation wrapped up, Kissinger slowly rose from his seat.

“You go on ahead. There’s somewhere I need to stop by.”

After sending Siheon off, Kissinger sat quietly for a while in contemplation. Then, having made up his mind, he flipped through his contact book with a practiced hand.

<John Berry>

The current U.S. Secretary of State. John Berry.

While not exactly casual acquaintances, Kissinger and Berry maintained the kind of connection where national security matters could justify a direct call. So when Kissinger contacted him out of the blue, Berry answered with a somewhat surprised tone:

— “This is unexpected. For you to be calling me at this hour…”

“It’s important. Can I call you back on a secure line in an hour?”

— “Of course.”

Ending the call quickly, Kissinger rushed toward a nearby SCIF—a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, a highly secure area designed to block all forms of eavesdropping, including soundproofing and electromagnetic shielding. Fortunately, the UN headquarters nearby had one such facility. He passed security checks and called back from inside.

“From the latest reports, AI seems poised to hold significant strategic value. Does the government view it the same way?”

— “Yes. Multiple departments consider AI a core element of national competitiveness.”

“Then let me ask—what happens if the leadership in this technology slips from America’s hands?”

Berry paused briefly, choosing his words carefully.

— “That would be a matter requiring direct government intervention. Do you know something we should be aware of?”

“Who is the most important asset and talent in AI right now?”

— “Well, there’s Gooble, OpenFrame, Next AI… maybe Stark as well?”

“No. I said ‘the most important asset and talent.’ Who else could that be but Ha Siheon?”

— “…Ah. Yes. Of course…”

“Here’s the thing—China has just made a move to approach him.”

— “What? China?”

Berry sounded genuinely alarmed. Kissinger then delivered his warning with gravity:

“This is a situation like Operation Paperclip.”

Operation Paperclip—the historic mission where, after World War II, the U.S. secretly brought over German scientists to lead aerospace and weapons development. Back then, to gain an edge over the Soviet Union, America didn’t hesitate to recruit even those with Nazi affiliations. This meant Kissinger regarded the current situation as gravely serious.

“In my view, we are no longer in an era of missile races—now, the competition is about AI. And once again, shouldn’t America be the one to lead?”

— “Are you saying…”

“Why not declare AI a strategic asset? We can’t just sit and watch while China quietly lures away our AI talent!”

The other end of the line went silent for a while. Then, a cautious reply came.

— “I completely understand what you’re saying… but this just isn’t the right time to push a new initiative. And with China involved, as you know, things are particularly sensitive right now.”

In fact, China had recently escalated tensions by expanding military bases in the South China Sea. Just last year, there had been a major breach in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, compromising personal data for over 20 million federal employees—and China had been identified as the prime suspect. In such a climate, pushing for AI to be designated a strategic asset would only further strain U.S.-China relations—a burden Washington wasn’t eager to take on.

This wasn’t just about one AI company. It was a tangled issue, involving military, diplomacy, and cyber warfare.

— “Besides, unless Ha Siheon himself takes a clear stance, everything you’ve mentioned so far is still speculative.”

“So what, we just sit on our hands? Let our ‘strategic assets’ slip away without a fight?”

— “Of course not. But as you’re well aware, these things take procedure and time…”

Exactly. The government always moved slowly. To designate an industry as a strategic asset required endless rounds of interagency consultation, intelligence briefings, and White House policy reviews. It was a process that often took years. And right now, all Kissinger had was circumstantial evidence—a vague indication that China was showing interest. Not enough for immediate action, public support, or a decisive smoking gun.

“Understood.”

Kissinger ended the call curtly.

“So what now…”

Though he’d issued a warning to the government, he had no intention of passively waiting on bureaucracy’s sluggish pace.

“If China really means business…”

Then it was clear: China had quietly accumulated resources for years and now was shifting toward open power plays. They were beginning to gather strategic assets—one by one. And there was no greater prize than Ha Siheon. The man known as ‘the Orca’ was the brightest jewel in America’s tech crown—undoubtedly, China would try every possible lure to entice him.

“No way he’d fall for it…”

Sure, someone like Siheon—honest, upright, principled—wouldn’t be swayed by mere money. Still, eliminating even the possibility of defection was the only safe path. Because no one could predict what China might do next to recruit him.

“If the government won’t act…”

Then there was another way. Kissinger slowly opened his notebook. Among the densely packed contact list were the names of journalists—ones he trusted.

A few days later, headlines flooded the media:

“AI Gold Rush Draws Foreign Eyes”

“Silicon Valley: The Dawn of a New Cold War?”

“Foreign Governments Reach for America’s AI Breakthroughs”

These articles sounded the alarm, warning the public that America’s AI technology was increasingly vulnerable to foreign influence. Especially…

According to a high-ranking government official, it was recently confirmed that China had held a private meeting with Pareto Innovation’s CEO, Ha Siheon. While it’s been stated that the meeting was to discuss potential tech collaboration, interpretations vary widely.

(…)

Ha Siheon is currently focused on AI, having invested $1 billion to found the organization Next AI.

(…)

That official commented, “We cannot rule out the possibility that China is making a strategic move to acquire core U.S. AI assets, such as Next AI.” While no formal offers or agreements have yet been made…

News outlets, citing this “high-ranking official,” warned that China was targeting Next AI. The public response was explosive. And no wonder—the internet had already been buzzing with messages like:

— “The Egyptians built pyramids, the Romans built the Colosseum, but we have Sean.”

— “Sean’s brain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! This treasure must be protected!”

Ha Siheon, who had accurately predicted multiple Black Swan events—even the collapse of the Great Wall Fund and Brexit—had become a national pride, a strategic treasure, and a global phenomenon. And now? That very treasure—Ha Siheon’s AI company—was being eyed by China, of all places?

— “Absolutely not! Give them the Statue of Liberty instead!”

— “We need a bill to put a GPS tracker on Saint Sean’s neck—now!”

— “We can’t let China put America’s national treasure in a shopping cart!”

— “If Next AI goes to China, we’re doomed. Make patriotism a login requirement for MindChat!”

As the uproar intensified, Ha Siheon was forced to step up and clarify matters himself.

“The rumor that Next AI is moving abroad is false. It’s simply not true.”

He firmly denied any plans to relocate to China. However, his next comment left a strange, lingering note:

“That said, in order to remain competitive, we can’t rule out the possibility of moving non-core operations to more favorable overseas markets.”

In other words, “The headquarters will stay, but we might open some overseas branches.” Naturally, Ha Siheon backed this statement with a clear explanation:

“AI is incredibly expensive—server farms, cloud fees, data storage costs… Major tech companies can process these internally through their own cloud infrastructure, but startups like ours have to pay retail.”

He paused briefly, then gave a wry smile.

“Electricity’s the same story. Running a single data center takes a massive amount of power, and the big players have direct agreements with utility companies that get them discounted rates. We operate on much more expensive premium pricing.”

The industry’s structure, in short, was rigged to benefit the giants. For a startup, the capital needed to scale was overwhelming—almost impossible. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Ha Siheon said:

“To be honest, this is beyond what we can handle on our own. That’s why we’ve been requesting government support from the very beginning…”

This was, in essence, a public complaint—an admission that the U.S. government had turned him away multiple times. And now, that same national treasure, Ha Siheon—and his company, Next AI—were being courted by China.

Naturally, the internet exploded.

— “While Saint Sean shows us the future, the U.S. government replies: ‘Hmm, let’s talk later…’”

— “Gov: We believe in the free market! // Reality: Our talent is free to leave too.”

— “If Sean leaves, tag the GDP graph with: ‘We remember this day…’”

The outrage grew so loud that even the White House was forced to respond:

“The United States supports innovation and considers AI a vital pillar of national competitiveness. We are committed to fostering an environment where promising startups, including Next AI, can develop their technology freely.”

However—despite this talk of “commitment,” no specific action followed. Expanded budgets, tax incentives, new dedicated programs, subsidies, etc. In other words... it was a response on the level of “People seem really mad right now, so let’s stall for time.”

Upon hearing this news, Ha Siheon rubbed his chin.

“As expected… was the ‘strategic asset’ designation too much to hope for?”

Ha Siheon’s goal had been simple: To have AI designated as a national strategic asset, thereby opening the path to indirect investment. This way, the bubble he had helped inflate within the AI industry would solidify—allowing the sector to sustain itself without his continued involvement. This was the final phase of his master plan: “Hand everything off to the U.S. government, then walk away clean.”

From that perspective, the White House’s tepid response was disappointing—but Ha Siheon smiled.

“I was never trying to convince the current White House anyway.”

Someone who already wears the crown need not rush. But what about those who have yet to claim it?

“With public sentiment like this, they’ll have no choice but to act.”

And sure enough, things unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

“The topic of tonight’s presidential debate: The government’s policy on AI, which has become a national issue—and the moves by foreign powers to secure control over America’s core AI industries. What’s your position?”