Phillip PriceOh, you're still thinking about this morning. I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my head. Between you and me, I was glad he killed himself. He was not a very good person. He had a gambling problem. He drank too much. Most notably, he was weak. His instincts left a lot to be desired. Oh, I despise people like that. In fact, I felt the world was a little better off knowing he wasn't in it anymore. Uh, I believe even his family will benefit from this, in the long run.
Phillip Price
In the fallout of the Great Depression, FDR closed all the banks for a bank holiday and then he reopened them in stages when they were reported to being sound. Later, historians discovered what we in this room now know; that those reports, they are mostly lies. Nevertheless, it worked, it worked because the public believed the government had everything under control. You see? That is the business model for this great nation of ours. Every day when that market bell rings, we con people into believing in something - the [w:American Dream|]], or family values, could be freedom fries for all I care. It doesn't matter, as long as the con works and people buy and sell whatever it is we want them to. If I resign, then any scrap of confidence the public is already clinging onto will be destroyed. And we all know the con doesn't work without the confidence. If this was the best idea you could come up with for a win, I shouldn't be the one resigning. I have to head back to New York. Let me know when you've locked up the votes.
The next time you threaten my plant--
Phillip Price
What? What? The only move left in that scenario is a third World War. You see, I'm a mercenary. I don't play fair. I play what I want! When you deal with a mercenary, then all decorum gets tossed out the window. So you go ahead with your cute threats and your watch beeps. Order will not protect you anymore, my friend. I will reign chaos! Even if it hurts me. Because I would rather see you lose than win myself. Oh... that's all the time I have.
TCTerry Colby
Is there a pocket of the world you don't have your hand in? You're trading countries like playing cards.
Phillip Price
Isn't that what history is all about? Politically, economically, and geographically? Imaginary lines being drawn and redrawn, over and over again.
TCTerry Colby
Yeah...uh, Phillip, I gotta know. What do you do it for? I mean, all of it?
Phillip Price
Honestly?
Phillip Price
In my life as I was making my way, I always asked the question; am I the most powerful person in the room? The answer needed to be yes. To this day, I still ask that question. And the answer is still yes. In every room in the entire world, the answer is yes. With the exception of one. Or two. And that drives me. I intend to leave a legacy. The standard of which was set by God, when he created the earth, and man after his own image. Anything less is... not worth mentioning.
JLJack Lew
I cannot do it. It's unconstitutional.
Phillip Price
We're talking about rolling out e-coin loans. I fail to see how the Constitution fits into this logic. Look, with e-coin equal to one dollar, it'll free up the economy. It'll give you some breathing space.
JLJack Lew
You knew this was going to happen from the get go. And you're hitting me with this while there's an energy crisis across the eastern seaboard.
Phillip Price
[shrugs] Uh huh, I am coming to you first, asking...
JLJack Lew
Don't give me that. The only reason why you're here first is because you don't want to get slapped with regulations. But if you are indeed asking, then I am saying no. Now, constitutionally, you can't make your own currency. That is the federal government's job! [pounds the table] We simply can't let you make big loans in e-coin that you wouldn't make in dollars.
Phillip Price
[sighs] Jack. Look at me. I am not the problem here. The problem here is hard cash is fading rapidly. It's just the way of the world right now. And Bitcoin is spreading. And if Bitcoin takes over, we are all in a world of hell. It is unregulated. It's already reached its transaction volume maximum and it is partly controlled by Chinese miners...
JLJack Lew
You just accepted two trillion dollars from them.
Phillip Price
Yes, yes. And now I want to use it against them. [smiles] With e-coin, we control the ledger. And the mining servers. We are the authority. I will make sure you have visibility into every single wallet that's opened. Every loan, every transaction. Which means we can start making new assets, which means we can start rebuilding the banking sector, without your having to inject even more politically unpalatable federal funds into it.
JLJack Lew
The president will laugh in my face.
Phillip Price
But you know this is the right thing to do. This is going to be controlled by a good old fashioned American company. You want to regulate it, be my guest. Regulate the shit out of it. I'll give you backdoors, side doors, tracing...whatever you want. Just don't shut it down. [pause] This was always the future Jack. The 5/9 attacks just accelerated it.
JLJack Lew
[pause] How long? How long have you been pressing this pedal? How long have you been plotting against me?
Phillip Price
Oh, come on, Jack. [laughs] We've known each other for years. You know full well I... I don't give a shit about you. So please, don't hold a personal grudge just because you lost. Defeats can still be profitable.
Phillip Price
When you surprised me with Five/Nine, I understood your move. A false flag operation, a temporary global crisis to help me pressure the administration into giving you your damn Congo. All went according to plan, which leaves me struggling to find the upside to this. Why come after me?
[pause] Think back on that fateful night. We sat, listening to a young woman playing a lyre. A lawsuit was brewing against my plant. You told me you would...
Phillip Price
[in flashback] Handle that person as we usually do.
[back in present] And yet, your pet project, Angela Moss, was allowed to continue with her lawsuit... which put my plant in jeopardy. Your job was simple: manipulate her, control her. You couldn't, so I had to.
Phillip Price
You little piece of shit.
Do not forget, I installed you as CEO only to protect my plant. You were meant to do what your predecessor couldn't, and look at what happened to him. And now, you will follow every order that I give you, including hiring your own replacement.
Phillip Price
Fuck you!
In the interim, uh, I trust that there will be no interference with my plant being relocated to the Congo.
Phillip Price
[laughs] This- this is funny. That's- that's- that's all this is. This is- this is, uh- this is a joke with a bad punchline.
You will also be called upon to handle all logistical issues: proper access for my staff, shipment of all materials...
Phillip Price
[slams hand on table] No! You give me the real reason, motherfucker. Coming at me now. What in God's name do you hope to gain?
The opportunity to teach a lesson.
Phillip Price
A lesson? You sadistic fuck. You got your U.N. vote; you got your plant; you got everything you wanted! No. You don't get off that easy, not until you explain it to me. You had to destroy so much. Why?
Because Phillip... I had to ask you twice.
Five/Nine, fsociety... You knew the entire time, didn't you?
Phillip Price
Five/Nine, yes. Well, not all the minutiae, of course. But since the cyber bombings, the breadcrumbs haven't been that difficult to follow. World catastrophes like this, they aren't caused by lone wolves like you. They occur because men like me allow them. You just happened to stumble into one of them.
No, no. I ran the operation. I pushed the button. I am the one--
Phillip Price
There you go again. "I, I, I..." You are still thinking like a lone wolf.
Why don't you tell me how I should be thinking?
Phillip Price
Like a leader!
Phillip Price
Then where are your followers? You can't force an agenda, Mr. Alderson. You have to inspire one.
Are you really going to make me force you into the car?
Phillip Price
You know, I almost let myself believe you... When you said Angela was still alive. I know the kind of con man you are, how you operate. Even though I saw your men drag her dead body away. I still wanted to believe what you were saying. When you spoke to Mr. Alderson, I felt the power of your promise. All I could think was, well... maybe that's what my daughter felt when you came to her. The desperation to have all her pain go away, to have her past rewritten, and that's why it works, right? The one thing every person has, regret. You recognize that and then you use that weapon against them, to destroy them. But here's the thing I realized as of late. With Angela, it didn't work. Angela lives on in the lives of people who love her and that love... that love fuels their unwavering resolve to turn the tables to destroy you. So, you just remember, Zhang. You did all this to yourself.
You should take your own advice, Phillip. Accept your truth. It's over.
Phillip Price
I warned you. I told you long ago. I'm a mercenary. I rather see you lose than win myself.
Phillip Price
Finally, I found a way to take what's most important to you.
Phillip Price
Your project, your dream of another world. It's as good as dead. Think of it this way, Zhang. You didn't lose the game. You just ran out of time.
Mr. Robot · 191 quotes
