Retained earnings vs Total Cash and Short Term Investments on the Balance Sheet

Hello,

So there's this company I am looking at, and I will make the numbers simple so that my question is clear for someone else to help me with an answer please.

Company has been in existence for 10 years, every year, the retained earnings have been $100M, the rest it paid out in dividends. Therefore, balance sheet shows retained earnings at the end of 10 years as $1B.

However, total cash and short term investments ($75M) + total other long term assets ($100M) = $175M.

Let's assume that this is a simple company, there's no, what I call, fictional profit counting (i.e. counting profits from a future event that hasn't occurred based on contracts, derivatives and what have you). It's just like a commodity business, sales are made in cash, the net profits are earned in cash.

Clearly I am a total novice, but:

1) how is it that a company can have $1B in cumulative retained earnings, yet only $175M in the above types of assets?
2) Where are these retained earnings? In a bank account? If so, how come they're not in the total cash and short term investments?

Sorry if this is a super simply and basic question.