America: My Time

Chapter 1042 The Neon's Compromise

Chapter 1032 The Neon's Compromise

A tiny island nation, lacking in resources, dared to confront mining and energy giants like John, and even dreamed of getting away with its mistakes. It was a ridiculous joke, tantamount to courting death. Now, with the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, their situation has drastically changed, leaving them desperate. They have no choice but to compromise or admit defeat, no matter how stubborn they are; otherwise, another energy crisis will plunge them into even greater peril.

"Perhaps we can pass the burden to them. Bentley Motors previously wanted to acquire South Korean car companies, but now all the major Japanese car companies are not doing well. Nissan currently has the highest debt. Selling it to them completely would be a show of our sincerity. Otherwise, if we drag it out any longer, our losses will be even greater!"

"What? Are you crazy? Nissan is the pride of Japan! How could we sell it to the 'enemy'? If it weren't for their intervention, we wouldn't be in this crisis. How could you say such a thing!"

"Heh, enemy? How dare you say such a thing? Mr. John used to have a good relationship with us in Japan, but it was your greed and your stupidity that forced our 'friend' to the opposite side, making him our 'enemy' now. And if this continues, what do you think the consequences will be? Don't forget how bad our reputation is in Southeast Asia now, and even Europe and North America are affected. If this continues, our situation will be even more dangerous. If we are also impacted in South America, many of our previous plans will be ruined! If such a thing happens, will you bear the consequences?"

These guys in Japan are really desperate now, even coming up with such crazy ideas. Nissan's situation is indeed not good. With the bursting of the bubble, the huge debt has been suffocating them, and last year's report was even worse. If things don't improve, the situation will get even worse, but they just don't know what to do!

"If it could really solve the problem, it's not impossible. But even if we agree, do you think Mr. John would accept it? Look at Nissan's terrifying debt. Would they really agree to the acquisition? And do you think Bentley Motors could turn things around after taking over?"

"I don't think there's a big problem. In our hands, Nissan has become a burden, a liability with no hope of survival, and we're only sinking deeper. But it's completely different in their hands. After all, they have a huge order book, and they're self-sufficient in steel, which is an advantage we don't have. However, we must be prepared for one thing: if we really sell Nissan, there will inevitably be layoffs during the integration process. This is a situation we need to face, something we can't do, but it will inevitably happen once we're acquired!"

In fact, there are many similar examples in Japan. Foreign companies have been laying off employees like crazy after the bubble burst. Although John's company did not do this, the nature of the other party is different. They are in the entertainment and service industries, but the manufacturing industry in Japan is in a state of despair!
"Then let someone talk to him. We still need to make the necessary sacrifices, but we can't force it. We need to talk to those guys at Fuji first. Only if they're willing to give up can we send someone to discuss the acquisition with Mr. John. They're expanding very quickly. If we can't finish all this soon, it will probably end in failure. After all, Western Energy acquired Westinghouse Electric, ASML acquired Zeiss, and Bentley Motors is also accelerating its expansion. If we wait until they've completed their expansion before making an acquisition, it will be a joke!"

Everyone is aware of Bentley Motors' operations in Southeast Asia. If they allow Bentley to complete its operations, Nissan's value will be greatly reduced. Therefore, if they want to sell and negotiate with John, they need to act quickly, otherwise they will miss their chance. If they cannot resolve the current situation in Japan, even greater disasters await them. After all, having an 'enemy' like John watching them is a significant threat, and they could pay an even higher price if they are not careful.

The same thing happened with Mitsui before, and why did Japan Motors fall into such a predicament, and even Toyota has run into problems? It was all caused by their greed, and also by John's counterattack. The attack by the two major media companies, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group, dealt them a heavy blow and caused a crisis of their reputation.

Time waits for no one. It was only the beginning of the year, and Japan had already suffered such a blow, bearing such heavy pressure. They had to make a decision quickly, so it wasn't long before they compromised, deciding to abandon Nissan, at least to prevent John from continuing to 'hostile' and scheme against them. If it weren't for Quantum Mining, they wouldn't be under such immense pressure. Moreover, the uranium mines Japan needed had now been integrated into Westinghouse Electric. If problems arose there, their situation would be dire, not to mention the oil issue. Currently, the only refinery in Japan with no shortage of oil was Western Energy. Both Russia and the Middle Eastern tycoons had ample supplies, but the Japanese didn't have that capability. When they chose to cooperate with Oil Pacific Capital, Japan was seen as a traitor by the Middle Eastern tycoons, not to mention their past betrayal of John!
Just as John was pondering how to further increase his investment in China and make more strategic moves, an unexpected phone call came in. It was from that old guy, Akio Morita, who immediately offered to act as a go-between, asking John if he had any plans to acquire Nissan Motors.

John was taken aback at first, then came to his senses and said, "Mr. Morita, you're not joking, are you? Nissan is for sale?"

“I’m not joking. You know the current predicament of the Japanese automotive industry. Nissan’s losses are so severe that they can’t sustain themselves any longer. If this drags on, they will become insolvent, so they are looking to sell. John, you wanted to acquire a Korean car company, so we thought of you and Bentley Motors! In their view, only Bentley Motors can save Nissan and get it out of its predicament!”

John didn't know how much Nissan was losing, but last year all Japanese car manufacturers, except Toyota, probably suffered losses, and Toyota's situation was not ideal either; at least they were also significantly impacted.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not tempted. After all, Bentley Motors currently has a lot of orders on its hands, and even if the production lines are running at full capacity, we can't meet customer demand in a short time. So, acquiring Nissan would indeed relieve our current pressure. However, if it's an acquisition, it will be a full acquisition. Are you sure you want to sell? And if you need to discuss it, then you need to hurry. Bentley Motors is already preparing to establish a presence in Southeast Asia. Once we complete our layout, Nissan will no longer be necessary for us!"

Is things really as John says? No, not at all. Even if Bentley Motors completes its presence in Southeast Asia, it will only address short-term shortcomings. In the long run, this expansion is insignificant. John is well aware of how rapidly the automotive industry will develop. If they could acquire Nissan, they wouldn't need it anymore. Bentley Motors could then quickly complete its global expansion, leveraging the acquisition of Nissan to achieve its global reach. Therefore, Nissan remains extremely important to Bentley Motors!

"This is not a problem. As long as you are willing to acquire it, this is not a problem. Fuji and the Japanese government have already made a decision. Now we are just waiting for your decision!" At this moment, Akio Morita ignored John's tone and directly stated the situation on the Japanese side. Fuji wanted to get rid of the burden, and the Japanese government wanted to reconcile, so neither of them was a problem. In their view, selling Nissan was not an unacceptable issue. If they dragged it out any longer and did not get an acquisition, they would go bankrupt and be liquidated.

Of course, the Europeans might have their own ideas, and so might the American auto giants, but the Japanese no longer trust them, especially the Europeans, who have directly and severely damaged Japan's reputation. If it weren't for their machinations, Japan wouldn't be in its current state. As for oil capital, they are even less willing to believe it.

“Alright then, I’ll have Bentley Motors send people to Japan to discuss the acquisition with Nissan. As long as they are sincere, Bentley Motors won’t have any problems. However, a lot will happen during the integration process, and whether there will be layoffs requires further investigation.” John made it clear beforehand that he didn’t want any trouble after the acquisition.

However, this is only the worst-case scenario. Given Bentley Motors' current situation, such a problem is unlikely to occur. After all, Bentley Motors needs a lot of personnel overseas. If it acquires Nissan, it can easily reassign those personnel to this area to make up for Bentley Motors' shortcomings!
This is only the best-case scenario; whether it will actually happen depends on those guys' reactions. However, given Japan's current situation, anyone with a modicum of common sense wouldn't refuse or dare to object. After all, unemployment in Japan is constantly rising, and the number of bankrupt companies is steadily increasing, leaving them with no grounds for opposition. As for the procurement of spare parts, arrangements also need to be made, which means the factories in China need to expand. After all, supplying Nissan requires even greater production capacity.

(End of this chapter)