America: My Time

Chapter 1067 Plan Success
Chapter 1057 The Plan Succeeds
"The current chaos in Japan is caused by the economic bubble. If Japan's economy cannot recover, I'm afraid the overall environment in Japan will not improve and may even become worse. If Japan does not get out of the quagmire soon, the situation may become even more dangerous. Many people only see the impact of the bursting of the real estate bubble, but they do not see the changes in society. This is the real reason why I gave up many investments in Japan. I believe you are also aware of the situation of Knight International. We originally had plans in Osaka and Kobe, but seeing the current situation in Japan, we had to give up."

Although John's words were half true and half false, Akio Morita did not think so. After all, before Knights International was integrated, Australian shipping had conducted investigations in major ports in Japan, and even had its own dock in Tokyo and Yokohama. However, when it came to Kobe and Osaka, it had to give up for some reasons.

Many people are aware of Knight International's integration and the continuous improvement of their global shipping routes. Therefore, Akio Morita believes that what John said is true. Shipping still has a very important demand for ports and terminals, and Japan is currently the world's second largest economy, so it is normal for John to want to expand into shipping.

"This is negotiable. As long as you have ideas, we can discuss them. I believe many people would be willing to accept your investment!"

“Let’s wait and see. It’s not too late to make a decision after this collaboration yields results. After all, the people in Japan are too chaotic!” John neither refused nor agreed, and Akio Morita did not take his 'well-intentioned' reminder to heart.

John had expected Akio Morita's reaction. He wasn't concerned with that; what mattered to him was how to prepare the materials Japan needed during this time. The materials required for rebuilding a city were considerable, and John wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip by. As long as the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, his chance to make money would come! He could easily sell the steel and timber he obtained from Da Mao and Er Mao.

In a 'friendly' atmosphere, the party gradually came to an end. Everyone had their own calculations. John got what he wanted, and Neon felt that they had gotten everything they wanted. As for the other guys, no one cared. After all, those guys were just ants and had no right to participate.

However, the Japanese guys didn't rest after the party; they had more important things to do. In particular, when they heard that John was interested in the ports of Kobe and Osaka, some of them got excited. At present, the fastest expanding company in Japan is Knight International Express. In the context of the bursting bubble, it is not easy to find a stable job. It is precisely because of this special period in Japan that Knight International has been able to develop and grow rapidly without any obstacles.

Just as John had expected, under the absolute lure of profit, the Japanese reacted quickly. In just a few days, John's newly established company and the futures exchange also yielded results. However, these guys in Japan played another little trick, and the location was not Tokyo, but Osaka.

John smiled calmly at the situation. As long as he could get in, that was enough. Now was not the time to haggle with them. Osaka also had its advantages. At least it gave him a more reasonable reason to prepare the supplies in advance and transfer the supplies from Da Mao and Er Mao.

By now, Er Mao's steel mill had already sold off all the steel it had accumulated. They were willing to sell anything that could be sold, and even if you didn't sell, someone else would. That's why John acquired a large quantity of materials from Er Mao at the lowest possible price. However, releasing such a massive amount of supplies into the market would have unpredictable consequences, so a large portion was piling up in Er Mao's port.

John reached an agreement with Japan, and Bentley Motors successfully acquired Nissan. This news shocked the United States. They had thought the acquisition was going to fall through, but it happened so quickly. Moreover, the Japanese even offered John financial support, leaving the Americans completely bewildered. They also wanted loans from Japanese banks, but unfortunately, they couldn't; they didn't have John's integrity.

John originally wanted to wait until the Saint Cloth figures in Japan were finished before returning to the United States, but Morgan's call came again, forcing John to end his trip to Japan. Even though he still had a lot of work to do, he had to give up and let others handle it.

"Mr. Morgan, what happened that made you so eager for me to come back? Could it be that those guys on Wall Street have something else in mind, or is there trouble with Oil Capital again?" After returning to the United States, John did not linger and met with Morgan. The fact that the other party was in such a hurry, and that it was inconvenient to talk on the phone, made John take it seriously!

"Wall Street and Oil Capital are worried. They all want to know about your deal with Japan. Some even have designs on the Intercontinental Exchange, and others are worried that you'll get involved in Japanese securities!" "These people are worrying too much. I just want to sell off my supplies and get a good price. After all, the Russians left behind a lot of good stuff. I also need to sell some of my supplies in Russia and India. Otherwise, Australian shipping won't be able to keep going. I have a lot of steel to transport from Russia alone. I have no intention of getting involved in securities, nor do I have such thoughts. Setting up the Intercontinental Exchange is also to prepare for Quantum Mining and Western Energy!"

“That’s what you think, but those people don’t think so, especially Oil Capital. They’ve got their eyes on Sumitomo Metal. The profits from copper prices are tempting them, not to mention they have so much capital. These guys are probably worried that you’ll hand over Quantum Mining’s copper mines to Japan. Quantum Mining has a considerable amount of copper in its hands.”

"Let them think what they want. If they want an explanation, I can give them one. As for how far they can go, that's none of my business. If copper prices rise, I will naturally sell my inventory. If there are other things, that's none of my concern. After all, we're not on the same page. I'm in the real economy, and they're in finance. I established the Intercontinental Exchange to protect the interests of Quantum Mining and Western Energy, not because they think so much!"

Limiting John's expansion in the financial sector is a consensus among many. Even Morgan Stanley is unwilling to see Hurricane Investment grow and expand. However, now that John has started playing the futures market, it has given him some ideas. How much precious metal does John hold? A smart person can easily calculate it, since the mines are there. But not much of this gold and silver has flowed into the market; it has all been stored by John.

“John, to be honest, you’ve been expanding too aggressively lately, which is why those guys are uneasy. The consolidation of Knight International has shaken up the industry, and Cargill’s acquisition has made some people even more uneasy. Add to that Westinghouse Electric, and who do you think can sit still?”

If John hadn't taken the initiative to make a full acquisition, who would have thought that he had such a deep presence in the agricultural sector? At this point, no one believed that John was just doing supporting work for retail. Cargill was one of the four major grain traders, and now John had silently acquired a significant number of its shares. This made them uneasy and worried about how many companies like this existed in the United States. Even the giants on Wall Street were wondering if John had also acquired a considerable number of their shares.

"Don't worry, I don't have that much money. This is the limit. If it weren't for the support of those guys in Japan, I would have given up on the acquisition of Nissan. My cash flow has reached its limit, and if it continues, it will collapse!"

Morgan didn't believe John's words. He knew how much benefit those guys in Japan had offered, and this acquisition clearly involved John's hidden assets. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been an extra step in the process. He could see through it, but he couldn't say it outright, since it was something everyone was doing.

When John once again secured sufficient loans from the Bank of Japan, Morgan Stanley, and indeed the entire Wall Street community, worried that John might turn against them. However, they couldn't say it too openly, lest it damage their reputations, given John's rapid rise to power.

"John, Western Energy is expanding its storage capacity. What are your thoughts on this? Many people think your move is a bit crazy and completely unnecessary." At this point, Morgan shifted the topic to energy. He was worried that there might be problems in the Middle East, which was also a concern for many people in the United States. Oil prices had finally come down, and if problems arose again, the situation would be serious. Unfortunately, all of this was caused by those guys from Seville.

"It's just about ensuring the supply of chemicals to Western Energy's subsidiaries. With the breakup of Western Energy, the US has to pay attention to this issue as well. We all know what the Europeans are like, so it's necessary to prepare in advance. That incident really hurt me. As for Asia, it goes without saying that it's the most suitable place for development. Moreover, if I don't build more storage facilities, the trade with Russia will come to a standstill. You know what those guys are like. Unless I'm willing to give up the trade with Russia, we can only continue."

(End of this chapter)