America: My Time

Chapter 1081 Cooperation with Da Mao
Chapter 1071 Cooperation with Da Mao

Although things were busy in China, news finally came from Russia. They invited John to invest. Compared to Wall Street and the greed of the Europeans, John hadn't participated in Russia's reforms, always keeping his distance and focusing on Russia II and other countries. Seeing Russia II's astonishing returns, how could Russia not be tempted? Russia II even sold off assets they didn't need, which also attracted many people in Russia.

“Developing the Far East? This proposal is truly shocking. Although I've done quite a few transactions here, I don't think it's a good investment. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you all; this isn't an investment I can make. You all know that Japan isn't in a good position right now, and I don't think they have enough funds to purchase more supplies!” John immediately rejected the Russian proposal. In his view, it was a trap, and if he trusted them, he would definitely lose everything.

Although the Far East is rich in resources, John had no intention of investing there. Only a fool would believe what Russia said, and Russia would soon undergo a dramatic change. John was wary of Russia's integrity, as they didn't have the same level of credibility as China. Investing a large sum of money would be a disaster for him!

When John brought up Japan, Da Mao, whose savings were dwindling, frowned. They knew all too well how much John's Australian shipping business had profited from their years of cooperation. Of course, they had gotten everything they wanted from John, but now this "good intention" had been rejected.

Before anyone could speak, John said, “To be honest, Quantum Mining had made some discoveries about the Tolgoi gold and coal mines, but we gave up because they were too remote and the infrastructure was too poor, just like the Far East now. This is not a place for a businessman like me to invest. However, since I’m here, I have to make a gesture. I can invest in Sakhalin State. Quantum Mining and Western Energy can acquire your gold and coal mines, as well as resource exploration and mining. There are ports there, so transportation is convenient.”

Faced with John's proposal, the Russians were all somewhat disappointed, as it was completely different from their plan. However, if John was willing to acquire the assets, it was a good thing, since the Russians were still willing to sell them, and John had a good personal reputation.

Seeing Da Mao's hesitation, John continued, "If possible, there shouldn't be any major issues with Quantum Mining. However, Western Energy will choose Western Asia Energy as the acquirer and investor. After all, I also need to consider the pressure from the United States and Europe. As you all know, many people in the United States are criticizing me. So, if you are willing to cooperate, this is the only way we can cooperate!"

John's words left the Russians feeling somewhat helpless. Giving up seemed inappropriate, given John's gesture, but cooperating didn't achieve everything they wanted, leaving them in a dilemma—unwilling to give up but also unwilling to commit.

Of course, they understood that John was wary of them. After all, their reputation wasn't good. Not to mention anything else, their foreign debt alone made many people uneasy, and their foreign debt was depreciating very quickly because everyone was worried that they wouldn't acknowledge these debts. However, what the Russians didn't know was that their foreign debts had all been bought up by John's men at rock-bottom prices, just waiting for the Russians to repay the debts!
Investing in businesses and factories in Russia carries significant risks, but investing in foreign debt is relatively risk-free. However, not everyone has John's foresight in knowing Russia's decisions. When Russia collapsed, he naturally acquired a considerable amount of foreign debt at low prices. At that time, those guys would sell for any price, since Russia's reputation and credibility in Europe and America were terrible, which led to their current predicament.

"We need to discuss all of this!" That was the Russian's answer to John. They needed time, after all, John's proposal was completely different from their plan and had a fundamental difference.

“I understand. To be honest, I’m betting that Japan’s economy can recover so that a lot of supplies can be temporarily stored on Sakhalin Island. This investment is also a lot of pressure for me. The situation in Japan is not ideal. Now those damn manufacturing companies are all moving out!” At this moment, John subtly increased the pressure on the Russians. How could the Russians not know what the situation in Japan was? They had suffered heavy losses during the bubble crisis.

As John said, Japan's domestic manufacturing industry has been impacted, leading to a complete shift to overseas investment. Under these circumstances, it will be very difficult for their domestic economy to recover. A large portion of the goods in John's transactions with Russia were sold to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
The first round of negotiations yielded no results, but the Russians didn't keep John waiting long. After all, they had proactively invited him to invest, and now that they had outlined their investment direction, refusing would appear insincere. And Russia's current situation wasn't ideal; they were undergoing shock therapy. This was John's opportunity. If he couldn't reach an agreement this time, he wouldn't bother with Sakhalin Island again, no matter how many resources it offered—a single misstep could result in complete ruin! Of course, if successful, the profits would be staggering. With oil prices currently low, energy investments were much easier to implement, and John's plans in Kazakhstan were even more extensive. Therefore, the Russians had no reason to reject his proposal, unless they didn't want to cooperate and were simply trying to sabotage him.

At this time, John had no intention of investing within Russia, nor did he want to compete with those oligarchs for assets. In comparison, Sakhalin Island was the most suitable for him. Moreover, his proposal would also make Russia understand that he was a cautious person and would not easily make more investments.

Soon, news came from the Great Mao. Just as John had expected, the Great Mao agreed. After all, the Great Mao needed funds and needed to address many of its problems. John also gained a lot during the privatization process, but he kept it more discreet and unknown to outsiders. Compared to those crazy guys, it was nothing!
Only those who have personally experienced this era can truly understand how dire the situation in Russia was. John had initially thought Russia could hold out for longer, but their reaction exceeded his expectations, and the commencement of privatization plunged Russia deeper into crisis. However, this was more advantageous for John, as it meant he still had a considerable amount of time to continue cooperating with Russia.

Of course, Russia wasn't stupid. It was impossible for them not to make their demands: low-priced grain, meat, light industrial products, and alcohol. After all, Russia couldn't do without alcohol. This wasn't a problem for John. When Russia made these demands, John suddenly realized why these guys were so eager to cooperate with him. It was all because of the changes in the United States. Those who wanted to scheme against him had inadvertently done him a favor, letting Russia know about his global layout and that he would become the next world grain trader!
John naturally wouldn't refuse such a good deal, especially since Russia was lacking vegetables and fruits, which were things he could trade with them for. As long as Russia's economy didn't recover, his cooperation with them wouldn't stop; after all, their 'friendship' was there, and their transactions were fair and just.

John quickly signed an agreement with Russia, and the investment amount was increased, though only for the area around Sakhalin Island. This was a formal contract signed by both parties, everything was in accordance with legal procedures, and even if Russia wanted to renege later, it wouldn't be able to, after all, it was written in black and white. Moreover, John's investment companies were mainly based in Asia, registered in Hong Kong, not in the US or Europe. The reason was the same: to avoid criticism. The best explanation was the splitting up of Western Energy and the sale of its gas-fired power.

Russia was happy, but some people were not. Many of the Americans were unhappy, and the Japanese were also unhappy because they had always had inappropriate greed. Now that John had signed a contract with Russia, it was perfectly legitimate, and Russia's leaders were all present. They wouldn't be able to breach the contract later.

The contracts weren't signed by John, but by the major companies. This eliminated any possibility of Da Mao wanting to back out later. If they did, their credibility would be completely destroyed. For a long time, John wouldn't need to have any worries.

After the contract was signed, the Japanese immediately wanted to cooperate with John. After all, they knew very well how rich Sakhalin Island was in resources, and its proximity to Japan naturally gave them ideas. Unfortunately, they didn't know that John wasn't interested in gold, coal, or other mining industries, but rather in energy—oil fields.

"We should urge Western Energy to accelerate its research on deep-sea mining, because the deep sea is the future mainstream!" Whether it's Europe, Sakhalin, or even Africa and the United States, deep-sea mining is a situation that must be faced in the future. It is precisely because John knows this that he has been preparing and perfecting this industrial chain, from oil tankers to offshore platforms, all in order to avoid being held back by others.

(End of this chapter)