America: My Time

Chapter 1102 The Great Russian Compromise
Chapter 1092 The Great Russian Compromise
Time flies. While everyone was shocked by the yen's exchange rate, a massive earthquake struck Sakhalin Island in Russia, devastating the oil company that the Russians hadn't originally intended to sell. John had initially wanted to acquire it, but Russia wanted to restrict him; even when they actively invited him, they were unwilling to sell the oil company to an American like John. They simply hadn't anticipated such an earthquake, which would severely damage their remaining assets.

1998 was no peaceful year. When the earthquake struck Sakhalin Island, John's investments were also affected, which excited some people who felt that this was the beginning of John's downfall. Some people with dark intentions were extremely excited, especially those in the Middle East, who were even happier.

The conflict in the Middle East continues under John's interference. Although there is no direct evidence, the guys in Seville all think John is an unfriendly guy, so they would love to see him suffer.

"What did you say? John got invited by Russia again?" Soon, some people got the news that John had been invited by Russia once again. This puzzled some people. John had suffered a lot of losses on his investment in Sakhalin Island. Did Russia have something in mind when it invited John at this time?
"Yes, John has already traveled from the capital of China to Russia!" It has to be said that John's every move is under the watchful eyes of those who care. Although Russia did not try to hide anything, the fact that his itinerary was known to outsiders so quickly shows how much those who are paying attention to him value it and knew about it immediately.

Compared to the doubts of those with ulterior motives, John could vaguely understand Russia's thoughts. After all, Russia's economy was not doing well at the moment. The earthquake on Sakhalin Island had caused them heavy losses. Russia wanted to sell the last remaining assets on Sakhalin Island to him.

This massive earthquake has caused staggering casualties for Russia. The coastal town of Nevtgorsk was almost completely flattened, resulting in more than 2000 deaths and 750 injuries. Also damaged were 230 oil wells, 45 kilometers of oil pipelines, 1 kilometer of gas pipelines, and 11 oil depots. Preliminary estimates put the losses at 3260 billion rubles.

Such devastating losses have naturally dealt a further blow to Russia's already strained finances. Now, even if they are unwilling, they have to sell this asset. At the same time, they are filled with regret. If they had known such an earthquake would occur, they should have agreed to John's acquisition offer in the first place. They could have sold it for a high price, but now they can only sell it for a pittance, since they do not have the funds to repair these losses.

Just as John had guessed, after meeting with the Russians, they made no attempt to hide anything and directly announced their decision to sell the oil company. Perhaps economic pressure made the Russians hesitant to continue arguing with John, and everything was quickly settled. John's last piece of the puzzle in Sakhalin Island was complete. Now John could finally act freely, or more accurately, Asian Energy could act freely to vigorously develop the exploration and development of Sakhalin Island's oil and gas resources, no longer needing to worry about being schemed against by Russia.

When news spread that John and Russia had acquired the Sakhalin Island oil company, the Japanese were stunned. They had always coveted this asset, or at least wanted to cooperate with it. But now Russia had sold the asset to John, and with the existing exploration rights, John no longer needed to worry about Russia controlling him in Sakhalin. He no longer needed to fear being controlled even if he found oil fields, and all of this happened so suddenly.

The Japanese guys initially thought John's construction of a chemical plant in Hokkaido was a little foolish, but now they no longer dare to think that way. Now that John controls Sakhalin Island's energy resources, it means that Asian energy will never lack raw materials for its chemical plant in Hokkaido.

Of course, there was a reason why John was able to acquire all of this so easily. Although Russia took the initiative to invite him and offered to sell the asset, there were still obstacles. However, the conditions John proposed were irresistible. John wanted to build an offshore oil pipeline to Japan, South Korea, and China, and all the materials would be sourced from Russia!
Once the proposal was made, no one in Russia objected. The construction of such an oil pipeline would alleviate the pressure on Russian factories, thereby stimulating a series of developments. Poverty breeds short-sightedness, and this was the reality in Russia. Under such temptation, they naturally completed the transaction readily.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? John, that little fox, has taken over the Sakhalin Island oil company and all the oil wells?" Morgan was also incredibly shocked when he heard this news. Although John's cooperation with Russia had already come to fruition, Russia had never intended to sell the oil company. It was clear that Russia wanted to block John in this regard and gain more benefits. But now, before John could even make a move, Russia had already collapsed on its own.

"That's right, they've already held a press conference and signed a contract. All the oil facilities and energy resources on Sakhalin Island, including the civilian natural gas company, have been acquired by Asia Energy. That little fox John has proposed a crazy plan: to build an oil pipeline at sea connecting to Japan, South Korea, and China." "It seems we need to keep an eye on the White House again. If John only wanted to build pipelines to Japan and South Korea, that wouldn't be a problem. But connecting to China will likely infuriate the White House, especially since Asia Energy was spun off from Western Energy. Our President might be unhappy again!"

"That is indeed possible, but no matter how dissatisfied the president is, it's useless. This is not something he can control. Back then, he insisted on cooperating with those old guys and targeting John, forcing John to make that extreme split and integration. Now, it's impossible for him to interfere. John won't pay any attention to them. Now, this little fox is gradually getting rid of his dependence on Middle Eastern energy. With the oil fields on Sakhalin Island, he has more room to maneuver."

"Jimmy, you've improved. Don't be fooled by how smoothly John's cooperation with the Middle Eastern tycoons is going. Do you think it will last? John has always relied on the Middle Eastern tycoons' oil, while they've been cooperating with Gulfstream Aerospace. But since the Black Hawk Down incident, I'm afraid things have changed between them. Western Energy's development is incredibly rapid. For one thing, in the US, they don't need to rely on Middle Eastern crude oil at all. Their refineries and chemical plants are self-sufficient. Over the years, Western Energy has discovered many oil fields. The same goes for Europe; they're completely self-sufficient. Even if problems arise with the Middle Eastern tycoons, it won't have a significant impact. But Asia has always been a major problem for John. Despite his extensive presence in Southeast Asia, and even his involvement in the Middle East, Australia, and Africa, these oil fields simply can't meet his needs. And this guy keeps expanding his crude oil reserves—that's a problem!"

"Boss, are you saying that John has always been wary of Middle Eastern tycoons, worried that they will hold him hostage?"

"It's not impossible. After all, you've seen the impact of the previous Middle East conflicts on oil prices. Do you think John, with his large-scale investments in chemicals, wouldn't have any concerns? If he were to be cut off, how much would he lose? Also, do you think Middle Eastern tycoons would be willing to rely entirely on Gulfstream Aerospace and Bentley Motors? They can't put all their eggs in one basket. They're worried that John might cut off their supply lines, and John is also worried that they might cut off their supply lines. The reason they can cooperate so smoothly now is because of the existence of Israel as an enemy."

“But the conflict in the Middle East is still ongoing, and those guys in Israel don’t want to end it either. It hasn’t reached that dangerous point yet, so there’s no reason for John to be in such a hurry to make up for his shortcomings!”

"You underestimate John's cunning. Haven't you noticed that he's been expanding his investments? A large portion of the loan he got from the Japanese bank this time went into chemicals, and he's been strengthening his crude oil storage in Southeast Asia. The situation in Pakistan is a good example! If we let John continue like this, he might fill the gap in the energy sector very soon."

Morgan was unwilling to see this situation, but everything was beyond his control. John's plans were so outrageous, and with the strong support of the Japanese banks, no one could do anything about it. Not to mention that John was now trying to address the energy shortages in Japan and South Korea, and even wanted to solve the energy shortage problem in China! If John could change even a part of the situation, it would be enough to free himself from being controlled by others.

In other words, oil prices are currently at a low point, a result of joint suppression by the US and Europe. Because of this, John's expansionist moves haven't received much attention. However, truly astute observers have seen just how insane and shrewd John's calculations are. Even those who want to stop him are powerless. After the breakup of Western Energy, it is even less affected by external forces. While European expansion is causing unease among many, the US remains the most peaceful in comparison!

(End of this chapter)