America: My Time

Chapter 1103 Energy Layout
Chapter 1093 Energy Layout
Oil refining is now shifting to Asia, with Western Energy being the most aggressive in its expansion. The recent events on Sakhalin Island have shocked many, and this is all the result of John's long-term planning. Because he had made numerous preparations beforehand, this outcome was achieved. Many in Europe and America consider Russia untrustworthy, but John believes Russia has been trustworthy for a long time. Furthermore, his cooperation with Russia was passive; Russia proactively invited him to invest. If Russia were to renege, its credibility would collapse.

With everything in black and white, John didn't believe that Mao would go back on his word. Moreover, this time John wasn't investing in his own name, but in Asia Energy, a Hong Kong company. After 1997, it would become a Chinese company, so any problems wouldn't affect him and wouldn't cause any issues with the acquisition.

1995 was an eventful year. Just after Asia Energy completed its acquisition of Da Mao, and before John and his team could even leave, South Korea was struck by disaster: the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store brought shame upon the country on the world stage. However, China was not peaceful either; the Menglian earthquake struck on June 30th. Three major earthquakes in one year—it truly was a year of disaster.

Upon receiving this news, John and his group left Russia. At this time, John's charitable foundations in Hong Kong and Taiwan mobilized to donate money and supplies, and his companies in China also donated money!

"I'm sorry, but due to other reasons, I cannot personally make a donation, so this is the only way!" John explained. He was currently being watched by the White House, and if he were to donate in his personal capacity at this time, it would only get him into trouble; his enemies would definitely try to harm him!

“Mr. John, you’re too kind. We understand your difficulties, and besides, you’ve already made the donation through your charitable foundation!”

"I'm glad you all understand. For people like us, we are often not in control of our own lives and are subject to many restrictions. Sometimes you don't want to compare yourself to others, but others will make comparisons for you, so most of the time we feel helpless!" John sighed as he spoke.

If the Dreamworld and Nvidia incident hadn't happened, and if those bastards at the White House had just quieted down, John wouldn't be in such a passive position. John has also been very worried about the Middle East. Even though he hasn't directly intervened, those guys in the Middle East have been retaliating all along, and this has put a lot of pressure on both sides for so long.

The Middle East has the combined support of many wealthy tycoons, with no shortage of money and resources, while Israel has the backing of its oil and gas capital. However, unlike the Middle Eastern tycoons who are not short of money, the oil and gas capital is unwilling to be taken advantage of indefinitely, nor is it willing to bear such pressure indefinitely. Therefore, the Israelis are now finding it difficult to hold on.

If John were to donate money and supplies in his personal capacity at this time, those oil-rich capitalists would definitely not let it go. They would certainly target John, and with the involvement of the White House, or even other conglomerates, things would become quite troublesome!
Doing business isn't about fighting and killing, but often strength still reigns supreme, and you still have to face many problems. John also wants to do whatever he wants, but given his current status and position, he can't. He's not alone; he has a family, and he can't knowingly jump into a trap.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of John's investments in China knows how astonishing they are. With such a massive investment, how could those in the US not have their own ideas? Even though he had been carefully cultivating his public image, John still dared not act as he pleased at this moment. He still had to compromise and bow his head.

Even a small investment in Japan can make those guys in the US have ideas. If those bastards say they don't have any ideas about my huge investment in China, that would be a lie. And the Dreamworld and Nvidia deal is the best proof of that.

“This is normal. Everyone has troubles and faces pressure. Actually, Mr. John doesn’t need to explain anything to us. We understand. We are already very grateful that you can make so many investments in China despite the pressure. In addition, your charitable foundation is also active, and your factories in China have also made donations. If we are not satisfied, then we would be too greedy and a bit heartless. We are not that kind of people!”

"I understand, but I still feel a little disappointed and can't quite accept it for a moment. After all, no one expected the situation to change so quickly. By the way, what are your thoughts on the oil pipeline management issue?"

At this time, John also took the opportunity to inquire about the oil pipeline. Next, Asian Energy will go all out to repair the oil wells and build the oil pipeline, first from Sakhalin Island to Hokkaido, then to South Korea, and then to China. However, John has not yet decided whether to go by sea or save money by going by land. This requires further investigation!

Of course, construction costs are lowest now, since building now is much cheaper than later. However, John doesn't trust Russia. While using land routes might save money, there are risks later. Who knows what Russia might do after the pipeline is completed? It's hard to say, given Russia's poor reputation. Don't be fooled by Russia's current positive statements; the future is uncertain. By sea, it's safer.

While the investment would be substantial, it wouldn't present too many problems. However, the increased costs would put considerable pressure on John, which was why he hesitated to commit – building such a pipeline would place too much financial strain on Asian Energy. Russia, however, agreed, for a simple reason: Asian Energy had committed to supplying the pipeline, a huge business deal. Of course, this also had advantages, particularly for Japan, as they could receive crude oil and natural gas through the pipeline, and Japan is heavily reliant on energy.

"We have no problem with this pipeline construction and fully accept it. If Asian energy needs help, we can also do our best to assist, as it is very beneficial to us. Nowadays, the demand for energy is increasing day by day, and we are also under considerable pressure!"

China's current energy demand isn't that great; it will be staggering in the future. If a stable energy supply could be secured now, why would China refuse? Besides, this pipeline will directly connect to China. "That's good. If possible, Asian Energy hopes China can undertake the construction of this oil pipeline." John was hesitant to accept Russia's offer; after all, if those guys played tricks during construction, he'd be in deep trouble later. Japan was also unreliable, and their labor costs were too high. In comparison, China was the most suitable. The title of "infrastructure powerhouse" wasn't just for show; if it could be completed in the 1990s, it would save him a lot of money.

"We can discuss this, after all, it requires a lot of preparation!"

"That's natural. According to our plan, we intend to build an undersea pipeline to connect China, South Korea, and Japan. It's easy for Japan, there aren't many problems, but China and South Korea need to do a lot of preparatory work. If we go by land, it's easy for China to solve, but it's difficult for South Korea. So we finally decided to go by the undersea pipeline."

John explained his thinking: going overland would mean abandoning the Koreans, which John was unwilling to accept. After all, the Koreans still had great potential, and their energy needs were huge. If he could control their energy, his influence on the Koreans would naturally be greater.

"Washing Spring Festival banners? Mr. John, are you planning to take the 'Washing Spring Festival banners' route?" In an instant, the Chinese personnel thought of John's plan: to develop underwater management and construction, and "Washing Spring Festival banners" would be the best option!

"That's indeed the idea. Russia isn't a problem; they're willing to accept it. Now it's up to China to decide!"

John quickly reached a verbal agreement with China. Once the construction of his oil refineries and chemical plants in China, South Korea, and Japan was completed, he would have a guarantee of raw materials. He would then reap huge profits when oil prices soared. In recent years, John had hoped that his three major energy companies would operate at full capacity and gain control of more oil fields.

Asian Energy had been waiting for John's orders, and soon the oil pipeline project was resolved. Such a large-scale project was highly valued. After some discussion, it was decided to build two pipelines at once, one for crude oil and one for natural gas.

When the news spread, everyone was shocked. Even the Russians did not expect John to be so crazy. The pipeline to Sakhalin Island was not yet completed, and now John was involved in such a crazy project. They originally thought John would only choose one, but now he chose two. This shocked them. They could not understand why John would make such a decision. Did he have so much confidence in Sakhalin Island?
John was certainly confident. He knew how abundant Sakhalin Island's energy resources were. If he didn't make arrangements in advance, it would be too late when oil prices skyrocketed. Time was money; only by preparing and planning ahead could he get everything he wanted and make a fortune. His current investments were all preparation; waiting until 2000 to start would be too late, and he would lose a lot of profits.

Only by preparing in advance can one obtain everything one desires and make a fortune. For John, once the oil pipeline is successfully constructed, he will go all out to maximize the exploitation of oil and gas fields. South Korea and Japan have no need for energy right now, and while China is not yet in a frenzy, it will soon follow suit.

John's success in acquiring this asset from Russia was largely due to his connections; otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly, and he wouldn't have been able to finalize the undersea oil pipeline deal with Russia. All of this is thanks to John's strategic planning and the reputation he built over many years of cooperation with the Russians.

John can now breathe a sigh of relief, having reached an agreement with China. However, things are in an uproar in the United States, which is the last thing they wanted to see. But what surprised them even more was what was to come. The pipeline company was established very quickly because the Japanese reacted so fast. When they learned that John wanted to transport Sakhalin Island's oil and gas to Japan via pipeline, they were all excited and naturally gave their full support, even offering to provide John with more loans.

Unfortunately, John dares not borrow any more now. After all, major companies have huge sums of yen loans, and Asian Energy is no exception, even more so than imagined, with the chemical plant on Beihai Island being the best proof. Now, those guys in Japan all feel that this might have been part of John's plan all along, otherwise how could it have progressed so quickly?

The Americans least want to see Japan recover, and they especially don't want to see the Japanese using cheaper energy, as this would affect their plans for Japan. However, none of this is currently affected by them. Asia Energy has now been spun off from Western Energy, and the shareholding structure of Asia Energy has undergone a dramatic change. John is just a small, inconspicuous shareholder. Even though everyone knows that this is John's business, on the surface, John is just a small shareholder with little say. As for getting John to give up this investment, that's even more impossible.

Even if the White House had such ideas, no one would be willing to stand up and advocate for them. Everyone knows how much John paid in this acquisition. They think they can get John to give up his interests with just a few words? That's a joke. The White House doesn't have that kind of face. If they insist on doing so, they will only be rejected.

At this point, not only would no one else agree, but even old Martin would not agree. The interests involved are enormous. If he were to speak up, he might destroy his own family ties. Under these circumstances, the White House could only watch helplessly.

Seeing John launch one amazing investment after another overseas, Larrynton of the White House couldn't help but feel uneasy. He even began to doubt whether his conflict with John was justified. If he hadn't targeted John, would a large portion of his investments have ended up in the United States?
Unfortunately, it's too late to think about these things now. John's investment plan has already begun and there's no way to stop it. No matter how many ideas he has, it's useless. Everything has already happened, and it's beyond his control. If he insists on doing things his way, it will only provoke more conflict and may even lead to a fierce counterattack from John!
(End of this chapter)