America: My Time

Chapter 1125 Neon's Demands

Chapter 1115 Neon's Demands
"Gentlemen, I think you're overthinking it. Asia Energy has taken out a lot of loans before, and many of the assets on Sakhalin Island are under mortgage. So this time it's not as shocking as you think. And we do need this kind of cooperation right now. Although we will have to bear the interest, it won't be much. In comparison, we can get cheap energy, and we can even use energy to offset part of the loan. It's a good thing for Japan as a whole!"

“We know this is a win-win-win situation, but we are still a little uneasy. After all, Asia Energy’s debt is too large, especially their loans to Japanese banks. If this continues, I am worried that it will affect the Japanese economy. I even worry that this might be intentional on their part! They are the king of finance. If they have any schemes, we could easily get caught up in them!”

The Japanese aren't entirely foolish; they naturally understand John's financial capabilities, so their concerns are understandable. If problems arise, it won't be good for them either, especially since their recently recovering economy has plummeted again, causing them considerable anxiety. As for the metals trade, the Japanese haven't benefited either.

"That means we have to refuse. If we refuse, the Koreans will definitely get involved, and it will also affect our cooperation on cheap energy. We don't want to give anything, so how can they give us enough cheap energy? You don't think Asian Energy is stupid, do you think Mr. John is stupid? You have to give to receive. No matter what their plans are, at least everything is in Japan's favor now. We can get enough energy from Asian Energy and Sakhalin Island. You don't want to follow in the Koreans' footsteps. Look how anxious they are now, look how crazy they are now."

"The Koreans are indeed desperate now. One of the reasons they are acting this way is because of Asia Energy. They have cut off some energy cooperation with Korea, including coal cooperation. Under these circumstances, do you think we would still dare to cooperate with Asia Energy so aggressively? They can hold Korea back now, but what about us in the future? So in my opinion, such cooperation is quite risky!"

"What kind of cooperation is risk-free? Is our cooperation with Middle Eastern tycoons risk-free? Or is there no risk in any other cooperation? If we do nothing, then there is no risk, but then we have no power to develop. If our energy supply is disrupted, do you think Japan has a future? Right now, Sakhalin Island's energy is our driving force for development, the driving force for our economic recovery. This is an indispensable energy source for us!"

Soon, different stances emerged in Japan. Some people felt that the current situation in South Korea would be the future situation in Japan, but not everyone shared this view, and John's credibility was recognized by many.

“I don’t think we are the same as the Koreans. This time we chose to cooperate with Asia Energy, while the Koreans gave up on cooperating with Asia Energy and even wanted to extract more benefits. Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for them to be in this predicament. They can’t expect to get cheap energy from Asia Energy without giving any benefits. There is no such thing as a free lunch. We don’t have such concerns. We are cooperating with Asia Energy. So even if it’s for our own benefit, Asia Energy can’t hold us back because we are a community of shared interests!”

"Well said. Cooperation should be win-win, but those bastards in the Korean peninsula only think about their own interests and how to take advantage of others. That's why they're in this situation today. But we've been cooperating with Mr. John for so long. Has he ever targeted us? And this is a contract. Most importantly, we can get cheap energy, which can reduce the pressure on people's lives. It can even reduce the costs for many chemical companies. It would be too foolish of us to give up such an opportunity!"

Profit is everything. John used profit to lure these guys, which is why the Japanese found it hard to give up. Even though they knew that such cooperation would accelerate the development of energy in Asia, they still felt it was the right thing to do. If they refused, many Japanese companies and even the public would be affected.

“This time, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Toho Gas have chosen to cooperate with Asia Energy to improve the pipeline system throughout Japan, and they will establish a major domestic gas pipeline system. If we can make some demands during the cooperation, it may be feasible, and if the major gas pipeline companies are fully integrated, we may be able to make even more demands, after all, the three parties have an absolute advantage.”

"Although this is our idea, it's hard to say whether it will succeed. You know, the previous cooperation involved them building the new pipeline company on their own, instead of cooperating with these three major gas companies. Most importantly, such cooperation has a significant impact; one wrong move and they could interfere with Japan's distribution! This push in the gas market has given them an opportunity!" "Let's talk to them first. As for the outcome, we'll have news once the negotiations begin. Moreover, with this cooperation, we might be able to get more energy supplies from Asian Energy!" These guys in Japan aren't without other ideas. Originally, rebuilding a nationwide pipeline network wasn't a big deal for them, but now it's different.

“That makes sense. We can definitely take this opportunity to have a good talk with Asia Energy about the domestic pipeline company. I think the Koreans' previous demands were quite reasonable. If the management of the three major companies is incorporated into the pipeline company, it's normal for us to ask for more shares, which will also save time and investment!”

"Then let's talk. We've shown such great sincerity, I'm sure Asia Energy won't leave us with nothing in return!"

Soon, the Japanese made a decision. If their plan succeeded this time, it would be a significant step forward for Japan's energy sector, as it would allow them to obtain sufficient energy supplies from Sakhalin Island. Moreover, such cooperation would greatly boost Japan's economy.

John soon received an invitation to a party from the Japanese. This time, they didn't start negotiations directly, but wanted to hear John's thoughts beforehand, so as not to follow in the footsteps of the Koreans and lose this opportunity for cooperation. After all, Sakhalin Island's energy supply was the closest to Japan and the cheapest.

Many in Japan believe John wants to leverage the changes in Japan's gas and electricity market to participate in this large market. However, they're overthinking it; John has no such intention. The reason the party is being held is because these Japanese are worried about this, fearing that directly negotiating with John will leave them with no way out.

When John arrived at the party, he quickly met the Japanese guys. It could be said that almost all of Japan's energy companies were present. It was called an entertainment party because it was hosted by Sony. Although Akio Morita had retired, John still had a lot of cooperation with Sony!
“I think I understand your concerns. I personally have no ideas about the Japanese electricity and gas market and will not touch your interests. As for the merger of the pipeline companies, that is feasible. I wonder what kind of distribution you think would be reasonable!” John replied calmly after hearing what the Japanese guys said. The madness of the Japanese guys was beyond John’s imagination. He did not expect that he originally just wanted to sell gas and coal, but now he would have to do more cooperation with them.

“Mr. John, your previous request was for an equal share, but now we want to merge the main pipelines of the three major companies into the newly established pipeline company. This condition is a bit inappropriate, so we would like to make some adjustments to the shareholding!” The Japanese guys were worried that John would refuse or even abandon their cooperation, so they did not immediately state their expectations, but carefully tested John’s reaction.

"I understand that this is the fastest and easiest way to integrate resources and maximize profits, so I have no reason to refuse. I know everyone is worried that I will refuse, after all, the matter with the Koreans came first, which inevitably makes you all somewhat concerned. Actually, what I want to say is that you are overthinking it. I personally have no bad intentions. The reason why the cooperation with the Koreans failed was mainly because they were too greedy. They didn't want to integrate the pipelines they had into the new pipeline company; they only wanted to gain more benefits from it. You don't need to have any concerns at all. Just tell me what you want!"

“Okay, we can rest assured with Mr. John’s words. In fact, we have already discussed it. We can contribute 30% of the shares in the domestic pipeline company, but we need more energy supply, including coal!”

John wasn't surprised by the demands of the Japanese. He had only wanted to discuss energy supply with them. After all, Japan was the world's second-largest economy, so naturally, it had a huge demand for energy. It would be foolish for him to refuse. This would be a huge boon for Asian energy. He wasn't worried about them not making demands or needing more energy; he was just worried that they wouldn't cooperate with him!
(End of this chapter)