America: My Time

Chapter 1134 The Koreans Get Angry
Chapter 1124 The Stick Gets Angry
The Koreans are absolutely desperate now. Even if they're arrogant and ignorant, some of them understand the importance of energy. Having missed two opportunities in a row, it's no wonder they're so anxious. But John doesn't want to deal with them; he doesn't want Asia to make any more pointless energy investments. If the Koreans had appeared directly in front of John, at least they would have shown some sincerity, but these guys show absolutely no sincerity. That's what John despises about them—even at this point, they're still scheming and treating everyone else like fools.

Doesn't it require funding to establish an undersea oil pipeline? How should the shares of the pipeline company in South Korea be divided? The South Koreans haven't mentioned any of these things. Even if they wanted to use Lee Boo-jin's identity, they should have made these things clear. But these South Koreans haven't said anything, not even a single document. This is ridiculous!
John couldn't understand the Koreans' stunts, nor could he comprehend how these guys could be so arrogant. Although John was wary of the Japanese, he knew they had integrity and knew when to advance and retreat. But he didn't see that in the Koreans; all they had was arrogance.

This move by the Koreans also reminded John of the Daewoo Group once again. When the Asian economic crisis arrives, he should take over Daewoo's assets. Given the current situation of the Koreans, Daewoo cannot withstand it; its huge debts are enough to crush it.

Upon learning of John's reply, the Koreans were furious. They couldn't accept it. After all, they had already humbled themselves, so why was John still unwilling to make any response? He even refused the invitation from the Busan International Film Festival. They felt this was disrespectful and contemptible.

"I've said it before: don't harbor any illusions. If you truly want to cooperate with them, you must show sincerity. I see no sincerity in any of you. You only see how big our market is, but that doesn't mean they have to cooperate with us. Japan's market is even bigger than ours, not to mention China's. You're not willing to offer any benefits, yet you expect them to cooperate with us. Isn't that a huge joke? The most ridiculous thing is that you proposed installment payments. You all know that Asian Energy is short of funds. Who would agree to such a request? It was through your maneuvering that the oil field was directly handed over to Cosmo Oil of Japan!"

"What's the point of talking about this now? It's all in the past. What we need to discuss now is how to continue energy cooperation on Sakhalin Island. You know, all of these collaborations have stopped, even the coal cooperation has ended. Under these circumstances, how do you think we should face this?"

Once the cooperation with Japan was fully underway, Sakhalin Island's energy was no longer sold to South Korea, but instead to Japan, because transportation was more convenient and faster, and it put more pressure on South Korea. John didn't care about South Korea's feelings; as long as the Japanese could accept it, John was willing to sell Sakhalin Island's coal to them. At least it was more valuable than cooperating with South Korea, and it would make the Japanese trust him more!
But what benefits could John gain from the Koreans? He couldn't see any. The arrogant Koreans were too overbearing these days, so John had no intention of cooperating with them. It was better to trade with Japan for the same price than with them, and John could gain more benefits from Japan in the future, while the benefits he could gain from the Koreans would be limited.

Based on South Korea's current performance, John has some doubts about whether they will be willing to sell assets to him after the Asian financial crisis, given their current lackluster performance.

"Electronics, you want to start an electronics company?" John frowned when he heard Lee Boo-jin's question. The electronics industry was indeed a good one, but it wasn't easy to do electronics in South Korea. You would have to face the competition from Samsung, Daewoo, and other South Korean conglomerates. John didn't think now was an opportunity, and he didn't think Samsung would help Lee Boo-jin either.

"Yes, I think it's a good industry, and it has a great future!"

"It is indeed a good industry, but what capabilities do you have to start such a business? Do you have the technology or the channels? You don't think that retail can help you open up everything. And don't forget, you will have a hard time getting past Samsung! If the Korean market is suitable for the development of the electronics industry, do you think I would give it up? Unless you want to compete with Samsung, you shouldn't have such thoughts, and the timing is not right now."

John has no intention of making any arrangements in South Korea for the electronics industry. There's no need; labor costs there are too high. China is the best choice in comparison. Most importantly, whether it's research and development or anything else, South Korea won't be of any help to John.

"Is it really not feasible?" Lee Boo-jin was still somewhat unwilling to give up!
"If you want to do this, first ask your dad what kind of support he can give you. Otherwise, don't even think about it. You know how big the Korean market is. In overseas markets, do you think a new, unknown brand will be recognized? Or do you think Korean products can beat Japanese products in Europe and America? You should know that the European and American electronics markets are currently dominated by Japan. Of course, if you want to be an OEM manufacturer, that's a different story. But in Korea, how much business do you think there is? Right now, you should focus on doing well in retail and food processing. That's the most important thing."

John wasn't that foolish to invest in an electronics factory in South Korea. A market with no future wasn't worth investing in, and the same applied to overseas markets. China and Southeast Asia were more suitable. Lee Boo-jin's appearance brought some changes to Hong Kong, making those in Japan wary. They were well aware of the situation in South Korea, and naturally worried that Asian Energy might choose to cooperate with South Korea, affecting their interests. However, this didn't happen. John wouldn't sacrifice his reputation for a small market in South Korea!

In terms of energy distribution, John's market share is far greater than what the Koreans realize. He controls one-third of Taiwan's energy market and one-third of Hong Kong's energy market. Although China's share is small, its large population makes even a small share incredibly significant.

Energy is a resource that no one can live without, and South Korea is now anxious because they are under great pressure. Asia Energy initially chose to cooperate with South Korea because they saw its potential, but unfortunately, South Korea messed things up, and now it's too late for regrets. Even if Asia Energy makes new discoveries, completing the extraction and transportation of the energy will take time and money.

John isn't going to haggle with the Koreans now. They'll pay the price when the Asian economic crisis hits. John isn't in a hurry, and he even ignores the fact that the British are making deals with the Americans. Although John isn't in the US, he's perfectly aware of the situation there. To ensure energy 'security,' the Americans are currently negotiating with the British, and the two sides are engaged in numerous discussions. The Amoco acquisition is already underway, a fact John is well aware of.

Although John is also one of the energy giants in the United States, Western Energy has now been divided into three parts and has lost its former glory! John is not without ideas about Amoco, but there are too many entangled interests behind it. If he were to force his way in, it would cause a lot of trouble, which is not what John wants to see.

However, John wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. He wanted to extract some benefits from the British. This wasn't a business deal; it was government cooperation, and it involved the US's control over oil. John's investments in Britain were already substantial, so if he could take advantage of the situation and carve out a piece of their profits, it would be a good thing.

Now is the perfect time to seize oil and gas fields, especially during this energy downturn. If we don't act quickly, it will be too late when oil prices rise. Asian Energy, European Energy, and Western Energy are all acquiring oil and gas fields and building up reserves. As a result, these three major energy companies are under great pressure on their cash flow.

Compared to Asia, Europe and the United States made much less noise. After all, the Europeans are not good people, and the United States is even worse. John would have to pay a price if he wanted to take advantage of them!

Where there are interests, there will be conflicts. This is where John's struggle with the Europeans began. After all, the Europeans were eyeing those CIS countries, but John was more skillful and succeeded first. Now that they see John reaping the benefits, how could those guys not be envious? So it's not surprising that those bastards caused some trouble.

Don't be fooled by John's seemingly carefree life in Asia; back in Europe, there are quite a few guys targeting him and John's European Energy Company. With the British's compromise, John has also seized a significant share of the North Sea oil fields, especially in Northern Europe, where he has made considerable gains, although development conditions are difficult and costs are high.

Of course, some people are also eyeing John's assets in England. The British have paid a considerable price in their cooperation with John. Now, with the expansion of the Europeans, some people are naturally eyeing John's assets in England, but they dare not make any rash moves yet!
(End of this chapter)