America: My Time

Chapter 1136 Trap?

Chapter 1126 Trap?
After dealing with those few opportunists, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce was under immense pressure. Although the British were about to leave, they still had some influence. Moreover, these wealthy Hong Kong businessmen also had assets all over the world and were subject to some influence. Most importantly, John's methods instilled in them immense fear. He was going straight for the kill, leaving no way out for the other party, so their mood was understandable.

“Young people these days are really something else. When they do make a move, it’s a sure thing. Once you’re on Standard Chartered’s blacklist, it’ll follow you around forever. Not only will you lose your businesses in Hong Kong, but they’ll also be affected in the UK, and it will be very difficult for them to make a comeback.”

"Whose fault is this? They brought it on themselves. We warned these guys long ago not to trust the foreigners, but they wouldn't listen and insisted on believing them. Now look what's happened, the foreigners are completely ignored, and they have to bear all the consequences themselves. These guys have the nerve to ask us to step in. Why didn't they think of us when they did this!"

"It's all because these guys were too arrogant. They thought the foreigners were very capable, but they had no idea how terrifying John was. Back then, he wiped out the British conglomerate, and most of their assets in Hong Kong fell into his hands. Moreover, the British suffered heavy losses in their battle against him. The guys at HSBC didn't lift a finger themselves, but instead encouraged these guys to test Standard Chartered Bank, and they actually believed it. Isn't that just courting death? Did they really think their little bit of capital could affect Standard Chartered Bank? With their meager assets, they dared to pull the rug out from under them? It's utterly laughable!"

"Those guys listened to HSBC and those foreigners, thinking Standard Chartered Bank had cash flow problems. Only fools like them would believe that. Although Standard Chartered Bank hasn't expanded in Hong Kong, it has a global presence. The asset sales they did before were to raise funds for Asian energy, which didn't have much impact on Standard Chartered itself. But these guys were stupid enough to believe that nonsense! However, this time John is too ruthless. He's really going to wipe them out. Once they're on Standard Chartered's blacklist, it'll be very difficult for them to recover. You all know how powerful Standard Chartered Bank's expansion has been in recent years, and I believe everyone knows how terrifying John is."

"In retrospect, those guys were too naive. They actually believed the rumors in the media and thought that this powerful newcomer had run into trouble. However, this guy is still very shrewd. He has been keeping a low profile. Now, there are quite a few young people in Hong Kong who have no idea how powerful he is, since those assets are no longer in his name."

"Actually, we old guys should have made preparations earlier. Even this powerful outsider was making arrangements in advance, so we should have been ready too. We have to admit, this guy's methods are very clever. Controlling the media has brought him a lot of convenience, at least allowing him to gradually fade out of Hong Kong! Now, not many of the younger generation in Hong Kong know him, and he has also been deliberately avoiding Hong Kong in recent years!"

Of course, John's actions were also a statement, which these Hong Kong tycoons naturally understood. However, John's sudden move made them realize instantly that even the most low-key tiger can still devour people. They shouldn't mistake someone's low profile for weakness and vulnerability. Getting involved in the struggle between these giants would not be a good thing for them.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. We won't get involved. What those guys think is their own business. Besides, they're no longer in Hong Kong. Even if we wanted to step in and resolve things, we have no reason to, let alone any right to ask them to do anything. After all, we can't avoid dealing with Standard Chartered Bank!"

While these Hong Kong tycoons were discussing how to deal with the impact of this incident, John had already left Hong Kong for Beijing. More important matters awaited his attention, and he had no time to waste in Hong Kong. Moreover, the arrangements in Hong Kong were already complete, and those who jumped out now were just ants, not worthy of being mentioned. The big fish had not yet surfaced!
As far as John was concerned, as long as these guys harbored ill will towards him and harbored insidious and vicious intentions, he would definitely fight them again, and it was very likely that this would happen during the Asian financial crisis. Although this was just John's own thought, it was very likely to come true. The current situation in Hong Kong was insignificant. The enemy was testing him, and his strong counterattack was also a test for them. Those guys didn't even take the bait, directly abandoning those opportunists who followed them.

If the enemy were to wage a full-scale war against them, the Li family, who have always been supported by HSBC, would have been eager to make a move long ago. Even if they didn't want to, they would have to consider HSBC's reaction and the British's reaction. After all, for every benefit they received from the British, they had to pay the price. It was impossible for them to abandon their supporters after they had served their purpose. Did they really think that the British and HSBC were just decorations? The Li family did not have the same strength as John!

Were there Americans behind all this? Of course, there were. After all, many Americans had been wary of John. This was because John had never placed his children in the US—he had them in Taiwan, Tokyo, China, and Hong Kong, but not in the US or Europe. This alone demonstrated John's suspicion of them. Although he knew that many people were involved in this affair, John didn't want to truly uncover everything. He didn't have that much time or energy. Continuing to make a scene wouldn't do him any good; it would only attract more attention and force him into the fray. Having finally managed to extricate himself little by little, why would John willingly get involved again, willingly become known, and invite unnecessary trouble?

After John left Hong Kong, Yuan Tianfan still visited the Hong Kong business tycoons one by one. Although his attitude was calm, these Hong Kong business leaders understood what was going on. Even if they had a thousand words in their hearts, they couldn't say them at that moment. As the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Yuan Tianfan had taken the initiative to come forward, which was already giving them enough face. It would be excessive to have any other thoughts or demands. Moreover, this was also a reminder to them that this was a confrontation between Standard Chartered Bank and those people, and had nothing to do with anyone else!
Standard Chartered's move has made things difficult for HSBC, as Standard Chartered continues to sell its assets with no intention of stopping. This has had a significant impact on HSBC. The influx of so many assets into the stock market will inevitably affect the market and cause stock prices to fall, which is something HSBC does not want to see.

"What is he trying to do? Is he really going to go this far? Or is the amount of money needed by Asian Energy even more terrifying than we imagine? I haven't heard of any other plans they have. If John, that little fox, is going to flee Hong Kong, he wouldn't just sell these shares; he would sell all his assets! There's something wrong with this, and a big problem at that!"

HSBC sensed a major problem with Standard Chartered's reaction, but couldn't pinpoint the exact issue. After all, John's assets remained untouched; the real estate was still there, without any apparent change. If John had any schemes or plans, the first thing he would have disposed of would have been his Hong Kong properties.

"Perhaps we can investigate Standard Chartered Bank's financial transactions. They can't possibly keep so much money on hand forever, and Asia Energy isn't short of cash right now, considering those guys in Japan just acquired the Mangala oil field from Asia Energy, and there are so many loans from Japan. Could this be a setup, a treacherous and vicious trap?"

"You mean he's setting up a scheme to lure out the enemy hiding in the shadows, using the Asian energy crisis to draw out the hidden enemy. All the talk about tight cash flow is fake, and the sale of these assets is also bait?" At this moment, someone realized that he had such a crazy idea, but it was a bit too crazy.

"Yes, that's exactly my concern. It's almost impossible for Standard Chartered Bank to be short of money. We all know they've made a fortune from their financial investments, so how could they be short of funds? And to sell so many assets to support Asian Energy seems too contrived. Perhaps he already sensed the changes in Asia and secretly set up this scheme to lure the enemy step by step into his carefully prepared trap. Starting with the energy project on Sakhalin Island, this guy has been laying the groundwork, and the entire Asian Energy project and Standard Chartered Bank are all part of this scheme!"

Although it sounds a bit crazy, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, or even a one in ten million chance, these guys would take it seriously, after all, they're dealing with John, this little fox, and Standard Chartered Bank.

"If that's the case, things will be troublesome. We're afraid we've already been exposed, and many of our people have been exposed as well. It's easy for John to retaliate, and that won't be good for us!"

"It's too late to say all this now. Everything has already happened. Now we can only be more vigilant and not give Standard Chartered any more chances or excuses. Otherwise, these guys will definitely target us. At this time, under these circumstances, being targeted by Standard Chartered, do you think things are dangerous?"

(End of this chapter)