America: My Time

Chapter 1137 Crazy Plan

Chapter 1127 A Crazy Plan
Knowing full well that the Asian financial crisis was imminent, it's impossible that John would make no preparations beforehand, especially given his numerous enemies. With so many enemies, John naturally needed to be more prepared and have more strategies. The business world is like a battlefield, allowing no mercy. When enemies are scheming against you, it's also time for you to scheme against them. Whoever has the better skills will have to rely on their own abilities.

“If you’ve decided not to pursue a career in entertainment, it’s not too late to regret it now. But if you’re away from this industry for too long, and the halo of Miss Asia fades away, it will be very difficult to go back!” On the plane, John looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and said with a calm smile. Although this was not the first time he had asked her, he still had some doubts about this woman, after all, she was completely different from what he knew.

How could a beautiful woman without ambition possibly participate in the Miss Asia pageant and even sign a contract with Phoenix Group? This beautiful woman is none other than Yang Gongru, last year's Miss Asia winner. Now, this beautiful woman has actually given up her previous achievements to stay by his side, which makes John somewhat puzzled. Although this beautiful woman also studied business administration, her capabilities are unknown, and it won't be easy for someone with no experience to be a good secretary for John.

"I don't regret it, and I understand what I was doing!"

John shook his head as he looked at the beautiful woman's answer. It wasn't that no one wanted to be his personal secretary; Jennifer Connelly had such an idea. However, she soon realized that she simply couldn't do it. Arranging so much data and so many reports properly was not something an ordinary person could do.

"Fine, if you insist, then do it for a while. Don't think I'm idle now, but you'll be very busy!" John didn't say anything more after that. Only when she truly experienced the pressure of being a personal secretary would she give up. Of course, John also understood that there were some reasons behind this. The beautiful women around him had all changed and had their own ideas, and John was well aware of this.

The reasons for all this are multifaceted, stemming from both his own actions and the current situation. As he continued to consolidate and dismantle his assets, it naturally aroused the interest of the women around him, especially since they all had children, leading to differing opinions and stances. This is the nature of human nature; this is the allure of profit!
Seeing such a huge amount of assets, who wouldn't be tempted, especially since they all have children and would naturally seek benefits for their children? Even if John had made some arrangements, the lure of such benefits would still tempt them.

Not only has John's situation changed in Asia, but people in the United States are also tempted and their attitudes have changed. They can't resist the lure of wealth, especially if others are vying for it while they themselves aren't, which will cause a significant impact.

John understood all of this and knew this day would come. After all, the struggle for power among the wealthy has always existed, and the United States is no exception. John himself had experienced similar situations. Although the circumstances weren't exactly the same, there were some similarities. John's assets and wealth were immense, and the changes in Lee Boo-jin and Momoko Kikuchi had stirred their interest and prompted them to take action.
Soon the plane landed at Beijing Airport, and John once again arrived in this strange yet familiar city. In a short period of time, it had undergone amazing changes, which once again made John appreciate the rapid development of China!
Before John could even contact China, someone came to his door. After all, John had already spoken to them before coming to China and extended an invitation for cooperation on the Kashagan oil field. John just didn't expect them to come so quickly!

“Mr. John, we don’t quite understand why you chose to cooperate with China. You clearly had better partners, and even if Asian energy is short of funds, you shouldn’t have chosen us.”

John smiled calmly and said, "The problem of funding is not something you need to solve. Asian Energy is not short of funds. We have obtained sufficient loans in Japan, and we also have the support of Standard Chartered Bank, so it is not a problem at all. In fact, what we lack is not technology, nor funds, but people."

"Humans? I don't understand?" The Chinese group was somewhat puzzled.

"Although Asian Energy was spun off from Western Energy, it doesn't lack technological reserves. The technology was shared during the split, and funding isn't an issue either; Japan can provide it, and we've already commissioned them to build our offshore oil platforms. However, what we lack are people—hard-working, obedient, and compliant individuals. Asian Energy lacks these qualities, and even if we wanted to cultivate them, it would require significantly more time and effort. China, on the other hand, has no shortage of such talent! As for cooperation with other oil giants, that's impossible; we're competitors, and cooperation is out of the question." If the US had workers like those in China, John could naturally develop the industry independently. But the US doesn't have them, nor does Europe, and John doesn't trust the Russians. Therefore, cooperation with China and shared profits is the only option. This is the fastest and best solution; otherwise, even with numerous ideas, he would need to invest far more time and energy.

"So, we're going to be in charge of the entire development, and Asian Energy won't be involved. We'll be in control?" The Chinese delegation was somewhat shocked; this was completely different from what they had imagined.

"Yes, that's how this cooperation works. The entire Kashagan oil field will be developed under the leadership of China, while the oil extraction platform will be provided by Japan. We'll cooperate for mutual benefit. Asia Energy will only retain the rights to profit sharing and oversight; everything else will be managed by China. If you all agree, we can begin negotiations!"

China would naturally not give up such a good opportunity. Although John's reasons seemed crazy to them, they were still unwilling to give up because John's integrity was the best guarantee. Moreover, with such a large investment in China, how could John possibly do anything underhanded in this matter?

"We agree in principle, but further negotiations are needed to determine the details!"

"No problem, Asia Energy will be here soon to discuss detailed cooperation with you. However, the Kashagan oil field is not easy to mine, and transportation is also a major problem. Asia Energy has a rather crazy idea to build an oil pipeline from Kazakhstan directly into China. I wonder if you all think it is feasible."

"Hiss!" At this moment, the Chinese team members gasped, shocked by John's idea. It was simply too insane. If China accepted it, it would mean building an east-west oil pipeline to connect with Asian energy pipelines. Although China was developing rapidly and its demand for oil was increasing, they had never considered such a plan.

“Mr. John, we are shocked by your proposal. This is not something we can decide on our own. We need to report this to our superiors, as the cost of this project is quite high!”

"I understand and can empathize. If you have any funding issues, we can cooperate, just like our previous collaborations, to establish a pipeline company. You can manage it, and we will only handle profit sharing and oversight! I don't know what your opinions are, but from my personal perspective on China's development, China will soon need to import a massive amount of oil. This isn't just about importing energy from Asia, but about China's own growing need. With China's huge population, and being in a period of demographic dividend, China's development will enter a fast track, and its energy demand will increase daily. Now is actually the most suitable time to build an oil pipeline. No one will object, and once such a pipeline is completed, it will also greatly benefit Asia's energy sector. We can bypass maritime transport, reduce our demand for Middle Eastern oil, and free Asia's energy sector from the control of the Middle East!"
Of course, this is just a suggestion; everything depends on your decision. If China agrees, we will connect all our oil fields there to pipelines, transporting oil directly to China and our factories there, thus reducing our dependence on maritime transport! As for Kazakhstan, Asia Energy will negotiate with them; that's absolutely not a problem. Now it just depends on whether China can accept it!

John's presence in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan is far-reaching, controlling vast resources. The best way to circumvent European constraints is through oil pipelines, transporting crude oil and natural gas directly to China. If this can be achieved, John's investments in China will increase significantly. After all, with uninterrupted access to raw materials, nothing can hinder the development of Asian energy. With such a massive market as China, he will undoubtedly reap enormous profits.

However, all of this hinges on China's acceptance of the plan and its ability to complete this astonishing oil pipeline, ensuring the transport of oil and natural gas to China. If this cannot be achieved, then it's all just empty talk. If the project begins now, the costs will be well-controlled; but if it's delayed, the price will be enormous, perhaps beyond what Asia's energy resources can afford!

(End of this chapter)