America: My Time

Chapter 1143 The Choice of Interests

Chapter 1133 The Choice of Interests
"Alright, I understand what you mean, I understand what Morgan means, but you should understand that what we are doing is not just on our own behalf, but also on behalf of the White House. If things get out of hand, it won't be good for anyone!" Rockefeller said this when he realized he couldn't persuade Morgan, using other financial groups and the White House as shields, and presenting all previous actions as a collective choice!

"Heh, say what you will. All I know is that I've informed you of John's decision. As for your own decisions and whose interests you represent, that's not really my concern. However, I must remind you that rules are rules, and no one can break them. If you break the rules, you'll have to face the consequences yourselves. I will relay your words to John verbatim. If there's nothing else, then our conversation ends here!"

At this point, Morgan stopped giving Rockefeller any face. Since Rockefeller didn't want to reason with him or put himself on the same level, Morgan naturally didn't need to give him any more face. Morgan was not someone to be trifled with.

"No, wait a little longer, Morgan. Are you really going to go this far?" Rockefeller was getting nervous. If Morgan hung up the phone, the problem would be huge, and there would be no turning back. If something went wrong, he would have to bear all the consequences, and the Rockefeller family would have to bear them. Those guys wouldn't pay the price. If he made the decision on his own, the consequences would be very serious!
“Rockefeller, what is there left for us to talk about? You’ve already said all that. Let’s just go our separate ways. I’ve said everything I needed to say. It’s not that I, Morgan, didn’t inform you, but you, Rockefeller, were too confident. You made the choice for everyone. What more can I say?”

“Morgan, that’s not what I meant. I was wondering if we could sit down and talk things over properly. This is no small matter. Don’t you think all of this has happened too fast? We need time!”

"Time? What do you need time for me? What ideas you have can influence John? He has already stated his demands, and the rules are set out in the open. Whether you can accept them or not is none of my business, nor is it any of John's business. You don't still want to rely on your seniority and play those ridiculous tricks, do you? If you mess up, you will have to bear all the consequences yourselves!"

Morgan knew Rockefeller all too well. This guy was just unwilling to give up those profits, or rather, he was too greedy. Moreover, he hadn't truly woken up and still thought that everything was under his control.

When things had come to this point, Morgan didn't want to say anything more. The rules were there, and he had already stated John's demands. The pressure wasn't on him, but on the old guys like Rockefeller, or even the White House. These guys had already agreed to John's demands, yet they were still causing trouble in secret. It would be ridiculous if they didn't pay a price. It seemed that John was getting a little too cocky.

Morgan was well aware of these old guys' thoughts and knew that they possessed considerable funds, which was why they repeatedly caused trouble and schemed to seize John's assets. However, in Morgan's eyes, their behavior was suicidal; they had crossed John's bottom line, and further trouble would have unimaginable consequences.

If John were in the United States, everything could still be negotiated. But now that John is in China, in Asia, if he really causes trouble, there will be nothing to talk about, and it will unleash another bloodbath. Morgan didn't believe that the old man Rockefeller was unaware of this, yet the other party still did it, still had such a ridiculous attitude towards him. This showed how greedy and crazy these guys were; they were practically playing with their lives.

"Damn Morgan, how dare he hang up on me!" When he realized that Morgan, the big boss on the other end of the phone, had not continued to argue with him and had simply hung up, his inner unease and fear exploded. At that moment, he felt an immense pressure pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

Although he was furious at Morgan's actions, Rockefeller knew that this matter could not be delayed. The longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it would become, and he could easily find himself in danger. He was well aware of the power of Jaguar Security Company and also knew that if this matter was not resolved properly, everything could easily be exposed to the public.

If it were decades later, Rockefeller wouldn't care, but not now. If things escalate and reach the public eye, not only will the election be affected, but the Rockefeller family will also be impacted.

Soon, Rockefeller told others about Morgan's message, including the White House. He didn't want to take the blame himself; he couldn't let everyone share the benefits while bearing all the consequences himself. The Rockefeller family couldn't afford such an impact.

Soon, these old men gathered again, but this time their expressions were incredibly solemn. None of them had anticipated this situation. Although John had agreed to their 'request' to acquire Westinghouse Electric, his tone was unacceptable to them. This would destroy all their goodwill, and if such a situation were to occur again, it would be a bloody battle, a fight to the death. And this wasn't just targeting them, the old men, but their entire families.

Rules aren't just for show; their existence allows them to live so freely. If the rules were to disappear, these old guys would have to be on high alert, never knowing if they'd be ambushed. The consequences of such an event would be far too severe for them to bear. As the biggest beneficiaries of the rules, if they themselves don't uphold them, how can they expect others to? If the rules were to vanish, would they be forced back into the chaotic state of the past? Such a scenario would be catastrophic for them; they all fear someone might choose to deliver a fatal blow from the shadows!
"Gentlemen, now we need to make a decision: whether to keep Westinghouse Electric or not. If we do keep it, what should we do in the future? This is not a decision I can make alone; it requires everyone to discuss it together."

"Let's forget about it. I don't want to waste the last bit of our friendship with John over this little bit of profit. DuPont is withdrawing. Although we didn't intend to get involved, I have to make everything clear now. We don't want to take the blame for others!" DuPont made his decision quickly. These old guys were all after Westinghouse Electric, but DuPont had no such intentions.

Upon seeing DuPont's statement, Rockefeller frowned. Although he didn't want to antagonize John and squander the last bit of goodwill, he also didn't want to see DuPont so openly revealing everything, as this was not a good thing for the Rockefeller family.

"I don't think we need to rush into a decision. Why don't we arrange for someone to go to China with Morgan's men and talk to John? I believe Morgan is already making such arrangements. Perhaps things aren't as serious as Morgan is making them out to be!"

"Heh, that's ridiculous. Do you think John is a fool, or do you think Morgan is a fool? Sending someone to talk to John? If you went yourself, you might have a chance. Sending someone is a joke, a huge joke. You should know very well how much Westinghouse Electric's interests are and how important it is to Western Energy."

"Alright, stop arguing. We need to come up with a solution, not start fighting amongst yourselves. Westinghouse Electric matters can't be decided by one person alone. We need to work together to make a decision!" Rockefeller didn't want to take the blame himself, so he had to speak up at this moment.

"It's not that we want to argue, but the current situation is making us anxious. If we can't make a decision quickly, and something goes wrong, it will be too late for regrets. Let's vote by raising our hands. Those who are willing to sacrifice their last bit of friendship can go ahead and acquire Westinghouse Electric, and you can handle all the consequences yourself. Those who are unwilling to sacrifice their friendship with John for Westinghouse Electric, this matter has nothing to do with you!"

This suggests that someone is trying to undermine their "favorable situation," but whether this claim will be accepted by everyone remains to be seen. After all, the situation is changing too rapidly; such a major problem has arisen in just a few days!
Silence fell instantly. No one knew what to do. After all, greed is a powerful motivator, and no one could resist the allure of Westinghouse Electric. But now they were divided; otherwise, things wouldn't have turned out this way, and there wouldn't be talk of a split. Greed was ingrained in many people's bones—for these old fogies, it was greed that ran deep in their very being. Getting them to give up the enormous temptation of Westinghouse Electric was incredibly difficult, but they also understood the severe consequences of accepting. If the deal went through, the conflict between them and John would escalate completely.

"Enough, everyone, let's make a decision quickly. Time waits for no one, and we can't afford to waste any more time. John has already informed us, and Morgan will definitely take action as well. If we don't make a decision soon, the problem will drag on indefinitely, which is not good for anyone!"

While many of them didn't want to jeopardize their last remaining relationship with John for the sake of Westinghouse Electric's profits, some of the older guys believed they weren't wrong. The problem was that John wasn't generous enough and insisted on competing with them for profits; otherwise, he wouldn't have put them in such a difficult position.

“Give up. I don’t think it’s a good thing to acquire Westinghouse Electric at this time. If there’s still some goodwill between us, John won’t act recklessly, and we can still sit down and talk. But if we lose that last bit of goodwill, that means we’ll never have the chance to sit down and talk with John again, I believe everyone understands that the consequences will be more severe for me!”

Although this statement is true, not everyone will believe it. Moreover, there are always some greedy individuals when it comes to profit. As a result, they formed two small groups: one group was determined to take over Westinghouse Electric and snatch food from Western Energy because of their insatiable greed; the other group was willing to give up, as this way, everyone would be free from fear and worry about any unnecessary accidents.

As for neutrality, that's out of the question. If there were any fence-sitters at this point, they would probably be taken out by the combined forces of them. Everyone sitting here understands that they can't be fence-sitters. They have to make a statement now, and only then can they leave!

"Gentlemen, do you understand the consequences of doing this? I admit that Westinghouse Electric's current development potential is indeed very good, but we cannot stand on the opposite side of this madman John for such a small benefit. You are not afraid, but we are afraid of this guy's retaliation. I believe you all understand how petty John is!" At this moment, DuPont still kindly wanted to persuade everyone to give up their inappropriate greed, but this matter could not remain unresolved indefinitely!
If they could, everyone would be reluctant to give up Westinghouse Electric's enormous potential. But now they face targeting from John; all pretense of friendship is gone, and so are all constraints. With friendship, everything is negotiable; without it, there's no chance to even talk! Those greedy guys thought that even without their friendship with John, they could still get the White House or Morgan to intervene. But they were overthinking it. When that moment comes, neither the White House nor Morgan will pay them any attention; they'll have to face all the consequences themselves.

Everything that happened today will be known to many people. The White House will know everything, Morgan will know everything, and John will know as well. Even after they finish this meeting, someone will tell John all of this. This is what some people are worried about. They are all old guys who know the inside story. They naturally understand that there is nothing they will not do for the benefit of their family. As long as there is enough benefit, they can sacrifice everyone who can be sacrificed!
Most of them would willingly give up for their own safety and the development of their family, but there are always some short-sighted individuals who will be blinded by greed and do foolish things. However, this time they have really taken this step, and the consequences will be unimaginable!
(End of this chapter)