America: My Time

Chapter 1145 Favors

Chapter 1135 Social Interactions

"But if we know all this, why do we still get involved? Why give him a chance instead of exposing it all directly? With the power of Rockefeller, we don't need to care about such a small amount of profit, do we?"

"No, that's not just a small amount of profit, it's a huge amount. Even the Rockefeller family would be tempted. As for exposing them, do you think it would be useful? Do you think others wouldn't see through it? Everyone knows perfectly well, but who can resist the temptation of profit? It's precisely because John offered so much that he was able to complete his plan step by step, and now this guy has succeeded. Do you think the White House really knows nothing, or do you think Morgan knows nothing? They both know perfectly well, they just keep silent! I have to admit, this kid is ruthless. If it were us, I'm afraid we would have had a hard time making such a decision!"

Capitalists are profit-driven, and it's incredibly difficult for them to sacrifice their own interests, yet John did just that. Even those old fogies could see through John's plan, but everything still went smoothly. John meticulously built his persona and invincible reputation step by step, leaving many deeply impressed!
Morgan's intervention this time was actually quite simple: everything had reached its conclusion, and it was also time to decide their stance. Unfortunately, some people saw through it, while others did not. Those short-sighted individuals had no idea what acquiring Westinghouse Electric meant for them; from the moment they made their decision, they stood on the opposite side of John.

Rockefeller also saw through all of this, but he had a strong foundation and powerful connections. Most importantly, he had a relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., which could ease tensions in the future. Others could not do this. Otherwise, why would DuPont and the others have given up? They all understood the stakes involved.

Compared to Westinghouse Electric's interests, they valued the relationship more. With the relationship, there would naturally be opportunities for cooperation and profit sharing in the future. Without this relationship, there would be no possibility of cooperation in the future, and trying to share profits with John would be a joke and simply impossible.

John has so many assets that are going public, and so are all the companies in Silicon Valley, including Dreamworld and Nvidia. Those old guys naturally know how much profit is involved, so they are willing to give up Westinghouse Electric in order to maintain their relationship with John, otherwise they would lose their ticket to the game!

Why was it Morgan who stepped forward instead of John? Because Morgan was handling the IPOs of John's companies, and as the profit distributor, Morgan held considerable power. Those short-sighted individuals failed to see this, as did those driven by greed.

Why did DuPont give up after only offering a brief word of advice? Because he didn't dare to harm everyone's interests. If everyone saw through everything, it would have a huge impact on these established families. They couldn't afford to do something as evil as cutting off someone's source of income.

The more they understood the reasons behind it all, and the more terrifying John's methods became, the more cautious the old men grew. If John initially made them feel threatened, now they felt immense pressure! John's methods were becoming increasingly sophisticated, putting immense pressure on them. While they were alive, their families could withstand John's schemes, but if they were gone, could their descendants possibly rival him?

Perhaps some people will help their younger relatives at crucial moments out of past favors, but such favors cannot last forever. Favors will eventually run out, just like John's scheme this time. Those foolish guys actually abandoned their friendship with John, which is the biggest problem.

“We really don’t need to talk to Rockefeller anymore. I always feel there’s something wrong with making a decision so hastily!”

"There are problems, of course, but we have no choice. We have reached a dead end. We are not Morgan, Rockefeller, or DuPont. We do not have their vast resources or their strong backing. If we cannot seize this opportunity, we will find it difficult to turn things around. For the sake of the family, it is worth paying any price."

The word "family" silenced many people. Most of those who accepted John's conditions were doing so for the sake of their families. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wanted to be enemies with such a powerful figure as John. They weren't fools; they understood that by exhausting their last bit of goodwill, they would lose even more opportunities.

"Alright, there's no use thinking about it now. We've made our decision, so let's face it bravely. It's too late to regret it now. If we go back and say we want to give up, those guys won't accept it. Besides, with Rockefeller in the lead, the pressure on us will be less!" With Rockefeller around, do they really not need to face so much pressure? Things won't be like that. When they made this decision, they became strangers to John, losing their other entry tickets and being excluded from any other collaborations with John.

Throughout the meeting, Jimmy remained silent until the very end. He understood that he had no opportunity to speak in such a setting, but after it concluded, he couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what is Rockefeller trying to do? DuPont could see right through this, so why does he insist on standing against John and squandering the last bit of their friendship? Does he really not care about the interests of John's companies?"

Upon hearing this, Morgan smiled calmly and asked, "Jimmy, if it were you, would you give up such enormous profits? Do you think Westinghouse Electric's profits can be compared to those of John's other companies?"

"No, Westinghouse Electric is good, but it's not comparable to John's other companies at all!"

"Heh, if you can see through this, do you think that old man Rockefeller wouldn't? He has his reasons and his confidence for doing this. Firstly, he can't betray those guys who are determined to get Westinghouse Electric, because they're unwilling to give up the opportunity for their family's revival. If Rockefeller gives up, it means he's betrayed his promise to them, and the Rockefeller family's integrity will be questioned. Do you think the Rockefeller family can afford that? Secondly, he's confident he can rebuild his relationship with John. Don't forget the Rockefeller family's capabilities; that old man still has a good relationship with old Martin!"

Upon hearing his boss's explanation, Jimmy couldn't help but sigh. He was far inferior to these old foxes. These guys were all too formidable, and he was no match for them at all. If he stood with them, he would probably be sold out while still counting money for them, just like those guys who accepted John's terms!
Seeing Jimmy's reaction, Morgan smiled calmly and said, "Jimmy, do you think those guys who accepted John's conditions were stupid, foolish, and did something that was penny-wise and pound-foolish? If you think that, you're sorely mistaken. They understand what they're doing. They're sacrificing for the family's revival. If the opportunity arises again, they're willing to sacrifice themselves for the family to gain John's and Old Martin's approval. For the family, these guys are fearless. In their hearts, the family's interests come first. Do you understand?"

Jimmy didn't understand, because he didn't come from such a large family, so he naturally didn't understand how much these old guys valued their families, let alone their madness in sacrificing themselves for their families.

Looking at Jimmy's troubled expression, Morgan sighed, "Perhaps this is your first time dealing with something like this. If you want to have a better future in high society, you must keep all of this in mind. Otherwise, you may easily make a big mistake in this matter and underestimate those old guys!"

“Boss, even if they have such determination, will John accept it? If John doesn’t accept their sacrifice and doesn’t acknowledge it, then wouldn’t everything they’ve done be in vain, a sacrifice made in vain?”

"You're still too naive. You haven't seen through John, that little fox. Do you know how strong John's credibility is in the entire American high society? Do you know that he's the most law-abiding person in high society? Do you think he would break the rules that everyone agrees on? If that moment really comes, as long as these guys make sacrifices, John will have to accept it, because that's the rule: when a person dies, the debt is settled."

Jimmy was utterly shocked; he couldn't accept it, yet it was all deeply etched into his mind. If everyone could see through it all, then this meeting was simply a matter of choosing sides.

"Alright, don't overthink it. Everything will be resolved soon. You don't need to worry too much about John either. Your trip is just a formality. Westinghouse Electric may seem like the focus, but people are actually more interested in John's energy strategy, and even his plans in Asia. As for other things, we can put them aside for now."

Although these words sounded light, they weighed heavily on Jimmy's heart. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, hadn't imagined that these old guys in high society had such a crazy side, and hadn't expected that they could go to such lengths.

(End of this chapter)