America: My Time

Chapter 1156 Anger and Panic
Chapter 1146 Anger and Panic
"What Morgan and Martin said? John's actions are a slap in the face to us!" Just as John thought, those old guys were all conservative and were furious about John's move. Such a big incident had caused them to lose face, and even the oil capital was secretly mocking their failure.

Despite the fact that Oil Capital and John are not on good terms, they would rather see a showdown between John and these old guys. They hope that John, the cunning young fox, can restrain these old guys, giving them more opportunities to control American assets and gain more wealth and influence.

"They didn't answer, they all avoided our complaints, and old Martin even pretended to be deaf and dumb, not taking our questions seriously at all. It was obvious that he was hostile towards us. This time, not only did we fail to outmaneuver John, we also lost face completely. We didn't even have the chance to criticize John, he already 'took' all of this very seriously!"

Yes, John certainly takes all of this very seriously. They've even arranged for their children to be there; that shows their sincerity. John himself doesn't have time; he needs to manage investment projects in China. Given the scale of the Asian Energy investment project, it's understandable that John would personally intervene. For an Olympics that doesn't directly benefit his own interests, it's quite remarkable that John has gone to such lengths. After all, many of these older guys are unwilling to attend events; that's the difference.

"What do those oil-rich capitalists say? They've already regained a lot of media influence. Now it's their turn to step up. They can't just do nothing. If that's the case, what do we need them for?"

"They gave their reasons. The original plan was to give John a good reputation, gradually elevate him to stardom, and then deliver the fatal blow. But John's current arrangements have directly shattered their plans. Even if they refrain from reporting on it, other tabloids are unaffected, and John's media and entertainment companies are secretly fueling the fire, making it impossible to stop. Now John's playboy reputation has spread throughout the United States, and everyone knows he has a child, causing John to fall from grace once again and ruining their previous plan. Even if they wanted to smear him, they wouldn't have much dirt to go on, since this guy is still single. He's not Michael; he holds the power of discourse!"

In 1993, Michael was targeted, which was not an accident but a conspiracy. His fame and influence were too great, and most importantly, Michael had no backing or background, which gave those conspirators the opportunity to directly cause his career and reputation to plummet.

John was aware of the situation, but he didn't interfere. It wasn't something he could control; too many people were involved. He couldn't possibly put himself in danger for an outsider with whom he had no vested interest. He could only blame Michael for being too naive. If he hadn't chosen an out-of-court settlement and had instead pursued legal action against the family, things wouldn't have turned out this way. But there are no "what ifs" now; it's a fact, and he has to bear the consequences.

Some people want to smear John, but while they can pull off some small tricks, they don't have the opportunity or the strength to do anything big. The existence of Jaguar Security Company alone will force these guys to be cautious. John is not Michael; he won't let anyone smear him. Most importantly, John possesses military force and is the one who enforces the rules.

Rules are never for the strong, but for the weak, especially in the capitalist world. Presidential pardons aren't fake; they're real. Tippa Hearst, who controls the media, received a presidential pardon. So, targeting John isn't something just anyone can do. Even if you dared to do it, you'd better consider whether you have the power!

Now, these old guys are probably only using ordinary tricks. It's impossible for them to have a real showdown with John. They don't dare to do that because they can't afford the serious consequences. As beneficiaries of the rules, if they break the rules first and target a strong person of the same class, they are just asking for death!

"Actually, I think John's words make sense. The Taiwanese are not trustworthy. Letting them grow stronger will only harm our own interests. In the financial market, their destructive power is greater than John's. At least John still has a sense of awe and is unwilling to confront us head-on, avoiding our core assets. But Taiwanese capital has no such scruples. They act recklessly. If it weren't for John's counterattack, I'm afraid they would have an even stronger grasp on the discourse now. We need to be wary of their invasion!"

"It's a bit early to talk about this now. After all, we still need their strength. If we don't let them stand in the front, how can we hide behind the scenes and escape the public eye? John, that little fox, wants to stay hidden behind the scenes and has made so many arrangements to make his assets less dazzling. In a few years, this group will disappear from the Forbes list. He is our biggest opponent!" Among these old guys, there are also disagreements. Some believe John's statement and think that Oil Capital is not trustworthy and needs to be guarded against. But others think that John is a greater threat. After all, John's wealth came too quickly, his vision was too advanced, and he was unwilling to 'share' his profits with them.

Although John also helped many companies go public and raise funds, in the eyes of these guys, as long as John still held control and controlling stake in the companies, he was not 'sharing' profits with them. Greed made them incredibly crazy and persistent, and they always wanted to get more benefits from John.

Perhaps this is the greed of capital. These old guys are crazy and terrifying to the core. In their eyes, John is a rebel, a rebel who does not follow the rules. In their eyes, John's unwillingness to marry into their family is the biggest rebel and the reason why they are most hostile to John.

Unfortunately, these old guys couldn't influence John's decision. Even old Martin had to give up and compromise. What right did they have to ask John to marry into the family? It was precisely because John understood the greed of these old guys that he made this decision. Otherwise, his wealth would have been 'shared' by others!
Watching John gradually reduce his assets, allowing them to flow into offshore companies and foundations, they naturally felt a great deal of resentment and anger. However, they had no say in the matter, nor could they change John's mind, which led to their hostility towards him.

In contrast, the Morgan tycoons were much more clear-headed. Times had changed; it was no longer their era. Clinging to the old ways would only lead to being abandoned by the times. It was precisely because of the Morgan tycoons' choices that Morgan's development entered the fast lane, bringing them greater profits, while others lagged far behind.

People can criticize John behind his back for not sharing the profits with them, but they can't say it out loud. It's not that John didn't share the profits, but that he didn't meet their demands. They were just too greedy. If it were out in the open, it would be these old guys who are unwilling to share the profits. They are holding onto those numerous assets and are unwilling to let go!
From the beginning of the gaming world to Westinghouse Electric, who dares to say that John was unwilling to share profits? No one dared to do so, and no one dared to directly criticize John. Every time, John brought out high-quality assets, which was something that others could not do. At least, it was impossible to get those old guys like Rockefeller to bring out their high-quality assets.

The problem arises when comparisons are made. Once you put everything together and compare them, issues emerge. Whether it's sharing profits or doing charity, John is far more trustworthy than these old guys, and he's made real, substantial contributions!
"Alright, if you insist on thinking that way, I have nothing to say. We have different ideas, but this matter needs to be resolved satisfactorily. John has already taken action, and we need to show our stance. Now, both the donkey and the elephant are dissatisfied with us. If they weren't worried that we would side with their opponents, they would have already stood up to criticize us. But all of this cannot drag on for too long, and this storm cannot be allowed to blow too big."

“We don’t want to see this happen either, but we’re powerless to stop the tabloids from reporting on it all. If they expose us, it will have serious consequences. And are you sure John, that little fox, isn’t watching this? Are you sure those Middle Eastern tycoons won’t use this opportunity to try and reconcile with John by taking advantage of our interests?”

These old guys in the US are well aware of the rift between the Middle Eastern tycoon and John. Both sides are wary of each other but unwilling to actually break off relations, since they both have needs. This has strained their relationship and given the Europeans an opportunity and hope.

No one wants to see the Middle East side with the Europeans and have its market snatched away by them. It is precisely because of this concern that Gulfstream Aerospace has not encountered any major setbacks. Everything has been within its control. If a problem had really occurred, things would not be the way they are now!
(End of this chapter)