America: My Time

Chapter 1169 Revealing Everything

Chapter 1159 Revealing Everything

“John, I think we should all sit down and talk. The White House New Year’s party is a good opportunity. You don’t need to make things too serious. Everyone has their own difficulties, and you don’t need to be so cautious. With your relationship with the Middle Eastern tycoons, even if there is a slight rift, it won’t affect the energy trade. Even if they want to do it, we can’t agree to it. The whole of America is behind you. You don’t need to worry so much!”

John sighed softly and said, “I don’t want to have these worries either, but things are beyond my control. You Morgans might stand behind me, but others won’t, especially those old guys like Rockefeller. They don’t want to see me make great strides in energy development; they don’t want to see my expansion. Also, don’t think I don’t know about the lithography machine. I know about the EUV lithography machine plan. Some people want to exclude ASML and choose Nikon. How can I not worry? And even that president in the White House has been persuaded by them. What do you think I should do?”

At this point, John stopped hiding his intentions and directly asked his question. Those guys thought they were being very careful and wouldn't let outsiders know, but they had no idea how amazing John's investment in this area was, or how brilliant his plans were. When these guys chose to exclude ASML from the EUV lithography machine project, John got angry. This was the donkey's retaliation, and this was zip-up cunning.

Although some within the US opposed the project, believing ASML was the most suitable candidate, the US capital, the Japanese, and even Rockefeller were all pushing for it, because they didn't want John to control the EUV lithography machine and didn't want to be dependent on others. Most importantly, ASML was no longer a European company, but a Taiwanese one, which also drew opposition from Europeans.

John doesn't know how those guys at Nikon managed to persuade the US, but the schemes of the oil giants and Rockefeller are infuriating him. Before, John wanted to give them some face, but now he doesn't want to.

“John, you’re overthinking it. This matter is probably still unresolved. After all, such a big thing requires more discussion. Moreover, the plan you mentioned is probably not something the United States can accomplish on its own. It requires the cooperation of many more forces!” Morgan didn’t expect John to find out about this so quickly. He only learned about it before coming to see John, after receiving a call from Rockefeller and the White House.

Yes, that's right. These guys have figured out why John did what he did before. After thinking it over, there's only one possibility: John discovered their scheme, so he asked Morgan to step in. This is something that Old Martin can't handle. It's related to the battle in the field of lithography machines.

"Hehe, you don't need to explain for them. I know exactly who they are!"

“John, there’s actually another way to change this. It’s not impossible for ASML to join. The White House’s response is that ASML needs to go public and raise funds, and you can’t hold too many shares.”

"Okay, now I know what these guys are thinking. I just want to know how Nikon got the approval of the United States. You know, we were suppressing Japan's semiconductor chip industry before, but now we're giving them such benefits. I don't think these guys didn't pay a price. If I'm not mistaken, this is Rockefeller's doing again!"

"It seems you know more than I do. I only got the information from the White House when I came to see you. First of all, it's not that the US is excluding ASML, but that this project is a joint effort of many countries. ASML left Europe, so those Europeans excluded ASML. Although Rockefeller also made some underhanded moves, and there's also oil capital, that's not the point. Those guys in Japan made a promise that they will build a factory in the US and build the EUV lithography machine there. Tell me, who could refuse such a condition?"

"It seems you've come to persuade me not to continue this conflict with them. If I'm not mistaken, they'll soon be trying to poach my employees. No wonder there's some unrest in Taiwan. These guys are really cunning and treacherous. I hope those guys in Japan aren't setting up their factories in San Francisco, which is closer to Silicon Valley, where they'd have more support!"

Upon hearing John's question, Morgan shook his head and said, "I don't know about that. The White House didn't tell me, but I think you can definitely take ASML public and get involved in this project to drive the Japanese away. Once they're gone, you'll naturally have other ways to solve the current problem!"

"You're joking. You have no idea how greedy those guys are. If I just take ASML public, those guys from Donald Trump and the White House will demand that ASML return to the US to build a factory. ASML, which has finally developed, will fall into an even bigger disaster. In short, I don't trust them!"

When things reached this point, John naturally didn't trust those guys. Having targeted him time and time again, why would they be kind enough to give him a chance? Even though Japan and the White House were at the forefront of this, and even with the involvement of oil giants, John believed it was all orchestrated by Rockefeller. Their goal was simple: to sabotage his plans in the semiconductor industry. If their plan succeeded, not only would ASML be affected, but Nvidia would be affected, even ASUS would be affected, and his entire semiconductor industry strategy would be impacted.

Although he hasn't completely broken ties with Rockefeller and Oil Capital yet, their repeated provocations have already angered John. Even if Morgan intervenes, this matter won't end so easily.

"John, what conditions do you want? As long as your conditions aren't too unreasonable, I believe they will agree. In short, everyone is afraid of your expansion, and Morgan can't do anything about it; things are beyond our control!"

"Conditions? So you're representing the White House to negotiate this with me. They don't want to make a scene in front of the public!" John instantly understood Morgan's intentions; this was about negotiating on behalf of the White House. Taking a deep breath, John said in a low voice, "Are you sure you can represent the White House? This is no joke. If I make demands that you can't accept, then it's a complete waste of time and energy!"

“John, don’t worry, if all else fails, I can contact the White House directly!” Morgan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw John’s willingness to compromise. He was really worried that John would make a scene in front of the public. After all, in the hearts of the American people, ASML was considered one of their own, while Nikon from Japan was not.

In truth, John hadn't anticipated the dramatic changes his arrival would bring to the lithography machine industry, nor the unexpected reversal of fortunes. The opportunity that should have belonged to ASML had instead fallen to Nikon. Could it be that those guys in the US are now eyeing Japan? Otherwise, why would they make such a decision?

"It's not impossible for me to accept this, but I need to remove all the shackles on Asmai and stop using those agreements or contracts to hinder Asmai's development. As long as you agree to this condition, I will pretend that nothing ever happened!"

Is the EUV lithography machine important? Of course it is, but it's not that important to John right now. After all, this project takes too long, and there's not much benefit in getting involved now. Everything will change when they build the first prototype in a decade or so. What he wants now is the Chinese market.

“This is indeed not a decision I can make. I told the White House about your request, but I'm afraid they won't be able to give you a clear answer right away. They also need time to discuss it.” Morgan sighed at John’s request. Knowing John as he did, he naturally knew what John wanted to do.

“I have no problem, I can wait. You should inform the White House first and let them know my requirements. Seven days should be enough for them!” To prevent those bastards in the White House from making excuses, John gave them a timetable and told them to make a decision quickly. Since these guys didn’t give him any face, John didn’t intend to give them any face either.

Although they haven't officially broken ties yet, they're just a hair's breadth away. If the White House refuses, John will naturally retaliate and deliver a fatal blow. Even though the election is over, it doesn't mean there aren't other ways to target them. If things escalate, Rockefeller and the White House, and even the Donkey and Oil Capital, will pay a heavy price.

Morgan understood that John must have evidence to back up his claim, so he nodded and contacted the White House, informing them of John's terms. As for how the White House would decide, that was not his concern.

After hanging up the phone, Morgan smiled calmly and said, "John, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Those guys didn't give a direct answer after all. But are you really that optimistic about the Chinese market and the semiconductor market that you're willing to give up such a huge opportunity? You should know that this project is being driven by three major national laboratories."

At this point, Morgan still wanted to test John's understanding of the project, as well as his views on the Chinese market and the semiconductor market. Despite the loud pronouncements of those guys in Silicon Valley, Morgan didn't believe they were telling the truth.

"I believe Morgan Stanley is well aware of the size of the Chinese market. As for the chip and semiconductor industry, it is the focus of the future. A simple look at the development of the Internet will show you how crazy and terrifying this market is. The reason I am certain that Rockefeller is behind this is because of Intel's existence. They have always chosen Nikon lithography machines instead of ASML. They do not want to be controlled by me, so they have gone to great lengths to kick me out and want to monopolize the high-end market. If they did not have a long-term understanding or even a strategic plan for the chip and semiconductor industry, they would not have done such a thing."

At this point, John took a deep breath, shook his head, and continued, "I've lost count of how many times Rockefeller has targeted me. Their repeated schemes have pushed me to my breaking point. And those guys at Oil Capital are the same, and those Japanese guys aren't any better. Sony's betrayal was just them trying to distract me, to prevent me from discovering their plot immediately. I want you to pass on a message to Rockefeller: if they stop playing by the rules, then I won't either. They can use such tactics, so I won't be polite anymore. Rockefeller's halo can't protect them all!"

As soon as John finished speaking, Morgan gasped. Although John's expression didn't change much, Morgan could tell how murderous John was. Clearly, Rockefeller and the oil giant's actions had angered him and even crossed his bottom line.

Is such scheming a normal business tactic? That depends on your perspective and your own capabilities. Clearly, both John and Rockefeller were at the top of the American financial world. John had the power to issue such warnings and repeated provocations to Rockefeller; this wasn't a conflict that could be resolved with just a few words.

“John, don’t worry, I will tell Rockefeller what they said. They really went too far in this matter. However, Intel isn’t entirely backed by Rockefeller; there are other people behind them. That’s why they were able to succeed. Even if someone speaks up for you, there are just too many of them!”

"I know, I understand. How could I not know what these guys are scheming? They're just overthinking it. This time, I want to see how they behave, whether they can accept my demands. I also want to know how many people will jump out to oppose me. Westinghouse Electric alone has shown me quite a few 'enemies,' and now this EUV lithography machine project will show me just how many more. I'm waiting for them to show themselves! If they want war, I'll fight them. I want to know how much confidence they have to be so arrogant, to disregard all the rules. If even the beneficiaries of the rules can't abide by them, then why should I? They clearly didn't listen to what I said before. I wonder if they will listen this time!"

(End of this chapter)