America: My Time

Chapter 1170 Human Greed

Chapter 1160 The Greed of the Human Heart

Although John's words were spoken calmly, they struck Morgan like a thunderbolt. If John stopped following the rules, it would be a disaster for them, something no one wanted to see. If John were weak, they wouldn't have bothered with him; they could have easily eliminated him. But the power John wielded instilled immense fear in them. No one was willing to risk their lives; no one wanted to see the rules collapse!
“John, don’t get angry. Everything can be discussed. Making a scene won’t benefit anyone. There are still seven days left. We can wait patiently for their reply. Nobody wants to see this situation. You’re anxious, and I’m anxious and worried too, but we both have to accept it. Impulsiveness won’t solve anything. You need to calm down and trust that they will give you a satisfactory explanation.”

"Hopefully, I don't have much hope for them. I've been disappointed too many times, and now I have no trust in them at all. They always say one thing to my face and another behind my back. Such behavior is not trustworthy, and their character is questionable. I won't believe or accept anything these guys say in the future! This isn't my problem; they've narrowed their own path, and there's nothing I can do about it!"

“I understand. It’s not your fault. It’s just that those guys were too greedy and lost their integrity. It’s understandable that you have some resistance to someone who has lost their integrity. I’ll say it again: Morgan stands by your side and supports your decision! As long as it’s within my power, I will absolutely not shirk my responsibility!”

Morgan didn't want to see John lose control at this point and make a big fuss. At the same time, he cursed Rockefeller and the White House in his heart. If these two hadn't colluded, things wouldn't have turned out this way. Even if the semiconductor chip industry has great potential, it shouldn't be made so obvious, and they didn't do a good job of keeping it secret, letting John know in advance, or even make preparations!

At this point, Morgan wouldn't believe John hadn't made specific preparations, and neither would Jimmy, who knew John very well. The fact that John could openly say such things proved that his opponent was fully prepared, just waiting for the opportunity to engage in a life-or-death duel!
Morgan, the tycoon, dared not underestimate John's influence and connections in the United States. His decision to join the National Guard was a move that worried many. While everyone knew John couldn't possibly use that force, the resources of Jaguar Security Company were certainly available. Fortunately, Jaguar Security Company hadn't made any unusual moves; otherwise, even more people would have felt uneasy and been shocked by John's actions.

John shook his head and said, "I don't need any help, and I don't want to drag Morgan into this mess. It has little to do with Morgan. I just want those guys to give me a satisfactory explanation."

The more John said this, the more worried Morgan and Jimmy became, because they both knew that this was the worst thing that could happen. If something went wrong, it would be a disaster for them. If a storm broke out in the United States at this time, many plans would have to be interrupted, which was a result that no one wanted to see.

Morgan was well aware of how cunning those old guys were in scheming against John; just look at their numerous methods and the sniping they'd carried out. It was just that John hadn't reacted too strongly this time. This time was different; it put immense pressure on him. The calmer Jaguar Security Company remained, the more he felt a greater danger brewing.

Not long after, Morgan and Jimmy left John's house. They arrived in heavy hearts and left in the same state. Although John had made his demands on the surface, it was still hard to say whether they would agree to them. After all, some old guys had been blinded by greed. Greed had made them lose their minds. They always wanted to get more benefits without looking at their own situation. What right did they have to do such ridiculous things?

"Boss, do you think the White House will agree? I think it's unlikely. After all, they previously ordered a ban on ASML's lithography machines being exported to China. If they were to open up the market now, wouldn't that be a slap in their own face, and the President would lose face as well? If they don't agree, I'm afraid this conflict will break out!"

"Don't worry, there won't be any conflict. Even if our president is crazy, he wouldn't dare to refuse, nor could he. It's not a decision he can make. If he dared to refuse, death might be waiting for him. Rockefeller will not allow such a thing to happen. John is prepared. Do you think Rockefeller wouldn't be prepared? If anyone is unprepared, it's only the White House. Only they are completely unprepared!"

"But if that happens, the blockade against China will become meaningless. At that time, John will be able to fully open up investment in China, and more semiconductor chip factories will appear in China. Then, no one will be his opponent!"

"You're overthinking it. The market is finite. Don't be shocked by the current market share. It's because of the tacit agreement among personal computer companies that they're all pushing everyone to upgrade, which creates the current false prosperity. Once this storm passes, the market will stabilize. Do you think there will still be so much demand then?"

While Morgan was willing to believe John's claims, and even the potential of the internet, he didn't believe it would spread so rapidly across the globe. In his view, that was impossible; the US and Japan couldn't be used as examples, and he knew the situation in Europe. Of course, he also didn't believe John's claim of China's rapid rise to become one of the world's economic giants, so he didn't truly believe everything John said.

“I don’t know, but I think John might be right. And I think John values ​​China far more than Japan and South Korea, even more than Europe. If it weren’t for his larger presence in North America, I would suspect that he values ​​China more than the United States!” Jimmy sighed as he spoke, because Bentley Motors is currently accelerating its expansion in North America.

"Don't worry about these things for now. No matter how many plans John has, nothing is more important than the current crisis. We can't let John make a big fuss; the consequences would be too severe. This guy's focus on semiconductor chips is beyond our imagination. I've reminded him more than once to take ASML public, but he's refused. Although we haven't completely broken ties this time, the feud has been formed, and it will inevitably erupt one day!" At this point, Morgan sighed, then changed the subject, saying, "I wonder what's going on in the Middle East. If something happens there now, things will escalate."

"Boss, are you worried that the Middle Eastern tycoons will choose to support John? That's impossible. They have disagreements and estrangement with John. How could they possibly stand up for John at this time? It won't do them any good. It will only make us resent them. They're not stupid. Why would they make such a decision!"

"Nothing is impossible. What seems impossible to you is perfectly fine to those guys. Their disagreements and estrangement with John stem from their unwillingness to be controlled by others, just as John doesn't want to be controlled by others. That's why they have their differences and estrangement. But now John's target is oil capital, even Syria. Do you think they won't be tempted? Do you think they won't lend a hand? They understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' Don't underestimate these guys; they are more terrifying and more insane than you think!"

Morgan was right. As long as John is targeting oil capital, Middle Eastern tycoons will definitely step in to help. It's just unknown whether the Middle Eastern tycoons will directly get involved in this conflict, whether they will take the opportunity to cause trouble, or whether it will ruin their plans!
The saying "a single move can affect the whole body" reflects Morgan's concerns. This is not just about lithography machines, but also about energy and other issues. A misstep could derail the US's energy strategy, and even Rockefeller would pay a heavy price if such an accident were to occur.

Jimmy only saw the semiconductor chip industry, but Morgan Stanley saw the bigger picture. If another energy crisis were to erupt at this juncture, their previous plans would be jeopardized. He had truly heeded John's warning.

If John doesn't follow the rules, the first thing that will be broken is the energy agreement, followed by the financial agreement. At that point, not only Wall Street will be severely impacted, but the entire United States will be. It could even lead to numerous other problems.

When Morgan and Jimmy returned to their lodgings, a big surprise awaited them: Rockefeller and President Richard Lucas were there, much to their astonishment.

"It seems you're really desperate, otherwise you wouldn't be in such a hurry to see me. Has John made some other scheme that makes you feel threatened?" Upon seeing Rockefeller and Zipperton, Morgan shook his head. This was all their own doing. If they hadn't insisted on plotting against John, none of this would have happened!

“Morgan, we want to know John’s current situation. You should know that none of us want to see any accidents happen, but right now John is the biggest accident?” Rockefeller said with a wry smile. If he had known John’s reaction would be so intense, he wouldn’t have done this, or at least he wouldn’t have made it so obvious!

"What do you think his reaction will be? You can keep breaking the rules, and as beneficiaries of the rules, you don't uphold their existence. How do you think John will react? This time, his warning wasn't fake; he's genuinely angry. You guys handle this matter yourselves. If things escalate, it won't be John who suffers, but you."

"Isn't there any way to calm this guy down, any way to get him to cooperate with our work?" Zipperton's expression turned somewhat angry. Being threatened by John as the president was unacceptable to him. He had his pride too, so he didn't want to compromise so easily; he wanted to fight back!
"Do you think everyone will follow your orders? You're overestimating your abilities. He's a conglomerate tycoon; his power is far more terrifying than you imagine. Don't let your previous victories go to your head. While you're scheming against others, they're scheming against you too. Don't think no one knows about your little tricks. If you think that, you're sorely mistaken. He's already made his demands. If you don't accept them, prepare to face his retaliation. I believe this is not an outcome you're willing to accept!"

Morgan didn't give President Richard Lamb any face. It wasn't that Morgan looked down on him, but that the guy was too arrogant. He really thought he was the leader of the United States and that as president he could have absolute power. He thought the United States was the domain of corporations, not his.

"Alright, Morgan, you can't be so impulsive. We've already made our stance clear by coming here. Now we need your help. There's been no result from Old Martin; he directly rejected our request. Now we can only rely on you!" At this moment, Rockefeller chose to step in to help Lackton out of his predicament, after all, Lackton was still quite useful to him!
"I'm impulsive? Heh, if that's what you're saying, then I have nothing to talk to you about. Don't treat everyone like fools. To be honest, you should have stopped with the Westinghouse Electric matter. You shouldn't have resorted to such tactics anymore. Even if you're unwilling to accept John's rapid development, you have to consider the security of the United States. ASML is safer than Nikon and has greater potential, after all, they have Bell Labs behind them."

At this point, Morgan didn't want to get entangled with these two guys any longer. He went straight to the point and said his true thoughts without giving them any face. He knew that continuing to argue like this would not get any results, so it was better to cut the Gordian knot and put everything out in the open!
Regardless of your motives or thoughts, everyone is now having a frank discussion. This is Morgan's choice and also an expression of his dissatisfaction with Rockefeller. If this continues, it won't just be Rockefeller who suffers, but the entire United States!

(End of this chapter)