America: My Time

Chapter 1215 John's Vigilance

Chapter 1205 John's Vigilance

"Holidays? I don't have time for holidays. Do you think those guys will give me that kind of time? If you leave, those bastards will definitely take the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow, and then I'll be in big trouble. I don't want to be screwed over by these guys. Look at the situation in Asia now, do you think I still dare to leave?"

Hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin nodded. That was indeed the case. If John were to leave Asia and return to the US for the holidays, Soros and his cronies would definitely seize the opportunity to attack. She was no longer the same person she once was, and naturally understood how terrifying such a financial war could be. A moment of carelessness would inevitably lead to a heavy price. Moreover, John had considerable assets in Asia; if he dared to leave at this time and under these circumstances, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"So you're planning to stay here for the holiday?" Lee Boo-jin asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

“No, Hong Kong isn’t suitable. If I stay here, I’ll encounter a lot of trouble. You don’t really think things have calmed down in Hong Kong. If I stay, who knows how many problems will arise. My best choice is to go back to Beijing and spend the holiday with my grandmother. Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are all unsuitable; they’ll all cause a lot of trouble. Only Beijing has the fewest problems!” John sighed deeply as he said this. Although Hong Kong was very prosperous, it wasn’t suitable for him to spend the holiday here. If he stayed, who knew how many people would come knocking on his door under the guise of the holiday!
John didn't believe that the bigwigs in Hong Kong were completely unaware of how dangerous the current situation was. Even though not many people were coming to him for help right now, if he stayed too long, there would inevitably be a lot of trouble. Moreover, John was already thinking of leaving Hong Kong and didn't plan to stay any longer to avoid any trouble.

“That’s true. If you stay, you’ll definitely face a lot of trouble. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be severe.” Lee Boo-jin quickly realized that this was a terrifying financial storm. Hong Kong seemed to have weathered it, but that was only on the surface. Taiwan was in a frenzy, and there were also South Korea and Japan. With her intelligence, she naturally understood that Hong Kong wouldn’t truly be over; the other side would definitely make a comeback!
"Keep a close eye on Daewoo's situation. If there are any problems with the Koreans, leave. Don't worry too much about what those guys think. We don't need to concern ourselves with their lives. Our capabilities are limited; just ensure our own safety. Ignore everyone else, even those who reach out to you. If I'm not mistaken, it won't be long before those guys are struggling to produce raw materials. The currency crash will cause them huge losses and leave them without essential raw materials. You'll be the first person they think of, so don't let them influence you!"

At this point, John felt it best to remind Lee Boo-jin to avoid being deceived by those guys without knowing the situation. Now, not only were the Koreans having a headache, but the Japanese were also in for a problem. Although the contract John signed with them initially offered substantial benefits, it was all in US dollars. Now, the Japanese weren't in much better shape unless they were willing to use strategic resources, which, given their nature, they wouldn't do.

John could imagine how crazy the situation at the resource exchange would be, how many people would be eyeing Quantum Mining, and even the Asian energy sector. Don't be fooled by the fact that those guys in Japan could buy energy at low prices before; that was time-limited, and negotiations would have to resume after the new year. John was sure those guys were having a headache and making their own plans, and he wouldn't show them any mercy.

When signing the agreement with those guys in Japan, John was also careful. Knowing that an Asian financial crisis was coming, how could he not take the opportunity to ruin those guys in Japan and South Korea? Especially Japan, John valued their market very much and naturally had to make arrangements in advance.

Now, things are going exactly as John predicted. With the outbreak of the crisis in South Korea, Japan has also been greatly impacted by the entire Asian financial crisis, and they are also facing a crisis of raw material prices. Although the original prices have not risen, the sharp drop in the yen exchange rate has indirectly caused their costs to increase. Under such circumstances, how could Japan not have a headache?

Of course, they couldn't blame John. After all, international commodities are priced in US dollars. Now that they've suffered such a shock, they can only blame themselves, not John. They didn't have the same level of preparedness as John. As for Japan, John's oil refineries and chemical plants wouldn't be affected. Like the steel mills, they had already made preparations, and even a sharp drop in the yen wouldn't have much of an impact, as they had ample reserves.

By this time, many people had realized that John's competitors had sufficient raw materials and did not need to worry about the sharp drop in exchange rates. In fact, the sharp drop in exchange rates could give them a better export advantage.

At this time, whether it was the Koreans, the Japanese, or even their counterparts in Taiwan and other Asian countries, they were all cursing and swearing. They were all under tremendous pressure and suffering from the huge impact of the currency crash. However, John's factories did not have such pressure, because the other side had made full preparations long ago.

Thinking about the current situation in South Korea, and Samsung's current situation, Lee Boo-jin sighed deeply. She felt heavy-hearted because she knew very well that as soon as she returned to South Korea, those guys would come knocking and try to "have a heart-to-heart talk" with her. South Korea would be in danger, given that those companies were already prepared.

Like Japan, South Korea is a resource-poor country. Under these circumstances, the pressure they face is unimaginable. South Korea needs to import everything, yet it has very little foreign exchange reserves and is also under attack from figures like Soros. Their situation is truly precarious. It would be a lie to say they didn't have designs on John. After all, a careful investigation would reveal that John's companies have no shortage of raw materials needed for production. Under these circumstances, their own predicament is obvious: without raw materials, how can they produce anything?

As long as those guys can't produce enough raw materials, their market will be taken away. John won't show them any mercy. Not only do many of John's factories exist in South Korea, but also in Southeast Asia and China. Especially at this time, John's factories in China are operating at full capacity to seize their market.

This time, John's target wasn't just South Korea, but also Japan and Taiwan. For them, it's difficult to quickly stockpile many of the raw materials needed for production. However, John has resource groups under his control, with both Asian Energy and Quantum Mining providing full support. Contracts and funds have already been deposited into these resource companies' accounts. Where does the money come from? Naturally, it's from loans—loans from Japanese and other international banks, all in their own currencies. The repayment will also be in their own currencies. From this alone, the major companies are reaping considerable profits.

John knew those guys would react quickly, which is why he reminded Lee Boo-jin. He also believed Samsung would have some inappropriate ideas, given the pressure they faced. Especially in the wafer semiconductor sector, John controlled the world's largest quartz sand mine and was the world's largest quartz sand supplier. It would be a huge loss if they didn't seize market share at this time.

Because of raw material shortages, neither South Korea, Japan, nor Taiwan can compare to John's group; they currently lack sufficient raw materials for production. Now that these companies have discovered this problem, how could they not set their sights on John? And how could the Samsung family not have new ideas?
"I understand. If the pressure becomes too great, I will leave Korea and go to Beijing, China, to meet you!"

"It's good that you understand. Don't be taken advantage of. As for the raw materials that those companies have stockpiled, I've already notified them and made arrangements. Jaguar Security personnel are keeping an eye on them and won't give them any chance!"

At this moment, Lee Boo-jin, Cherie Chung, and Kristy Yang all understood how terrifying this situation was. The more they learned, the more they admired John's foresight. They also understood the pressure they would face. John's warning wasn't just for Lee Boo-jin; it was for them all. If those Koreans would come after Lee Boo-jin, wouldn't these Hong Kong bigwigs also come after them? Cherie Chung, in particular, felt immense pressure, after all, she was John's representative in Hong Kong!
Although she didn't know the full extent of John's strategic planning regarding the raw materials needed for production, Lee Boo-jin was certain it was foolproof, given that Quantum Mining and Asian Energy were both John's businesses. Don't be fooled by the fact that John's name has disappeared from the group's shareholder list; that's merely a facade. Without John's coordination, it would be impossible for those groups to obtain sufficient resources—it's simply not up to him. Therefore, everything is under John's control!

During the oil crisis, Lee Boo-jin was acutely aware of the astonishing amount of crude oil Asia Energy possessed. Six years later, Asia Energy had already completed a new round of energy reserves, so at this time, major refineries and chemical plants were not short of crude oil at all. Steel mills were even less affected, and Quantum Mining itself had long been prepared and was not lacking in raw materials. This illustrates the importance of controlling upstream raw materials.

"When are you going back to Beijing?" Li Fuzhen asked, her mind racing. She was worried that the two beautiful women with John might have an impact on her, and she would much rather see John return to Beijing!

"Let's wait a few more days. There are still some things here that need to be dealt with, especially in the media and entertainment sector. You don't really think I'm just using media and entertainment as a shield to mislead the enemies, do you?"

John's words startled Lee Boo-jin, Chung Chu-hung, and Yang Kung-ru. In their view, John was making arrangements for the Phoenix Group to mislead the enemy, but they never expected to hear such words!

"Do you really have plans to heavily invest in media and entertainment?" After realizing what she meant, Lee Boo-jin asked in shock. Although she didn't know much about media and entertainment, she wasn't completely oblivious to it.

"That's natural. Media and entertainment are also my focus of development. Not to mention that I have a collaboration with Middle Eastern tycoons this time. In a few days, someone from them will come to discuss things with me. At that time, it won't just be Hong Kong that needs to cooperate. The entire Phoenix Group, Legendary Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures will also cooperate."

Although John didn't specify what kind of cooperation it was, Lee Boo-jin, with her intelligence, understood that the only people who could get John to cooperate with Middle Eastern tycoons were those from oilfields, or rather, guys like Soros. She just wouldn't say it aloud; she understood the importance of this matter and how terrifying such an operation could be.

The Middle Eastern tycoon's collaboration with John naturally came at a price. Although she wanted to stay and listen, she ultimately decided against it. Media and entertainment were not matters she could interfere with, nor could she interfere in this particular issue. If she stayed because of this, what would John think of her? Lee Boo-jin wouldn't make such a foolish decision, nor would she allow this incident to negatively impact John's opinion of her!

The Samsung incident had already damaged her standing with John, so Lee Boo-jin naturally wouldn't do the same again. She wouldn't leave herself with such trouble or hidden dangers, so she had to be even more cautious! Especially at this time, she couldn't afford to be careless or take any chances, otherwise she would pay a heavy price, which was something Lee Boo-jin didn't want to see. With her intelligence, she naturally knew what she could and couldn't do.

Seeing the change in Lee Boo-jin's expression, John breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't disappointed him. If Lee Boo-jin had asked to stay, John wouldn't have refused, but he would have definitely held her decision in a lower regard. The fact that that hadn't happened meant that Lee Boo-jin had acted as a competent manager, avoiding any impulsive or inappropriate actions. John didn't want any unnecessary trouble to arise, as he also had many concerns at this moment. His reputation and public image needed careful consideration; he couldn't afford the slightest mistake!
(End of this chapter)