America: My Time

Chapter 1243 Killing with a borrowed knife?
Chapter 1233 Using a borrowed knife to kill?
After Kim Woo-joong decisively defeated the South Korean officials, the entire South Korean conglomerate quickly learned of it. Although they knew this would happen, they didn't expect it to happen so quickly. That bastard Kim Woo-joong was so easily defeated, offering no resistance whatsoever and compromising with John, leaving them no time to prepare.

"This time we must teach Kim Woo-jung a lesson and let him know that we are not so easy to persuade. He cannot be so selfish and disregard our interests!"

"Heh, you want Kim Woo-jung to take responsibility? Do you think that's possible? Do you think he'll agree? Don't forget he compromised, but he compromised with the Americans. You don't think you can go against John. You didn't hear what those officials said, did you? They've already resorted to threats. If you're stubborn, you can go find trouble with Kim Woo-jung yourself and stop this acquisition. I'd like to see if you can do it!"

"Alright, stop arguing. We still need to compromise where necessary. I know what you're thinking—you just want to take this opportunity to benefit yourselves and discuss Asian energy issues. But I advise you not to have such ridiculous ideas. This other party is not someone to be trifled with. Don't forget his other identity: a Wall Street tycoon!"

These South Korean conglomerates seem to be talking about stopping the acquisition, but in reality, none of them dare to make a move. They're no match for John. Their intentions have been completely exposed: they're after Asian Energy, wanting cheap and reliable energy from them, and wanting the same treatment as the Japanese. They're dreaming. They don't even consider the price the Japanese paid or what they did.

"Doesn't Samsung have a solution? Would you be able to get this support if you stepped in? After all, we have a huge demand for energy right now. If we can get energy from Asia, it would be more cost-effective than from the Middle East. If possible, it would be best to use an undersea oil pipeline to complete the project!"

"Hehe, are you kidding me? Do you really think such a request can be made? I have no such idea, nor would I dare to inquire. If you have such capabilities, then please do as you please; Samsung will not participate!"

Samsung doesn't want to clash with John at this time. Even with Lee Boo-jin involved, it's not enough. Lee Boo-jin has already done her best, and Samsung can't afford to bear all the costs and let these guys reap the benefits for nothing. Kim Woo-joong's situation is the best illustration. When it comes to self-interest, past relationships are meaningless. Besides, these conglomerates are in competition with each other; how could Samsung possibly do such a thing!
"Actually, if you ask me, this matter should be handled by the authorities. If that doesn't work, we should do the same as Japan. Otherwise, it will definitely affect everyone's development. Without enough energy, it will have a fatal impact on our development!"

"Then let the authorities step in and finalize this while Mr. John is still in Seoul! With the outbreak of the financial crisis, we are facing too much pressure. If we don't have cheap energy, we won't be able to recover for a long time. If we had known this would happen, we shouldn't have made such an excessive demand in the first place. We overestimated the allure of our own market and underestimated the power of Japan and China."

"What's the use of saying all this now? Everything has already happened, and it's too late for regrets. Besides, do you think John would agree to this request now, especially regarding an undersea oil pipeline? Don't you know how staggering the funding would be if it were to start construction? And do you think this is something we can decide? Most importantly, even if we were willing to back down, would they agree? I know some people think they have a chance because they got information from Japan, but I want to say that it's best not to have such illusions. Those bastards in Japan are not good people. If we believe them, we will pay a heavy price. As far as I know, Japan has already signed an agreement with Asian Energy, and Asian Energy's production capacity on Sakhalin Island has very little left to export to us."

"You're wrong. It's not that there aren't many, it's that there aren't any at all. You only see the neon lights and haven't thought about China. They can also get oil and natural gas from Sakhalin Island. It's impossible for us to share some of the resources unless the extraction on Sakhalin Island is accelerated or new oil and gas fields are developed, but all of this takes time!"

"Time is not an issue; we can definitely talk about it. We have no other choice right now!"

"I'm afraid that even if we back down, they won't pay any attention. We took ourselves too seriously and valued our market too highly. In fact, Sakhalin Island's energy supply is far from meeting demand, and those guys in Japan have taken a large share, plus they're the closest geographically. Not to mention China, their spending is astonishing. Now, even if we want to back down, Asian energy companies might not accept it, and that's the most troublesome thing!"

Faced with Soros's attack, the exchange rate plummeted, and imports put too much pressure on South Korea. They had very little foreign exchange left, and prices that they used to consider insignificant were now completely different.

"Let's wait until Kim Woo-jung's deal is completed before making any further moves. Otherwise, it will only make things more difficult and could even have negative consequences. If the other party suspects that we are threatening him, the consequences will be even more serious. At this point, we cannot afford to make any mistakes. Even if you all have many ideas, it's best to give them up. We have absolutely no initiative; we are in a passive position in this whole matter!"

John had no idea what the South Korean conglomerates were thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. Just as the South Korean conglomerates said, they had long lost the initiative; now it wasn't up to them to do whatever they wanted, and everything depended on John's mood. At this moment, John wasn't in a hurry because he knew that it wasn't him who was anxious, but definitely those South Korean guys.

In the past, these guys were very arrogant, thinking that although the price of oil and natural gas imported from Middle Eastern tycoons was a bit high, it was not a problem for their economy. They controlled the market and could naturally negotiate with Asian energy companies. However, the financial crisis and the sharp drop in exchange rates have made them lose such confidence. If they cannot quickly reverse the current situation, the biggest disaster awaits them.

While John was enjoying the services of a beautiful woman and plotting the next move by Soros and his cronies, Kim Woo-joong called. The Koreans had compromised; neither the government nor the chaebols dared to stop them, and all had to yield. "Heh, I thought they could hold out a little longer, needing more time to negotiate. I didn't expect them to compromise so quickly. I overestimated their strength. The Koreans' situation is more difficult than I thought, and the Daewoo Group's situation is more dangerous than imagined. Otherwise, Kim Woo-joong wouldn't be in such a hurry to do this deal with us, wouldn't be so eager to sell Daewoo Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding, and Daewoo Motors!"

"Daewoo Group's situation is indeed very dangerous, and major South Korean companies are also facing difficulties. The outbreak of the financial crisis and the sharp drop in the exchange rate have severely affected the price of raw materials. They were not prepared. It is understandable that Kim Woo-jung is eager to sell the three major companies. The longer it is in his hands, the greater the pressure on Daewoo Group will be. The three major companies are already in trouble, and some have even stopped production. They no longer have enough raw materials to produce!"

Lee Boo-jin knew the situation of the Daewoo Group better than John. When helping John negotiate the acquisition with Kim Woo-joong, she gained a detailed understanding of the Daewoo Group's shipbuilding and automotive businesses, and indeed, the entire Daewoo Group. It wasn't just Daewoo; even Samsung faced the same predicament, and most South Korean companies were mired in similar difficulties. If these problems weren't resolved quickly, an even more dire situation would soon unfold for South Korean companies.

This brings us to George Soros. His timing in launching his attack was incredibly cunning. Many companies, especially steel mills, were short of raw materials and waiting for the new year's negotiations. But it was precisely because of this that they were caught off guard and suffered a terrible blow.

"How long do you think Korean companies can hold on? If the Asian financial crisis continues, how much capital do they have left to stabilize the situation? One month, or two?" John was eager to know how long South Korea could sustain this. High prices for raw materials and energy were causing their production costs to skyrocket. How long could they endure this? If possible, John wanted to seize this opportunity to deliver a fatal blow, completely crippling Korean businesses.

Of course, John wouldn't do it himself, but he could use others to do it, using American conglomerates to deliver a fatal blow to South Korea. If possible, John wanted to severely damage South Korea's steel and semiconductor industries!

"I don't know. I'm not sure about that either. After all, it's a top secret of the company, and it's not something I can understand. The most important thing is that if such a situation really occurs, the authorities will definitely do everything in their power to protect them. Once these companies collapse, the entire country will suffer a devastating blow, and the economy will be plunged into dire straits."

"It's not that serious. As long as they are willing to compromise and admit defeat, I believe there is still a chance. It's just that they will have to bleed a lot and give up a portion of their shares. That's what those guys on Wall Street are scheming for. No matter how much Samsung insists, it's useless. They can guard against you and me, but they can't guard against the entire Wall Street. Their previous prosperity was only built on the support of the United States. Without the support of the United States, the Koreans have no hope at all."

Upon hearing this, Lee Boo-jin couldn't help but sigh, and the other beauties were also shocked. They hadn't expected that the Koreans would be in such a dangerous situation. This Asian financial crisis had directly shattered the Koreans' ridiculous confidence and slapped their arrogant and self-righteous face!
John paused, shook his head, and continued, "If anyone approaches you to discuss Asian Energy, you can tell them that undersea oil pipelines are impossible unless they can cover part of the funding. Otherwise, Asian Energy will not build any new oil pipelines. As for the idea of ​​opening up the pipeline to China, that's impossible because it would cause huge losses to Asian Energy, and no one can guarantee how long the supply would need to be stopped!"

At this point, John wanted to shift the cost of Asian energy onto South Korea. After all, these guys had made exorbitant demands when the project first started, and now it would be a shame not to make them pay a price!

As for rebuilding an oil pipeline, that's out of the question. Asia Energy would never do that; the investment is too huge, and Asia Energy is unwilling to pay such a high price.

Upon hearing this, Lee Boo-jin smiled wryly and said, "I'm afraid that will be very difficult; they won't agree!"

"Then let's not talk about it. Right now, it's not Asian Energy that's in a hurry, but South Korea itself. Without enough energy, without cheap energy, how will they revive their economy? It's impossible for them to take advantage of us for free. Asian Energy will not agree to that. Alright, you don't need to worry about them. Just tell them what I've said. As for them wanting to talk to me, I don't have that much time. I won't stay here for long. After the deal is completed, I will leave."

John wasn't going to give these guys a chance. If he didn't put enough pressure on them, how could he get everything he wanted? He could screw over those guys in Japan, and he could screw over those bastards in Korea, and he wouldn't show any mercy. For this group of arrogant and ignorant bastards, it was only right to make them pay a heavy price; they brought it on themselves.

Back then, John gave them plenty of face and opportunities, but these guys insisted on taking advantage, causing the Asian Energy project to fail. Now, if they want to cooperate again, it won't be easy. If they miss this opportunity, they'll have to pay a much higher price to get it back. Otherwise, these guys won't realize their mistake. Only by making these bastards feel the pain will they remember everything and dare not make exorbitant demands, cause trouble, or make things difficult for him in future collaborations. Therefore, John won't give them any face this time. As long as Kim Woo-jung can complete the transaction quickly, John won't stay in Seoul at all!

(End of this chapter)