America: My Time

Chapter 1245 The Real Situation

Chapter 1235 The Real Situation
The Asian financial crisis also caused unrest within the United States. Rockefeller was not the only one making calculations; many others were involved as well. Morgan's decision was not just his own, but also the decision of the entire Morgan family and Morgan conglomerate. At times like these, it was even more important not to be two-faced or betray one's 'friends'.

If Morgan were to betray them at this time, their losses would be enormous. Although Rockefeller was John's enemy, and it is said that the one who knows you best is your enemy, none of Rockefeller's enemies understood John as well as Morgan. It was precisely because Morgan understood John's power that he would not stand on the opposite side.

Morgan was aware of Soros and Oilfield Capital's speculations, as they had already informed the Federal Reserve. As a member of the Fed, Morgan naturally saw the report. He considered their speculations laughable. They believed that John's frenzied expansion was draining his funds, especially with the emergence of Japan's 'Seijin Bank,' which had incurred even greater costs. Furthermore, John had substantial gold reserves, which further convinced Soros and Oilfield Capital that John's strength was waning!

Morgan, however, had no such thoughts. After his unpleasant encounter with Rockefeller, a faint hint of sarcasm appeared on Morgan's face. Over the years, every time Rockefeller had approached Morgan, it was about John's affairs—he was always after John, and even after Morgan himself, which had infuriated him greatly.

"Boss, isn't it a bit too much for us to reject Rockefeller's proposal so directly? We could have been more tactful. There's no need to make a scene like this. Besides, they have the White House and Donkey behind them. If we just confront them head-on, it will have a significant impact on us!"

“Jimmy, what you said does make some sense, but your argument is only superficial; you haven't gone deeper. Even if the White House and the Donkey are our enemies, so what? Don't you, like Soros and Oil Capital, think that John's frenzied expansion has already affected our own strength, leaving us with little capital? And don't you think that if we directly refuse now, we'll gain more benefits and deepen our relationship with John? Offering help in times of need is far more appreciated than adding to someone's success!”

"I don't know about Standard Chartered Bank, but Hurricane Investments hasn't changed at all. Their funds haven't been withdrawn at all. If there's any problem, it's only with Asian Energy and Quantum Mining, and Jaguar Security. The gold reserves of Japan's 'New Life Bank' were transferred from Quantum Mining and Jaguar Security. Over the years, John's accumulation in Africa has all turned into 'New Life Bank's' reserves, and Quantum Mining's gold has also been completely cleared out. As for the situation with Gulfstream Aerospace, there's no way of knowing!"

"What you've mentioned are just the forces on the surface. Haven't you considered John's hidden power? How many offshore companies does that guy control? In the mining industry, most of the assets Xuehong acquired were sold through John's offshore companies. How much capital do you think he controls? Another issue is that all major families have hidden funds and secret accounts in Europe. Do you think John wouldn't have made preparations in this regard? I'd believe it if he had his own secret bank in Europe."

"No way. I could accept it if John had his own secret accounts in Europe, since big families usually have such preparations. But a secret bank is impossible. It's impossible for Oil Pacific Capital not to have noticed it, and it's impossible for them to hide it from the Federal Reserve, or even from us!"

"You're still too arrogant and too confident in the Fed's strength and Morgan's abilities. Don't be fooled by our constant scrutiny of John; we didn't do that in the early years. With John's cunning, do you think he was prepared for this? Given his financial prowess, even if he had hidden a little bit of capital back then, he could have made amazing gains over the past decade or so. Is it really that difficult to control a secret bank?"

Faced with his boss's question, Jimmy frowned. He had indeed been too naive. In the first few years, Morgan had not been able to fully monitor John's every move or understand everything about him!
Seeing the change in Jimmy's expression, Morgan sighed again and said, "Jimmy, remember, don't be too confident, and don't believe everything you see or hear. Although the Federal Reserve is very powerful and Morgan has a lot of influence, they can't possibly control global financial changes, let alone banking transactions. If John has made some arrangements in Europe in advance, not only us, but even the Europeans wouldn't be able to detect it."

“Boss, I understand. I will keep this in mind and won’t make the same mistake again.” Morgan shook his head and said, “This isn’t a mistake, just a reminder. In the US, neither Morgan nor the Federal Reserve can completely control everything in the financial market, let alone globally. John has two major banks in the US; do you think he only has Standard Chartered overseas? Also, that old Rockefeller guy was right. John has touched the interests of many people this time, and those guys are already furious. But they don’t dare to act rashly because John has been away from the US, and Jaguar Security has been on high alert. This is blatant military intimidation!”

"Doesn't John intend to stay away from the US for Christmas and New Year's? Doesn't he worry that this will cause even greater repercussions and create more trouble for himself? No matter how powerful he is, he can't possibly be at odds with everyone!"

“He’s not against everyone, he’s only against those greedy guys. And things aren’t as dangerous as you think. Jaguar Security isn’t just for show, and its influence in Oregon isn’t just for show. This is real business competition. If anyone dares to break the rules, it won’t just be John’s problem anymore, you understand?”

"Hiss! This is insane! Is it really necessary? Can't John compromise a little? If things escalate, the consequences will be unimaginable. He can't handle such an impact!" Jimmy's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected things to get this crazy. If it weren't for his boss's words, he would never have known this secret!

"Crazy? No, it's not crazy at all. It's perfectly normal. You just haven't seen enough of this. It's been commonplace in the past. John isn't incapable of handling all this, nor is he completely opposed to everyone. At least most of Wall Street is on his side, and international speculative capital is on his side. You don't think John's cooperation with Middle Eastern tycoons is just a joke, or that the power of the media is merely for show. He's not just attacking the reputation of oil capital; he's issuing a warning. He's prepared for everything, but do you think those guys are prepared for the same? Why do you think the White House's Zipperton is in such a hurry, and why that old Rockefeller is coming to his door? Because they're desperate. They're worried they can't outmaneuver John."

The changes in Japan, the emergence of 'Seishin Bank', and the integration of Japanese assets have caused concern among many. Although 'Seishin Bank' has only been established for a short time, it is by no means simple. The power it wields is far more terrifying than people imagine. Japan's stock exchange has already become part of 'Seishin Bank', which shows how formidable its strength is.

The compromises made by the Korean Daewoo Group and the Korean government also shocked everyone. But all of this was just the visible part of the operation. What preparations John made in the shadows, and how terrifying his schemes were, no one knew. Even Morgan, the big boss, dared not think he had a complete understanding of John's actions.

Only by truly understanding how shrewd John's methods are can one comprehend how intense the internal struggles within the United States were during this Asian financial crisis. The struggles between John and Rockefeller, between John and oilfield capital, and between John and the White House are just a small part of the story. Amidst the clash of interests, there are many more internal struggles within the United States, and Wall Street is far from peaceful.

The more Morgan understood the situation in the United States, the more he realized how terrifying John's methods were. Unless someone dared to overturn the table, no one could outmaneuver John in the current situation. His control of media and retail had made John invincible and left those old guys with no way to fight him.

John's presence in Asia, rather than returning to the United States, is itself a statement, a form of deterrence. A wise man avoids dangerous situations; the US is currently rife with undercurrents, but the situation in Asia is entirely different. Compared to the US, John's power in Asia is stronger, and he can better ensure his safety.
In Asia, even those who actively stirred up trouble, like Soros and Oilfield Capital, were not in danger, let alone someone like John. Moreover, Morgan Stanley is well aware of how cautious John is. Now, the Bayard family has also become more low-key, naturally due to the Asian financial crisis. They have profited considerably from this crisis; Hurricane Investments manages a portion of the Bayard family's funds for investments. These are the publicly known arrangements; how much is done covertly is unknown. Therefore, the United States is not peaceful either!
(End of this chapter)