America: My Time

Chapter 1250 Perspectives and Accumulation of Strength

Chapter 1240 Perspectives and Accumulation of Strength

"Well, you didn't expect China to change so fast, did you? It's almost like a different place every day. To be honest, neither the US, Europe, nor Japan, nor even South Korea or Taiwan, have much potential. In comparison, China is the one with the most potential. Perhaps in ten years, China will become the world's factory." After the plane landed at Beijing Airport, John couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the city.

The changes in China are happening so fast these days. He had only been gone for a short time, and the capital had already undergone new changes. These changes brought John a touch of joy, and his mood improved.

"Impossible. No matter how fast China develops, it can't become the world's factory. Besides, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are all developing very quickly, and their potential is much greater than China's. Not to mention the United States and Europe." Lee Boo-jin couldn't accept John's statement. Although she had seen the great changes in China, she still couldn't accept it.

"You still haven't grasped the essence of the matter. Although the US and Europe are very powerful now, their potential has reached its limit, especially Europe. I can hardly see any future for them. Those guys are living off their past achievements. They have no markets and no population. Especially France, those guys are simply insane. Perhaps in a few decades, France will become a black-dominated country. Excessive social welfare will crush them."

“But the United States doesn’t have such a problem, does it?” Lee Boo-jin knew the United States well. The United States didn’t have the same social welfare system as Europe, so she didn’t think that the United States’ potential was not as great as China’s.

"The US, do you think that because I'm American, I don't understand the US? The US is already following the old path of Britain. The relocation of manufacturing will cause the US to lose its development potential. Also, although the US doesn't have excessively high social welfare, its labor costs are too high, and it tolerates labor unions—these are all its own crises. Actually, whether it's Europe or the US, the biggest problem is land privatization. This situation has directly solidified the current situation, making future development very difficult. 'To get rich, build roads first.' Europe and the US have convenient transportation now, but that's only for now. Technology is developing, and times are progressing. What do you think the transportation situation between Europe and the US will be like in ten years or so? In comparison, China doesn't have this problem. And this is just the transportation issue; the rest is even more problematic. Frankly, you haven't truly witnessed the ridiculous freedom the US claims. If you saw the US subway and railways, you'd know how terrible they are. That nonsensical 'freedom' will become the straw that breaks the camel's back."

What is this so-called freedom? It's a deliberate tactic to mislead the underprivileged, leading them astray. How can someone without a sense of order possibly succeed? 'Freedom' comes at a price, but unfortunately, no one tells them this, and the media is giving them the 'freedom' they crave. And this isn't just limited to these aspects; now, they're being given even greater 'freedom' in education as well.

Countless individuals have already betrayed the cause, becoming pawns of conglomerates and the upper class. As soon as someone speaks out against the unfairness, public schools will change course, giving them the 'fairness' and 'freedom' they desire. And this 'fairness' and 'freedom' directly become the biggest force that destroys their future.

Unfortunately, who can blame them for all this? They can only blame themselves, because these were the demands they made. Once they gradually fall into this kind of 'fairness' and 'freedom,' it will be very difficult for them to change their own fate, and even their descendants will not have the opportunity to change their own fate.

The reason the US is now aggressively developing its entertainment industry is simply to guide people. John understands this perfectly and is tacitly cooperating with everyone. The reason John is at odds with the old guard of the American conglomerates, yet no one dares to directly confront him, is not only because John possesses 'force,' but also because he controls the power of media and entertainment, and is tacitly cooperating with everyone. This prevents those guys from completely severing ties with John; they fear that without John, this media tycoon, their entertainment plans will be affected.

"Then why do you look down on South Korea and Japan? Japan is now the world's second largest economy, and South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are among the Four Asian Tigers. Even if the Asian financial crisis broke out, it wouldn't have a significant impact on them."

"What does Japan have? Resources and a large population. Japan's development to its current state is due to US support and its large population. However, due to trade issues, they are now in conflict with the US, and their population advantage has reached its limit. Japan's pension fund is now insufficient, and their market is even more laughable. Japan is now trapped in another vicious cycle. It's no longer the frenzy of the bubble era, but rather extreme austerity. Japan has adjusted its policies time and time again, but it hasn't been able to restore its consumption. South Korea is even worse. It has no resources, no population advantage, and its conglomerates are incredibly reckless. It hasn't been long, and South Korean conglomerates are already incredibly frenzied. How can I be optimistic about them? Another major problem is labor costs. Neither South Korea nor Japan can compare to China, so those guys in Japan are investing heavily in China."

John paused slightly at this point before continuing, "Let's talk about China. It not only has abundant resources but also a huge population advantage. It can be said that as long as they make good use of their population advantage and reap the benefits of the demographic dividend, they will inevitably develop. Coupled with their cheap labor costs, I can't think of any problems they might face."

"Is this why you've been investing so heavily in China?"

"I wouldn't say I'm going all out, I'm just doing my best. China is just one of my key investment areas, but I also have significant investments in Europe, Asia, and the United States. It's just that their focus is different compared to China."

John's investments in China are in manufacturing, while in Asia, Europe, the United States, and even Africa and Australia, the focus is entirely different—on high-tech, retail, and resource control. Manufacturing is not his primary focus; the high labor costs are a major deterrent and become the biggest obstacle to growth and expansion.
"Alright, let's not talk about these things anymore. Now we just need to develop according to our own plans. South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia are no longer the focus of our investment. You should spend more time paying attention to the situation in China, preparing to expand our investment, and learning more about the market here."

If it weren't for the Asian financial crisis, John's funds would have been invested in finance and acquisitions, presenting a golden opportunity to expand investment in China. However, John was powerless to act; even if he wanted to invest more, he lacked sufficient funds, and obtaining loans from the Japanese was impossible. The Japanese banks wouldn't give him another chance, wouldn't engage in such "cooperation." This is why John undertook the transformation of "Seijin Bank"—to use Japanese deposits to develop the company. At this point, no one would believe how crazy the Japanese would be to drive deposit interest rates to zero.

When John returned to the capital, Soros and his cronies went wild, their frenzy accelerating the Asian financial crisis. The situation in Japan worsened; despite receiving considerable 'support' from John and having access to cheap energy, their currency failed to recover and continued its rapid decline.

Standard Chartered Bank, Hurricane Investments, and Shinsei Bank are all secretly shorting the yen, and this whole operation started six months ago. As for South Korea, it goes without saying. It's precisely because of John's aggressive moves that he doesn't have much capital left to deploy.

However, John also understood that the first phase of the Asian financial crisis was soon coming to an end, and those bastards like Soros needed time to recuperate. After all, these guys weren't made of iron and couldn't continue acting so recklessly forever. John's departure was also giving them a chance, time to rest. If John had stayed in Seoul, or even gone to Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong after leaving Seoul, would those guys like Soros have been able to stay put?

Even if John returns to the United States, these guys won't sit still. Only when John is in China can they breathe a sigh of relief, readjust, relax, and have some time to rest.

Even with the Asian financial crisis raging like this, and even with John's frantic expansion in Asia, Morgan did not contact him again this time. He remained silent, ignoring all attempts to persuade him from the White House and Rockefeller's side, and simply watched indifferently.

When John returned to Beijing, it was already December. To his surprise, the people he had sent to Hong Kong had also returned, even before him. This was unexpected. Clearly, there were problems in Taiwan as well, and the Phoenix Group's problems were bigger than he had imagined.

However, John didn't have time to deal with all of this right now. Even though he understood that Phoenix Media had significant problems, now wasn't the time to take action. Phoenix Media's development in the United States still needed time; at least the recovery of MGM Studios would take time. If he were to touch anything Phoenix Media had in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea at this time, it would affect his subsequent acquisitions and expansion in Southeast Asian countries.

John won't take action against these guys before the new year. Only by lowering their guard and getting them to reveal themselves can he determine the problems with the Phoenix Group and then quickly eliminate all these hidden dangers in the shortest time.

More than a decade has passed, and Phoenix Group has many internal problems. Huang Xizhao, whom I once trusted, has also developed many issues. Even if I want to reorganize, I need to make comprehensive preparations and arrangements. I cannot allow Phoenix Group to fall into difficulties because of the reorganization.

Back in Beijing, John became more low-key, no longer appearing in the media, and instead quietly spending time with his family. Although he had already informed his family in the United States, some questions remained; some people were still testing him, using various means to inquire whether he would return to the US for Christmas.

This time, John and his family had agreed to spend the holidays in China to avoid the many things happening in the United States. Although the situation in the US wasn't too chaotic at the moment, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. As long as the Asian financial crisis wasn't over, John didn't plan to return to the US, meet with those guys on Wall Street, or get entangled with those old fogies of American financial groups. Given even the slightest opportunity, those guys would relentlessly pester him.

The more John understood the magnitude of the problems in the United States, the less he dared to go back for the holidays. Otherwise, if he got entangled with those guys, it would be difficult to extricate himself. If he were to be entangled with them, he feared he wouldn't have much energy left to keep an eye on the Asian financial crisis. Even though he had made preparations, no matter how good the preparations were, problems could still arise, and he dared not completely let go.

Soros and those bastards in the oil and gas industry have been preparing and plotting against me all along, and they'll be striking again soon. Although they've started to back down now, it's just preparation for the next attack. Anyone who thinks it's all over is a fool.

Neither Soros nor the oil tycoon will give up so easily, not to mention the presence of the US Federal Reserve and the White House behind them. Expecting these guys to back down is impossible. They haven't achieved their goals yet, so how could they possibly let Soros or the oil tycoon stop? Southeast Asia isn't at its lowest point, nor is it at the level they desire, not to mention Hong Kong and Russia are still safe.

Neither the White House nor the Federal Reserve will easily let Hong Kong or Russia off the hook. In fact, John believes that a large part of the Asian financial crisis is aimed at Hong Kong and Russia. It's just that these guys haven't made a move yet; they are still carefully observing and looking for a better opportunity.

(End of this chapter)