America: My Time

Chapter 1257 Counterattack
Chapter 1247 Counterattack

One stone stirs up a thousand waves. With the emergence of this scheme by the United States, the impact gradually emerged, and the Europeans followed suit. The one in charge of all this was Oil Pacific Capital. Those guys wanted to scheme against John to the death, and the temptations they offered were even more astonishing, as if John could get assets that he could not obtain before as long as he was willing.

Unfortunately for them, John remained unmoved, sitting firmly on his laurels and unswayed by their temptations. He did nothing until he secured the film libraries from Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures, simply observing the situation from the sidelines. It was clear he didn't trust their integrity; without a good start, there would be no further 'cooperation'.

This situation put pressure on Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures. The Japanese didn't want to get involved, but they couldn't withstand the pressure from the Americans. Moreover, this time Sony didn't have Akio Morita to represent them. John Wick wasn't going to give Sony any face; he clearly wanted Columbia Pictures' film library, nothing else was negotiable. This gave the Sony team a huge headache.

Although they wanted to find someone to intercede on their behalf, they suddenly realized that without Akio Morita, Sony no longer had much influence. Naoko had no connection with them, and it was even more impossible to get Riko to intervene. Riko was also a shrewd person who did not owe Sony any favors. If there was any favor to owe, it was only to Akio Morita.

Given the current situation, Akio Morita will not take the initiative to step forward and waste his favors. He will save those favors for his descendants. Sony is no longer his era, and this time the old man has truly let go completely.

Sony tried to find someone to intercede, but after searching around, he found that the beautiful women around John ignored them, and some of them weren't even in Japan. This made their efforts even less fruitful, and it also showed that Sony, without Akio Morita, had lost its former glory. They were now paying the price for their past mistakes. Knowing the danger, they still insisted on participating in this conspiracy; they brought all the consequences upon themselves.

The Japanese didn't care about Sony's situation, nor did they care. After all, Japan was in a bad situation and needed John's help. At this time, they wouldn't feel bad even if they had to sacrifice Sony's interests, otherwise, there wouldn't have been Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's sacrifice.

"Looks like those guys are still clinging to illusions and haven't felt much pressure. We need to put some pressure on them. Notify Standard Chartered Bank to launch their Southeast Asian plans and acquire television stations in various Southeast Asian countries. Since these guys don't want to give up their film library and want to waste time with us, let them know what pressure is!" John said with a disdainful sneer after receiving the telegram from his private secretary!

John was well aware of the situation in the United States. He wouldn't give those guys the chance to insist or back out. On the surface, it was a transfer of the acquisition plan, but with Standard Chartered Bank's move, Phoenix Group's funds were also transferred. The funds originally intended for the United States were directly transferred to Standard Chartered Bank's account in Southeast Asia. This situation was quite a blow to those guys!

Upon seeing John's actions, Lee Boo-jin couldn't help but sigh, "If all else fails, go back to the United States and take a look. As long as you intervene, everything will be resolved. Staying in China all the time will inevitably lead to some unexpected events!"

"An accident? That's exactly what I want. Without these accidents, where would I get my excuse? Everything needs to be fully prepared and have a solid reason. Right now, this isn't my problem, nor is it Phoenix Group's problem. They were the ones who brought up the acquisition of the film library, but now they're dragging their feet on selling. Isn't that the perfect excuse? It's killing two birds with one stone. I'd like to see who can hold out the longest. If Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures can continue to hold out, that would be even better!"

John smiled faintly as he spoke. He wasn't worried about those guys remaining silent or going back on their word. No matter what they did, he held absolute control. No matter how many schemes they had, it was useless; as long as they had the means, they would be led by the nose!
“But that’s a television station. Will those countries let Phoenix Media complete the acquisition? And won’t Soros and those guys from Oil Pacific Capital try to sabotage it?” Lee Boo-jin felt there was a problem with this acquisition. After all, it was a television station, not a newspaper or other media outlet; its influence was still significant. “Don’t worry, everything is ready. Standard Chartered Bank will take over. Those guys have no reason not to sell. Otherwise, they’ll face pressure from Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment. You don’t think Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment have no influence in Southeast Asian countries, do you? If Phoenix Media were to take over, there would indeed be some resistance, but if Standard Chartered Bank takes over, it won’t be a problem. If those guys wanted to take over, I would prefer to see it! It’s just a pity they won’t do that. They know very well that if they try to sabotage this acquisition, they will give me enough reason to attack them. At that time, no one can blame me for sabotaging the US’s plans. It will all be Soros and his group’s fault, and they will bear the consequences.”

For the sake of a few television stations, Soros and Oilfield Capital would bear such pressure—that's something they wouldn't do. Unless they're foolish, they wouldn't make such a decision. The reason John was so restrained during the Asian financial crisis, with neither Standard Chartered nor Hurricane Capital launching attacks against Soros and Oilfield Capital, and thus not disrupting their plans, is because John also faced pressure and constraints.

Despite the fact that the Federal Reserve and the White House hadn't directly spoken to him, and that the old guard in the US hadn't bluntly mentioned this hidden plan, John knew in his heart what he could and couldn't do. If he were to take action against Soros and the Asian financial crisis fueled by oil capital, he would be standing against everyone, and even he couldn't afford the consequences.

However, if all of this was caused by Soros, it would be completely different. Just like Soros's probing in Taiwan, before I could even react, someone came forward to discuss with me, asking me to let Soros off the hook. By giving face, I was giving Soros one last chance. If he dares to make another move against Standard Chartered's acquisition, it will no longer be a small matter. He will have to face John's wrath, and no one will be able to say anything.

We've already given him face. If he wants more, it would be a real slap in the face to John and a violation of the rules of the game. If John were the weaker party, there wouldn't be any problem. The key is that John is not weak; he also stands at the top of American high society. So, such a thing cannot happen.

Although John had already explained, Lee Boo-jin still had a faint worry on her face. After all, the impact of all this was too great, and it was a matter of ripples that would affect the whole situation. Once a big commotion broke out, things would get out of control!
Seeing Lee Boo-jin's expression, John felt a warmth in his heart. At least Lee Boo-jin hadn't acted heartlessly. So he smiled calmly and said, "Alright, don't worry. Your understanding of chaebols is still limited. You can't compare the situation in South Korea to that in the United States. Perhaps in South Korea, those chaebols can run rampant and act without restraint, but in the United States, they still have to be mindful and abide by the rules. If they break the rules, do you think I won't? They started all of this; they came to me first. So even if there are any problems, it's their fault. And do you think going back to the United States now can solve everything?"

At this point, John shook his head and sighed, "If that's what you think, you're sorely mistaken. If I go back to the US, while it might solve the immediate problem, it will only get me into bigger trouble. Even that bastard Richard Lambton might get involved. Do you think I should give the President face or not? If I do, my own interests will suffer; if I don't, those guys will have an opportunity to target me. Although they might not dare to do anything drastic, they can still damage my reputation and weaken my influence in the US! Don't be fooled by what you see. Those old guys are more insidious and cunning than you imagine. If you're even slightly careless, you'll pay a heavy price!"

John never trusted those old guys in the US. All they cared about was profit. They set up this trap to lure him in because they were worried that he would do more during the financial crisis and gain more benefits from the Asian financial crisis.

Now that he has a perfectly legitimate reason to transfer Phoenix Group's funds to Southeast Asia, what will those guys think? Will they be nervous? Will they worry that the situation will change, that Standard Chartered Bank will sabotage their plans, or even detonate everything prematurely and reap the rewards, depriving them of their chance to profit? When it comes to profit, those old guys don't dare gamble with it. They don't dare ignore John's actions, they don't dare ignore Standard Chartered Bank's power, not to mention the presence of Hurricane Investment in the shadows!

(End of this chapter)