America: My Time

Chapter 1258 Unexpected Changes

Chapter 1248 Unexpected Changes
With John's intervention and the subsequent changes in Southeast Asia, many breathed a sigh of relief, while others were shocked. For China, John's decision brought a sense of calm; some had even wanted to speak with him, but were prevented from doing so, as such matters couldn't be discussed openly. In contrast, Soros and his ilk, along with those in the US, were facing a major headache.

With their intelligence, they could all see John's intentions and the hidden dangers behind those fund transfers. Moreover, these transfers were conducted openly and legitimately, leaving them speechless. Even if the White House wanted to stop it, they had no reason to, and dared not, since such matters couldn't be made public. They had initiated the whole affair, and now they couldn't restore things to normal. How could they be content with that?

Of course, some people in the US were happy, at least Morgan was very happy. John's move directly hit their weak spot, and Morgan could watch those old guys make a fool of themselves, or even take the opportunity to teach them a lesson. Although John had already made his move, all these changes were just beginning.

Before the US could react, Standard Chartered Bank completed the acquisition. Although everyone understood that this was all part of John's carefully planned scheme, the acquisition made them realize how ridiculous their own calculations were. Their self-righteous schemes were no match for absolute power, and even gave John a reason to act.

Standard Chartered Bank quickly began the handover process with Phoenix Group. This move sent shockwaves throughout Asia; no one expected things to happen so quickly, and everything was completed so fast, catching everyone off guard. Phoenix Group already had a significant influence in Asia, and now they had filled a major gap, giving them even greater influence and development potential.

If Asia Television's development had previously reached its limit, with no further room for advancement—after all, they couldn't expand their influence any further—this problem has now been solved. Phoenix Media Group is well aware of the filming capabilities of the countries behind this acquisition, thus significantly enhancing Asia Television's potential.

Although the acquisition came quickly, it did not have a significant impact on Asia Television. In fact, the original pressure dissipated considerably. This acquisition also reduced the internal strife within Asia Television, leading to improvements for both Asia Television and Phoenix Group, which had previously faced numerous problems.

This situation was unexpected by both John and Huang Xizhao. Phoenix Group had been developing for nearly twenty years, and with its continuous improvement, it gradually had fewer and fewer positions available. Naturally, internal struggles arose, which even Huang Xizhao couldn't suppress, since those people were all long-time employees of the company. However, the emergence of new positions immediately eased the internal struggles. Those who had ideas and abilities but couldn't get the positions they wanted now had something to strive for, which improved the situation of Phoenix Group and made everything turn for the better.

John was stunned when he learned of the changes at Phoenix Group. He had originally planned to use this opportunity to carry out a purge, but before he could launch the operation, the situation in Hong Kong and Taiwan improved on its own. Once he fully took over the television stations, everything would return to normal.

At this time, its influence was not limited to Hong Kong and Taiwan; it also had a huge impact on Japan, South Korea, and mainland China. This time, Phoenix Group made a move by acquiring several television stations, and the expansion of its influence was predictable, giving more people hope.

However, the situation on the Korean side has not improved. Those arrogant guys still think highly of themselves, and this acquisition has made them feel that they are even more important in Phoenix Group. They believe that Phoenix Group will be more affected if they leave, so they are jumping around even more excitedly.

If the problems in Hong Kong and Taiwan stemmed from their own development, with older employees blocking the path of newcomers and leading to internal strife, then the situation in South Korea is simply one of arrogance. Compared to the improved conditions in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where talented individuals have found hope and direction, the situation in South Korea is entirely different. Those guys are jumping out one by one, seemingly trying to give John, the boss, a hard time!

Perhaps too much time has passed, causing many to forget John's once-tyrannical methods. Back then, John dared to purge even Universal Pictures and NBC, so what was a small Phoenix Group branch in South Korea? These guys' suicidal actions have been meticulously recorded, and a ruthless purge awaits them. The more they jump around now, the more miserable they will be later.

Although Phoenix Media has made a comeback and returned to Hollywood, the loss of many assets from Paramount Pictures has had a significant impact. Even with the acquisition of MGM, it hasn't returned to its former glory, and some still believe Phoenix is ​​declining. However, this successful acquisition immediately put an end to such thoughts and spurred the motivation of the company's talent. In fact, the root cause of Phoenix's rapid deterioration lies with John McCain. His decision to split Phoenix into two entities caused unrest, particularly in Hong Kong and Taiwan, exacerbating internal conflicts and leading to numerous problems. Of course, Hong Kong also played a part; many were worried about changes there, and Phoenix's headquarters were located there.

Phoenix Media once controlled Hollywood giants like Paramount Pictures, giving filmmakers in Hong Kong and Taiwan a brighter future. However, the breakup dealt a blow to many. Even Phoenix's acquisition of MGM failed to revitalize them, given the vast difference between the two.

Paramount Pictures stood at the pinnacle of Hollywood, while MGM was in decline, and even with the support of Phoenix Media, it still couldn't match Paramount's influence. Now, with the new acquisition, the situation has finally stabilized, and the pressure on the television stations has instantly disappeared.

With a focus on Asia and a global perspective, Phoenix Media Group's current strategy is to solidify its foundation in Asia before expanding globally. If MGM Studios also overcomes its current difficulties, Phoenix Media Group's development will accelerate significantly.

What now? Phoenix Media has made such an astonishing acquisition. Do they still have plans to acquire Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures' film libraries? If they abandon these plans, will their Southeast Asian expansion be impacted?
At this time, Soros and his cronies were having a headache and were also in contact with the Federal Reserve and the old guard in the US. They were worried that John would take the initiative and act before them. If that happened, the consequences would be serious. Standard Chartered Bank was currently holding a huge amount of funds that John had transferred from Asia, which posed a threat to them.

Warner Bros. could hold on for a while, but Columbia Pictures couldn't. It wasn't that the studios themselves couldn't persevere, but rather that Sony couldn't. They were under pressure from the United States. If they didn't accept Phoenix Media's acquisition, they would face suppression from the United States, and the consequences were something they couldn't afford!

The scale of Akio Morita's operations in the US and the market share he held back then are directly proportional to the pressure Sony faces now. If such a situation were to occur, it would be a disaster for Sony. Is it worth sacrificing Sony's North American market share for Columbia Pictures' film library? Moreover, the Americans didn't just put pressure on them; they also offered some benefits, and under these circumstances, Columbia Pictures quickly compromised.

Before Phoenix Media had fully taken over the television stations in Southeast Asia, Columbia Pictures agreed to Phoenix Media's acquisition of their film library. However, Warner Bros. was still holding back, or rather, the old guys were worried about John's reaction and whether he would withdraw the funds back to the United States.

These guys were overthinking it. John had already considered the problems they were worried about. The moment Columbia Pictures compromised, Standard Chartered Bank directly transferred the acquisition funds to the United States. Once everything was completed, the funds would be deposited into Columbia Pictures' account. No, wait, this time it wouldn't be deposited into Columbia Pictures' account, but would be directly withdrawn by Sony. This was the benefit the Americans gave Sony: they could treat it as profit and withdraw the funds from the United States.

Under such tempting profits, Sony couldn't hold on any longer. After all, Sony's current situation is extremely difficult, and Japan is also facing significant challenges. This funding would allow Sony to catch its breath and ease its pressure. Sony has been struggling with real estate issues and its finances have been somewhat strained; this funding could potentially resolve that problem.

Although John had warned Akio Morita, unfortunately, Morita's decision did not change. Those guys still didn't want to give up the real estate company and still clung to a sliver of hope. Now, the arrival of the Asian financial crisis has caused them even greater losses!

(End of this chapter)