America: My Time

Chapter 1267 The Group's Hidden Dangers

Chapter 1257 The Group's Hidden Dangers
As the Asian financial crisis gradually unfolded in directions he had not anticipated, John once again felt the pressure of a manpower shortage. Although he had been preparing for this for over a decade, the changes came too suddenly, leading to the current situation. Even if he wanted to change things, it wouldn't be something he could do in a short time.

Perhaps all of this was a conspiracy by those old guys. The things he was about to face were not just what appeared on the surface. Moreover, Morgan hadn't expected those old guys to be even more reckless, pushing his proposal to the extreme, trying to use this opportunity to probe John's financial situation. These old guys also had ill intentions. After all, it was Morgan who proposed all of this; they were just going along with it. Even if there were any problems, Morgan would bear the responsibility.

However, this was exactly what John had hoped for. At this moment, John also wanted to know what the old men like Rockefeller were up to, to what extent they could succeed, and whether they could persuade the Europeans and the British to join them. John already knew about their plans when these old men were scheming against Morgan, but he hadn't expected Morgan to step forward and offer them such advice.

While those old guys in the US were preparing to bring the British and Europeans into the game, John was watching the satellite broadcast of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. This was a crucial promotional tool for Victoria's Secret. More than a decade had passed, but the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show hadn't changed much. And yet, this latest show made John take it seriously!

"John, it's almost the holidays, could it be that there's been a problem with this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, making you look so worried!" Seeing John's expression, Anna, as his mother, couldn't help but ask. After all, John had been in Asia for a while and hadn't had time to deal with things in the US. It wasn't impossible that there were problems with Victoria's Secret, given that the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had been running for a long time.

“There is indeed a problem. The staff is too old, and they've lost all their passion. It's the same people all the time, and people will get tired of them. Besides, their endorsements expire next year. It's time to start creating new spokespeople, otherwise the ratings will plummet. This year probably won't be good.” John sighed deeply. Although he hadn't paid attention to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show or the Forever Group in recent years, things had reached a point where change was unavoidable. If he didn't make changes, he might lose control of the Forever Group.

“John, I don’t see anything wrong with the Victoria’s Secret show. Everything is fine, isn’t it?” Not only was his mother Anna puzzled, but even Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington, both former industry insiders, were also puzzled. They didn’t see anything wrong with this year’s Victoria’s Secret show and looked at John with puzzled expressions.

Claudia Schiffer added, "Yes, Cindy and Linda still have a lot of influence. Would restarting at this time affect Victoria's Secret's development? You also need to discuss it with Ms. Jung Hennessy of the group. After all, she is the CEO of the group. Wouldn't it affect the group's development if you don't discuss it with her?"

"Don't you think Ms. Jung Hen Han has been with the Forever Group for a bit too long? She's been the CEO from the very beginning. If this continues, do you think there won't be any problems? Even though I've been making arrangements and preparations, her influence is still too great. This isn't a good thing for the development of the Forever Group!"

More than a decade has passed, and John's attitude towards Andrea Jung has changed. Since the Forever Group split into three, the conflict between him and Andrea Jung has become increasingly serious. So he didn't want to continue like this. It was time to give up on Andrea Jung and find a new CEO for the Forever Group.

Of course, this isn't just about the group's development; it's also about interests. The current Andrea Jung has fundamentally changed and has more demands. She's already eyeing the shares of the Forever Group, which John cannot accept. If she sets this precedent, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"You want to reorganize the Forever Group?" At this moment, not only Claudia Schiffer was shocked, but even Jennifer Connelly was speechless. This was no small matter; it was a major event that would have far-reaching consequences!

“It’s time to make some changes, otherwise the group will face even bigger troubles and hidden dangers. If you’re interested, you can take over the Forever Group!” John looked at Jennifer Connelly with a calm smile, without the slightest hint of joking.

Although she was tempted, Jennifer Connelly shook her head and declined, saying, "I think I'll pass. I have limited knowledge of clothing, but Christy Turlington has the expertise, after all, she has more experience in this area than I do."

Christy Turlington was intrigued by this suggestion. The Forever Group was a substantial company, and she herself had some knowledge of the clothing industry; she wasn't a complete novice. However, she understood that this wasn't something she could propose; it required John's decision, as it wasn't a trivial matter. John nodded and said, "Alright, if Christy has the idea, then be prepared and give it a try. Since we're restructuring the Forever Group, we're not worried about short-term losses. At most, there might be some coordination issues; there shouldn't be any major problems with the professional aspects."

Because of the unusual circumstances this year, John and his family chose to spend Christmas in China to avoid being bothered by those guys in the US. After all, John's spending this time was too much, so much so that many people couldn't accept it and were filled with fear.

No dramatic incidents occurred despite the gathering of many beautiful women, but this does not mean that they can accept each other. They all have their own small circles and maintain a certain tacit understanding, and they will not interfere in other people's affairs.

For Zeng Li, all of this shocked her. Although she didn't know much about clothing, she was familiar with the name of the Yongyuan Group. Before the split, the Yongyuan Group was the largest luxury goods group, and even after the split, it was still a top-tier luxury goods group.

"Isn't it a bit too shocking? Actually, you'll get used to it after experiencing something like this a few times. It's just that not everyone is willing to accept such 'benefits.' It not only requires sacrificing one's 'freedom,' but also having the ability. So far, I've only seen Lee Boo-jin and Kikuchi Momoko with such abilities; the others are far behind. In fact, even Kikuchi Momoko is quite different." Seeing Zeng Li's unusual expression, Mi Xue kindly explained to her.

Zeng Li was initially unable to accept this situation. Even with Mi Xue's explanation, she was even more shocked and incredulous. This was a luxury goods group with astonishing assets, and to make such a decision seemed too frivolous.

Zeng Li sighed and said, "I am truly shocked. Even now, I find it hard to accept!"

"You're right that you can't accept it. Actually, none of us could accept it at first either. Back then, John gave us plenty of opportunities to develop our business skills. He allocated many wineries in France and the United States to us. We were to manage them, and whether we earned a lot or a little depended on our abilities. But in the end, nothing came of it, and we had to take it back and establish a wine group. Most of us don't have that much ambition. We just want to live our lives quietly without so much fighting."

At this point, Mi Xue paused slightly before continuing, "As you can see, we all have our own little circles. Originally, we were divided according to our respective areas, but some people chose to leave, which forced us Hong Kong and Taiwan people to merge together."

Originally, Mi Xue and her friends had the largest clique, but now it's smaller than Neon's. Mi Xue, Chung Chuh-hung, Sunny, and Zhang Yuyan form a smaller clique. Although Yang Gongru wanted to join, her personality clashed with the others, keeping her on the sidelines. After all, Yang Gongru didn't share their mindset; they had weathered many storms and no longer harbored much ambition. Yang Gongru, however, was currently at the height of her ambition. In contrast, Mi Xue admired Zeng Li more; her laid-back attitude was somewhat similar to theirs.

However, from the very beginning, Misha and her group never fought with anyone, nor was there any need to. Those who left weren't there because of conflict, but for their own reasons, and in the end, they parted amicably. Misha was aware that their departure would still have some impact, though. Their departure disrupted many of John's plans, but whether they regretted it now was unknown.

Mi Xue was also one of the most thorough in her retreat, abandoning Hong Kong to live on the mainland. Compared to fighting, she preferred to focus her energy on raising her children rather than engaging in pointless struggles. If there was any struggle, it was the rivalry between Lee Boo-jin and Kikuchi Momoko. The two disliked each other, but they tacitly ignored it all.

The largest circle of people was from Japan, including Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, Akina Nakamori, Momoko Kikuchi, Sachiko Kamachi, and Nanako Matsushima. The smallest group was Lee Boo-jin, who was the only one who could actually attend the gathering. The Korean beauties she had cultivated had not been accepted by John's family. After all, it takes time to gain acceptance from someone. Zeng Li's situation was a bit different, as the old lady was involved, so it didn't count. Moreover, John was not the same as before, and his parents no longer interfered in his private life.

(End of this chapter)