America: My Time

Chapter 1269 John's Plan

Chapter 1259 John's Plan
“John, peace brings wealth. You can’t go too far. You have to give everyone an explanation. And if you really do this, you’ll completely break with Donkey, and even the old man won’t be able to smooth things over for you!” Smith looked at John with a serious expression. He hadn’t expected John to turn out this way.

"Dad, you're overthinking it. I don't need to answer to anyone. Let alone Laughingham, even if you let Rockefeller stand up, would he dare to ask me for an explanation? If we really bring up old grievances, their fate will be even worse. I haven't broken any rules, but they have. I just didn't hold it against them for Morgan's sake, and for the sake of American interests. If things really escalated, it wouldn't be me who would suffer, but them. And that bastard Laughingham, would he dare let the public know about what he did to me? It's true that peace brings wealth, but it won't work on those guys. The more you back down, the more they push. I know exactly what they're thinking."

Although John can no longer be said to be fully powerful, he is no longer afraid to fall out with those old guys. At least Morgan is on his side. This is not only a matter of interests, but also a tacit understanding between the two companies. Morgan has taken his wariness of the US to heart and has investigated the US, which is why he is cooperating with John so well.

Those guys wanted to drain John's funds, but Morgan also wanted to use this opportunity to make those old fogies bleed, forcing them to hand over real benefits, otherwise these assets would fall into the hands of Oil Pacific Capital. Although Morgan was unwilling to accept this, Oil Pacific Capital was expanding too rapidly, and the assets they controlled were too vast. Most importantly, their influence was constantly growing, which was what Morgan was worried about.

Although Morgan and John hadn't formally discussed this matter, they were tacitly working together to target and restrict the development of Youtai Capital in the media and entertainment sector. Everyone was eager to make changes, to manipulate the public, and to use entertainment as a strategic tool. Therefore, the entertainment industry was bound to boom. Youtai Capital's power in media and entertainment was considerable, and among the investors, only John could rival them and hold the upper hand. This is why Morgan made this suggestion, giving the old guard an opportunity, and also giving John an opportunity!
"Even if you make a scene in front of the public, you won't get away with it. Transferring assets, how do you think the public will view you? All your previous plans could be ruined, and your public image would be in crisis. Do you think it's worth it?"

“Dad, you’re overthinking it. I’m not afraid of them making a big fuss now. Don’t forget, I didn’t cause all this. It was those old guys who caused it. Since they gave us this opportunity, they should have known what was going to happen. This is just an exchange of interests. They got everything they wanted, and I got everything I wanted. Otherwise, do you think those guys would be at ease with me having so many assets? Do you think they don’t know I’m transferring assets? They all know, and they’re all perfectly aware of it. They’re even cooperating with me tacitly. They don’t want me to have too many assets and for my influence among the American people to continue to increase. They’ve always been on guard against me.”

John understood business and the scheming of those old Rockefellers better than his own family, even better than the old man himself, since he controlled the assets. The reason those guys allowed him to break up so many groups was to reduce his influence.

After this split, the value of their assets in the United States shrank, and their overseas assets gradually disappeared from their names. Their own assets decreased rather than increased. As long as no one reported it and exposed everything to the public, there would be no problem. No one dared to do this, not even Oil Pacific Capital, otherwise they would have to bear the wrath of the public.

During the restructuring, John tacitly began listing the US assets to share profits, while the overseas assets were out of the question. Thus, they cooperated seamlessly. Unfortunately, not everyone could see through this, at least not many in the US upper class. In many people's eyes, the conflict between John and Rockefeller was blatant, and Rockefeller was consistently targeting John.

In fact, there was a tacit understanding between them. At least when there was conflict and confrontation between them, many people would be wary and would seek an opponent. This was the tacit understanding between John D. Rockefeller and John Morgan.

Before things are fully exposed, how many people can truly see through it all? Even Laughlin probably didn't see it that clearly, otherwise this guy wouldn't be jumping around so wildly, wouldn't be going to such lengths to offend him. It seems Rockefeller has been constantly explaining and taking some responsibility upon himself, but it's all just for show. The problems between John and Laughlin are escalating, and the conflict with Donkey is also growing increasingly serious.

Martin's retirement exacerbated their conflict, leaving no room for compromise. While Oregon may still appear to be the Donkey's territory, it has long since changed, now firmly in John's hands, though nominally still Donkey territory. John has been searching for an opportunity to break with the Donkey. Despite the ongoing conflict between John and the Donkey, the Elephant has been consistently courting John, especially through Little Bush, whose connection with John has never wavered. Even Jennifer Connelly sometimes spends a lot of time with their family, a move with significant implications. Smart people understand what this means; Jennifer Connelly is not Claudia Schiffer. In high society, many understand that she can represent John's decisions!

"You're trying to get away from this situation, but do you understand the consequences and the impact on your family?"

“Of course I know, and the old man knows too. As long as the time is right, I will jump directly to the elephant’s side. We can’t always be the donkeys. We also need to cooperate with the elephants. I stand on the elephant’s side, the family stands on the donkey’s side, and my uncle will also return to the elephant’s side. Isn’t that a good outcome?”

"Hiss!" Smith gasped upon hearing John's words. He himself was unaware of the situation; if John hadn't spoken up, he would likely have remained completely in the dark. This was, in fact, the unspoken understanding between John and Old Martin. With the donkey repeatedly causing trouble for John, Old Martin had long since lost his patience. However, such decisions couldn't be made lightly; caution was paramount, lest they lead to considerable trouble. A single state was enough to drive the donkey mad, prompting even more outrageous actions.

“John, you and the old man have already discussed this. This is no joke. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be very serious. Those guys from the Donkey’s faction will retaliate fiercely, especially since the Donkey is in power.”

"Don't worry, everything is fine. And do you think the donkeys dare to completely turn against me now? As long as I don't openly choose Elephant, they'll have to put up with it. At most, they'll let that guy, Zip-Dun, target me and annoy me. But do you think I need to care about them now? My focus has shifted overseas, and they can't affect me at all. As for media and entertainment, see how many of them dare to suppress me. As long as they dare to make a move, I have enough reason to retaliate. In media and entertainment, I'm really not afraid to be their enemy, and once I make a move, those guys at Elephant will definitely go all out to help me. They won't let such an opportunity slip by."

"John, aren't you afraid that if you scheme against Donkey and Zipperton like this, they'll find out the truth and attack you in a frenzy?"

"Don't worry. Actually, Zipperton knows a little bit, but this guy has gotten too cocky and thinks he doesn't need to hold back anymore after being re-elected. He's offended too many people. Even if I don't take action, someone will teach him a lesson. I've heard some rumors. Just wait, there will be a good show next year. As long as someone jumps out to target Zipperton, I will definitely cooperate fully to let this guy know how powerful I am, make him restrain himself, and make Donkey restrain himself too."

Now, even without John taking the initiative, some people are already impatient and targeting Richard Lambton. Since taking office, this guy has repeatedly offended people, and to a large extent, so it would be strange if he didn't suffer retaliation. It's only because John has followed the rules and hasn't made a move that Lambton has already been targeted. Do they really think John's media mogul status is just for show? Look at the infamy of Oilfield Capital and Soros now, and you'll know how powerful John's influence is in the media and entertainment industry.

John is currently exercising restraint, avoiding a direct confrontation with Laugh Tale. He needs to focus his energy on the Asian financial crisis, not waste it on retaliating against Laugh Tale and Donald Trump. He has plenty of time to deal with these guys now; there's no need to act now. Moreover, John suspects that Donald Trump and Laugh Tale are so arrogant because they want to divert his attention from the Asian financial crisis, allowing their scheme to succeed and them to reap greater benefits. John just lacks evidence. However, many things don't require evidence; mere speculation is enough!
(End of this chapter)