America: My Time

Chapter 1299 Warning
Chapter 1289 Warning

“Allen, you see? This is human nature. Under the lure of profit, anything can happen. You know why I sent Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington back to the US, but kept Jennifer Connelly behind? It was to see what these people really are like, and to let you understand what kind of people they are. Remember, never believe what these guys say when you're with them, and never actually associate with them. Those guys are not good people.”

When Alan heard John's words, he was completely bewildered. He had been involved in high society circles for quite some time, but it didn't seem as dangerous as his brother had described. He could accept the people in this circle!

Just then, Smith said in a deep voice, "John, don't corrupt your brother. You can ignore those people, but you can't with Allen. He's not on the same path as you!"

"Dad, I can't agree with what you're saying. The circles you've been in are relatively good, but the circles Allen will be in later are completely different. I know more about the American high society than you do, and I know more about the shady dealings behind it. You probably don't even know that it took me so long to take over the IMG Group, and that it was purged before I took over. That's the secret of high society, and that's their madness. I know better than you how crazy things are in New York. I know even more than you how crazy things are in California. That's why I'm reminding Allen not to be careless and put himself in danger!"

"Brother, could it be that what I've been in contact with isn't the real high society?" Allen asked doubtfully, his eyes full of confusion. He couldn't understand why his brother would say such a thing!
“You’ve been in contact with high society, but only on the very periphery. Your father’s contact is with a more normal high society, but the real high society in America is insane.” John paused slightly, shook his head, and continued, “You should know Jeffrey Epstein. He’s the guy who created that insane environment for those people in high society. There are countless scandals about him, but they’ve all been suppressed. Do you know why?”

At this moment, Allen shook his head and said, "I don't know, I haven't encountered such a thing before!"

"It's understandable that you don't know. Even Dad doesn't know. The only ones who really know are the family members and me, who's also in the industry. They're banding together, and there are quite a few shady hands behind it. Hollywood is a place where interests are exchanged. You could say that if you don't have a powerful backer or a strong background, you'll have to pay the price, whether you're a female or male star. Even Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media can't avoid it. That's the rule of Hollywood. Of course, it's also the rule of the global entertainment market, with almost no exceptions."

“I’ve heard about that too, and people at school have mentioned it, but what does that have to do with what you’re talking about? I still don’t quite understand!” As someone who has to shoulder another responsibility in the family, Allen has also come into contact with some things, especially since his older brother is a Hollywood mogul. Naturally, some women who want to become famous will try to take advantage of him!

"Heh, you only know the surface, and what you've been exposed to is just the surface. Hollywood may seem chaotic and crazy, but it still has rules. But the financial circles in New York, or rather Wall Street, are just insane. Do you know what the darkest circle in the US is? It's the modeling industry. The modeling agencies in New York and even Europe and America are actually the darkest. The madness of Wall Street is beyond your imagination. The reason I took over IMG a little late is because someone was cleaning up those shady dealings. Of course, Wall Street is indeed crazy, politicians are crazy too, and even Silicon Valley is incredibly crazy now, it's just that it circulates in a small circle and hasn't come into the open."

"No way, that's Wall Street, that's Silicon Valley!" At this moment, Allen was shocked and found it hard to accept John's words. But Smith sighed. He understood John's intention. This was to give Allen a final lesson and make him understand the dangers of this industry!
"Nothing is impossible. So what if it's Wall Street? So what if it's Silicon Valley? They're both crazier than you imagine. Some say Hollywood is the darkest place, but that's just a smokescreen. The darker things are what you don't know. Those people on Wall Street control enormous sums of money every day, and every move they make puts them under immense pressure. Do you think their mental and physical health isn't affected? Don't be fooled by those fabricated images; they're just for ordinary people. If you believe them, you're a fool. You received an elite education, so you should understand how ruthless this circle is. What you've seen and experienced before is just the tip of the iceberg. I can tell you definitively that those guys on Wall Street are insane. Even good people who enter Wall Street will become insane. That's determined by the environment, not by them. As for Silicon Valley, that's a different story altogether—the result of losing control of one's mindset under the stimulation of wealth. And as for politicians, it's all about the lure of profit."

At this point, John paused again, giving Allen time to process the information, as well as his sister Eva and everyone else present time to process it. If anyone had a deeper understanding of all this, it would be Naoko and the other beauties, as they had all experienced it.

In comparison, Zeng Li's understanding was limited; at most, she knew about the dark side of the entertainment industry, but even that was limited to the kind of deals seen in Hollywood. Compared to the real upper class in the United States, it was insignificant. After all, China's development hadn't been long enough to reach the level of madness it would later experience.

"Big brother, now that you say that, I'm a little scared!" Allen said with a wry smile.
"It's good to be afraid. What I've said is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you know what I'm asking of you? Don't associate with them, and don't care what they think. All you need to do is control the voice of Oregon. If you really associate with them, I'm afraid you'll be ruined. I'm not worried about your money; the shares in 'Dream World' are enough for you to live a carefree life. But women are a big problem. Don't be fooled by the fact that there doesn't seem to be any bad news coming out of America's high society right now; they can't suppress it. If you can't understand this, think about the death of Marilyn Monroe. As for those crazy parties, it's best not to attend. Once you attend, someone will have leverage over you, which could become a fatal threat at a crucial moment. We're not vying for the presidency. Even someone as powerful as the Kennedy family, you should know what happened to them. We just need to hold onto Oregon, so we don't need to care what they think or how they feel, and we certainly don't need to ally with them!"

John's words shocked both Allen and Smith; neither had expected his request to be so simple. The beautiful women were also astonished and incredulous, especially Lee Boo-jin and Jennifer Connelly. Both had experience in high society and, upon learning of Allen's chosen path, assumed he was preparing for the presidency. "Brother," one of them said, "I don't quite understand. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for the family if I could sit in that position?"

"Help? You're wrong. That's not help, that's pressure, even danger. Don't think that position is so powerful just because of what Zipperton and Donkey did to me. I didn't touch them not because they're so strong, but because I was worried about the scheming of those old guys like Rockefeller, worried that my actions would instill fear in some people. Just like this time, the moment I retaliated, the moment Morgan made his decision, things changed immediately. In the face of absolute power, they're nothing. That position isn't as good as you think, nor is it as powerful as you think; it will offend people." John sighed deeply as he said this.

“John, you’re being a bit too extreme. Things aren’t as serious as you think. The presidency still has many advantages and benefits. Otherwise, why would the donkey and the elephant fight like this?”

"Dad, you've misunderstood me. You were talking about partisan struggles, but I was talking about our family's problems. Do you think we should prioritize business, or follow the family's political path? I'm now a member of an American conglomerate, and our assets are already at the top of the American financial system. If we were to fight for that position, what do you think those old Rockefellers would think? Do you think they'd feel at ease? We just need to hold onto Oregon; everything else is secondary. What's blocking our way is an elephant!"

John was well aware that Alan and Eva's marriage was essentially a political alliance. It was precisely because he knew this that he chose to remind Alan and even Eva at this time, fearing they might be unknowingly drawn into the situation. John knew all too well how outrageous the 'dark events' that would later be exposed in the United States were—one after another. And in their struggle for that position, the donkey and the elephant used every means imaginable, without any scruples, breaking all the rules. But who was affected? Were families like Morgan and Rockefeller involved?
John warned Allen precisely because he understood this, fearing that Allen, being young, might not be able to control his desires and be led astray, just like the British prince who was schemed against, and the likes of Zipperton who were exposed. The royal prestige vanished overnight due to the prince's ignorance and folly.

In John's view, it meant marrying the wrong person and doing the wrong thing, a situation he certainly didn't want to happen to his family, causing him to lose face and be stigmatized. It's human nature for men to be lustful, but there must be limits; you must understand what is acceptable and what is not!

"If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place!" This saying couldn't be more fitting for the American upper class. Once they do something, it will eventually be exposed. John was well aware of how fierce the future struggle between the donkey and the elephant would be, which is why he was so cautious, giving those people no chance to scheme against him.

Everyone knew John was a womanizer and a playboy, but they couldn't do anything about him because they had no opportunity to target him. John controlled a huge media and entertainment group and was never short of beautiful women. Most importantly, John still had his principles and wouldn't expose any crazy things he did to them.

Even if I have my own ideas, aren't there still Japan and South Korea? Compared to Japan, Japan is the safest place. At least Japan is much better than the United States. It hasn't exposed many problems. It's not that they don't have any, but that their secrecy is better, or perhaps their resilience is better, their management is better, and they follow the rules. In contrast, the United States eventually fought to the point where they didn't even follow the rules anymore.

“John, you’re exaggerating. Rules can’t be broken. This was agreed upon by all the major families back then!” Smith said dismissively. After all, he was also a member of the Bayard family, and he knew the importance of rules.
Hearing this, John shook his head and said, "Dad, you don't really believe that, do you? I don't believe it. Rules are for the weak. If you don't have enough power, people won't follow the rules. Besides, you know how crazy Donkey is. So I don't believe these guys will be honest. Just wait and see, it won't be long before Zipperton pays the price for his stupidity. He's offended all the financial groups in the US. Let's see how they deal with him!"

When John mentioned Zipperton, everyone's eyes lit up with curiosity. They all looked at John, wanting to get more information from him. After all, everyone has curiosity, especially about the secrets of the US president. This is especially true for women, who are naturally drawn to gossip!
John shook his head and said, "Alright, this is not something you should know, at least not right now. Knowing too much about many things is not a good thing. If you want to know everything, just wait patiently. At that time, you will know how vicious the corporations can be when they retaliate, and how heavy a price they can make a president like Richard Lambton pay."

(End of this chapter)