America: My Time

Chapter 1301 Breaking Down the Whole into Parts
Chapter 1291 Breaking Down the Whole into Smaller Units

Even John from the bank has started splitting things up, which shows how crazy he is this time. But Smith has to admit that doing so will indeed be as John said, everyone will accept it and cooperate, the Europeans' previous probing will end, and even if some people are unwilling, they will have to accept it, and they will be forced to accept it.

At this point, Smith understood why John was so confident and didn't care about the changes in the Europeans. Everything was under control. Once the bank made a move, everything would change quickly. By the time those people realized what was happening, they would quickly cooperate with John's plan. They wouldn't let anyone hinder John's plan or their plan!

“John, your plan seems fine at first glance, but there’s a bigger problem behind it: chaos, talent, and fragmentation. Once it’s broken up, it will never be able to form a strong force again; it will just be a disorganized mess. Have you thought about this problem?”

John nodded and said, “I’ve thought about it. There’s no other way. Since we’re taking this step, we have to do it. This is the beginning of the conglomerate’s transformation and the beginning of further control over everything. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. In the past, this wasn’t a problem, and the impact wasn’t too great. But now it’s different. Over a decade has made some people forget what fear is. Just look at the situation at the Forever Group, and the changes at the Phoenix Group. So this is unavoidable. Their actions crossed my bottom line, so this is something we have to face. During the reorganization, it was indeed a disorganized mess, but that doesn’t mean it will be like this in the future. And don’t you think this temporary separation is more conducive to development and expansion in various places, and further control over the market? There’s another issue. Although I was also a member of the American conglomerate in the past, compared with established conglomerates like Morgan and Rockefeller, there was still a considerable gap. This wasn’t a gap in assets, but a gap in management. One person’s energy is limited. Even with a think tank, there are still major problems. We weren’t truly united; we were still acting independently. But this time it’s completely different!”

“Using banks and asset management companies to gain control of the company is also a way to limit the company’s power. This does have some effect, but it will also limit the company’s development!” Smith saw the problem with this approach at a glance, but what management doesn’t have problems? This is perfectly normal.

"That's great. It tests the manager's ability. Without ability, they won't be recognized. And this way, I can step back and not have to spend more energy!" By freeing his energy from these industries, John also has time to integrate the internet company and make further, comprehensive plans!

Whether it's South Korea, Japan, China, or Europe, these are all key areas for my strategic layout. To achieve a comprehensive layout, I need to be well-prepared; otherwise, things will become incredibly difficult! Opportunities don't come twice. If I miss this period of the dot-com bubble, the price I pay for a comprehensive layout later will be much higher.

There are no problems in the US, given my long-term strategic planning. However, the real challenge lies in establishing a strong presence in Europe, China, South Korea, Japan, and Asia. The crucial issue is how to leverage limited funds to generate substantial profits during this dot-com bubble to prepare for future growth. This is my top priority!

My father won't believe these things now, and neither will those guys on Wall Street. Only by getting those old guys to look away from me and getting them all caught up in this madness can I fish in troubled waters, convert my assets into cash, and sell off all the assets that weren't in my plans.

Breaking it down into smaller parts—that was John's plan, his strategy for the banking sector, and even more so for the media and entertainment industry. Otherwise, if Legendary Entertainment, Phoenix Media, and Paramount Pictures were allowed to continue to grow and expand, the problems would become significant. Only by splitting them up could they have more room for development, avoid attracting too much attention, and satisfy and be acceptable to everyone!
When a group reaches a certain size, further expansion without going public becomes impossible; others will relentlessly target and monitor it. However, breaking it down into smaller units changes everything. The scale diminishes, and it becomes less noticeable. If John's previous strategy focused on conglomerate-style development, aggressively expanding to become a behemoth and giant in various sectors, then from this moment on, John's task is to dismantle these behemoths, break them up, and integrate them into their respective regions. Centered around banks and asset management companies, this creates smaller conglomerates, making them less conspicuous.
If he were to rashly form a massive conglomerate centered around Standard Chartered Bank, Integrity Bank, and Hurricane Investment, becoming a true financial group, those old guys in the US wouldn't sit still. Morgan might not be a problem, after all, he had a good relationship with Morgan, but would those old guys like Rockefeller sit still? John didn't think those old guys would tolerate his transformation; they would definitely try every means to sabotage him.

Now, John is going to split things up further, separating the two major banks and Hurricane Investment. Everything will be completely different. By forming small conglomerates in various regions, he can make those old guys accept it. This is John's idea and his plan. Moreover, even if problems arise, the impact on himself will be minimized!
Of course, some important groups cannot be split up. For example, defense companies like Gulfstream Aerospace will persevere and will not be split up, no matter how much pressure they face. If they are split up, it will not be easy to reintegrate them, and they will pay a heavy price!

John wasn't afraid of things getting out of control. As long as he was still there, everything was under control. If he didn't complete the transformation now, it would be difficult to do all this later. Moreover, with this split, the pressure on him had been greatly reduced, and everything was on the right track. He would have more time to make a new round of plans!

After hearing John's explanation, Smith suddenly understood everything. John's seemingly fragmented approach was actually preparation for the future, for the family, and for his children. Once his children grew up and took over these small conglomerates, they would form a powerful, globally influential conglomerate centered around the family!

Is it difficult to reorganize a conglomerate using kinship and blood ties? As long as John is alive, it won't be difficult; he can suppress everything, and might even be able to complete the reintegration himself before that moment arrives. At this point, Smith suddenly realizes that having so many beautiful women around John isn't a bad thing at all; on the contrary, it's a huge advantage, giving him more choices. Unfortunately, not everyone has John's ability to accomplish such extraordinary feats!
He understood, but he couldn't say it out loud, otherwise a good thing could turn into a bad thing. At this point, Smith also understood why John had been so lenient with Christie Turlington, letting her take over the Forever Group. In this frantic restructuring and consolidation, the Forever Group was insignificant; everything revolved around banking and finance!
Smith was fully aware of John's formidable financial power, and indeed, everyone in the financial world knew it. This was why those old fogies in the US were so wary of John, and one of the reasons John was doing what he was doing. Feigning weakness—that was what John was doing now.

With Momoko Kikuchi in Japan, things are relatively stable for now, and there shouldn't be any major changes in the short term. South Korea has Lee Boo-jin, so things shouldn't be too problematic either; compared to Kikuchi, Lee Boo-jin is more capable. Although South Korea still has many things to deal with, it's not a big deal, at least not in John's eyes!
The situation in Hong Kong is a bit different. Although Cherie Chung has some ability, it would be difficult for her to manage such a large amount of assets. Therefore, Standard Chartered Bank is the main force, and the charitable foundation is only an auxiliary one. The same is true in Taiwan. This makes John somewhat amused and exasperated. The beauties he has found are all too laid-back and lack any ambition.

John had initially placed his hopes on Kuroki Hitomi, but the girl quickly 'sinked' and chose to give up, leaving John helpless. Of course, this was a good thing, as it saved him a lot of trouble; he didn't need to worry about trouble at home, allowing him to focus on other matters!
Every coin has two sides, so John is now preparing to start training his children early, exposing them to business so they can take things one step at a time and become true elites.

"Naoko, you guys get ready to take over the three major football clubs. Remember, you only nominally control them. Let Martin and the others handle everything. Don't worry about short-term gains or losses. Also, don't get too excited yet. In a year or two, they'll all be involved. The assets in the sports group can be used for their experience. The four major American leagues, and Manchester United in England—they can take them over if needed. They can even take over other clubs they're interested in. If I don't have them, I can acquire them!"

(End of this chapter)