America: My Time

Chapter 1320 New Storm
Chapter 1310 A New Storm
Human nature is unpredictable, and John has never dared to be careless with the Russians. After all, the Russians aren't exactly benevolent, and it's always best to be cautious to avoid being caught off guard. Many believe that John's frantic asset restructuring, even involving Western Energy, is simply a way to transfer and hide assets. However, they don't realize that John is also acting out of caution towards the Russians, having already reaped considerable benefits from them!

The Russians aren't in a good position right now, and John doesn't know if they'll try to take advantage of him. But he doesn't dare gamble, because nobody knows if the Russians might do something irrational in a fit of anger!
The Spring Festival is over, and I can't stay in Beijing forever. I need to get moving, but there are some things to consider when I do it. I can't go to Russia right now, or I'll run into trouble in the US. There are too many people watching me, and those guys in the US are also eyeing Russia.
“Ms. Mary, do you think there’s a problem with us continuing the split? I plan to separate both parts production and sales, and Bentley Motors will no longer control production. There are quite a few people eyeing us now, wanting us to invest in production in the US. You should understand what that means.”

John didn't hide his intentions, nor did he exaggerate the current situation. There were indeed many voices in the US, especially from Ford, who had been targeting Bentley Motors. They feared that a General Motors acquisition would impact their own market share in the US, so they had been secretly making constant moves!

"Boss, has it really come to this? Haven't our previous plans worked at all?" Mary Barra wasn't completely unaware of the situation in the United States; she had sensed the changes there, and all of this was related to her boss. So, upon hearing these words, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly!

"It has indeed come to this point. You've heard about the sale of General Motors, and those rumors are true. Morgan is willing to sell General Motors to me in exchange for Dreamworld and Nvidia shares. Right now, the problem isn't too big, but once the deal is completed, someone will inevitably jump out to criticize us. We have factories in many countries, but not many in the United States. Don't be fooled by our sales as an excuse; if things really get out of hand, it won't be of much use."

"In other words, our manufacturing plants in various countries have become a weakness, a target for our enemies. We have production plants, but they are not located in our own country, which is a big problem!"

"That's right, which is one of the reasons why we're setting up operations in Oregon. While the parts factories and sales bring us considerable profits, they also put us under tremendous pressure. Don't try to reason with those lunatics; they won't listen. All they have in their hearts is greed, and behind them is a huge network of vested interests!"

"If that's the case, it's not impossible, but wouldn't it be too obvious if we did it now?"

"It's better to be obvious so those guys know our determination. You should understand that the changes at GM right now are preparations for the acquisition. How many people do you think will be willing to relocate? If they don't accept it, it won't be a big problem in the short term, but it will cause serious trouble in the long run. Although I've reached an agreement with those guys that they will share some of the pressure, this agreement won't last forever."

As soon as John said this, Mary Barra immediately understood and nodded, saying, "In that case, we must break up the company before the acquisition is completed, and we must do it quickly and cleanly, without giving those guys any chance."

"That's right, that's exactly what we're going to do. However, it's not just about splitting up; we have bigger plans. After the split, we won't be producing parts anymore, and those guys won't have an excuse to target us. But we also need to take more proactive steps. 4S stores are good, but we need to go further. We need to acquire and merge with repair shops, expand our used car business, and increase investment in the taxi market. That's our best excuse. We're going to give up parts production and focus our energy on these markets. Also, we need to increase investment in areas like engine oil; we need to control that market too!"

With one entry and one exit, the entry is into new markets, and the exit is manufacturing. This plan is indeed very good, and the reasons are very good. Even if someone tries to cause trouble in the future, it will not affect the Bentley Motors Group.

"Sure, I have no problem with it. It's just that I'm worried the other side will have a hard time adapting to such a rapid split!" Mary Barra was also a little worried about this split, after all, this was not a simple matter of splitting up, and there were many interests involved!
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems. The factory in Mexico will still be under Bentley Motors and won't be split up. After all, it's a preparation for supplying the North American market. Only the parts factories in Asia will be split up, or more precisely, the factories in China. After the split, the parts factories will supply the two major automotive groups, and the costs will be compressed to the minimum. Otherwise, what do you think would be the result if our parts factories supplied General Motors? This time, we're going to split up even more. Except for core components, we won't produce anything else; we'll split everything up."

Seeing John's determination, Mary Barra nodded. It was impossible for General Motors to use parts from her group; that would be a slap in the face. But after the split, the formation of a new group would be a completely different story.

"I understand, but this will take time, and we don't have that many talented people in reserve!"

"Then find a headhunting firm. Be quick, don't give the competitors a chance. We need to complete the layout as quickly as possible. As long as we control the after-sales service network throughout the United States, what can those guys use to compete with us? We not only have 4S stores, but also a huge repair and after-sales service network. With such advantages, can they compete with us? In terms of quality, we are not much different from them, but we have a greater advantage in after-sales service. What can they use to compete with us for the North American market? Not only in North America, but also in Europe. From now on, we will not fight them in a price war, but in a war of after-sales service!" Shifting to a new battlefield, this was John's arrangement for Bentley Motors Group, and also for General Motors.

Previously, Bentley Motors Group controlled all of the parts production. However, with its rapid expansion, the outcome of the Korean crisis, and the recovery of Nissan Motors in Japan, it became problematic for Bentley Motors Group to maintain full control over parts production. It was easy for quality issues to arise, since everyone was part of the same group and minor problems wouldn't be noticed. But after the split, everything is different. Not only can the development of Bentley Motors Group be guaranteed, but this danger can also be eliminated directly!
"Then I'll make the arrangements right away and complete the acquisition and strategic layout as quickly as possible!" "Good, but don't worry, I've made arrangements in the US and Europe. As long as Bentley Motors takes action, they will cooperate seamlessly to complete the acquisition. It's just that the layout in Asia isn't complete yet; that will take some time!"

"Hiss!" Upon hearing her boss's words, Mary Barra couldn't help but gasp. Her boss had indeed been well-prepared; everything had begun in advance. Even if the Bentley acquisition didn't yield significant results, it would still complete a new round of transformation, allowing for a swift and decisive victory!

"With your words, I have no other questions. Everything can begin now; there's no need to wait any longer. With your arrangements, we can start the transformation while waiting for the headhunting firm's response!"

“Okay, let’s begin!” John smiled faintly when he heard Mary Barra’s reply. In contrast, Mary Barra had not changed, or rather, she was more aware that her power came from John’s trust and she did not have any improper thoughts, which pleased John!

In fact, Mary Barra herself had been prepared for this for a long time. After all, she was well aware of the madness that had been taking place recently. With so many of John's assets being split up and restructured, how could Bentley Motors Group remain unchanged?

"What? John is splitting up and reorganizing again, and he's started with Bentley Motors too? Has he gone mad?" When many people heard about the splitting up of Bentley Motors and the new plans, they all thought John was crazy and there was no need for him to be so crazy. But how could they know John's scheme?

Before these guys could recover from their shock, the Bentley Motors Group’s split was completed, and the acquisitions were also being completed quickly. Repair shops were being acquired one after another, and a repair service network covering the entire United States was being built at a rapid pace that shocked everyone!

"Damn it, they planned this all along. We can't let them influence us!"

"Now they've also made a series of acquisitions, including engine oil, and expanded their operations in Europe. Our previous guess was wrong. This isn't John wanting to transfer assets; it's more about a transformation of the Bentley Motors Group. They want to give up parts production and focus more on these areas. They don't want to fight a price war with us; they want to fight a service war. They now have a dense North American service network, and they've also acquired a network company, enabling them to have complete control over North American service outlets!"

"What a brilliant move! John is truly shrewd. Everyone was deceived by his previous actions. We thought he would focus his energy on the acquisition of General Motors, but he's actually putting more effort into the arrangements for Bentley. We thought he'd be held back by those guys like Soros, but it seems they're utterly useless. Otherwise, why would John have so much energy to devote to changing Bentley? Such a grand scheme is beyond Mary Barra's capabilities. John has fooled everyone!"

Ford is deeply worried, but there's nothing they can do right now. If they dare to cause trouble at this time, they'll be crushed by everyone. GM's acquisition isn't just about Morgan's interests; it involves the interests of various conglomerates. Whether Ford can accept it or not, they must remain silent. Bentley's move was incredibly swift!
"It's all those bastards, Donkey, and all because of that guy Lattington's incompetence. Otherwise, how could things have gotten to this point!" Unable to find a way to deal with the Bentley Motors Group, Ford and his men vented their anger on Lattington, completely unaware of their own shortcomings and why they hadn't thought of all this beforehand.

Of course, even if they had thought of it, they couldn't possibly implement it. Following such a plan would put considerable pressure on them and cause significant internal turmoil. Most importantly, they didn't possess the absolute power that Mary Barra had. Within the Bentley Motors Group, John barely intervened; everything was controlled by Mary Barra. Her authority was absolute, something they couldn't achieve!
Does Ford have the capability to wage a service war? No, Ford cannot go to that extent unless they are willing to make huge investments, which would cause Ford Motor Company to lose money. The board of directors would not agree to such a situation. So no matter how many ideas you have, it is useless and cannot change the current situation!
Now, it's not just Ford that's panicking; the Europeans are panicking too, because Bentley's expansion isn't limited to North America; it's spread throughout Europe as well, shocking them all. However, the expansion in Europe isn't as aggressive as in North America, given the different circumstances there.

This series of actions directly shifted many people's focus from the previous Asian financial crisis to the transformation of the Bentley Motors Group. At this moment, no one doubted John's calculations. This was not as simple as transferring assets. This game was more insane and terrifying than they had imagined. They had all underestimated John's plan!

But now, would they dare to stop all of this? No, no one would dare to do such a thing. At this time, no one can jump out and accuse John, or accuse the Bentley Motors Group of having problems with its actions. You can't interfere with the development of another company. Even if Donkey (the Bentley Motors Group) is unwilling, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble. The same goes for Leigh Burke! This is a new storm, and judging from the Bentley Motors Group's reaction, all of this was prepared in advance!

(End of this chapter)