America: My Time

Chapter 1324 Changes in the Korean Peninsula

Chapter 1314 Changes in the Stick
"Sit down. Although I'm a little surprised, I still can't help but ask, this industry has become so chaotic that even you have to make this decision. Is it really necessary for you? You would be fine even if you weren't in this industry!" John couldn't help but sigh when he saw Yu Feihong appear. He hadn't expected things to change so quickly and have such a big impact in China.

Yu Feihong smiled calmly and said, "There's nothing I can do. Many resources are controlled by certain people. Although I have a good relationship with Sister Hua, as the general manager, she can't put all the resources on me. Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Nothing comes without a price. The situation in the industry right now is even crazier than you can imagine! The resources I want are ones that Sister Hua can't give me. Only you have that kind of ability!"

"Hollywood? Is it worth it?" A hint of doubt flashed across John's face, a little incomprehensible.

"There's no question of whether it's worth it or not; it's just my own choice and my pursuit. Besides, many people will come looking for you. After all, Phoenix Group has enormous resources, and ambitious and thoughtful people will all have their eyes on you! The allure of Hollywood is greater than you imagine, and the allure of the United States is more tempting than you imagine!"

The more calmly Yu Feihong spoke, the harder it was for John to accept. He could understand others, given their lack of powerful connections, but Yu Feihong came from a well-off family and had no reason to take this step. Perhaps this was why he couldn't understand these so-called 'artists.' The things Leonardo DiCaprio did to win awards, and others like him—John simply couldn't comprehend them.

There are so many so-called experts and America enthusiasts in later generations, but none of them truly understood John of that era and could not comprehend the expectations in people's hearts. In their own eyes, America was just like that, not as wonderful as these people imagined!

"Perhaps, but I don't have much time to stay in the capital. I'll be leaving soon, and I'm afraid I'll disappoint them!" John said, shaking his head with a smile. His time wasn't very flexible, especially lately. If it were before the New Year, John would be very happy to be in this situation. No one dislikes beautiful women, especially beautiful women who offer themselves up. Who could refuse that? But at this time, he really didn't have that much time on his mind.

Soros and his cronies have already started making their moves, and I need to react. Besides, John has his own plans, and he's not short of beautiful women. Even while I'm staying, there are still some things to handle, especially the auto parts factory, which I need to keep an eye on.

"Would you refuse? That shouldn't happen, after all, nobody dislikes a beautiful woman!"

“That’s absolutely right. Anyone who refuses must have a problem. They won’t even eat the meat that’s already in their mouth—what else could they be but a fool!” Although John hadn’t had much contact with Yu Feihong, her personality impressed him. Someone who could speak so frankly about the situation in the industry, and so calmly at that—that’s not something everyone can do. This didn’t feel like a transaction; it felt like a conversation between old friends.

If it were just an ordinary beautiful woman, it wouldn't have given John much surprise or joy. After all, he'd encountered this kind of thing far too often. If he hadn't been so careful, countless beauties in Hollywood would have thrown themselves at him. But John wouldn't dare get involved with those beauties; who knows how many powerful figures were controlling them behind the scenes.

John didn't want to follow in Howard Hughes' footsteps, nor did he want to be schemed against by those people. This was why John always avoided American and Hollywood beauties. Thinking about what had been exposed in American high society in later years, he knew how terrifying the forces behind it all were. If he were careless and let these guys scheme against him, it could erupt at any time, ruining his reputation.

John could accept the reputation of a playboy, but he certainly didn't want to be tainted by the infamy of crime. It was precisely because of John's caution that he avoided many troubles, leaving those people helpless against him. If John had been outmaneuvered by them, given the treacherous methods of Oil Pacific Capital, they would have already taken action against him! John was acutely aware of the astonishing allure of the assets he held, and how insane those old men were.

Time flies. After a pleasant 'exchange' with Yu Feihong, John really didn't have much time left. As Bentley Motors Group took action, things in China became more complicated. Moreover, the newly established group company did not have its own shares. Everything was controlled by offshore companies and funds. John's name would not appear on the surface. Even though everyone knew that this was John's business, they could not criticize him.

As the plane took off from Beijing, heading straight for San Francisco International Airport, John also departed, flying directly from Beijing to Seoul, South Korea. The South Koreans were overjoyed by John's appearance; their tense mood eased. For them, there was always a lingering unease as long as John didn't show up.

"How's the situation here? Is there anything I need to handle? If so, please let me know, and I'll bring it up with them during our next conversation." John asked, looking at the radiant Lee Boo-jin. Lee Boo-jin was no longer the same as she was before the New Year; she seemed like a completely different person.

"There's no problem here. They're eager to reach a supply agreement with Asian energy companies as soon as possible. They want to cooperate. Everyone is under a lot of pressure right now, and there's also a lot of domestic demand. If we continue to import from the Middle East as in the past, the pressure and cost will be too great!"

“This problem isn’t unsolvable. As I said before, building an undersea pipeline could completely meet most of South Korea’s needs. But some people insist on refusing, and now that we want to start, it’s not an easy thing. The costs have increased significantly. Do you think they can accept that? Or are these guys still trying to get Asia Energy to cover all the costs? If that’s the case, then there’s nothing to discuss.” John naturally attaches great importance to the South Korean market, after all, South Korea is a country that completely relies on imports. However, he cannot bear the cost of the undersea pipeline himself; at least South Korea needs to bear a portion of it. Otherwise, the pressure on Asia Energy will be too great, since Asia Energy’s operations are too large.

Today, the scale of Asia Energy's presence in China, the staggering investment in its two oil pipelines, and other investments, even in Japan, all make John realize that Asia Energy can no longer bear this cost. Otherwise, it will affect Asia Energy's development and even give some people an opportunity to take advantage of it!

"It's not what you think. The official plan is to use an interest-free loan to complete this cooperation and Korean won to complete the construction!"

As soon as Lee Boo-jin finished speaking, John immediately understood what these Koreans were up to. They wanted him to help develop Korean businesses, offering him interest-free loans in Korean won. Only these guys could come up with such an outrageous idea. The Korean won has plummeted so much; taking out a loan, even an interest-free one, would be considered foolish by many, since he would need to invest real money.

However, John changed his mind and felt that this method was not impossible. It seemed that such a loan would be very beneficial to South Korea. He only needed to pay a sum of Korean won to get John's help, which could promote the recovery of South Korea's steel industry.

These guys are overthinking it. John won't place many orders with their steel mills, and even if he did, they wouldn't have the materials. They don't have John's cost advantage over steel mills in South Korea. They might have to expend some resources, but is that important to them? Is it stressful?

No, this is not a bad thing for us. In addition, Quantum Mining after the split also needs to enter the South Korean market. After all, South Korea is a major customer. If we can take this opportunity to swallow up these shares, it will be a good thing for the future development of Quantum Mining!
“That’s not impossible, but they need to show more sincerity. This little bit of sincerity isn’t enough. I’m giving real resources, but they’re only using devalued Korean won.”

Hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin sighed and said, "I knew you wouldn't agree so readily. They are indeed sincere and can open their domestic natural gas pipelines, just like Japan. Now you should be satisfied!"

John smiled calmly, shook his head, and said, "It's only because of you that this price isn't enough. What's the situation in Japan? And what's the situation in South Korea? Besides, South Korea's market isn't as big as Japan's. Don't think I don't know what those guys are up to. The reason they haven't opened their power plants to me or let me invest is that they just want cheap energy from me. They're far from being sincere!"

Of course, this result was enough. John didn't want to push the Koreans too hard or put too much pressure on them. Otherwise, if they suddenly went crazy and stopped cooperating with him, all his previous efforts would have been in vain.

"So you agree?" Lee Boo-jin looked at John seriously. Although she was unwilling to get involved in such matters, her background meant she couldn't refuse those people's requests. Moreover, the Koreans were indeed under a lot of pressure, and it was only right for her to do her part.
"For your sake, I'll reluctantly agree, but how to negotiate and what price to use are up to them to negotiate with Asia Energy and Quantum Mining themselves. I won't interfere. Whether they can gain the approval of Quantum Mining and Asia Energy depends on their capabilities. I have no problem with that and won't refuse!"

Once John softens his stance, everything will be much easier to discuss. Whether it's Asian energy or quantum mining, both can be persuaded. And it's not without profit, it's just that the profit is a bit small now, and all that's being earned is Korean won.

Of course, at this point, it was impossible for the Koreans to use the internationally circulating US dollar, let alone gold for the transaction. John didn't want to put too much pressure on these guys, so he readily agreed, partly to save face for Lee Boo-jin and give her an explanation.
If Lee Boo-jin hadn't done all this, some people might have said some strange things, which would have been bad for her reputation. Some might even have said that she was heartless and unwilling to help her own people. They said that those Koreans were capable of doing all sorts of disgusting things, so John still chose to agree. Moreover, this was the beginning of his entry into the Korean market and the beginning of seizing the Korean market. As long as he gave them enough cheap resources, there was no reason why he couldn't grab a share here!
Seeing Lee Boo-jin's relieved expression, John shook his head and said, "Alright, you don't need to worry about these things. There are professionals negotiating everything with them. I want to know if you've sorted things out here. This is a big job, and it's very important for future development!"

"Basically, there are no problems. However, the situation on the Korean side is also far from ideal. The chaos and madness in the entertainment industry are more terrifying than we imagined. This financial crisis has driven many people crazy, and the impact on the entertainment industry has been astonishing. There are many things I can't bring myself to say!"

Hearing this, John smiled calmly, naturally understanding what Lee Boo-jin was referring to. For those chaebols under immense pressure, they were all transferring their stress to the entertainment industry, to those 'beautiful women,' making the Korean entertainment industry incredibly frenzied and chaotic. Such changes naturally affected Phoenix Group, impacting his own plans here, and might even cause problems for his schemes!

"I've already thought of all that. You know what the situation is like in Japan. The bubble economy crisis back then was far more terrifying than this financial crisis. I know how much their entertainment industry was impacted. And as for the Koreans, didn't I tell you long ago that those guys would cross your line? They'd become unscrupulous and disgusting. But all of that doesn't really concern us. As long as they don't affect Phoenix Group's plans or our artists, that's fine. After all, we're not saints; we don't have the right to criticize these guys. That's just how this industry is. They should have known what the consequences would be when they stepped into it!"

(End of this chapter)