America: My Time

Chapter 1325 Greed
Chapter 1315 Greed

The strong rule, this is an eternal truth. All rules are made by the strong, and one has no right to criticize the other. Everyone has their own choices, and it is their freedom to take this step. As an outsider, what right do I have to criticize them? Moreover, such things are not uncommon in the United States, they are just not known to outsiders.

“I thought you would look down on them, think they were too crazy and shameless.” Lee Boo-jin looked at John with some surprise, a faint touch of emotion in her eyes.

"I wouldn't think that way, nor do I have the right to. Their madness is simply because they've been influenced and pressured by the outside world. Of course, I don't rule out that this is their true thought, but this is Korea, their own country. They don't care, so what right do I have to criticize them? You know how much pressure there is behind success. In your eyes, they're crazy, but in my eyes, it's not like that at all. What's Hollywood like? Those people will do anything to become famous. It's the same in Korea, just even crazier than Hollywood. However, compared to those guys on Wall Street, this is nothing. Even Silicon Valley isn't as glamorous as you think. The real world is cruel. If they were content to be ordinary people, they wouldn't face so many problems, but they chose the path of the entertainment industry, so they have to bear all the consequences. They chose this path themselves, and they have to bear all the consequences themselves!"

While John's statement may sound harsh, it's the truth. In a country like South Korea, with its rigid class system and limited resources, even the most extreme forms of madness are understandable. As long as their own interests aren't affected, and as long as no one provokes them, it doesn't matter.

Having come this far, John understood the cruelty of this world far better than Lee Boo-jin. Although he had reached the pinnacle of American high society, he still had his reservations. The madness of Wall Street was beyond Lee Boo-jin's comprehension, as was the madness of Silicon Valley, and Hollywood, needless to say, was all about legitimate transactions. Without resources, connections, or background, achieving fame and success naturally came at a price, and these Korean women were no exception, facing the same situation. Therefore, all of this was perfectly normal in John's eyes.

Not only in South Korea, but also in Japan, in countries with such rigid class structures, success requires paying a heavy price. This applies to every industry, and the entertainment industry is even more insane because it is a target for powerful figures. Whether it's beautiful women or handsome men, they will all be targeted and become victims. This is something they inevitably have to face on their road to success, and no one is exempt!
"This is too cruel, I can hardly bear it. I had only heard about it before, but to actually see this cruel side makes me feel uneasy." Lee Boo-jin sighed, a hint of helplessness and distress flashing in her eyes.

"Hehe, you're overthinking it. That's just how reality is. You only see their pain, but have you seen the hardships of ordinary people? Even if you stand at the top of high society in South Korea, don't challenge the rules and bottom line of the entire upper class. That's not something you can handle. You're a smart person, you should understand that."

“I understand, and it’s precisely because I understand that I’m in so much pain. This is completely different from what I had imagined before.” Lee Boo-jin had thought it was just a normal transaction, a give-and-take deal, but the reality was far more brutal and terrifying than she had imagined. In fact, she felt that some people had lost their humanity and were left with only cruelty.

This is a world where people eat each other, and the situation is even more so in South Korea. Although Lee Boo-jin had some experience with high society before, it had never reached this level of madness. But now that she has truly encountered this crazy side, she cannot accept it. All of this has had a huge impact on her!

"You should try to think more positively. This isn't something you can stop, not even the Korean government can stop it. The emergence of chaebols has already thrown South Korea out of balance, and the government's power has lost its ability to suppress them. In fact, this isn't just the case in South Korea; it's the case in all capitalist countries. The power of the chaebols is what determines everything in this country!"

While South Korea hasn't reached the level of madness it will later experience, it has already begun. As the Asian financial crisis ends and South Korea weakens, American power will continue to erode South Korea's influence. South Korean conglomerates will then align themselves with these powers, consolidating their positions and leaving the South Korean government powerless against them.

The reason John didn't rush to compete with these Koreans for the market and profits, but instead offered them the greatest 'help', was because John wanted to seize the initiative, take control of everything, and wait until the Koreans adapted to his cheap resource supply and until American conglomerates began to invade Korea. That would be the time for him to take action.

John will not hold back on energy issues; he wants to control them and find a suitable export destination for the resources from Quantum Mining. Japan alone is far from enough, and even Taiwan is not enough. John is also eyeing South Korea.

John knew perfectly well how abundant Sakhalin Island was in Russia's resources. He knew where to sell such vast resources once he advanced further. While China had enormous demand, he couldn't secure a large share, as it concerned national security—that wouldn't work in China. But South Korea, Japan, and even Taiwan were no problem!
While Lee Boo-jin was still troubled by the frenzy of South Korea's entertainment industry and the madness of its conglomerates, John had already set his sights on South Korea's energy, food imports, and meat imports. John had already succeeded in Japan; now it was South Korea's turn. As long as South Korea's plan succeeded, she wouldn't have to worry about selling energy, minerals, and food anymore.

Others only saw John's financial acumen and his dominance in high technology, but they failed to see his even greater advantages in food, energy, and mineral resources. Moreover, John's plans were far more ambitious and swift than many others; he had already laid the groundwork before anyone else could react. Like steel, John had already taken control of a massive steel conglomerate. The benefits he received from the Russians became the cornerstone of his own growth and expansion.

Even if Lee Boo-jin couldn't accept it, she had to. She couldn't stand against everyone. She nodded and said, "I will adapt to all of this. As long as our interests are not affected, I don't care about anything else."

“That’s right. We have plenty of opportunities here. Don’t you think this is another great opportunity? The Korean airlines didn’t give Gulfstream Aerospace any orders before. They’ll have to pay a hefty price this time. They have needs, so we need to show them sincerity.”

John had long planned and calculated the situation with the Koreans. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let them indulge him indefinitely. He was giving them a little taste of success now, and he would take it back many times over in the future. The Koreans would pay a heavy price. Otherwise, why would he be so easy to talk to?

The next day, John met with South Korean officials to discuss the matter. None of the South Korean chaebols had intervened, perhaps because they felt it would be easier and more likely for the government to handle it, given their unpleasant relationship with John. "Regarding your requests," John said, "I've heard from Fu-jin that I have no problem with them in principle. However, no one does things without benefit. You should all understand that doing so would also have a significant impact on me personally. I hope you can show more sincerity. Regarding energy, I will not make any further demands, and resource supply is not a problem. But don't you think you should show me more sincerity? Japan has done a better job than you!"

"Mr. John, what kind of sincerity do you want us to offer?" These Koreans knew John was not easy to deal with, and they were prepared. It would be problematic if John easily agreed to their demands. The good news was that with Lee Boo-jin as the middleman, they could gain John's approval; the bad news was that they would still need to pay a higher price.

"I'm not asking for too much. After all, I can't make things difficult for Japan. I have no objection to energy allocation; everything should be done according to Japan's plan. The undersea oil pipeline can be started quickly. However, you all need to open up the market to me in terms of grain, meat, and fruit imports. Also, your airlines should make some concessions to Gulfstream Aerospace in their large aircraft purchases. Business is about give and take, and it's also about building relationships. What do you all think?" John didn't intend to play any tricks on these Koreans; he directly stated his demands. Whether they accepted them was up to the Koreans' decision!

“Mr. John, this is no small matter. We need time to discuss it before we can give you a reply!”

"Hehe, I understand, but you need to make a decision quickly. I won't stay here for long. I also have many things to take care of, and I need to talk to the Russian side about energy supply. You need to hurry. If you don't make a decision before I leave, then I'll have to give up."

Was this a threat from John to South Korea? No, it wasn't a threat, but a fact. After his trip to South Korea, he was going to Russia to discuss the impact of the Asian financial crisis and various cooperation issues with Russia. If there wasn't a result, it would naturally affect this cooperation with South Korea. After all, South Korea needed to export cheap energy from Sakhalin Island, and John couldn't afford to leave such an important matter uninformed to Russia.

"Mr. John, rest assured, we will make a decision as soon as possible and will not let you down."

"That's for the best. As you know, this isn't the first time I've disappointed you all. Every time, you have your own agendas that cause the cooperation to fail. I don't want to see it happen again this time. If it fails again, I think there's no point in us cooperating anymore. I don't have that much time and energy to waste here."

“We understand. In principle, we have no objection, but some procedures still need to be followed. However, we are afraid that we do not have much capability in the matter of large aircraft, given the current environment.”

John wasn't surprised by the Korean's answer. He nodded and said, "I understand, and I won't force you. But you all need to give me an answer, an explanation. I need a promise, a guarantee, that future purchases will at least include Gulfstream Space's share! However, I need your consent regarding the import of food, meat, and minerals, without any of the previous restrictions!"

When they heard that John wasn't forcing them to make purchases at this time, the Koreans breathed a sigh of relief. They simply didn't have the funds for procurement. As for food, meat, and mineral resources, they had considered those options, so they nodded and said, "Okay, we have no problem with that in principle!"

"What I want is not principles, but facts. Don't keep using such excuses. If you have other plans, we'd better say them to my face to avoid trouble later. If problems arise, they won't be trivial matters." John's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction at the attitude of these Koreans. These guys were still a bit abnormal. Perhaps they thought they were easy to talk to, so they became a bit arrogant again.

"We understand that such things cannot afford to go wrong!"

“You don’t understand. I don’t know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to know. I’m only telling you that I’ll be in Seoul for three days. After three days, I will leave, and then there will be nothing left to talk about! Don’t think that just because I’m easy to talk to you, you can have some unrealistic ideas. I don’t have that much patience.”

John felt these Koreans were completely out of touch with reality. Even at this point, they were still thinking this and that; he couldn't understand what they were thinking. They were clearly begging for help, yet they acted like this—it was ridiculous. If he didn't have designs on the Korean market, he would have turned around and left long ago, and wouldn't have bothered talking to these guys anymore!

They only want to take advantage without paying anything in return. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if there were, it wouldn't fall into their laps. These guys are all too arrogant and think too highly of themselves. They don't know when to back down!

(End of this chapter)