America: My Time

Chapter 1329 Scheming Against India
Chapter 1319 Scheming Against Ah San

"Uncle, I didn't expect you to arrive so punctually! So, are you a little curious about Da Mao's trip?" When the private jet landed at Da Mao's airport, John saw his uncle. The uncle had arrived in Da Mao ahead of him and was waiting for John. Both of them looked at each other with a hint of joy in their eyes!
"You little rascal, always finding things for me to do. If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have come to Russia to suffer in this season. Don't you think there's something wrong with your plan? Although many people have been focusing some of their efforts on Russia these past few years, I always feel it's a bit of a roundabout way. Europe has its own models, and those guys are probably not as good as they say!"

"Hahaha! Uncle, you've hit the nail on the head. This is perfectly normal; it's human nature. It's understandable that those guys have ideas. They're getting a bit tired of those beautiful women, and they want to find some new fun for themselves. That's human nature, and the market will change like that too. If it stays the same, the market will just stagnate. Let's go to the hotel."

This time, John came to Russia in a private capacity. Although Russia was prepared, they didn't make it too obvious, as it's better to keep a low profile at this time. Russia also considered giving John a high-level reception, but he politely declined. After all, they couldn't provoke those guys at this time; it could easily cause trouble!
"John, do you really think those guys have such intentions? Or are you just overthinking it?" John's uncle asked in the car. He thought it was unlikely, after all, they were all art enthusiasts!
"Hehe, Uncle, so many years have passed, and you haven't changed. You still have the mindset of an artist. But some people are different from you, and they think differently. Although you've witnessed the deals in this industry, you haven't seen the darkness hidden deep within. It's more terrifying, more insane, and far more insidious than you imagine! Do you think the reason why no one sought out models from here before was because they lacked talent?"

Before his uncle could answer, John continued, "No, it's not that they lack ability, and it's not that models can't be trained; it's just a matter of time. The Russians have fallen in recent years, which has naturally given them new ideas and led to changes. Do you think those Europeans are searching for models in Russia and other countries? Is it that Europe doesn't have suitable models? No, it's not that Europe lacks suitable ones; it's just that they've found an excuse to use newcomers to find inspiration. Such an excuse leaves no room for criticism. Even the industry leaders won't openly offend everyone; after all, they need to maintain their reputation and can't discuss everything in front of everyone."

It wasn't that John had a dark mind, but rather that he had seen too many dark things, especially in the Korean entertainment industry, which was terrifyingly dark. Yet, despite this, countless young girls still flocked to this industry like moths to a flame. Reality is cruel; even though they knew how dark this industry was, the allure of fame and fortune made them willing to take the risk, and some even harbored wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as luck in this circle. Having such thoughts doomed them to tragedy. Not everyone has good fortune, and does good fortune even really exist? John believes it doesn't. No matter how good your luck is, you always have to pay a price and exchange benefits before you succeed!

"You know, I can't argue with you. Maybe what you said is all right, but being so blunt is a bit inappropriate. Isn't that what art is all about? Besides, I know all that you're talking about. In this industry, they'll use any means to control those models. I've seen it all. And those photographers, they'll use any means necessary. That's the price you have to pay to become famous. Without paying, where do you get the resources?"

"Uncle, since you already know all this, what's the point of saying anything? We don't need to pay attention to any of this, nor do we have the ability to change it. No one can stand on the opposite side of everyone, and this isn't just a problem in Europe; the same situation exists in the United States. So we can never change any of this. Even if you stand at the pinnacle of the industry, you can't change anything, because you are also a beneficiary of this group!"

John was right. As beneficiaries, why would they do something foolish enough to stand against everyone for people they don't even know? Even John wouldn't dare do that, given the substantial profits involved. They can't act recklessly just because they look down on something. Now, this has become a chain of interests; anyone who dares to disrupt it will face backlash and be targeted.

"John, you didn't come here with the same idea, did you? If so, I'll have to look down on you!"

Hearing his uncle's words, John sighed and said, "Do you think I need to personally handle such a small matter? I'm here on a big business. I brought you here to make arrangements in this regard, just to conceal my true purpose for this trip, at least so that everyone can't immediately see why I'm here. After all, everyone cares about their image. If I'm too straightforward, it will make some people unhappy and give them ample excuses to target me!"

John sighed again. If he could, he wouldn't want to come to Russia, especially not in this season. He couldn't handle the environment here, but the matter was too important, so he had to come in person. He also needed to give Russia face and not be too arrogant.

"I don't know why you insist on doing these things every day. Having enough money is enough. There's no need to pursue it so frantically. It will make your life very tiring. I can't live that kind of life!"

“Uncle, you can do this because you never took this path in the first place. But I am different. When I embarked on this path, there was no turning back. Becoming a conglomerate tycoon means either moving forward or falling behind. I had no choice. Besides, if I didn’t have my current status, would you be so carefree? I’m not doing this for myself. I have to think about my younger brother and sister, my parents, and my children. So I can only keep moving forward.”

If John were to choose to retire and give up at this point, the conglomerate he built would collapse. After all, the conglomerate currently faces numerous problems, and John is the one supporting it in many aspects. Of course, the benefits he enjoys at the top are also hard for him to relinquish; one cannot know the allure of such benefits without truly experiencing them.

Everyone says it's lonely at the top, yet everyone's climbing. Everyone says money is evil, yet who can live without it? Everyone wants it. All that motivational talk is fake; only self-interest is constant. John wouldn't be foolish enough to ruin his future, even knowing this trip would be troublesome, because it concerned his interests for the next decade or more.

John's appearance at the Russian residence was perfectly known to the old guys in the US, and many understood that John was setting up another scheme. However, this time they were overthinking it. John wouldn't openly attack Russia's financial system; that would create problems for them and ruin their plans there. He would never make a move against Russia openly, given his substantial assets there, and he couldn't afford to give Russia an excuse. "Uncle, you take the lead and make the arrangements. Although this isn't my primary objective, I need to make a show of it so that no one can criticize me. I believe someone is already waiting for us at the hotel; Russia isn't entirely unprepared!"

Just as John had said, someone from Da Mao was already waiting for him at his hotel. Although they hadn't discussed the purpose of the trip, Da Mao was perfectly clear. Since John had come of his own accord, it proved that he had no malicious intentions and was someone who could be approached, and even someone with whom cooperation could continue.

When John arrived at the hotel, he was already being waited for. The Russian staff had been waiting for him for a long time. Both sides smiled knowingly. After all, John and Russia had been cooperating for many years, but things had changed in recent years. The barter cooperation had decreased, and Russia had also changed.

While bartering allowed them to avoid the need for foreign exchange, such cooperation was unequal, resulting in significantly greater losses for Russia compared to normal transactions. Therefore, once they recovered, they naturally reduced such cooperation. However, the current Asian financial crisis has put Russia under pressure regarding foreign exchange reserves again, forcing them to make changes once more!

“Mr. John, we understand why you’ve come. Shall we get straight to the point?”

John smiled calmly and nodded, saying, "Alright, I have no problem. Let's get straight to the point. I know you all intend to temporarily halt the repayment of your foreign debts, and I hold a considerable amount of Russian foreign debt. If you're worried I'll object, there's no need for such concerns; I have no objection. However, this won't solve your own problems. I believe you'll be inclined to resume barter trade. I've come here personally for this very reason. As long as you have no further objections, everything will proceed according to the previous agreement. You don't need to worry about me taking advantage of your situation; you all know my reputation, and I never harm my 'allies.'"

John's reputation is indeed well-known worldwide. As he said, he has never betrayed his friends or 'allies,' not even when faced with the greatest temptation of profit. This is why Russia values ​​John's attitude so much. If John were to stand up against it at a critical moment, the impact would be significant, given John's immense global influence. Such a situation would have a huge impact on Russia!
“We value this so much precisely because we trust Mr. John’s reputation. However, this time our cooperation needs to return to its original form. Can Mr. John still afford such a deal? After all, you currently have collaborations with South Korea, Japan, and even China. We are worried that you may not be able to meet our needs in terms of supplies!”

"Please rest assured, everyone. If it's just the initial situation, it's not a problem for me. However, even if it's a barter, you all know how much pressure that would put on you. Moreover, even such a transaction wouldn't solve your current situation. Actually, I have a good suggestion. Perhaps you could sell the aircraft carrier to India. As long as you are prepared, I believe India will not refuse, and it will bring you huge benefits!"

When John said this, everyone in the Russians was taken aback. In fact, there were similar suggestions among the Russians, but no consensus had been reached. Some people still couldn't accept it, and others were worried that the Indians would refuse, since they wanted to make money.

"We would appreciate Mr. John's guidance. While we share this idea, we also have many concerns!"

"Actually, it's very simple. Just sell it to India for one dollar. However, India has to pay for the repairs and maintenance. When you can fix it is up to you. The initiative is in your hands from beginning to end. I know some people think this is a bit crazy, but it is indeed feasible because India loves to take advantage. They have no reason not to accept it. Given their greed, they will definitely not refuse your 'goodwill'!"

The extent of John's conflict with India is well-known globally. The reason Asian energy companies completely withdrew from India is because these companies were too greedy. They wanted to acquire the oil fields as soon as they were discovered, their behavior was appalling, and they didn't offer commensurate prices. Now, it's common knowledge that none of John's companies are involved in Indian investments, and this has a significant impact on India, given John's considerable global influence.

As for John's character, how could the Russians not know him well? Upon hearing John's suggestion, they immediately thought of John's grudges with India and naturally assumed it was John's revenge against India, since Asian Energy had suffered losses in India. Although the losses weren't significant, it was still a loss of face.

"Mr. John, haven't you considered investing and building a factory here? We can offer you even more favorable terms!"

Upon hearing this, John couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "How could I not have thought of that? The labor costs here are much lower than in the United States, but I simply don't dare to invest. There are too many people watching me. If I do that, quite a few guys will come out to target me. I'm sure you all know who they are!"

(End of this chapter)