America: My Time

Chapter 1347 The Real Calculation

Chapter 1337 The Real Scheme
"Aren't you surprised and incredulous? I'm perfectly capable of handling this myself, yet I'm pushing it onto others and letting those old guys fight against the donkey?" Seeing Lee Boo-jin's puzzled look, John smiled calmly. When the changes occurred in the United States, and after the Chengxin Bank incident, she appeared in Hong Kong. John's arrangements and his indifference were somewhat unacceptable to her!

“Yes, I just don’t understand. You could have solved all of this by yourself, and very quickly. Compared to those people, you have more power and react faster. Why complicate a simple matter? I don’t understand why.” Lee Boo-jin looked at John with a puzzled expression and a hint of worry in her eyes.

"I do have the ability to handle all of this, but that would create a blood feud between me and Donkey. Although Donkey and I don't get along, and even have a considerable grudge, it's precisely because of this grudge that I can't and shouldn't take action. This isn't just a personal issue; it also affects the Bayard family. I completely wiped out their forces from Oregon, so it's perfectly normal for them to be a little resentful. This time, they really went a bit too far, but I can't take the initiative; that would escalate the conflict. They want to benefit from this, to put pressure on me, and to extract profits from me—they're dreaming. I'm pushing everything onto Morgan and Rockefeller because it concerns their interests. Since they've gotten enough benefits from me—Dreamworld and Nvidia are tempting to many—they should bear all the troubles that arise from this deal. You reap what you sow. Besides, by not taking action, I can keep an eye on more people and see who my friends and enemies are!"

John's answer did not satisfy Lee Boo-jin. She knew there were other reasons behind it, but he couldn't tell her. It even involved some internal issues in the United States. Although she was John's woman, she couldn't inquire about many secrets within the United States, including the White House and the struggle between the donkey and the elephant. These were things she shouldn't know. The more she knew, the more disadvantageous it would be for her!
"But wouldn't it be too weak to back down like this? It would only make those people more insane!"

"It's better to be a little weak. If I'm too assertive at this point, what will Morgan and Rockefeller think? What will President Laugh Tale think? We can't just consider ourselves or our own interests; we also have to consider the reactions of others. Don't look down on President Laugh Tale just because he's been tricked. Don't think he's dispensable. If you think that way, you're making a big mistake. If you push him too far, he can still create a lot of trouble for you and put you under pressure! At this time, we don't need to make enemies with Laugh Tale. All we need to do is calmly face everything and hand over the power of handling things to old guys like Morgan and Rockefeller. Their actions will benefit us and themselves. That's a win-win situation!"

John paused slightly at this point, then shook his head and said, "Of course, for the donkey, it's failure, trouble, and death. Those old guys are ruthless. If you want to compete with them for interests, how can the donkey escape without paying a price? And the Adams family and those guys are a bit too arrogant. Do they really think the United States can't do without them? Do they really think they can control the American political arena? They're just too arrogant."

In John's eyes, although the Adams family had been hiding themselves all these years and had been sending their descendants to various corners of the United States, they had not held any official positions, but as deputies, they had wielded considerable real power, which made them somewhat arrogant.

If no one knew about all this, it wouldn't have mattered, since the Adams family had all changed their names. But with John's manipulation and the Jaguar Security Company's covert investigation, when that list of names was presented to Morgan, Rockefeller, and other financial tycoons, and even to President Laughlin, everything changed. President Laughlin felt threatened and pressured, as did Morgan and Rockefeller, these old guys, because the Adams family's schemes made them feel threatened as well.

If the Adams family had remained well-hidden and hadn't chosen to contest profits, even if Morgan and Rockefeller had designs on them, dealing with them wouldn't have been easy. After all, the rules were there; any action had to be taken according to the rules, not broken. But now everything was different. With an excuse, they were naturally going to strike hard, to teach the Adams family a lesson, to show them that America belonged to conglomerates, not the Adams family. Their attempt to manipulate everything from the shadows was wishful thinking!

John was well aware of what those old guys were thinking and how wary they were. He knew why he had concentrated his forces in Oregon and handed them over to Dreamworld and Nvidia. One reason was to trick these guys and extract some benefits from them. The other was to reduce their wariness of him and shift their attention away from him, giving him more time and more room to maneuver!

"Do you think the only benefits I offered them were Dreamworld and Nvidia? No, all those software and internet companies in Silicon Valley will go public and raise funds, and they'll share the profits with us. Otherwise, why do you think Morgan and his ilk reacted so strongly? Although I only had a verbal agreement with Morgan, at our position, even a verbal agreement is not to be broken; it's something we have to do. With such a huge incentive, what do you think Morgan's reaction will be? What crazy reaction do you think those old guys like Rockefeller will have when they find out!"

"You want to use someone else to do your dirty work? You want to use Morgan and Rockefeller to eliminate these threats?"

Hearing this, John shook his head and said, "No, I had no intention of using someone else to do my dirty work. I was carrying out a perfectly legitimate conspiracy. I was using incentives to lure them in. As for how Morgan and Rockefeller would react, that's their own business. Under the lure of profit, they will naturally take action to protect their interests; this is the consistent behavior of all financial groups. Right now, those guys are targeting me. Do you think they'll target Morgan next time? Will they target Rockefeller? There are many things you can't do; if you do, you'll pay the price. This time, I'm not taking action myself; I'm letting Morgan and Rockefeller do it, letting those old guys do it. This isn't just about avoiding suspicion; it's more about showing these old guys my attitude, putting their minds at ease, and making them feel comfortable!"

Did Morgan and Rockefeller not see through John's plan? No, they saw it perfectly clearly, but they couldn't refuse. Faced with such a massive lure of profit, they couldn't possibly turn back. Moreover, by helping John now, they were helping themselves; they didn't want anyone to repeatedly provoke the financial groups' bottom line. For these groups, finance, family funds, and hidden funds were the bottom line—untouchable. But the Adams family and Donkey had crossed that line. They wanted to use this opportunity to investigate John and Honesty Bank, and they'd made such a huge commotion—incurring widespread wrath.

Of course, John's calculations and arrangements were also behind this. Without the cooperation of Jaguar Security and Honest Bank, how could things have escalated to such a large extent? Those guys wanted to find the information they wanted from Honest Bank, so John deliberately made targeted preparations, using them to erase all traces of his past. Even if those guys knew, it wouldn't matter. Now, both the donkey and the elephant are aware of the problems with Honest Bank, and even old guys like Morgan and Rockefeller understand, but everyone tacitly turns a blind eye. At this time, anyone who jumps out to bring this up will become everyone's enemy and target!
"Think it over carefully. Don't overcomplicate things, but don't oversimplify them either. Everyone is just cooperating tacitly. Everyone knows what's going on. That's the tacit understanding between conglomerates. The only ones who will suffer are the donkey and the Adams family. They will pay the price for their stupidity and greed!"

John's words struck Lee Boo-jin like a thunderbolt, leaving her slightly dizzy. If the US was like this, what about South Korea? What about the Asian financial crisis? Although she had a thousand questions and many doubts in her mind, she didn't ask. She understood that many things were better left unsaid. For these conglomerates, tacit understanding was paramount. John had sacrificed his profits and shared them with others; those who benefited also had to bear responsibility and fight for them.

As for the situation in Asia, everyone tacitly refrained from discussing it, and no one even talked about how to deal with those who were making a big fuss, or those who had been secretly pushing things along. After all, many things cannot be said aloud; everyone can only do them, but cannot speak them out, otherwise trouble will ensue!

"Alright, that's the situation in the US. It won't affect you. The reason I let them leave was because I was worried someone might try to take advantage of them. Compared to others, they weren't vigilant enough. Also, their understanding of the US is limited, making them easy targets. Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, and Jennifer Connelly are less problematic, which is why I didn't let them leave. After all, they are more familiar with the US and know the unspoken rules of American high society, understanding what is acceptable and what is not!"

At this moment, Lee Boo-jin nodded thoughtfully, indicating that she understood why Jennifer Connelly and the others were fine while they had to leave. To put it bluntly, it was because of their different statuses. If they were to be used by someone with ulterior motives, it could easily lead to serious trouble, especially at this time. If someone wanted to make a big fuss, it would have a significant impact on John, since John's overseas assets were too vast. Making a big fuss would only make things uncontrollable.

"I understand a little!" Lee Boo-jin nodded thoughtfully, a glint of light flashing in her eyes!
"Good that you understand. Only by understanding can we make the most suitable choice next time we encounter the same situation. Hurry up and make arrangements. Time is running out in Asia. While Soros and his guys are sweeping through Southeast Asia, let's take back everything we want and make a comprehensive plan. We want more than just retail; we also want their resources!"

Lee Boo-jin was well aware of how chaotic the situation in Southeast Asia was. Those countries had been swindled by guys like Soros and suffered heavy losses. Now was the perfect time for her to buy at rock-bottom prices. Although the overall environment in Southeast Asia hadn't been ideal lately, she wasn't acquiring the country as a South Korean, but as an American, as John. No matter how many ideas those guys had, they wouldn't dare target the US or herself.

"Am I the only one in charge of all this?" Lee Boo-jin finally asked the question that was on her mind. She felt that although she was in charge of the retail layout and was also involved in the acquisition of some processing plants, she felt that she was only on the surface. John should have other plans behind the scenes.

"No, you're just one of them. You don't think that Hurricane Investment, Standard Chartered Bank, and East West Bank are doing nothing. Even Sunrise Bank and the banks acquired by the Koreans are taking action. In such a huge market, how much do you think you can gain by relying on just one person?"

"I understand. I'm just a visible presence, merely a tool to attract their attention?"

Upon hearing this, John shook his head and said, "No, you are not a pawn, nor are you an open shield. Whether it's Standard Chartered Bank, Hurricane Investment, or even New Life Bank and East West Bank, they are all operating openly. Everything is out in the open, and only in this way can those guys feel at ease and that everything can proceed smoothly. Don't overthink it!"

(End of this chapter)