America: My Time

Chapter 1367 Hidden Secret

Chapter 1357 The Hidden Secret
Was the impact of that wedding small? Absolutely not. Although several days have passed, its influence continues to spread due to media coverage. Why is this happening? It's clearly the work of media outlets controlled by oil-rich capitalists. Other media outlets haven't reported on it at all; after all, too many people were involved in the wedding. Even the media controlled by John remained silent, turning a blind eye. These guys are breaking the rules. Although they've already found a scapegoat, they'll pay the price for this; nobody's a fool.

"Heh, just as I thought, these guys won't let this opportunity slip by. Even knowing it will break the rules, they'll still test the waters. Unfortunately, they don't realize that it's not me who's anxious right now, but Morgan, DuPont, Rockefeller, and those guys, because oil capital is crossing their bottom line. This wedding involves too many people; even the President and the Queen dared to report it—they're courting death!"

Looking at the newspaper in his hand, John couldn't help but shake his head. He couldn't understand the reaction of Oil Capital. He knew that the rules of the media industry should not be violated. Their actions did not have much impact on him, but they gave him a reason to retaliate. He wondered which guy made such a decision!
"Are you sure there won't be any impact? I'm just worried that some people might be unwilling to accept this and cause trouble, after all, so many things happened before!" Jennifer Connelly said with concern, a hint of relief in her eyes. After all, she hadn't expected what had happened before, let alone that things would turn out this way!
"You're worried about Christy Turlington? Don't worry, she's a smart woman. Although she acted impulsively and did something foolish before, she knows what she can and cannot do once she sobers up. Do you think she'll believe those guys from Oil Capital, or do you think she'd dare to make such a provocation? Don't forget she's gone, and all our previous friendship is gone. If she dares to cause trouble, she'd better be prepared to bear all the consequences!"

John wasn't just saying that casually. If Christy Turlington really didn't know her place and insisted on causing trouble at this time, only destruction awaited her. Although John wouldn't kill her outright or silence her, he would directly suppress her, giving her no other chances, and her career in the entertainment industry would come to an end.

"But I'm worried that if this blows up, it will be bad for you. After all, it will have a significant impact on your reputation. Don't forget that there are things going on in Japan. If they try to pull everything in this direction, it will cause a lot of trouble!"

"Heh, you're overthinking it. At most, it's just a reputation as a playboy. Do you think I care about that? Or do you think the public cares? Nobody cares. Isn't this always been my image? What people really care about is who will be at the wedding. It's not a problem when it comes to women. On the contrary, it's dangerous if they make moves in other areas! Don't forget the General Motors explosion. What do you think would happen if that were linked to me?"

It's not that John is trying to think the worst, but that's just how things are. With so much capital, there's nothing they wouldn't dare to do, especially now that they have the support of the Federal Reserve. They feel that with these guys backing them up, they don't need to care about John's thoughts, let alone worry about John's retaliation!
Actually, these guys are overthinking it. Even if the Federal Reserve stands up for them, John won't care. And if John wants revenge, he won't use force. This is a media matter, so let's use the power of the media to resolve it. As the number one media and entertainment giant, these guys dare to target John and break the rules, so they will naturally have to pay the price.

Seeing Jennifer Connelly's bewildered expression and the others' puzzled looks, John smiled calmly and said, "Jennifer, do you know why not many people in the US report on the families of media moguls? Because there are unspoken rules, things that can't be touched. But these guys have done it, and so many people are involved. If I were to retaliate, it would be perfectly reasonable, and it wouldn't cause any concern! They want to wage a media war, so I'll grant their wish. I'd love to know what it'll be like when their secrets are exposed. I hope they don't regret it and that they can afford the consequences."

John paused here, then continued, "Don't send anyone to keep an eye on Christie Turlington; that would only make things dangerous. We don't need to take any action; the choice is hers. As for the Japanese, there won't be any problems. They're just testing the waters; they're not here to make an enemy of me. They can't withstand my wrath!"

John knew those guys in Japan better, after all, he had known them for over a decade and was well aware of their thoughts. Because he understood their character, John wasn't worried that they would choose to oppose him at this time; what they wanted was profit!

Profits? A faint, cold smile crept across John's face as he re-examined these Japanese guys. A cunning and ruthless plan formed in his mind. These guys wanted profits? He'd give them to them. Since he was going to take his internet companies public and share these 'profits' with those old fogies in the US, why not drag these Japanese guys along, or even the Europeans? As long as they dared to accept, he was willing to abandon these companies!
“I know the problem in Japan isn’t too big, and Naoko and the others are handling it, but these guys have gone a bit too far here in the US. Their behavior can be seen as provocation!” Jennifer Connelly naturally knew what those guys in Japan had done, so she was also very dissatisfied with them.

"No, that can't be called a provocation, it's more like a test. And it wasn't their doing, it was the work of Yutai Capital. Do you really think those things were done by those guys in Japan? Yutai Capital just wanted to use them as a tool to kill someone, to use those guys in Japan, to provoke conflict between me and Japan! Unfortunately for them, they're overthinking it. I know Japan better than they do, and this incident shows that those guys in Japan don't really control the two giants of Hollywood. The control is still in the hands of Yutai Capital. Perhaps this is a good opportunity."

At this moment, John thought about what would happen if he told those guys in Japan all this. Would they be able to tolerate it and watch the media giant he had acquired be taken over by someone else?

Of course, to maximize the value of this information, a suitable time is needed. In a flash, a thought crossed John's mind: perhaps he should go to Japan, have a 'conversation' with those guys, see what they think, give them some 'benefits,' and drag them into the dot-com bubble crisis as well.

However, John was offering assets from the US, not Japan. He had no intention of sharing his Japanese internet companies with them, as the Japanese market was far safer than the US market. At this point, he wasn't focused on maximizing profits, but rather on exercising caution.

Despite his extensive knowledge of the future development of the internet, he cannot afford to be careless in this situation, or he will pay a heavy price. Moreover, he must share the benefits with everyone and let them participate in this crazy internet bubble.

Compared to these American internet companies, John was more focused on the Asian market. While Asia was experiencing a financial crisis, it didn't mean its potential had disappeared. Hearing John's words, Jennifer Connelly nodded thoughtfully. She didn't want to know about the situation in Japan, nor did she want to delve into the calculations of the oilfield capital; these weren't things she should know. Although she controlled a charitable foundation in the US, such business battles were beyond her reach, and she didn't have the power to participate. One should know one's place and not be arrogant, or else follow in Christie Turlington's footsteps.

Was Christy Turlington not smart? How could someone who became a supermodel and followed John for so long be foolish? It's just that she was blinded by greed and failed to truly understand herself, leading her to make a crazy and foolish decision and head down this dead end. Fortunately, John didn't hold it against her out of consideration for their past relationship; otherwise, her actions alone would have drawn considerable criticism.

Lacking the ability to manage a business, yet incredibly greedy, he coveted a giant like Victoria's Secret. But Victoria's Secret today is not what it used to be; it has grown into a behemoth. Otherwise, John wouldn't have let them make the choice. Unfortunately, profit blinded Christie Turlington.

"Why are you still thinking about Christy Turlington? Don't overthink it. Her situation is more serious than you imagine, not as you think. You don't believe she was just arrogant and made a stupid decision, do you? Victoria's Secret's situation is much more serious than you think, but I ignored it to see what she could do. Unfortunately, she couldn't resist the temptation and made a foolish decision. If it weren't for our past relationship, things wouldn't have ended so easily; she would have paid a heavy price!"

Upon hearing John's words, Jennifer Connelly was shocked and instantly understood. She exclaimed, "Could she have tampered with Victoria's Secret's finances?"

For John to say that, Jennifer Connelly was only thinking about finances. For a large company like Victoria's Secret, even a little manipulation of the finances could make her a fortune, but doing so would leave her with considerable trouble.

John nodded and said, "She tampered with the procurement. Don't underestimate her just because it was done in such a short time. She must have made at least several million dollars. Do you think she's someone I can trust? Do you think she's someone I can approve of?"

At this moment, Jennifer Connelly's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Christie Turlington to be so bold as to actually tamper with the finances. Hadn't she considered the trouble that would ensue if all of this were exposed, even the possibility that it would ruin her life? Jennifer Connelly couldn't understand any of this.

"How did she become like this? She didn't say that before, and she was very hardworking at first."

"People change. The fact that she could scheme against Claudia Schiffer shows that she has changed. She is no longer the person you know. She has become greedy and selfish. It can only be said that she failed the test, failed to resist the temptation of profit and power, so she was eliminated. I am telling you all this not to remind you of anything, but to make you understand how big a mistake she made in this matter."

At this point, Jennifer Connelly nodded. John had already shown considerable leniency by allowing Christy Turlington to escape unscathed and not pursuing her mistakes. No wonder she didn't need to have anyone monitor him; under these circumstances, she dared not harbor any other thoughts, otherwise the consequences would be severe. Several million dollars was nothing to John, but bringing it to the public eye would come at a much higher price.

“I understand. I never expected her to change so quickly. However, regarding Claudia Schiffer, although she made a mistake, it was also because Claudia Schiffer herself was too trusting and didn't do her job properly. If she had prioritized the mission, this wouldn't have happened. It can only be said that she was at fault first; she was too careless!”

Jennifer Connelly is right. The biggest problem lies with Claudia Schiffer herself, which led to all of this. So it's not entirely Christie Turlington's fault.

That's true, but Christy Turlington herself has serious problems. She's lost her mind in the face of profit and power, and she can't even recognize her own limitations. Even if this incident hadn't happened, she would have been out of the game eventually anyway. How could John trust someone who can't control herself? After all, she could become a hidden danger and bring him harm at any time!

(End of this chapter)