America: My Time

Chapter 1368 Interests Above All Else

Chapter 1358 Interests Above All Else

In Japan, after Daichi Mao and the others returned and learned everything, they were all deep in thought, pondering what information John's actions concealed. They had been testing John, and now that the results were in, they naturally needed to understand the situation thoroughly and prepare in advance. The good news was that the worst-case scenario hadn't occurred; the bad news was that the situation in the United States was completely different from what they had imagined and hadn't developed as they had hoped!
"Gentlemen, I'm afraid things aren't so simple. John is warning us that by giving Norika Fujiwara dollars to end everything, he's not severing his relationship with her, but rather clarifying his relationship with us. Also, he used dollars, not yen, which is also suspicious."

"What's wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with him using US dollars to appease Norika Fujiwara in the US?"

"Heh, only you would think that way. You're just too slow. Who is John? He's calculating everything, even the smallest things. Why did everyone else not give money, but only Fujiwara Norika did? That's a warning to us. After all, we both know very well what's behind Fujiwara Norika. Using US dollars is a warning that he's American. It seems like he's using money to settle things with Fujiwara Norika, but behind the scenes, he's using the US to pressure us! The money given to Fujiwara Norika came from the New Life Bank. Do you think there's no problem with that?"

"Alright, stop arguing. We don't need to quarrel over such a trivial matter. It's enough that we've seen through John's scheme. His warning to us is normal and within our expectations. However, I didn't expect him to do it this way. It seems he doesn't want to break ties with us, and he's shown humanity in every way he's handled things. Especially his arrangement for Nakayama Shinobu, that says it all. This is good for us!"

"That's true, but there's still a warning in place, and I'm worried that this might be a tactic he's using to mislead us!"

"You're overthinking it. While such a scenario is possible, it's highly unlikely. We all know what kind of person John is. If he wanted to scheme against us, he wouldn't need to do this; he could simply take action. He could use the power of the United States to pressure us, but he hasn't done so. This means there's still room for negotiation. It's just a matter of time. After all, it's the Asian financial crisis, and John isn't having an easy time in the United States either. You all know about what's going on with General Motors. Under these circumstances, he can't spare the time!"

"I told you long ago not to cooperate with those guys. Look at what they've done. Luckily, this happened before the deal was made. If something like this had happened after the deal was made, we would all have been implicated. John may be loyal, but favors eventually run out. We can't count on Akio Morita anymore, and everyone knows how much of a relationship we have with him. To put it nicely, it's about those beautiful female PR girls from back then, but so much time has passed. How much of that relationship is left?"

“We understand what you’re saying, but we can’t directly offend them. Now things have taken a turn for the better, but we don’t know when. We hope John can handle things in the US soon so we can have some exchanges with them.”

"You're overthinking it. There's also the Asian financial crisis, and you know what kind of situation Shinsei Bank is in. They're openly shorting the yen without any scruples! If it weren't for his huge assets in Japan, I would suspect that this guy is trying to cripple our economy. After all, you all know how powerful his influence is in finance!"

"It's too early to talk about these things now. The real results need to be discussed face to face. You all know the situation in the United States. John has put up a lot of assets this time and is also making industrial adjustments. I think we can also get involved. The Europeans are already going crazy. If we don't take action, I'm afraid we won't get anything!"

"It's difficult! Our relationship with John is not what it used to be. Even if we wanted to improve it, we couldn't. John is not the same person he used to be. No amount of public relations with beautiful women will work!"

"No, I don't think so. No man is immune to lust; it's human nature. But what you said makes some sense. These days, beauty PR firms aren't very effective. Their standards have changed. Actually, if we really want to participate in this profit-sharing, there are ways. For us, it's as long as we show sincerity."

"Sincerity? What do you think we have left to offer in exchange? John's business in Japan is growing steadily, and he could even become a major conglomerate in Japan himself. Under such circumstances, how can we express our sincerity? Do you intend to continue selling off our assets?"

"No, we don't need to sell our assets, we can sell our 'enemies'. Those guys came to us before, asking us to cooperate with them, isn't that 'sincerity'? And if that doesn't work, we can continue using beautiful female PR people! But have you all thought about this? If we can't communicate with John, all of this is just empty talk!"

"You want to take the initiative to talk to John, do you know the consequences of doing so? Once we adopt this attitude, the initiative will be completely lost to us, and we can only passively face everything with no way out!"

"The initiative? We've never had it. As for a way out, what way out do you think we need now? Constantly wavering on some issues is just courting disaster. We need to stand firm. Do you really think that so many people showed up at those weddings just to get some recognition? It's more about making a statement! Britain has already made its stance clear, so what are we hesitating for? Make a decision, or this share of the profits will truly slip away from us!"

"Yes, it's time for us to make a decision. This time, John isn't just bringing up Dreamworld and Nvidia, but also a number of internet companies. Isn't this exactly what we've been wanting to discuss with John? Once the Dreamworld and Nvidia deal is finalized, those internet companies will go public. We don't have much time left!"

It's not just the Japanese who have this idea; the Koreans also have it, they too have greedy thoughts, and even the Europeans, faced with the temptation of profit, can't resist. If they miss this opportunity, it will be extremely difficult to find another one like it; such opportunities don't come around every day!
While everyone was scheming against John and making preparations, the turmoil in the United States gradually subsided, and the General Motors deal began, with a portion of the shares already exchanged. At the moment the exchange was completed, the old men like Rockefeller breathed a sigh of relief. They had worried that John might renege on his promise and use the General Motors bombing as an excuse, but thankfully, that didn't happen; John kept his word.

“John, the media issue has been resolved. When will trading begin? You know everyone is anxious, and we believe you are too, given the many things waiting for you to handle in Asia.” “There are indeed some issues in Asia, but there’s no rush. Asia is already in its current state; how much worse can it get? I’m confident we can hold on. As for trading, I’m not in a hurry, and I have a plan.” John didn’t hesitate to respond to their probing. It would be a lie to say these guys had no interest in the Asian financial crisis; after all, they were Wall Street giants.

"So the rumors about NBC are true, and you're going to separate a portion of the economy?" Rockefeller frowned at this point. He hadn't expected John to react so quickly. If the split were to be completed, the consequences would be severe, and their previous plan would completely fail.

"It's true. This split won't have much impact on NBC, but it gives me new power, so I don't need to care about that small share anymore!"

"Hiss!" Upon hearing these words, everyone gasped. They were all shocked by John's crazy idea. It was too crazy to make such an arrangement in such a short time without causing any turmoil. How could they not be shocked and terrified!
“John, this is not the time to act impulsively. Even if you have a plan to split up, it will take time to complete and will also affect the development of NBC. Why not just continue with your previous acquisition plan? Now, except for a few scattered shares, all the other shares have been bought back by us. We are not satisfied with those guys' actions either, but some things have to be compromised, after all, there are a lot of personal relationships involved!”

At this point, Morgan also began to persuade John, understanding that once John started the expansion mode, they would suffer a shock, and all the costs they had paid would be in vain.

"Are you sure? I don't want to run into trouble again!" John knew when to stop and didn't insist any further. After all, these old guys weren't pushovers; they couldn't possibly be unaware of the enormous price he would have to pay if he abandoned the acquisition and opted for a breakup. In this situation, it was best not to push things too far; knowing when to stop was the best option!

"We are certain that the shares are already in our hands. You can start trading at any time if you wish. We are different from you. You are a media tycoon, and you can reorganize by taking back these shares. But in our hands, they are like a chicken rib, tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away!"

This is no exaggeration. If Xiao Sheng were to completely abandon the project and instead split off a portion of its assets from NBC, it would be a major problem, and such a situation would definitely affect their interests.

"Alright, I agree. If you'd like, you can directly convert it into shares in those internet companies. Of course, this is just a suggestion, made out of respect for Mr. Morgan, and it will also save us a lot of trouble before the IPO!"

As soon as John finished speaking, a glint flashed in everyone's eyes. They were well aware of the value of John's internet companies, and with the development of technology, the development of the internet was also accelerating!
Everyone was taken aback when John agreed so readily. This was something they hadn't expected. They had originally planned to continue persuading him, but Xiao Sheng's agreement came so quickly that they didn't have time to react.

Morgan quickly realized what was happening and said, "John, are you serious? This is no joke!"

John didn't hesitate and immediately said, "Of course it's true. I can give up Dreamworld and Nvidia, so what can't I give up? Besides, I didn't lose out, since it was an equal deal."

“Okay, then it’s settled!” Rockefeller said before Morgan could speak, afraid that John would change his mind. After all, John’s internet companies in Silicon Valley had amazing potential, and they naturally didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

If they let Morgan get involved, they would gain far less. After all, Morgan and John have a very good relationship, and Morgan is in charge of the IPO, which makes them even more wary.

Seeing Rockefeller's reaction, John smiled calmly and said, "Since I've spoken, I won't go back on my word. I have that much credibility; I won't do anything untrustworthy. However, the details should be handled by professionals. There's no need for us to continue discussing this. After all, no matter how much we say, it's useless. Ultimately, it has to be a matter of equal value."

"Don't worry, there will be absolutely no problem with the valuation. I believe no one would try to tamper with such a thing; doing so would only damage their reputation and bring no other benefit!"

Upon hearing Morgan's words, everyone immediately nodded and said, "That's right, we will definitely not let you suffer a loss in terms of value." At this moment, they were all worried that John might go back on his word. Although John spoke very well, no one knew whether John could still keep his promise when the internet developed rapidly and the market value soared. For John, finding a reason to refuse would not be difficult; as long as he was determined, he could do it!
Self-interest trumps everything—that's the honest thought in everyone's mind. As long as their interests aren't affected, that's all that matters. They're even willing to accept any extra benefit from John. However, with John's words, their plans are destined to be impossible!

(End of this chapter)