America: My Time

Chapter 1403: Betrayal and separation
Chapter 1393 Betrayal by All

"Morgan, this is no joke!"

"Do you think I need to joke with you? Whatever you think, this is the truth. If you don't take action now, don't blame me for acting alone! I've already received news that Bell Labs has started to take action and begin merging the hardware that was split off from Dreamworld. If this drags on any longer, I don't know if John will also integrate those internet companies into a group. At that time, you will have no chance at all!" Morgan didn't want to continue entangled with these old guys. These guys insisted on making things so complicated and maximizing their profits, but it was impossible to do that against a shrew like John. It was just a waste of his time and energy.

“I think Morgan is absolutely right. Now is the time to act decisively. Don’t think about maximizing profits right now, or the opportunity will slip through our fingers. With the current development potential of the internet and the potential of the companies John owns, we’ll make a profit even if we only acquire some shares. We’ve dragged this out for so long, and the market value of these companies has increased significantly. Rather than wasting time and energy, we might as well just agree!” DuPont stepped forward to agree with Morgan’s statement. The longer they dragged it out, the more disadvantageous it would be for them, and the less profit they could gain. Time has a cost, especially now that the internet bubble has appeared, causing the internet companies John owns to continuously appreciate in value. How could these old guys not know this?

“I agree. You have to give up something to gain something. We don’t need to delay this matter for the sake of others’ interests or other things. Accepting John’s conditions now is the right thing to do. After all, we have seen John’s determination. Continuing to make trouble will not be good for anyone. It will only benefit others. I believe no one wants to see such a situation. Those guys in Japan are the best example. Everyone, think it over carefully!”

Soon, a split emerged among these old guys. After all, not everyone was like Rockefeller. Although they also wanted to maximize their profits, they wouldn't force things if they saw that they couldn't succeed. Especially after Morgan exposed everything, these guys were even less willing to stand with Rockefeller, lest it affect their own interests!
Even if Rockefeller was unwilling, seeing one 'ally' after another betray him, he had no choice but to compromise and accept it. If he continued to make trouble, he would only suffer in the end. Moreover, if he really ended up being abandoned by everyone, it would be impossible for him to get any benefits from John. He might even be kicked out of the game. He dared not underestimate John's determination and methods. If it really came to that, his losses would be huge!
"Alright, since everyone says so, I have no objection. Morgan, I'll leave everything to you. I believe you will give us all a satisfactory result. After all, your relationship with John is there. If possible, we would like to acquire directly instead of having those companies go public to raise funds!" Goodness, even at this point, Rockefeller didn't forget to put Morgan in a difficult position. He was clearly using everyone to pressure Morgan and force him to accept his proposal.

"Heh, I can't make any guarantees. John's decision is his own business, and I can't influence it. If you have such thoughts, you can go talk to John yourself. I don't have that kind of ability!" Morgan had no intention of holding back and directly retorted, showing no mercy to Rockefeller.

Since we're not on the same page, there's no need to care about your feelings. Morgan's choice wasn't wrong; the only mistake was Rockefeller's arrogance. He thought he could use everyone's power to make Morgan compromise, but he was overthinking it. The current Morgan tycoon doesn't care about their feelings; he won't compromise when it comes to interests.

If Morgan agreed to the guy's terms, he would suffer heavy losses. In comparison, even if he couldn't let John sell these companies directly, he would still choose to list them on the stock exchange, and on this point, his interests were aligned with John's.

"Morgan, what you're doing is going too far. Neon can do it, but you're unwilling to help us all. You're too selfish. Are you willing to humiliate us all and make us a laughingstock in the world for your own benefit? What you're doing is harming others for your own gain."

Goodness, Rockefeller really went all out, directly using moral blackmail against Morgan, completely disregarding Morgan's reaction. In his mind, Morgan should think of them and stand with them!
"That's enough. What you think is your own business. Don't use the guise of serving everyone to make me do things for you. I don't owe you anything, nor do I owe anyone here. I believe everyone knows whose fault it is that things have turned out this way. I won't harm my own interests. If you have any thoughts, go talk to John yourself. Don't expect me to stand up for you. I have no obligation to do so. I've already done enough!"

The moment Morgan finished speaking, the atmosphere became incredibly awkward. While everyone wanted Morgan to intervene and advocate for their interests, they knew it was impossible under these circumstances. They blamed themselves for their greed; who had instigated this? Rockefeller, and those with dealings with oil and capital. They were the real culprits. Morgan's refusal was understandable; they wouldn't have accepted it either. Everyone present knew what they had done. With what they had done, expecting John to accept their 'demands' was wishful thinking. Continuing to cause trouble would only hurt them.

At this moment, someone spoke up: "Morgan is right. If you do something wrong, you have to bear the consequences. We have no reason to ask Morgan to take responsibility for us now, and we don't want to waste any more time and energy. Going public is fine, at least everyone can see hope and benefits. Otherwise, if we keep making trouble, we won't see anything!"

Many people quickly accepted this view. No one wanted to stand on Rockefeller's side. They didn't want their own interests to be affected by Rockefeller. Moreover, John's assets were limited. If everyone agreed with Rockefeller's words, Rockefeller would probably seize a lot of the benefits. In comparison, they were more willing to accept the proposal to go public. After all, not everyone was willing to make a full acquisition. Some people were still taking a wait-and-see attitude!

Although Rockefeller was very dissatisfied, he had no choice but to continue due to the insistence of others. After all, Rockefeller alone could not possibly make Morgan compromise, let alone John. Moreover, the relationship between Rockefeller and John had never been good, and they were basically enemies. How could John possibly give up his interests to him?

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Faced with everyone's choices, Rockefeller had no choice. No matter how many ideas he had, they were useless at this moment. Even Morgan was unwilling to accept it, so it was even more impossible for him to expect John to accept it. If he really went to John to talk about this, he would only be ridiculed.

At this moment, Morgan said, “You have made the right choice. With the company going public, we don’t need to do what those guys in Japan did and exchange assets with John. But with an acquisition, it’s not like that. I don’t think any of you here have such assets. I think you would prefer to accept this condition. It’s much simpler and easier to complete the transaction with money than with assets. At least there are fewer troubles.”

If anyone had harbored any reservations about Morgan before, they were all relieved now that he had made that move. Just as Morgan himself said, money wasn't the issue for them; what was truly difficult was negotiating an asset swap with John. This alone made them accept Morgan's offer, and they were far more satisfied with this deal!
Asset swap – they had so many assets that John could accept. Previous transactions had already given them a headache. They were reluctant to give up good assets, and John wouldn't accept those that were unprofitable or even toxic. So these people all knew that this kind of transaction was the most beneficial to them, and naturally they sided with Morgan.

Now, with the Asian financial crisis, these old guys were all involved and reaped considerable profits. Therefore, they preferred to use money to make deals with John and to see the company go public rather than to acquire it directly. As for what Rockefeller thought, they didn't care; all they cared about was their own interests!

"Every man for himself!" No one will sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. And now that Morgan is involved, they don't need to do anything. As long as the company goes public, they all have a chance. But if Rockefeller's idea succeeds, will everyone present have a chance to get a company? It's difficult. With so many people sharing John's assets, it's impossible for everyone to get a share. Naturally, someone will be kicked out, which is an outcome no one wants to accept. They are not like those guys in Japan who are willing to compromise and make a little sacrifice for the so-called 'greater good'.

For the people present, they had no sense of the bigger picture; all they cared about was their own interests. The foolish act of sacrificing oneself for others would never happen to them, and it was impossible for them to make a sacrifice. They could ask John to make a sacrifice, but they themselves would not do it!
(End of this chapter)