America: My Time

Chapter 1404 Interests Above All Else

Chapter 1394 Interests Above All Else

If they could force John to compromise by joining forces, these old guys naturally wouldn't. However, given the current situation, that's clearly impossible. In this situation, they naturally have to choose what's in their own best interest, and they can't continue to follow Rockefeller in pressuring Morgan. These people aren't fools; they know about the deals between Rockefeller and the oilfield capital, and they're unwilling to sacrifice themselves for others!
"Gentlemen, let me reiterate: I have neither the ability nor the obligation to speak with John. You all know John's character perfectly well. On such a significant matter, even if Old Martin were to speak, he would be refused, let alone me. The reasons why John has remained in Asia, why he didn't return to the US after leaving Japan, and why he didn't even go to Hong Kong, are clear to everyone. Some people have gone too far; this is a warning. I know some people still want to target John and continue to suppress him, but if they do, they will face a full-scale counterattack from John. I believe everyone understands how severe the consequences will be. If problems arise, I, Morgan, will not intervene. Don't make me step in time, don't make me bear the consequences for you, don't let me waste my reputation and damage my interests. Human patience has its limits!"

Upon hearing Morgan's words, everyone sighed. They naturally understood that Morgan was right. They couldn't keep making Morgan compromise and sacrifice indefinitely. Morgan had already done a lot for their interests, and continuing to make trouble would only cause things to spiral out of control and become dangerous.

“Morgan, we understand your difficulties, and everyone can accept them. There’s no reason for us to let you sacrifice yourself!” DuPont stepped forward again, choosing to stand with Morgan. After all, this was the most advantageous choice for him in the current situation. As long as Morgan agreed, he could gain more benefits from the company’s listing. After all, Morgan still had some influence over John, and most importantly, Morgan was in charge of the listing of these companies!
As soon as DuPont finished speaking, everyone reacted instantly and immediately understood his intention. They all hurriedly expressed their support to Morgan, but it was too late. Morgan did not take their words seriously. They had bowed down now, but would they stay like this forever? Obviously not. So Morgan would not sacrifice his own interests for them, nor would he really stand with them.

At this moment, Rockefeller once again experienced the meaning of "when the wall falls, everyone pushes it down." Although he was incredibly angry, he dared not utter any more arrogant words, much less truly stand against everyone. If he did, Rockefeller's own interests would be affected, and he might even be ousted from the group. If ousting Rockefeller would gain John's approval and bring him more benefits, these people present would not show any mercy!

Rockefeller understood how selfish everyone present was, because he was just like them. They were willing to sacrifice others for their own benefit. If he insisted on continuing to pursue Morgan's business, he would definitely be kicked out. If it came to that, it would be too late to regret it. So he could only respond with silence.

During this period, Rockefeller and Oil Capital were very close, and they had a lot of cooperation. If things continued to escalate, and all of this was exposed, Rockefeller would inevitably face a boycott. If that happened, Rockefeller could not afford the serious consequences.

John dared to confront everyone because he had enough leverage and substantial benefits. Rockefeller didn't have that kind of leverage, nor would he offer such astonishing benefits, so naturally he dared not continue to provoke trouble. Faced with these benefits, Rockefeller knew how to choose, and understood that if he made the wrong choice, he would inevitably face John's retaliation, and the benefits before him would be irrelevant to him.

Rockefeller now fully understands how powerful and domineering John is. Most importantly, John has always held the initiative. Making trouble will only make the situation more chaotic and more disadvantageous to him. Compromise has become the only option he can accept. He doesn't have the confidence to continue to fight John under these circumstances. If he is the only one left, he will naturally be kicked out by John. John is not a kind person!
Seeing Rockefeller's silence, Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he didn't want to escalate the conflict with Rockefeller to the point of direct confrontation. Now that Rockefeller had backed down, there was no need for Morgan to continue targeting him. Instead, they began discussing how to cooperate.

Morgan believed that as long as things went smoothly on his side and they made the right choice, John's situation would be fine, and the previous pressure would disappear instantly. He believed that John would not refuse under these circumstances, nor would he break his promise to everyone!

However, this meeting was not announced to the White House, nor was it communicated with the Donald or the Elephant. In Morgan's eyes, this meeting was purely a business matter, having little to do with the White House, the Donald, or the Elephant. Bringing them in would only make things more dangerous and worse. If these old guys couldn't act decisively and resolve the issue as quickly as possible, they would face another round of losses. John might even bring the Europeans into the fray. Looking at Bell Labs' current reaction and the contingency plans John made in Dreamworld and Nvidia, they could understand John's terrifying power and realize that in this situation, they had no chance whatsoever. If they stood against John, only their interests would be harmed; John would suffer no losses!
Profit is paramount. Faced with profit, no matter how many ideas one has, one has to compromise. As long as Morgan can persuade John to launch those internet companies to raise funds through IPOs, they will benefit. Therefore, no one will choose to continue to oppose John, risking their own interests and getting themselves into danger.

Compared to Rockefeller, these guys trusted John's credibility more. After all, John had never broken his promises and always fulfilled them, even when dealing with those guys in Southeast Asia. In contrast, they couldn't trust Rockefeller; they had no idea how many things Rockefeller had done behind their backs.

Faced with everyone's choice, Rockefeller could only sigh and accept the outcome. He couldn't refuse; otherwise, he would be ostracized and ousted. When faced with conflicting interests, Rockefeller had no other choice but to compromise and admit defeat, otherwise he would only suffer losses.
"Alright, since everyone agrees and accepts, then let's stop making those underhanded moves. Otherwise, you'll be an enemy who undermines our interests. I believe no one wants to see their own interests harmed. From now on, everyone must stop and no one can attack John's companies anymore."

Morgan didn't try to hide anything. After all, everyone present was intelligent. He didn't need to be too blunt with intelligent people. They all knew the consequences of making the wrong choice. Anyone with a modicum of rationality would not choose to continue fighting against Joshua at this time and would not end up being kicked out of the game!
Although many people had previously tried to use John as a tool to kill him, to take advantage of the situation and suppress his business for their own benefit, they now realized that the matter was settled. If they continued to cause trouble, they would be hated by everyone and become public enemies. Even someone like Rockefeller couldn't bear such serious consequences, let alone these guys. They didn't have the confidence to face someone like John alone!

If it weren't for what happened in Neon, they could still hold on and have a glimmer of hope. But now, no one has that thought anymore. They all understand that John will not give them another chance, nor will he compromise with them. John is no longer the boy he once was; he is now a ruthless businessman.

There are no fools who will refuse a toast only to suffer a penalty. John has already given them enough face. If they still don't know when to stop and when to back down, disaster will befall them and war will begin. No one wants to face John. They haven't forgotten how John targeted Lehman Brothers back then.

Given John's financial prowess, who wouldn't be afraid? Take the recent Asian financial crisis, for example. After John's numerous plans were exposed, they were alarmed. It was clear that John had already laid the groundwork, earlier than them, perhaps even seeing through everything long ago. Under such circumstances, who would dare stand against John?

"Morgan, don't worry, we all know what to do and won't put you in a difficult position. After all, this matter still requires you to talk to John!" At this moment, no matter how unwilling he was, Rockefeller had to make a statement. If he continued to remain silent, the people present might take action, and the consequences would be something he couldn't bear.

If Rockefeller were to intervene, John would refuse; he would absolutely not accept. In fact, John might even take advantage of the situation to deliver a fatal blow to Rockefeller. Even if he couldn't destroy Rockefeller, he would make them pay a heavy price. John has the power and the confidence to do so, and Rockefeller wouldn't dare gamble with the safety of his family.

(End of this chapter)