America: My Time

Chapter 1416 John's Scheme

Chapter 1406 John's Scheme

Hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin sighed and said nothing more. She had no intention of pleading for those people and ruining her position in John's heart. Moreover, this was no small matter; the interests involved were enormous. She didn't want to be affected by those people. She would rather focus her time and energy on the integration and management of the heavy industry group.

"When should I go back to prepare?" After thinking for a moment, Lee Boo-jin asked.

"No rush. Even if we want to integrate, we can't do it now. The Asian financial crisis isn't over yet. Making a move now will give those old guys in the US the wrong ideas. Let's wait a bit. You need to figure out the situation of those companies first. Also, make arrangements for the retail and media and entertainment sectors. These are no small matters!"

There are plenty of issues on the Korean side as well, and John doesn't want to rush things. He wants to be cautious and careful, lest any problems affect the integration process. After all, this is not a simple integration, but rather the formation of a unified whole.

“Okay, I’ll arrange the retail matters first. However, we’ve acquired quite a few assets in the retail sector this time. I’m worried that letting go at this time might cause problems!” Lee Boo-jin expressed her concerns. If there were problems with the retail sector, the losses would be substantial. After all, this is a multinational corporation, especially since the Asian financial crisis is not over yet. If chaos breaks out at this time, the impact could be significant.

"Don't rush to change things in the retail sector. Focus your energy on the heavy industry group first. Although we've made some preparations, it's impossible to complete the integration quickly. The heavy industry group is more important, after all, it involves a lot of people from the automotive, energy, steel, shipbuilding, heavy industry, and banking sectors. You can take control of the banking sector later, but you need to understand these heavy industry companies as soon as possible!"

This is no small matter. John is well aware of the immense pressure and complexity of this integration and restructuring, but there is no other way. If he wants to eliminate the hidden dangers from the Koreans, this is a necessary step, and it is also part of the integration of the other heavy industry groups under his control.

With the situation constantly changing, John has to be cautious. More importantly, he doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket and needs to prepare for the future. After all, those old guys in the US are too greedy. If he doesn't take this opportunity to clean up all the problems and hidden dangers, he will definitely be in danger in the future.

If possible, John planned to go even further. This was just a test; those old guys in the US were testing him, and he was testing them in return. Right now, all these guys cared about was profit. If he could use this opportunity to buy enough time and acquire other assets, it would be a good exchange!

John doesn't plan to buy property in the US; instead, he wants to put everything overseas. That's why there's the deal with Japan and the persuasion from South Korea. He hasn't talked to the Europeans yet. John is willing to make any trade-offs if they're willing. However, the Europeans aren't exactly benevolent, and John doesn't think he can gain any advantage from them. Despite John's claims of leaving enough benefits for the Europeans, he's actually more concerned with the strategic layout in Asia.

Those guys in Japan haven't really gone crazy yet; they've just entered the fray. John has tempted them with a huge sum of money, but once the Asian financial crisis ends and they see the explosive growth of the internet, they'll go even crazier. After all, madness is ingrained in the Japanese; they'll seize any opportunity to go all out.

The Europeans are just pawns John uses to provoke those old guys in the US, and also as a means to provoke Japan and South Korea. Now it depends on whether these guys are willing to take the bait. Japan and South Korea both have assets that John wants, whether it's electronics or semiconductor chips, John has his eye on them.

Those old Rockefellers wanted to control semiconductor chips, digging their own grave. How could John not be prepared? They wanted to play, so John would play along in an even bigger game, seeing who would have the last laugh. Now these old guys had agreed to his terms, but this was just the beginning. The craziest part was yet to come. Once these old guys saw even greater profits, they would absolutely go crazy.

It was precisely because John had such calculations in mind that he planned to take this opportunity to complete the integration and layout overseas, so as not to give those old guys like Rockefeller a chance. Moreover, Bell Labs was also a trap, waiting for those old guys to make their move.

“I will shift my focus to the heavy industry group, but I think you shouldn’t have any hope for the electronics industry in South Korea. They won’t give up!” Lee Boo-jin felt she should persuade John not to waste his energy on the South Koreans and to spend his time on other things!

"I understand what you're saying. I haven't put all my eggs in one basket; I also have plans in Japan. Since you've brought it up, I'll elaborate further. I'll relinquish my involvement in the internet, semiconductor chips, and software sectors, as long as the price is right. While I'm not afraid of changes in the US, I don't want a direct confrontation with those old guys right now. I don't want a lose-lose situation where some shady characters benefit. So, I need to make some trade-offs with my assets in the US. The opportunity is there; if they don't want it, someone else will. If they don't act now, they'll have no chance after the Asian financial crisis ends. At that time, both the US and the Europeans will have ample funds! Those guys in Japan have clearly seen this, which is why they're willing to enter the game. However, they still have concerns, fearing unforeseen circumstances, so they haven't gone all out. Otherwise, things wouldn't be like this now. Of course, part of it is because they're too greedy, always wanting more benefits! Actually, I think those guys in Japan also have another idea: to escape the impact of the Asian financial crisis, since the US is unaffected!" Upon hearing John's explanation, Lee Boo-jin was taken aback. Although she had thought of many things herself, she had not expected such a problem behind it, nor had she considered the impact of the Asian financial crisis.

"I see. No wonder they were so proactive and completed so many preparations and transactions in such a short time. It seems the Koreans aren't decisive enough." Lee Boo-jin instantly understood the benefits behind such a transaction. It didn't involve money; it was a direct exchange of shares, or even a business swap. This allowed them to escape the impact of the Asian financial crisis!

"Would those Japanese really trade electronics, or even home appliances?" Lee Boo-jin was a little incredulous. After all, she knew a bit about those Japanese guys and was well aware of how powerful Japan was in the electronics and home appliance sector. If those Japanese guys made their move first, the Koreans probably wouldn't have a chance, since John didn't need to invest too much!

"It all depends on whether they can withstand the impact of the profits. If the development of the internet continues to accelerate and assets continue to rise wildly by the end of the year, they will definitely be tempted. Not to mention them, those old guys in the US will also make a move again. Profits are tempting, and they will not give up this piece of fat. If I didn't have a lot of things to deal with and need to take this opportunity to completely eliminate those hidden dangers, I would never have given these old guys this benefit."

At this point, John sighed, shook his head, and continued, "Looking back, I was too young. I valued my reputation too much and underestimated the speed of future development, which left me with so many hidden dangers. Trying to completely disassociate myself from those companies and remain behind the scenes always comes at a price. If it weren't to shut those old guys up, to silence the White House, the donkey, and the elephant, do you think I would have given up so many companies with unlimited potential? If I didn't share the profits, do you think no one in the US would be targeting me? Those old guys saw through my plan, which is why they dared to act so recklessly. Now it's just a tug-of-war between the two sides!"

John was right, but seeing through things didn't mean those old guys like Rockefeller could act recklessly. After all, John was a financial tycoon, and a direct confrontation would have disastrous consequences. It was precisely because they all understood this that there was this tug-of-war and this clash. However, outwardly, everyone was finding reasons and excuses, just like John's frantic asset restructuring—it was all about finding reasons to hide their assets in the shadows!
Profits are eternal. If John doesn't offer enough to share, those old guys in the US won't take any action against him. After all, unlike John, their assets are already hidden. Although those old guys have been targeting John, no one has ever publicly accused him of transferring assets. It's not that they're afraid; it's a bottom line. Once that line is crossed, there will be no more profits to share. As for the force John uses, that's a deterrent, a warning to those guys not to cross the line, or they'll bear the consequences themselves.

Because they understood each other, everything proceeded in a tacit understanding. Otherwise, would Morgan have so easily stepped forward to negotiate with John? If everything were broken down, the interests and issues involved would be countless, and a single misstep could lead to a bloody battle.

Although John has reached an agreement with those old guys in the US, he doesn't trust them. So he needs to continue to put pressure on them to keep them from making any rash moves or challenging his bottom line.

“Unless they can see the benefits, it won’t do much good even if I tell them everything. Those guys aren’t Japanese conglomerates; they’re all too arrogant!” Lee Boo-jin sighed, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. She naturally understood the benefits involved, but it would be difficult to persuade those Koreans. They wouldn’t compromise until the very end.

"Let them be. After all, they're not the only option. It's just a matter of waiting a few more months for those guys in Japan to make their move. Whether they're there or not doesn't matter. All I want is an asset swap, an asset restructuring. It doesn't matter who I swap with. Those guys in South Korea are always worrying about this and that. In the end, they'll still have to compromise. They have no right to negotiate. Everything they have is in other people's hands. Do you think South Korea has enough resources? Do they have enough market share? They have nothing. What right do they have to sit at the negotiating table?"

At this point, John directly ripped off the fig leaf of the Koreans. What right did a Korean, a country that relies on imports for resources and has no sufficient consumer market, have to sit at the negotiating table? Under the pressure from the Americans, they had no choice but to compromise. They were not even as good as those guys from Japan!

In other words, John currently lacks sufficient research personnel and patents; otherwise, he wouldn't need to pay any attention to those Koreans. Although Taiwan also conducts research, its production capacity is limited. After the Asian financial crisis, if John wants to compete with Japan for the European and American markets, he will need to make more strategic moves.

John's decision to remain in China at this time, and to continue investing despite the circumstances, is to strategically position himself to seize market share in Europe once the Asian financial crisis ends. While he needs assets in Asia, he prioritizes retail sales in Europe. However, he hasn't yet negotiated with them; everything depends on completing his plans in Asia. As for the US, John isn't too worried.

John originally planned to wait, but Li Fuzhen's appearance gave him some new ideas. Moreover, the internet in the United States is developing very rapidly, and the bubble is getting bigger and bigger. Those guys in Japan couldn't possibly not see the huge profits behind it. As long as they are tempted, it's his chance.

It was precisely because of the changing situation that John had so much patience to explain things to Lee Boo-jin and had new ideas for making such arrangements and preparations. Now it was a matter of who would act first, who could offer the assets they wanted first. For the sake of future plans, John didn't mind giving up more 'benefits,' whether it was Japan or South Korea, it was all acceptable. Now John wanted to use Lee Boo-jin's words to tell those South Koreans to make a choice. If they really didn't want to make the deal, he would have to give up. However, John didn't think those South Koreans would be without their own thoughts, or that they would be unmoved by the obvious benefits. As long as they paid even a little attention, everything would be much easier!
(End of this chapter)