America: My Time

Chapter 1420 Sharpening the Knife to the Pigs and Sheeps

Chapter 1410 Sharpening the Knife, Ready to Catch the Pigs and Sheep

“I understand! But things might not be so easy. If they really have someone behind them, they probably won’t choose to make further deals with you!” Lee Boo-jin didn’t think highly of John’s plan. In her opinion, those Koreans wouldn’t do that.

"You're too naive. You think they'd care about human relationships or keep their word? All they care about is profit. You know perfectly well what the situation is like in South Korea right now. Do you think they'd give up the benefits I'm offering them for the sake of these assets in South Korea that are destined to be plundered? Don't forget, the assets I'm trading with them are in the United States, unaffected by the Asian financial crisis. Don't they understand how to choose? It's not about what you think now, but what they think. You just need to pass on the message, and you don't need to worry about what happens next."

Lee Boo-jin nodded and didn't say anything more, because she knew in her heart that once a big shot like John made a decision, he wouldn't change it easily. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, it would be useless. Moreover, what she saw was not a reason; it was completely different in his eyes!

Lee Boo-jin was also physically and mentally exhausted from this frequent travel, but these were things she had to face. However, she also understood that if she was tired, John was even more tired. The pressure on a decision-maker in such a business battle was unimaginable. If she, as the executor, was so stressed, one could only imagine how difficult it must be for John, as the decision-maker. Others only saw John's carefree life and his astonishing wealth and status, but they didn't see the hardships he faced behind the scenes.

Seeing the tired look on Lee Boo-jin's face, John couldn't help but sigh and said, "Hang in there a little longer. Rest after this is over. Right now, I need you to keep an eye on things over there. After all, I can only let you handle this kind of thing, and only you can do it. Just give up on the electronics and home appliances. Don't pay attention to them anymore."

Was it that John didn't have anyone he trusted, or that there were no professional managers? Neither. It was simply because he wanted to accomplish everything before the enemy, and Lee Boo-jin was the only option. Her status made it easier for everyone to accept her, and it would have been extremely difficult for anyone else to reconcile the problems of these companies.

Despite the progress already made, news of it hasn't really spread yet. Things will only get more interesting once those old guys in the US, or the people behind those Koreans, find out about John's exchange with the Koreans, allowing John to verify his suspicions.

Everyone is plotting and scheming against each other. Now that John has made his move, it's time to see how those people react and how they face John's attack. Under such temptation, unless those guys can truly remain calm and unaffected, they will fall into John's trap.

Although Lee Boo-jin had many ideas in mind, and even wanted to discuss the media and entertainment issues in South Korea with John, she ultimately gave up. In the face of such a major event, such trivial matters as media and entertainment were not worth mentioning, and not worth interfering with John's thoughts and plans at this time.

On the surface, John attaches great importance to the development of media and entertainment, but that only applies to the media group as a whole. In comparison, the assets of the Korean companies are not worth John's too much attention, after all, the Korean market is limited! The enemy has made a move, and John naturally has to react. If someone wants to scheme against him, then let the storm rage even more fiercely.

"Giving up on the development of electronic home appliances, isn't this the direction you wanted to pursue before?" Lee Boo-jin was somewhat puzzled. Others might not know, but she knew how much effort John had put into this area. To give up so easily now shocked her!

“Some things can’t be done the way we want. The bigger the tree, the more the wind blows. Many people don’t want to see my plans in this area. They’re all secretly sabotaging my schemes. Forcing them to go through with it would require too much effort and cost. From an investment perspective, it’s not worth it. So why should I waste my time and energy? I’ll be selling Westinghouse Electric soon. If anyone in Korea is willing to take it over, they can start preparing in advance!”

Upon hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin was taken aback, but she quickly realized that he was reminding the Lee family of Samsung that the opportunity had been given to them, and how to decide was up to them!

"Is this appropriate? Won't it affect your plans?" Lee Boo-jin didn't agree immediately, but considered John's situation. Although there were considerable benefits involved, she wasn't blinded by them. She knew the Lee family's background and where everything she had came from! "It's alright, it won't have a major impact on my plans. You can rest assured, this is just the beginning!"

John is now determined to stir up a storm and give those old guys a bigger shock. They'll have to have the ability to sabotage his development. Do they really think they have no other choice?

“Then I’ll go back right now!” A hint of determination appeared in Lee Boo-jin’s eyes. She still wanted to give the Samsung Lee family such a win-win opportunity, after all, it was the best option to get out of the crisis. Looking at those bankrupt conglomerates, Lee Boo-jin was also extremely worried. Although John had helped, the Lee family’s situation was not good, and the situation in South Korea was very bad. This was one of the reasons why those people made a decision so quickly and humbled themselves to come to China to negotiate with John!

“No rush. You need to rest, and things over there also need time to prepare. You don’t think they can just do it by saying they’re exchanging, do you? There are still many things to handle. It’s not too late for you to go back after the people from the US go to South Korea!” Although John also wanted to push for further trade with South Korea, he wasn’t so heartless as to let Lee Boo-jin face such pressure alone. John believed that if the old guys from the US were involved in this trade, they would definitely take action. So before proceeding with further trade, it was better to see their reaction.

John's idea was good, but Lee Boo-jin's face showed a bitter look. She shook her head and said, "I'm fine. I should go back and preside over this transaction as soon as possible. The situation over there is really difficult. If I stay here, I'm afraid there will be more negative news from there. Moreover, it will be very difficult to restructure the heavy industry group."

John realized at this moment that he had overlooked Lee Boo-jin's identity. As long as she remained a Korean, she would have to face the impact of the Asian financial crisis on Korea and take responsibility, otherwise she would be attacked. Human nature is treacherous, especially under the sweeping influence of the Asian financial crisis; those Koreans had become increasingly frenzied. He had only thought about the future situation of Korea, forgetting that under such pressure, those guys would become even more insane! "A person in the world is not free to choose their own path"—this was the most accurate description of Lee Boo-jin's situation.

"Alright, be careful. If anything happens, you can pin it on me!" John now understands Lee Boo-jin's situation. He's in the same boat; many things are beyond his control. Otherwise, things wouldn't be like this now. His American citizenship has given him many advantages, but it's also come at a price. Why do those old Rockefellers dare to keep targeting him? Why have he had to give up those assets and compromise time and time again? Frankly, it's the constraint of his status—a manifestation of being caught in the currents of society without complete freedom!
The more John understood about high society, the more he realized that many transactions were tied to national interests, which in turn were the interests of financial groups. At least on the surface, John couldn't stand against the nation or against the people! He couldn't give his enemies an excuse to target him; he had to stand on the side of 'justice'!
John initially thought things would take a little more time, but the results shocked him once again. The Koreans were now desperate, driven to a frenzy by the Asian financial crisis. They were seizing any opportunity, and he had received numerous deal requests from them. However, this was just the beginning. John wasn't going to agree to these deals so easily. Those old foxes in the US wanted to plunder Korea's wealth, and he couldn't let this opportunity slip by. What had been merely bait was now his chance to reap the rewards!

Just as John was sharpening his knives to pounce on the "pigs and sheep," the Americans couldn't sit still any longer. They hadn't expected John's small move to trigger such a change, disrupting their plans. If John were to cooperate with these Koreans, it wouldn't be good for them. Although John's power was limited and he couldn't possibly swallow all of Korea's interests, deepening their cooperation would also be detrimental to them!
Why did this happen? This is the benefit of credibility, the benefit of a public image. John's credibility earned him the approval of those Koreans, especially since John did offer them some help during the Asian financial crisis. Most importantly, John was still thinking of them at this critical moment, making 'fair' deals with them.

Of course, this 'fairness' is reflected in the fact that their assets have shrunk drastically, which is why they made the exchange with John. It seems like a normal transaction, but in reality, John got a huge advantage. Even so, John is still much friendlier than those old guys in the US. At least this kind of transaction can help the Korean conglomerates get out of their current crisis and preserve themselves. As for the problems in Korea, they have nothing to do with these conglomerate families. Their first priority is to protect themselves, not to safeguard national interests. Self-sacrifice will never happen to them!
It's not that South Korea didn't want to find outside help to rescue itself, but simply no one was willing to lend a hand. Japan was not only in dire straits itself, but also had a conflict of interest with South Korea. Russia in the north was also in trouble, not to mention the Europeans. They were good people if they didn't take advantage of South Korea, and asking them for help would be a huge joke. So the only one who was "friendly" to them was John!
When the Lee family of Samsung received news about John from Lee Boo-jin, they were indeed tempted. Although Westinghouse Electric's development had stagnated, it wasn't because of any problems on their part. Rather, John's focus wasn't on the United States, but on Taiwan and China. The Lee family of Samsung knew about John's plan to reorganize the home appliance industry with Westinghouse Electric. They originally thought that the rise of another home appliance giant would bring a greater impact to Samsung, but they didn't expect that things would take such a turn for the better so soon. How could they not be tempted?

It wasn't just the Lee family of Samsung who were wary of Westinghouse Electric's asset restructuring; other companies in Japan and South Korea were also aware of the immense resources John possessed, including a complete sales network spanning Europe and America—this was their biggest headache. John had already taken action against them, and if Westinghouse Electric were to grow stronger, the impact on them would be unimaginable.

There's a saying: you have to give up something to gain something. John's plan to sell Westinghouse Electric was incredibly tempting for the Lee family of Samsung. Most importantly, they didn't need to contribute capital; they only needed to exchange assets. However, John's terms put the Lee family in a difficult position. John wanted South Korean energy resources. Of course, it wasn't that the Lee family was unwilling to make the deal, but rather that they couldn't offer that many energy assets! Completely relinquishing Samsung's shares in gas distribution was something they were still somewhat reluctant to do.

For the Lee family of Samsung, the natural desire was to monopolize the assets and protect their own interests. However, they couldn't offer up so many energy assets. They wanted more than just Westinghouse Electric; they wanted even more of the assets held by John. After Lee Boo-jin's explanation, the Lee family understood some of the secrets behind John's asset restructuring, which made them interested. However, the thought of completely abandoning their energy assets left them with some unease.
It would be a lie to say that the Samsung Lee family wasn't worried about South Korea's energy resources falling into John's hands. After all, they knew that if John controlled the energy, it would pose a threat to them as well. If John were to convert all the assets he was selling into energy assets, a large portion of South Korea's energy resources would end up in his possession. The Samsung Lee family didn't care about South Korea's interests; they only cared about their own. However, they forgot that they weren't the only ones wanting to cooperate with John. Although Lee Boo-jin had given them firsthand information, John couldn't wait indefinitely if they didn't make a decision. Opportunity knocks but once; John didn't want to waste the opportunity presented by the Asian financial crisis. With the Samsung Lee family hesitant, John would naturally 'share' the opportunity with others.

(End of this chapter)