America: My Time

Chapter 1425 The Ugliness of Human Nature
Chapter 1415 The Ugliness of Human Nature
Perhaps this is human nature: when faced with such a crisis, people always hope that others can lend them a helping hand, always wanting to grasp at a straw. In reality, their thoughts will never come to mind, and no one will care.

“Tianfan, ignore them. We will continue with the original plan. We will not respond to anyone who asks for help. Hong Kong is not Standard Chartered Bank’s focus, so there is no need to care about their feelings. Besides, they did not help us when Standard Chartered Bank was fighting with HSBC, so we don’t need to care about their reactions.” John advised again when he received Yuan Tianfan’s call again.

John understood that Yuan Tianfan didn't want to see Hong Kong collapse, but John didn't see it that way, nor did he care. His only goal was to buy at the bottom, using Soros's influence to complete his strategic plan. As for expansion, John had no such plans; this was merely an opportunity to make quick money. John wouldn't be foolish enough to recklessly expand his investments in Hong Kong; that was not the act of a wise man.

John's plan was actually quite obvious; any intelligent person could see through it at a glance. Standard Chartered Bank didn't hold any shares in many Hong Kong companies; those shares had been liquidated before the Asian financial crisis hit. Therefore, Standard Chartered Bank controlled a massive amount of capital. This wasn't the first time John had bought up Hong Kong stocks at rock-bottom prices; this was just another attempt. Truly intelligent and insightful people understood John's calculations. Those who were worried were simply overestimating themselves.

There are quite a few people eyeing Standard Chartered Bank, but not many have the ability to enter the market. The bigwigs in Hong Kong don't have the same confidence as John; they can't afford the consequences of Hong Kong's collapse. But John doesn't care, and Hong Kong's assets are only so much, not accounting for a large proportion of John's overall investments.

Faced with his boss's demands, Yuan Tianfan had no choice but to accept. Standard Chartered Bank's tight monetary policy would not change and would not be swayed by external forces. John had already planned Standard Chartered Bank's strategy; once the time was right, the bottom-fishing operation would begin, and other issues were not under consideration.

The tighter Standard Chartered tightens its lending, the more worried Soros and his cronies become. They are in a precarious situation, facing not only Hong Kong but also support from the north, Standard Chartered under John's control, and even hidden forces like Hurricane Investment. How could they not be afraid? If John were to make a move, they would collapse. But now they have no choice but to grit their teeth and continue, as this is no longer something they can control.

Although some were unhappy with John's actions, no one said anything. If John had intervened, they would have been defeated long ago, and their plan would have had no chance of success. Now, even if these guys had any ideas, it was useless. The shareholding structure of Standard Chartered Bank had already changed, and John had disappeared from the public eye. They couldn't even seek an explanation. This wasn't just the case with Standard Chartered Bank; it was the same with the other banks John controlled, such as Sinotrans Bank, East West Bank, and even Shinsei Bank in Japan and First Bank in South Korea.

Even if you know perfectly well that John is behind this, there's nothing you can do, because John has already made arrangements for these banks, eliminating all potential risks. This time, John is using the Asian financial crisis as an opportunity to clear out all his own hidden dangers, leaving himself with no risks whatsoever.

Others may not know what will happen in the United States in the future, but John knows it all too well. If this is not dealt with cleanly now, it will inevitably become a target for those with ulterior motives in the future. Therefore, this time, even if it means paying a huge price, we must act decisively and eliminate all the hidden dangers behind it.

Once this process is completed, John will have no assets left. Everything will be controlled by banks, investment companies, and offshore companies. The only thing John will have on the surface is his copyright company.

Although everyone knew that John was waiting for the right time to buy at the bottom, no one could stand up and criticize him. Standard Chartered Bank's tightening of credit had already been announced, and even if they knew it was John's scheme, there was nothing they could do. You can't expect an American to sacrifice his own interests for them, and they had no right to discuss this issue with John!

Of course, some people wanted John to buy up their companies' assets at rock-bottom prices. Under the impact of Soros and international speculative capital, many companies were already struggling to survive. If Standard Chartered Bank bought them up, they would still have a glimmer of hope. However, if they went bankrupt and were liquidated, the impact would be too great, and they might even be ruined.

The Hong Kong tycoons have witnessed firsthand the fates of those conglomerates in South Korea and Southeast Asia. Knowing their destinies is why they're so anxious. But even if someone wanted to intervene and negotiate the acquisition with John, it's too late. Standard Chartered won't intervene; they'll simply stand by and watch.

John remained neutral during this financial crisis, or so many people perceived him to be. Otherwise, any side he might have chosen would have had a huge impact. No one could ignore John's position in the financial world, nor could anyone ignore his influence. If John hadn't planned to eliminate his many hidden dangers, things wouldn't be as peaceful as they are now.

At this point, both the old guys in the US and others were carefully analyzing everything John did. When they re-examined John's many actions during the Asian financial crisis, they discovered a major problem: John had not taken any initiative during the Asian financial crisis; he had only passively accepted numerous benefits. How terrifying is someone who can see through the situation in various Asian countries, understand the plans of the Federal Reserve, and lay out plans years in advance?

Consider the infamy of Soros and oil capital in Asia, and then compare it to John's current reputation—the difference is like night and day. Whether in Southeast Asian countries, or in South Korea and Japan, no one thinks John is guilty; he's simply profiting from the situation. And if you do the math, the amount of money John controls is staggering, and the funds held by major banks are not to be underestimated. The only reason he didn't act proactively is because he didn't. If he had, the Asian financial crisis might have become even more insane and terrifying!
Whether from Japan, South Korea, or elsewhere, John is a man of great loyalty and has never done anything to take advantage of someone's misfortune. This is rare in the business world, where betrayal for profit is commonplace, especially in Europe and America, where as long as it's within the rules and the law, it's acceptable. Samsung's Lee family was able to remain stable during the Asian financial crisis because of John's initial loans and later, his subtle assistance. Therefore, Samsung's Lee family was minimally affected in South Korea. Daewoo, despite much criticism, now seems to have been the subject of much envy and desire for similar deals. Unfortunately, John isn't making such deals with them. Even if they were interested, John doesn't intend to continue acquiring South Korean heavy industry companies. For John, the current heavy industry is sufficient; he just needs time to gradually integrate them.

However, this was not a difficult task for John. After all, John had been planning in South Korea for many years. Otherwise, how could John have dared to let Lee Boo-jin take over the heavy industry group and even let her participate in its establishment? John would not have made such a decision without absolute certainty.

Many of the technologies John acquired from the Russians and South Koreans back then have already been absorbed, which has been a significant help to South Korea's heavy industry companies. They can easily complete the establishment of heavy industry groups by following the established procedures. Now, what John wants is South Korea's energy sector, not its heavy industry. Energy is far more important than heavy industry, and it would be foolish to miss such an opportunity. Moreover, he has ample reason to do so!

Although people in Hong Kong kept trying to contact John, nothing came of it. Standard Chartered Bank remained steadfast, tightening its lending. In response, some began to criticize Standard Chartered for disregarding the fate of Hong Kong. However, they forgot how Standard Chartered reacted during its battle with HSBC, and they forgot that Standard Chartered's focus wasn't in Hong Kong. Most importantly, John wasn't a Hong Kong resident and had no obligation to sacrifice its own interests for them.

At this point, even a fool would understand that Standard Chartered Bank could simply sit back and watch the fight, reaping the benefits by buying up their shares at rock-bottom prices and making a huge profit. Only a fool would offer them help at this time, gaining nothing in return. As for the loan interest, it's utterly insignificant compared to the enormous profits from buying at rock-bottom prices.

Within just a few days, upon learning that Standard Chartered Bank was out of the question, some people started targeting the women around John. It seemed they had already been rejected once, or even several times, but under the current circumstances, these women still wanted to try one last time, hoping to find a glimmer of hope for their business. Regardless of any prior relationship, they were willing to give it a shot. Faced with this situation, these beautiful women around John had no choice but to leave Hong Kong. The repeated visits had put them under considerable pressure; after all, they all had family and friends, and the impact of their repeated persuasion was considerable. Under these circumstances, leaving Hong Kong was their only option.

This is just the problem under normal circumstances. If someone has ulterior motives, it would be even more dangerous. Human nature can never withstand the test, and under these circumstances, they would be even less likely to cross such a line. This is no ordinary matter; it involves John's scheme. If anyone is foolish enough to think they can interfere, they are simply playing with fire.

Of course, human nature is ugly at this time. Those who did not receive help are all accusing the women of being cold-blooded. There are also people who are fanning the flames and targeting Standard Chartered Bank. Among these people are bigwigs from Hong Kong, members of British financial groups, Soros's cronies, and even HSBC is making small moves. There are also many self-righteous people who think they are on the moral side and can arbitrarily criticize others.

As if overnight, Standard Chartered Bank's reputation was ruined, and even the people of Hong Kong were affected, with a small-scale bank run. Fortunately, Standard Chartered Bank was prepared and was not afraid of such a run. They all understood that all of this was the work of the enemy.

Although he was also very annoyed, Yuan Tianfan did not ask John for help because of this situation. In his opinion, the most enthusiastic people jumping around behind the scenes were the ignorant ones, while the real enemies were laughing happily behind the scenes, such as Soros and his cronies, as well as the people at HSBC. At this time, Standard Chartered Bank was experiencing a run on deposits, and its funds would inevitably be depleted. This would reduce the pressure on Soros and his cronies. As for HSBC, the more funds Standard Chartered Bank depleted, the less power it would have to buy at the bottom.

As for those foolish individuals who want to take this opportunity to tarnish Standard Chartered Bank's reputation, they are simply too stupid. If Standard Chartered's funds are weakened, its enemies will become even more aggressive, and the impact on them will be even greater. In fact, by doing so, they are weakening Hong Kong's own strength. Similarly, the more they do this, the greater the pressure on themselves and the greater the losses they will suffer. They think they are doing a good job, that they can leverage public opinion to force Standard Chartered to compromise, but they are overthinking it. The more they try to do this, the tighter Standard Chartered will tighten its lending, offering them no assistance. Even a run on Standard Chartered could have a significant impact on Hong Kong. If Standard Chartered is in such a state, how can other banks be safe?

Soon, HSBC and its ilk stopped laughing, because they too were caught in a bank run. They thought everything was under control, but they forgot the Hong Kong people's frenzy for the stock market and that Hong Kong had experienced bank runs more than once before. If Standard Chartered Bank had remained silent, the impact would have been even greater.

These guys originally thought that only Standard Chartered Bank would be affected, but the result terrified them because other banks were also impacted. Compared to Standard Chartered Bank's strong foundation and ample cash flow, which other banks couldn't match, even HSBC couldn't compare. The other banks were extremely annoyed. They had originally wanted to see Standard Chartered Bank fail, but now they themselves were suffering such a blow. They were all in a terrible predicament, and if this continued, they would be the first to collapse.

(End of this chapter)