America: My Time

Chapter 1436 Bottom-Fishing Operation
Chapter 1426 Bottom-Fishing Operation

By giving up Nvidia, a semiconductor chip giant; Dreamworld, a software giant; and a large portion of the assets of an internet company, and then making a shift in investment in Hurricane, as well as its own transformation, John's actions were enough to make all the financial groups in the United States stand on his side. Even if someone had ideas and wanted to sabotage him, they would have to think about whether they could bear such consequences. Not to mention that John himself also possessed terrifying military power, enough to make everyone fear him.

Lured by profits and threatened by force, who would be willing to oppose John? As long as the White House remains silent, why would those old guys from the American financial groups cause trouble? They value profits more. Not all financial groups are as powerful as Morgan and Rockefeller, and Morgan is even standing with John, which makes those old guys have to think carefully.

If Morgan were to betray John and assassinate him, it might hurt John, but they would also suffer a backlash, potentially destroying Morgan's century-old reputation and credibility. Who would trust a family that betrays its "friends"? Moreover, John had given Morgan ample benefits; if even this "good friend" was to be betrayed and assassinated, who would dare to believe in their integrity and character?
Morgan understood all of this, but he couldn't find a way to counter it. In fact, even the slightest move by him would attract many old-timers vying for Morgan's interests, including Rockefeller! Despite the hostile relationship between Rockefeller and John, they would change their minds when faced with opportunities for profit; John simply didn't give them the chance!

Are the profits from electricity and gas small? They are huge, incredibly huge. However, the conditions Rockefeller and those old guys offered, and the assets they presented, were all outdated. They were nothing like the gas and electricity that John sold back then. So, thinking that John would take over these aging power assets was wishful thinking on their part. Most importantly, John didn't even ask any questions, which meant that John had no intention of getting involved again. This left Morgan with no chance to persuade him!
John isn't interested in the profits from US gas and electricity? It would be a lie to say he isn't, but at this stage, John doesn't plan to continue investing in the US, especially in the power sector. Western Energy also has no plans to expand; it's too early now, and they need to wait a while longer.

John's actions appear to be a compromise, a concession of some interests, but this is also a strategic move for the future. By doing so, he's reducing the attention the old guard is paying to him. If he didn't, it wouldn't be so easy for him to re-enter the fray when the time is right. This current compromise is a prelude to a future comeback, to new plunder!

John didn't care about Morgan's reaction, nor did he care about the thoughts of those old guys. In the next two years, John would definitely not make any rash moves in the United States, but would instead focus his energy overseas to lull those old guys into a false sense of security. After all, the United States would face a crazy catastrophe two thousand years from now. Others might not be able to see it, but John saw it clearly. So no matter how tempting Rockefeller and those old guys were, they wouldn't tempt him!
Actually, John wasn't wrong. He needed to focus his energy on asset restructuring. With Lee Boo-jin in South Korea, he didn't need to pay too much attention. But China was a completely different story. He needed to make many arrangements in advance, and this time John was integrating quite a few assets.

"Mr. John, when will North American Aluminum and American Copper send representatives to conduct an inspection?" Upon receiving John's investment intention, China quickly made arrangements. The division of Quantum Mining into three entities, each developing upstream and downstream industries in their respective fields, had already attracted much attention, and China attached even greater importance to it, making preparations immediately!

"It will take some time. The full split and integration over there has not been completed yet. However, the inspection team will come soon to conduct research. After all, such an investment cannot be decided in a short time, nor can it be decided by me alone."

Although that's what John said, no one thought he lacked the ability to make the decision. Even though John's name is no longer on the list of the three major mining companies, those in the know understand the reason behind it. If John is willing, the investment is not a problem; it's just a matter of time and place!

Of course, this is just an intention. Even if they really want to invest, it will take time. At least they will have to wait until the Asian financial crisis ends and John's financial arrangements are completed. Only then will they have enough funds to invest. Right now, it's just the preparation stage. Moreover, with those rumors in Hong Kong, many people believe that Standard Chartered Bank does not have enough funds to buy at the bottom. Some fools are pessimistic about Standard Chartered Bank. But those who really understand know that Standard Chartered Bank is waiting for the right opportunity.

If Standard Chartered didn't have sufficient funds, it wouldn't be so calm. And if Standard Chartered truly had problems, it would have acted long ago, considering its substantial assets and capital across Southeast Asian countries. However, with Morgan Stanley listing John's internet companies, rumors about Standard Chartered have intensified, with some even claiming it's all part of a bailout effort.

John didn't address these rumors, nor was there any need to; Standard Chartered Bank did the same, letting the rumors run rampant, their main strategy being silence to keep John's intentions unclear. However, the old guard in the US understood perfectly well that this was an exchange of interests.

While it's true that these rampant rumors haven't affected John's investments in China, it's not a huge impact. After all, the scale of John's investments in China and the profits generated are well understood by the Chinese authorities. The profits from John's investments in China alone are enough to launch these projects, not to mention the strength of the two major mining companies themselves!

John's ability to make such arrangements at this time is definitely not what the rumors suggest. Without sufficient funds and a sound plan, how could he dare to make such an investment decision under these circumstances? In fact, any intelligent person can understand how correct the decisions regarding the splitting, consolidation, and asset restructuring of Quantum Mining were. As Quantum Mining continued to grow and expand, its sheer size led to severe internal competition, resulting in slowed growth. Even transforming its business was not easy due to its massive size and the numerous disputes that arose.

After Quantum Mining was split up and consolidated, everything changed completely. According to John's plan, each company developed its upstream and downstream industries in different directions. Without internal friction, things became much easier, and the speed of development increased! Although there had been splits before, this time was different, and it was completed even more aggressively.

Although North American Alcoa and Copper America have both made statements about exploring the market, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China, it's clear to everyone that the investment has the highest chance of landing in China, given the availability of skilled workers. Even considering production costs, this is a necessary step.

As John accelerated his expansion in China, changes finally occurred in Hong Kong. When Soros and his ilk were exhausted and powerless to resist, and when the Hong Kong stock market reached its lowest point, Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investments made their move, initiating a bottom-fishing spree, acquiring valuable assets in the market. Perhaps because everyone's guard against Standard Chartered Bank had been at its lowest, by the time the Hong Kong tycoons realized what was happening, Standard Chartered had not only repurchased the shares they had previously sold, but had also acquired many more. By the time they realized this, it was too late for the Hong Kong tycoons to stop them; Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investments already held a sufficient number of shares.

"Damn it, it's all those stupid guys' fault that we were caught off guard. If it weren't for the rumors they spread, we wouldn't have reacted so slowly and lost the initiative!"

Anger is useless. With major companies starting to buy at rock-bottom prices, Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment have already stopped. They have acquired enough shares in a short period of time, and there is no need to continue. After all, they are only investing, not acquiring the other party's company. Continuing to buy at rock-bottom prices will make those Hong Kong tycoons doubt John's intentions.

"Actually, this matter cannot be blamed on those guys. If anyone is to blame, it is bastards like Soros. They were the ones who secretly spread the rumors. We were also careless and thought that Standard Chartered was also severely weakened after the battle with HSBC. If we hadn't thought that way, we wouldn't have been caught off guard. We also have our own problems."

"This guy is really cunning. If I didn't know he had grudges against Soros and the oil capital, I would have suspected that this was all a charade. This time, this guy can make a fortune off us again!"

"There's definitely no need for a double act. If he were to cooperate with Soros, he could directly attack Hong Kong from the inside out, instead of just waiting to buy at the bottom!"

"In the short term, we still need to be more careful. After all, once he stops, there will still be fluctuations in the stock market. We also need to be cautious about unexpected events. Nobody knows if Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment have any other plans. After all, this guy's acquisition methods are too powerful. Just look at the situation in South Korea to understand."

News of the situation in South Korea had already reached Hong Kong. The fact that so many acquisitions and collaborations had been completed in such a short period of time was causing concern among Hong Kong business tycoons, who feared that their companies would be hostile takeovers. After all, Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment had demonstrated astonishing strength, and it was not something that could be done by just anyone to mobilize so much capital in such a short time.

No one is unafraid of John's methods, especially given that Hong Kong is not completely out of crisis. If Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment were to launch an attack at this time, it would be a disaster for these Hong Kong tycoons!
However, these Hong Kong tycoons are overthinking it. John wouldn't make a move at this time. He only ever makes money on the side and would never do anything crazy or damage his public image.

Of course, after Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment took action, some people breathed a sigh of relief, namely HSBC. They had been worried that Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment would join forces to sabotage them. After all, HSBC had targeted Standard Chartered Bank quite a bit in this financial war. If Standard Chartered were to retaliate, it would be reasonable and no one could say anything, since HSBC was in the wrong first.

John didn't want to deal with HSBC? No, he did, but now wasn't the right time. After all, HSBC still had influence, especially in Hong Kong, where it was much stronger than Standard Chartered. Moreover, taking action against HSBC at this time would damage the reputation of both himself and Standard Chartered. There was no need to do such a thing for such a small matter.

Under Standard Chartered Bank's cover, the properties sold by the real estate company were also being repurchased. Although not all properties were repurchased, this move still made them a considerable amount of money. No one expected Hong Kong property prices to plummet so drastically, and no one anticipated the staggering losses from this battle. This was all without Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment participating; had they, providing internal and external support to Hong Kong, the consequences would likely have been very different.

However, after Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment made their move, and as real estate companies repurchased assets, many people criticized and condemned them. But can we blame Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment? They can only blame themselves. No one is obligated to sacrifice their own interests for you. This is a business war, not child's play!

John wouldn't have invested in Hong Kong real estate if it weren't for balancing his own businesses. Investing in China would have been more suitable and promising. However, he couldn't do that, otherwise it would give his enemies an excuse to target him. After all, his investment in China was already enormous. If he did that, even if he paid enough for it, it would still give others an opportunity to target him. John wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

From the beginning to the end of the Hong Kong battle, John did not appear in Hong Kong, which cast a shadow over many people's minds and made many people have bad thoughts. After all, Hong Kong suffered great losses in this battle, and John's move also caused a considerable impact. Similarly, Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment quickly stopped their operations, which also had a significant impact, especially on the stock market. Many people suspected that John was not optimistic about Hong Kong, so he did not go all out and further buy into the Hong Kong stock market!

(End of this chapter)