America: My Time

Chapter 1440 The conspiracy emerges
Chapter 1430 The Conspiracy Begins
"What? Boss, you're not mistaken, are you? I didn't hear wrong, did I?!" Yuan Tianfan was shocked when he heard John's words. He couldn't believe his ears. This was too crazy, too unbelievable!
"I didn't misspoke, and you didn't mishear. The goal is for you to use Standard Chartered Bank as the center to begin integrating assets across Asia, excluding those from South Korea and Japan, and to provide financial support for these companies' development. In Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Bank will be the main entity, which isn't a major problem, as the Hong Kong layout is already complete. We just need to wait patiently. If they have sufficient funds, they can continue to buy at rock-bottom prices; it's all up to them. However, you need to take control of the overall situation in Asia. Your focus needs to shift from banking to conglomerates; you need to have a comprehensive understanding of the situation."

This level of success was something Yuan Tianfan had never imagined. Even though he had witnessed John's expansion in South Korea and Japan, and even his frenzied activities in Europe, he never expected to become the core of an Asian conglomerate, or even its leader. Of course, he also understood that this wasn't truly a situation where he had complete control; he was merely an important component.

If he were to take control of Quantum Mining and Asian Energy, would they listen to him? Obviously not. So Yuan Tianfan understood that he was merely a mediator between the various parties and was far from being able to take control of the entire conglomerate. But even so, the temptation for him was still considerable.

"Boss, shall we reconsider? Standard Chartered Bank needs to expand into the US market right now. If I focus my energy on this, wouldn't that be a bit too reckless? The US strategy is also very important; it's related to Standard Chartered Bank's global expansion. If something goes wrong, the losses could be substantial!"

Upon hearing this, John smiled calmly and said, "That won't happen, at least not within the next two years. You won't face any pressure or unexpected events there. If you do, I'll step in to resolve everything. There won't be any problems with Standard Chartered Bank in the United States!"

John wouldn't allow anyone to disrupt his plans, especially regarding Standard Chartered Bank. The United States is a crucial link in this strategy, and now that John is arriving with overwhelming force, no one dares to interfere. After all, John has already offered enough benefits; anyone who dares to make a move would be truly engaging in a life-or-death battle with John. Even Rockefeller wouldn't dare to be so reckless, having witnessed John's previous madness.

Not hearing Yuan Tianfan's reply, John continued, "Tianfan, it's not that I'm forcing you to do this, but time waits for no one. I don't have much time left. For this operation, I've offered enough benefits to make a deal with those guys, so you have to hurry, otherwise you won't have such a good opportunity again. Don't worry about Japan and South Korea; someone will handle the assets in those two countries. Once they've settled everything, they'll turn around and assist you."

When John initiated the full-scale asset restructuring, he knew he didn't have much time left; otherwise, he wouldn't have paid such a high price. Of course, John felt he could bear this loss, but to many, it was insane—giving up such a large internet market so easily, abandoning such powerful high-tech industries as Dreamworld and Nvidia so readily. Even Morgan Stanley was shocked by John's determination, let alone others. It was precisely because John made such a huge sacrifice that he was able to shock everyone else!

"Okay, I'll get started right away!" After hearing John's words, Yuan Tianfan knew he had no other choice. His boss had put it this way; if he refused, it would be foolish. Even his boss, with his considerable influence, was being so cautious, highlighting the urgency of the situation and the immense pressure behind it.

"That's for the best. With your abilities, I believe you can coordinate everything. I'll make arrangements with those groups!" John breathed a long sigh of relief, finally feeling a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

As long as things go smoothly in Asia, there shouldn't be any major problems in the US. The next step is for him to step in and integrate the assets there, but that will have to wait until the end of the year, until Nvidia and Dreamworld sell their shares again! However, John understands that if he wants to complete all his plans smoothly, he will still need to make compromises, after all, people can be treacherous.

When those old guys in the US have enough money, they will all turn their greedy eyes to me and try to take advantage of my misfortune to get more benefits. Even if I make many arrangements and exert a lot of pressure, these guys will still not give up. The temptation of money to them is unparalleled.

Before Christmas, I have to go back to the United States to handle some matters. However, before going back, I need to visit South Korea and Japan to make arrangements and preparations. If I have enough time, I also need to visit Taiwan and Hong Kong, where there are many things to deal with, especially in the media and entertainment sector. The Asian financial crisis is enough to make John vigilant and he needs to make more arrangements.

Just as John was pondering what preparations he needed to make before returning to the United States, someone he hadn't expected appeared, surprising him somewhat: Sophie Marceau. John couldn't quite remember how long it had been since he'd last seen her; they hadn't been in contact since their breakup. John hadn't had the time, and Sophie Marceau had been deliberately avoiding him.

What could have prompted Sophie Marceau to come see him? Was someone plotting against him again? John couldn't be blamed for thinking that way; he'd encountered far too many similar situations, especially after he began his frantic asset restructuring. The number of enemies eyeing him was countless, forcing John to be cautious.

"Long time no see, how are you?" John said calmly. Knowing Sophie Marceau as he did, he knew she wouldn't come to see him unless it was something important. He just didn't know what had made her make this decision.

"It has indeed been a long time. If I had a choice, I wouldn't have bothered you! I want the role of 007, but they are all hesitant to make a decision, worried that it might affect your plans!"

Upon hearing Sophie Marceau's words, John instantly understood that his frantic restructuring of assets had affected several major media and entertainment groups, making them hesitant to make decisions, as they were unsure of what changes might occur and whether it would impact film production.

“I haven’t kept up with Hollywood news for a long time, but you don’t need to come see me in person for something like this. A phone call would have been enough!” Although John didn’t know Sophie Marceau’s current situation, the fact that she took the initiative to see him showed that her current situation wasn’t too good. Perhaps his appearance and his past experiences had had a significant impact on her life. Even favors can run out eventually, and Hollywood is a place full of transactions. Once favors are exhausted, many opportunities are lost. That’s the reality of Hollywood.

Of course, John also suspected that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, trying to test him. Perhaps the incident with the Koreans had made many people uneasy; after all, his forceful acquisition of Da Xiong Pharmaceuticals had touched a nerve with many. Those guys in Japan had done similar tests more than once, so it was normal for someone to have learned it now. Although he had such suspicions, John didn't intend to investigate. If his guess was correct, this wasn't an isolated incident; there would be more tests. He just needed to wait quietly.

"I also came to visit the old lady. It's been so many years, and I still miss her." Back when Sophie Marceau was with John, the old lady really hoped they would end up together, but they separated in the end. Although John was largely to blame, the old lady was still very kind and caring towards Sophie Marceau. Now that the old lady is older and has been living in China, they've lost contact. Sophie Marceau had the opportunity to visit her this time.

Does Sophie Marceau regret her decision? Perhaps. After losing John's protection and support, she faces considerable pressure. Moreover, Hollywood is a place where profit is paramount, and losing their past relationship will significantly impact her career.

However, John didn't think too much about it. If someone was using this to test him, there was a hidden danger, and he needed to be cautious. This arrangement might even affect his future plans.

After a brief exchange, the two ran out of things to say, making the situation a little awkward. Fortunately, the old lady learned of Sophie Marceau's arrival and appeared in time to defuse the awkward situation for John, allowing him to leave.

Sophie Marceau's appearance this time also served as a wake-up call for John. The problems in the media and entertainment sector are also significant, and he needs to address them as soon as possible. Although other aspects of the business are important, media and entertainment are equally crucial. If he is not careful and affects the development of these media and entertainment groups, it will be disastrous.

Now that those guys at Youtai Capital have a lot of money in their hands, and they're focusing their energy on asset restructuring, they might set their sights on the media and entertainment industry and try to steal from you.

Without much thought, John quickly began to learn about the situation in Hollywood and the media. Sure enough, there were changes in the United States and Europe. Japanese capital was accelerating its layout in the media and increasing its investment in Hollywood, after all, there were too many Japanese people in Hollywood.

"The plan remains unchanged, and everything will proceed as scheduled!" After learning about the situation in Hollywood, John immediately suspected that someone was trying to sabotage his superhero project and hinder the development of the three major film studios in Hollywood. If someone wanted to overthrow his influence in Hollywood, that person must be a foreigner, since they were the ones who most wanted to see him fall, and now they saw an opportunity!

If they could take advantage of the time when they are focused on asset consolidation to disrupt the three major film companies, it would be a great thing for them. If they could go even further and cause chaos in the major media groups, it would give them more opportunities for development and allow them to reap more benefits.

It would be absurd to think that Hollywood's renowned directors couldn't see through the strategies of the Big Three studios, or the potential of superhero films and other franchises. If these guys wanted to target these franchises, they would naturally take action.

Of course, this was just the most superficial calculation. Since these guys were going to scheme against him, they would have many more methods. This situation made John sigh inwardly. These old guys had all learned bad habits from those guys in Japan. They had no shame and even resorted to these underhanded methods.

Using personal connections as a means to an end is a double-edged sword; one wrong move and it can hurt them. Although John doesn't know who warned Sophie Marceau, this incident means that his relationship with her will be completely severed with this 'accident.' Sophie Marceau isn't like Akina Nakamori or Naoko; after all, Sophie Marceau has already left John, her influence is limited, and even their past relationship has almost completely faded.

If Sophie Marceau hadn't come to see John at that time, or if she hadn't come to see John in person, things would have been different, and their relationship wouldn't have been severed because of this incident. But she didn't do that; instead, she came directly to see John, which is problematic. As John said, in such a small matter, there was no need for her to appear in person; a phone call would have been enough. But she did it anyway.

It was precisely because Sophie Marceau made this decision and came to see John that she eroded any remaining affection between them. Once she got the role she wanted, there would be no more affection between her and John, and they would truly become strangers. This was not because John was cold-blooded and heartless, but because Sophie Marceau herself insisted on taking this step; it was her own doing.

John had no intention of investigating the mastermind behind this; there was no need, and it was for the best, saving him a lot of trouble. Even the slightest bit of affection could cause significant problems at crucial moments, just like this time. Sophie Marceau's appearance had attracted so much attention and caused him so much trouble. He feared his playboy reputation would once again be on everyone's lips, even if he himself had created that label!

(End of this chapter)