America: My Time

Chapter 1454 John's Refusal

Chapter 1444 John's Refusal
"I said, it's no use who comes. I won't change my decision, old man, please leave!" John remained resolute in his attitude towards Old Martin, showing no intention of compromise. Since those guys had started the war, he wouldn't be soft-hearted or change his mind. Media and entertainment were just the beginning, and he would continue to take action.

Seeing John's resolute attitude, old Martin sighed. He knew he shouldn't have come this time, since John had already separated from the Bayard family. But he had no choice but to come, because he was still a member of the Donkeys, and the Bayard family was still a member of the Donkeys.

“John, I know you’re furious, but some things can’t be solved by anger. Taking a step back can open up a whole new world. Making a big fuss won’t be good for anyone! If you’re willing to reconcile, you can absolutely ask them for what they want!”

"Old man, I have no conditions, and I am unwilling to reconcile. I understand the principle of 'a good start prevents a hundred blows.' You are doing this for the sake of the Bayard family, but I also have to think about my own interests. We are on different paths, so we cannot work together. In your heart, the family is more important than anything else, but in my heart, my own interests are more important than anything else. We are not on the same side, so please don't make things difficult for me!"

John might give the old man face for minor matters, but he wouldn't compromise on something so important. He had paid such a high price to lure the enemy into a trap and make everything work in his favor. If he compromised now and abandoned his previous efforts because of the old man's words, he would face endless troubles in the future. It was better to cut to the chase and get straight to the point!

This wasn't the first time. John didn't want to continue compromising between family and personal interests. In the old man's eyes, family was everything, while in John's heart, personal interests were the most important. So there was a fundamental conflict between them. In the past, John had always restrained himself, but one thing after another had made him unwilling to do so anymore.

John was already annoyed by the fact that each of his family members wanted more after getting a good deal, so no matter how much the old man tried to persuade him, it was no use. Perhaps in his eyes, John had made some concessions at the last wedding, which made many people feel that they could get more from John. After all, John had given his younger brother and sister an astonishing amount of wealth. If those family members were just being greedy, that would be one thing, but now that they had other ideas, how could John not be furious!

“John, I understand your concerns, but this is no small matter, and you can’t make enemies of everyone!”

"I know this is no small matter, but I don't agree with your statement. Do you think Morgan will stand against me, or do you think those old guys like Rockefeller will stand against me, or even the elephants will stand against me? None of them will do that. Since the donkeys dare to go to such extremes, they should be prepared to pay the price. Do they think they can act recklessly just because I'm easy to talk to, or do they think they can act with impunity just because you're one of the donkeys?"

If Old Martin hadn't said that, John wouldn't have been so agitated. At least he would have saved face for the old man. But John didn't want to do that now. In the old man's heart, the family came first, and he himself had to take a backseat. Under these circumstances, John didn't want to have any more entanglements with the family.

Before the old man could speak, John continued, "Sir, let's leave it at that. You have your thoughts, and I have my choices. You're a member of the donkeys, willing to do anything for the Bayard family, but I can't. I'm not a donkey; I stand with the elephant. I only care about my own interests, only about the state of Oregon I control. Since they've gone too far, they have to face my counterattack. No one can change that, not even President Richard Lamb. If I'm not mistaken, the Morgan, Rockefeller, and DuPont families haven't accepted their invitations, have they?"

When John had explained things to this point, old Martin sighed. He could sense a deeper rift between them, perhaps John no longer intended to have anything to do with the Bayard family; his heart had turned cold. His scheming and maneuvering, his repeated interventions on behalf of the family, had alienated John, who now loathed his actions—after all, he had been harming John's interests!

Old Martin naturally understood that he was doing all this for the family, but he couldn't impose his own ideas on John. Most importantly, John was no longer the same as before, and Oregon was no longer the same as it used to be. Now John had complete control over everything in Oregon and was deepening the transformation of the entire state, wanting to completely turn it into his own territory and control everything from every aspect.

It was precisely because of these concerns that the Donkey guys had Old Martin step in and invited old guys like Morgan and Rockefeller. Unfortunately, they all failed. The guys in California went too far, or rather, the Kennedy family wanted to limit John's development in California, or they felt that John had affected their interests. It's just that these guys acted too hastily this time!
John's influence in California is considerable, especially in San Francisco where it is growing daily. Unwilling to see their interests eroded and to prevent John from establishing a foothold in California politics, they conspired with various forces to enact this talent bill. Unfortunately, they directly angered John, or rather, they fell into his trap, plunging themselves into an even greater disaster!

"John, isn't there any other possibility? Is it even impossible to sit down and talk with them?" Old Martin was still a little unwilling to give up and wanted to make one last attempt to persuade them, after all, the impact this time was too great!
"Old man, there is no possibility. They are not worthy to sit down and talk with me anymore. They are not qualified. If they want to fight, I will fight to the end. I will not compromise, nor will I back down. I am waiting for their next move. If they have any means, they can use them. I have other things to deal with, so I will not talk to you any longer!"

Upon hearing John's words, Old Martin fully understood that John's ties with the Bayard family were about to be completely severed. He had exhausted all familial bonds; people's hearts cannot withstand manipulation. His repeated scheming had driven John to despair and utterly destroyed the kinship between John and the Bayard family. Everything has its limits, even familial bonds. No matter how kind John was, he couldn't continue this cycle of manipulation indefinitely, especially considering those men's immense greed and their designs on his wealth. Under these circumstances, John no longer wanted any further contact with them, not even with his own grandfather.

It wasn't that John was cold-hearted, but reality forced him to do this. His repeated compromises only resulted in greed; how could he accept this? Was there any point in such family ties? In fact, John's situation was very similar to Akina Nakamori's, which is why John repeatedly endured Akina's greedy family. Now, John didn't want to continue and wanted to sever this connection. Family ties shouldn't be used as an excuse to manipulate others; even the best family bonds can be worn down.

Watching John turn and leave, old Martin sighed again, opened his mouth but didn't make a sound. Although he understood that John's departure meant parting ways with the Bayard family, he couldn't stop it. He had also made many calculations behind all of this, so he had no right to ask anything more of John. John had already done enough!

Sincerity begets sincerity; scheming and calculation will never earn you respect, only sever all ties of family. This is exactly what's happening now. Because he understood this, old Martin could only helplessly watch everything unfold, witnessing the breakdown of family bonds. For him, it was a heavy blow; for the Bayard family, it was a disaster; but for John, it was a good thing. The moment he turned to leave, he felt a sense of relief.

This time, John was determined and would not hesitate any longer. No one could change his mind, not even his grandfather. If he compromised again because of family ties, it would only embolden those greedy people and bring him more trouble. There were too many people watching him in secret, and he didn't want to face so much trouble.

Old Martin had considered trying to influence John's parents, but that was unlikely to succeed. John's attitude was the best proof. He didn't stay in San Francisco but went directly to Oregon, which was telling himself and everyone else not to try to take advantage of family ties. But he did just that, so he destroyed the last bit of family affection. As for Calvin, it was even more impossible; he was now with Elephant!

Although unwilling to accept the outcome of failure, old Martin was powerless to do anything. He had done everything he could. John's departure represented the breakdown of family ties. Under such circumstances, Calvin would not help the Bayard family, after all, he also had conflicts with the Bayard family. Now that John was going to sever family ties, how could Calvin stop him!

News of the failure quickly reached Donkey, and Laugh Tale also learned of it. When the White House learned of this, the Rockefeller, Morgan, and other established families naturally also learned of it. Many people sighed. Even though they were somewhat prepared, they were still shocked when they heard the news. This was not the result they wanted. They all knew what John's actions meant, and they all understood that the worst was about to happen.

The Fed officials don't want to get involved now, because they understand that intervening at this point would put them on the opposite side of John, leading to a complete breakdown in relations—something they neither want nor can accept. Maintaining appearances is beneficial for everyone; they're not like Martin Luther King Jr., and they can't keep testing John. In their eyes, John is on the verge of madness, and if he continues playing with fire, he might get burned.

The reason why old tycoons like Morgan and Rockefeller avoided John and refused his invitations to parties was because they understood how formidable John had become. For the Bayard family, even if old Martin's persuasion failed, John wouldn't attack them. But it was different for them; no one believed that trying to persuade John at this time would avoid a retaliation.

At this point, even Morgan dared not have such thoughts. No matter how good the relationship, there are always limits. It was best not to touch John's nerve at this time. In their view, John's repeated reactions showed that John's patience had been exhausted. If things continued to escalate, it would only make things out of control. Old Martin's failure was the best proof. If even Old Martin could not make John compromise, how could they possibly do so?

The more those old guys understood John's current feelings, the less willing they were to step forward. They all wanted to silently watch and wait for John's anger to subside. As for the lives of others, that had nothing to do with them. Whatever price the donkey paid was none of their concern. They could even accept a furious retaliation from the Kennedy family, since this wasn't the first time the Kennedy family had played with fire. In many people's eyes, these guys should bear the consequences!

Even the strongest favors will eventually run out, and the best friendships will one day end. When it comes to self-interest, nothing is impossible, and no one is willing to sacrifice their own interests for the Kennedy family. Since the Kennedy family insists on interfering in this matter, on being an enemy of John, and on directly targeting John's media and entertainment ventures, they must be prepared to fail. No one will tolerate them forever.

For old fogies like Morgan and Rockefeller, they weren't without other channels. The Wall Street gatherings were their opportunity to communicate with John. They wouldn't do someone else's bidding at this time, nor would they cross John's bottom line and harm their own interests. Therefore, they could all wait and see! For these old fogies, no matter how much John retaliated against Donald this time, he held an absolute advantage because John had a valid reason and evidence. It was Donald and his ilk who insisted on pushing things to the extreme, and they would naturally bear all the consequences themselves!
(End of this chapter)