America: My Time

Chapter 1508 Gulfstream Spaceflight's Crisis

Chapter 1498 Gulfstream Spaceflight's Crisis
"Damn it, what is John up to? How did he get in touch with Middle Eastern tycoons again? And why is he selling off a project like the F-22?" When people learned of John's actions, they were shocked. Even the White House's Zipperton couldn't believe it, not to mention the US military, which had been suppressing John all along!

"I don't know. However, I think we shouldn't engage in those underhanded tactics anymore, or we'll be playing with fire and get burned. If we really push John to the edge, we'll be the ones who suffer in the end. We might even be affected if this gets out to the public. Don't forget that this guy has a lot of influence, and I'm worried that he might directly challenge us to a tough fight."

"Tell me, what are you thinking? We really can't let our guard down with John, or we'll all be affected!" The military leader sighed as he spoke, because they were all very uneasy about John's changes.

“We’ve been talking about military spending all along, but we know our own situation. If John uses military spending against us, what will be the consequences? Don’t underestimate his influence on Congress, the White House, and the public.”

"Are you worried that this is a deliberate provocation against us, a way for him to warn us?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm worried about. We know perfectly well how much Gulfstream Space has sacrificed for this project, but now John wants to sell it to Boeing. Do you think that's normal? Either Gulfstream Space's finances are in dire straits, or John has reached his limit. If this continues, we'll face his wrath. Don't forget, we were the ones who broke the rules first, not John. If he takes action, what do you think will happen? We might not be affected, but what will happen to our families? Stop it. Don't continue. Even if you have some resentment, it should dissipate. Rules aren't just for show!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the military personnel sighed and silently nodded in acceptance. If they continued this charade, none of them had the confidence to face John's wrath, and if things escalated, they would be the ones to suffer. After all, they weren't without rivals, and they didn't completely control everything within the military. They all understood that John's influence within the military was considerable; he simply hadn't used it yet. In fact, some of them were even friends of John's. Therefore, no one dared to take any further risks!

"Then let's talk to John. The White House will handle it, and I'll make the contact. I believe John will still give the White House some face. To be honest, after fighting for so long, I still don't understand what John is trying to do. Our initial conflict was just over some trivial matters. If we had just taken a step back, it wouldn't have been a problem. But without realizing it, our conflict has reached such a dangerous level!"

Why? These guys themselves know perfectly well, but they're unwilling to admit it, unwilling to say it. They're too greedy; they want more benefits, so they insist on opposing John, leading to everything that's happened. For these guys, both the assets John released and the Hurricane Investment he controls are incredibly tempting. Of course, what infuriates these military personnel the most is John's desire to share the profits from military supplies with them, which they're unwilling to accept. They want John to show some sincerity!
John was well aware of the immense profits the US military made from military supplies, and now that such a trend had emerged, John wanted to share in the benefits. Unfortunately, the military personnel rejected John's 'goodwill,' and there were also some internal conflicts among them, leading to all the current conflicts.

Although the military had made a decision, it would take time to smooth things over and prevent the worst from happening. Before they could prepare everything, the Middle Eastern tycoons had already taken action and appeared in front of John, which made the military extremely worried.

If John were to fully cooperate with Middle Eastern tycoons, it wouldn't be good for the US military, or even for the White House. They are well aware of how terrible the consequences would be and how much pressure such a situation would put on them. It would cause the situation in the Middle East to spiral out of control and even weaken their influence there.

The US military knows best how terrifying Jaguar Security's operations in the Middle East have been over the years. If Jaguar Security were to fully side with the Middle Eastern tycoons, it would cause a devastating disaster, disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East, thwart all their schemes, and subject them to unimaginable crises.

"Prince, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. I wasn't fully prepared." Upon seeing the Middle Eastern prince, John couldn't help but sigh. The prince had arrived earlier than he had anticipated. However, John's words were not to be taken seriously; they were merely a polite remark.

“Mr. John is joking. If I hadn’t come quickly, I wouldn’t have been able to go back and explain things. As you know, there are quite a few people in the United States targeting us. I was worried that if I came late, our agreement might be disrupted!”

“Yes, the situation here is not ideal. I myself am under a lot of pressure. I believe you are all aware of the situation at Gulfstream Aerospace. It’s now at a critical juncture. I have to sell an important project to obtain the funds needed for survival!” John sighed, a faint shadow of gloom in his eyes.

"Mr. John, has things gotten this serious? Is the White House really not doing anything?"

"To say they're completely inactive is an exaggeration, but there are many things I dare not risk. You know the situation with Gulfstream Aerospace. If we went public and raised funds, there wouldn't be any problem. But do you think I could still control Gulfstream Aerospace if I did that? Could I still keep the promises I made to you? If those guys get involved with Gulfstream Aerospace, the consequences would be unimaginable. You should also know the situation with Dreamworld and Nvidia; they've both been broken up now." When John mentioned Dreamworld and Nvidia, the Middle Eastern prince sighed. He was well aware of all this, and the breakup of Dreamworld and Nvidia had significantly impacted them. If Gulfstream Aerospace were to suffer the same fate, it would be a disaster for them; they would be subject to pressure from the United States!

Under John's leadership, the cooperation between them was very fair. Although John was somewhat greedy, he always kept his promises. If Gulfstream were to be broken up, things would be completely different, and all the promises would disappear.

“Mr. John, if it’s a funding issue, that’s not a big deal. We can definitely help you and ensure that Gulfstream Aerospace isn’t affected by funding!” The Middle Eastern prince said this without much thought.
“Prince, if it were just a matter of funding, that wouldn’t be a problem. I could borrow from other sources. But it’s not just about funding; there are many other issues. The military is constantly putting pressure on Gulfstream Aerospace, preventing it from getting enough orders. That’s the biggest problem. The funding issue is easy to resolve temporarily, but the long-term consequences will be too great!”

Have Middle Eastern tycoons considered investing in Gulfstream Space? Of course they have, but they know it's impossible. Neither side would give them that opportunity, and even if John agreed, it wouldn't succeed.

"Isn't there a solution? If it's about orders, we can increase them!" The Middle Eastern prince quickly understood the problem. A company needs more than just funds. Without enough orders, it cannot stabilize itself, and if all the employees leave, it will fall into trouble.

Relying solely on civilian orders is not sustainable for long. After all, Gulfstream Aerospace cannot stop all military production, as that would mean losing a significant portion of its workforce, a consequence that Gulfstream Aerospace cannot afford!
Upon hearing this, John shook his head and said, "Ordinary orders are useless; what I need are military orders! Given your current situation, you don't need many weapons at all, so you can't solve Gulfstream Aerospace's current problems!"

Is that really the case? No, this is just an excuse John uses to appease the Middle Eastern tycoons. He's exaggerating the severity of his crisis to extract more benefits from them in the upcoming "cooperation." Only by making his situation seem more serious can he better communicate and cooperate with the Middle Eastern tycoons!
“Mr. John, aren’t you underestimating us? As long as you can provide us with top-notch weapons, orders are no problem. We never care about the amount of money involved!” The Middle Eastern prince didn’t want John to underestimate their power, so he spoke calmly, not feeling there was anything wrong with his promise!
“Prince, are you sure? This is no joke. Our cooperation has always gone very well, but it has also been affected by many factors. Now Gulfstream Aerospace has new plans that require not only funding but also orders. To be honest, we are going to sell our project with the military, which is also the most important project, the F-22. I believe you have heard about this!”

"Hiss!" Upon hearing John's words, the Middle Eastern prince gasped. He hadn't expected the situation to be so dangerous. If what John said was true, it meant that Gulfstream Aerospace was indeed facing a life-or-death crisis. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sold such a project, which represented future financial prospects!
“Mr. John, please feel free to ask for anything we can do. We are always sincere to our friends!”

John shook his head and said, “Prince, this can’t be explained in a few words. As long as the military doesn’t budge, Gulfstream’s crisis won’t be resolved. To truly resolve Gulfstream’s crisis, it’s not something that can be done with just one order; it requires orders for hundreds of aircraft, or even more. Are you sure you can do that, and that’s for the latest developments?”

As soon as John finished speaking, the Middle Eastern prince's expression shifted. The latest research had piqued his interest; it was clear that Gulfstream Aerospace had made new progress. However, they currently lacked sufficient funds for mass production, and the absence of orders from the US military had plunged them into a predicament. The Middle Eastern prince was well aware of the staggering research and development costs required for such an important project. Without orders, all previous investments would be wasted—this was Gulfstream Aerospace's predicament.

"That's not a problem. As long as it's advanced and powerful enough, we can accept it. We've always cooperated well before, and our cooperation based on the Tomcat fighter jet has been ongoing. So it's not a problem at all. You don't need to worry!"

"No, our new plan is an enhanced version of the cooperation between the two sides, or rather a series. The cost of this is too high, and the military has been slow to respond, forcing us to prepare for the worst."

Why did John make such arrangements for Gulfstream Aerospace? It was a plan that had been prepared long ago, but now a small accident has occurred. The military's suppression has hindered the plan, and it is precisely because of this obstacle that Gulfstream Aerospace is in trouble. The orders from the Middle Eastern tycoons alone are far from enough to meet Gulfstream Aerospace's investment and future development needs!

Why do those guys in the military dare to suppress Gulfstream Aerospace like this? It's because they have a good reason. John has been patient because he understands this. And it's not just Gulfstream Aerospace that's affected; other military companies are too. As long as there's no war in the Middle East, all military companies will be affected. It's precisely because John understands this that he has been tolerant and hasn't directly confronted those guys in the military.

Of course, it was precisely because John understood the current situation of military enterprises that he set his sights on military supplies, wanting to get a share of the profits. Unfortunately, he underestimated the reaction of these guys in the military and their greed, which made the situation more and more dangerous and put more and more pressure on Gulfstream Aerospace!

(End of this chapter)