America: My Time

Chapter 1509: Scheme or Crisis?

Chapter 1499 Scheme or Crisis?
No one knows what John discussed with the Middle Eastern prince. The day after their meeting, the prince visited Gulfstream Aerospace and signed some cooperation agreements. There were also a few orders, and this time many people learned about these orders, causing unease among some.
"F-14, have they gone mad? They're actually collaborating on this, and Middle Eastern tycoons have even placed orders! Is Gulfstream Aerospace really so crazy as to break with the military, to escape their suppression, and to go its own way? If they do this, it will be a disaster for the United States!" President Lancelot felt uneasy. He couldn't accept this outcome; he feared that Gulfstream Aerospace's abandonment would severely damage the US military industry!

"I don't know, but judging from the current situation, that's how it seems. John is very dissatisfied with the military, and given his madness, he could indeed do that. After all, he has the support of Middle Eastern tycoons. If he has enough financial support and orders, perhaps they can really forge a different path!"

“Get those guys in the military moving, get them to have a discussion with Gulfstream Aerospace. We can’t just watch Gulfstream Aerospace abandon its cooperation with the military. You know, if that happens, the entire military-industrial complex will be impacted.” Zipperton was afraid that if he forced Gulfstream Aerospace to abandon its cooperation with the military during his term, it would be a serious blow to his reputation.

"I'm afraid the military won't be willing to compromise. After all, they have a conflict with John. If they refuse to accept our reminders, there's nothing we can do about it, especially since your term is coming to an end!"

"So what? If they insist on ruining my reputation and pushing me to the brink, I will have no choice but to deliver a fatal blow. They will not be able to get any more military funding, and they will have to endure another reduction in military spending!" Zipperton was also determined. After all, he had been tricked by the military before, so he naturally hated the military!

"It would be best if we stepped in and got John to sit down and talk with the military, or even get Boeing involved. If possible, it would be best to get all the defense contractors involved, since their current situation isn't ideal. Otherwise, John wouldn't have made such a crazy decision. Gulfstream Aerospace's series of changes have shown us their difficulties!"

Upon hearing this, Zipperton also sighed. The current situation of Gulfstream Aerospace made people think of the need for drastic measures. He said, "That's true, but I'm afraid that if we really put them together, it will cause another upheaval. They will be in chaos again, after all, they all have their own needs."

"Then let's listen to the military's thoughts first, tell them about our difficulties, and tell them about Gulfstream Aerospace's situation. After all, we can't let them take the blame. If these guys in the military insist on their way, we'll put everything out in the open. This isn't our problem; it's their fault. At least we can't let those guys in the military industry hate us, otherwise it won't be good for us. After all, these guys are capable of anything when they go crazy!"

No one is unafraid of these US military-industrial enterprises and arms dealers. If they are truly pushed to the point of having no way out, it will be a disaster. These guys don't care about US security; they only care about their own interests. And Gulfstream Aerospace's performance is the best proof of that!

"Alright, you go and talk to those guys in the military. We don't have much time to wait. If the public finds out and starts having inappropriate thoughts, then the problem will be serious!"

The White House quickly contacted the military, directly expressing their concerns and demanding an explanation. Faced with pressure from the White House, the military was also under considerable pressure. They already had internal conflicts, and the White House's intervention exacerbated the situation. If it were to become known that the military's selfishness had forced defense contractors like Gulfstream Aerospace to self-destruct, the consequences would be dire!
"Damn it, I told you long ago not to push things too far. Now the White House can't hold back anymore and is putting pressure on us. If we cause the White House to cut military spending again, we will have to bear all the consequences. Tell me, what should we do now?"

"What else can we do? We have to sit down and talk to John, and offer him some of our military supplies. Otherwise, we'll face pressure from Gulfstream Aerospace. Their decision to sell the entire F-22 program at this time would have a huge impact on us!"

"You want to stop all of this from happening, but do you think Boeing will accept it? As far as I know, those guys at Boeing are going crazy for it; they all want to make this deal with John."

“I understand Boeing’s thinking, but we can’t let that happen. If Gulfstream Aerospace does that, Boeing will have a monopoly and it will destroy the entire military-industrial complex. Without Gulfstream Aerospace’s competition, they will be even more aggressive, and we will face even greater pressure. However, there is one thing that surprises me: why is Gulfstream Aerospace putting so much effort into the F-14? Isn’t that a waste of time and energy, especially since we have already decided to retire it!”

"We don't know. We still don't know what Gulfstream Space is planning! Right now, we can only sit down and talk to John, this madman, as soon as possible to resolve all the crises, otherwise there will be big problems. After all, Gulfstream Space has become very crazy. It seems that they want to abandon many research and development projects and put all their energy into drones, which is completely contrary to our needs!"

Not long after, John received an invitation from the White House to discuss Gulfstream Aerospace. When John received the invitation, a faint smile appeared on his face. This was exactly the result he wanted; if he hadn't gone all out, those guys wouldn't have given him this opportunity!

Of course, John wasn't the only one invited this time; Boeing was too. After all, Gulfstream Aerospace and Boeing had already begun discussing a deal, and if they were to complete it, it would put considerable pressure on the US military and the White House, and could even subject them to public criticism. "Mr. John, I didn't expect we'd meet again under these circumstances!" Upon seeing John, the Boeing representatives showed a hint of worry in their eyes. They feared the deal might fail, as it involved significant interests, especially for the shareholders who were all hoping for its success!
"Yes, I didn't expect things to turn out this way either. However, you all don't need to worry too much. Gulfstream Space's plans will not change. As long as you all show enough sincerity, our cooperation will not be a problem!"

When John finished speaking, the Boeing guys were all shocked. Before they came, they suspected that Gulfstream Aerospace made the deal with them to put pressure on the military and the White House, and that they didn't really want to give up the F-22 project. But now John said something like this!

The Boeing guys wanted to say something more, but the White House staff didn't give them that time. They quickly interrupted John and Boeing's conversation and led both sides' personnel into the conference room, where the military and White House staff had been waiting for a long time.

“Mr. John, we want to know Gulfstream Space's true thoughts. After all, this isn't just a Gulfstream Space issue; it also concerns U.S. security and the development of the military-industrial complex.” Upon seeing John and the Gulfstream Space personnel seated, the White House staff proactively inquired, without involving the military personnel.
"I understand your concerns and thoughts, but this decision is final. Gulfstream Aerospace must change, or it will only sink deeper and deeper, eventually leading to bankruptcy and liquidation. For so many years, we have been operating at a loss, so we can no longer continue. We need to streamline our operations and can only make changes to our existing plans, selling some of our projects to obtain the funds to survive. As for the impact on U.S. security and the military-industrial complex, that is beyond our control. We must survive first before we can talk about anything else!"

John's answer shocked both the White House and the military. It wasn't that they were unaware of Gulfstream Aerospace, but in their calculations, Gulfstream Aerospace shouldn't have the current financial history. After all, Gulfstream Aerospace had always had the support of Middle Eastern tycoons, and they had received huge sums of money from them.

“Mr. John, as far as we know, Gulfstream Aerospace collaborates with Middle Eastern tycoons on many projects, receiving their financial support, and also has a good market in the civilian sector. It shouldn't be as difficult as you say, right?”

As soon as the military finished speaking, John shook his head dismissively and said, "Heh, do you understand Gulfstream Aerospace better than we do? What you're talking about are just research and development projects, but have you considered our workers? Do you know how many of our production lines are affected? Without military orders, we're constantly scaling back production lines. Most importantly, your understanding is only superficial. That's just some project collaborations; most projects rely on us entirely on our own. You could say we've lost our research and development capabilities because we don't have enough manpower or funds. We're forced to cut our losses and survive! If you think I'm lying, you can go and find out the real situation at Gulfstream Aerospace!"

Upon hearing John's words, Zipperton's heart sank. His worst fears had come true. Since John dared to say such things here, it meant that they were true. In just a few years, Gulfstream Aerospace had fallen into such a predicament, even to the point of cutting its losses to survive. One can only imagine the situation of other military industrial enterprises!
“Mr. John, it’s not that we don’t believe you, but this news is just too shocking.”

"But that's the truth. If it weren't for a last resort, do you think we would make the drastic decision to cut our losses and save ourselves? Would we shift our R&D to projects that you've already abandoned? The reason is simple: we have no other choice but to follow this old path to have a chance of survival!"

Although John spoke with great solemnity, some of the people present still didn't believe him. After all, it was too crazy, and Gulfstream Aerospace wasn't without ways to resolve the crisis; they could have gone public and raised funds. But John deliberately avoided mentioning it, which naturally made those with darker intentions suspicious.

“Mr. John, could you give us a little more time to think about a solution? After all, if Gulfstream Aerospace sells its projects at this time, it will suffer significant losses.” The military personnel had no choice but to speak up, also testing the waters with John and Gulfstream Aerospace.

"Time? Do you think we would do this if we had enough time? I believe you all know about the changes in the Middle Eastern tycoons. If it weren't for the worst-case scenario, I think I would have made a request to them. Gulfstream Aerospace is already in a very dangerous situation. What you see is just the surface. You need to know that Gulfstream Aerospace is not so simple now. You've underestimated a huge expense: the cost of the initial acquisition! If you don't want to see Gulfstream Aerospace go bankrupt and be split up again, then hurry up and let us complete the deal with Boeing. Don't obstruct this deal in any way."

The more John emphasized the seriousness of the situation, the more suspicious those people became of his motives and the true nature of Gulfstream Aerospace. However, they had no way of understanding Gulfstream Aerospace's true intentions, as they believed drones were far from comparable to conventional fighter jets. Even some within the military hoped that Gulfstream Aerospace would abandon its drone development efforts; they believed that if Gulfstream Aerospace had any problems, it must lie in this area.

The military was acutely aware of Gulfstream Aerospace's insane investment in drone research and development, especially the mothership program, which was shockingly extravagant. The sheer scale of investment in this one project alone was enough to make their skin crawl. If possible, both the military and the White House staff hoped Gulfstream Aerospace would change its plans. Boeing, of course, didn't share this view; they expected Gulfstream Aerospace to continue its reckless expansion on this path!

Silence fell quickly, filling the meeting room. Everyone was trying to figure out how to solve the problem, but they couldn't find a solution, which led to the current atmosphere in the meeting room and made everyone feel incredibly heavy-hearted.

(End of this chapter)