America: My Time

Chapter 1521 The Blame
Chapter 1511 Blame

For the old fogies like Rockefeller, they all believed John would be patient and wouldn't overturn the table unless absolutely necessary. Even if he did, he wouldn't launch a full-blown retaliation, as that would plunge all the established families into the most intense conflict, potentially plunging the United States into its darkest period—something no one wanted to see. John, as one of the giants of the American financial world, naturally didn't want such a situation either. However, the White House's Locomotives and the military didn't share this view. They lacked such confidence, especially since John was overseas, which made them even more uneasy.

As Morgan said, John's presence in the United States would actually make them feel more at ease. After all, Oregon is John's home base and has absolute security. But it would be safer overseas because if John were overseas, everyone would be afraid of the threat of powerful weapons. Most importantly, no one wants to see John have an 'accident' overseas, as that would mean the worst-case scenario.

"What a joke! I don't think it's a joke at all. I have great confidence in Morgan. As long as you can keep those fools in check and stop them from causing trouble, I believe John won't make any excessive demands! Sincerity doesn't necessarily mean offering benefits as compensation. Your actions are also a form of sincerity. Sometimes, suppressing those fools and making them behave is a good option!"

Rockefeller's answer stunned everyone present. Those seated there were all intelligent and understood his meaning. Only the White House and the military could have accomplished this, and only they could resolve the crisis. Although Rockefeller's words were an attempt to shift blame, both the White House and the military had to admit it was indeed a good option.

Although this conflicted somewhat with the military and the White House's plans, they felt it wasn't something that couldn't be done. Moreover, it was indeed necessary to shut some people up in the Middle East and make them behave, as well as those oil capitals, whether European or American, should be made to behave, otherwise how could they avoid a crisis?

“Mr. Rockefeller, on behalf of the White House, I can accept your proposal. However, as I said before, this will be the last time during my term. I don’t want any more trouble, after all, I can only handle so much pressure!” Laughlin had to reiterate his position once again. After all, things had come to this point, and it wouldn’t be a big problem for him to step in.

"That's natural. We know when to advance and when to retreat. And this whole situation isn't entirely our fault. It's just that some people are too greedy and too crazy. We only wanted to protect the interests of the United States and safeguard the development of the US semiconductor chip industry. We didn't expect things to get out of our control. Of course, the reason this situation has arisen is because those insidious guys are causing trouble in the shadows. If they hadn't crossed John's bottom line and insisted on using those underhanded methods, the current situation wouldn't have happened. In essence, we are also victims!"

When Rockefeller said this, everyone rolled their eyes at him. Even the old guys who were with him were amazed by Rockefeller's shamelessness. But at this moment, they naturally had to stand on Rockefeller's side. After all, they did have a little reason to argue and could also say that they were the victims!
“Yes, we don’t want to see this happen either. We are victims too. I also think John was right. Those guys need to be restrained, otherwise their insatiable greed will ruin everything. They will unleash their greed as soon as they have the chance, plunging the situation into crisis.”

Faced with this shameless group of old men, the military personnel could only sigh and say, "Gentlemen, we will take action, warn those guys, suppress them, and give 'you all' an explanation. But please don't play with fire. We won't interfere with normal business dealings. If you insist on causing a major incident, then it has nothing to do with us. After all, we don't want to see the worst happen either. If something really goes wrong, we can't control everything!"

Upon hearing the military's response, the old men, including Rockefeller, breathed a sigh of relief. They exchanged glances, conveying a tacit understanding, before Rockefeller spoke up: "Don't worry, we know what we can't do. If John needs us to show 'sincerity,' as long as we can accept it, we will absolutely not put you in a difficult position. We won't let things escalate to the public and make you take the blame!"

The old guys like Rockefeller naturally understood the principle of "you're good, I'm good, we're all good" and, having experienced America's darkest era, they were unwilling to see such a situation occur. Chaos without order would be a disaster for these financial giants as well. They could say no to the weak and ignore their requests, but when facing those of equal standing, they naturally had to follow the rules. Don't be fooled by John's easygoing nature; these old guys knew how formidable he was. When it was time to compromise, they would compromise and wouldn't do anything foolish. This is why he kept emphasizing that they knew when to advance and when to retreat!
Back at his residence in Taiwan, John breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was under control. The Taiwanese guys were quite sensible, unlike the foolish and greedy ones in Japan. In comparison, they understood the value of exchange, knowing that there's no gain without pain, and that it wasn't acceptable for John to invest while they offered no compensation. If it weren't for the legislation preventing many companies from entering China, John wouldn't have needed to establish a presence in Taiwan; he could have directly entered China, where labor costs were lower and more favorable policies were available.

Although these guys in Taiwan used to open the door to John's investments, they still had a lot of reservations and were unwilling to let an 'outsider' like John participate in some assets. But now they've opened up these projects, because you have to put in the effort to reap the rewards; otherwise, John wouldn't need to make so many investments in Taiwan.

These guys in Taiwan understand that if John's semiconductor factory in Taiwan were to collapse, it would be a disaster for Taiwan, an impact they couldn't afford. After all, John's companies are industry giants, and most importantly, they know how aggressively John has expanded in South Korea—forming conglomerates and transforming Japan. Whether in South Korea or Japan, John can replace Taiwan's position. Therefore, these guys naturally want to show sincerity, to achieve a win-win situation where everyone benefits!

"There's no need for any pressure. What happened in Japan won't happen in Taiwan. Whoever is behind all this won't provoke me any further. You don't need to worry or be afraid. Believe that those guys in Taiwan are smart and won't do anything foolish. It won't do them any good. Besides, they're not as greedy as those guys in Japan. The upcoming game won't affect you, and it's not something you can get involved in."

John's words relieved the women around him. They all knew about the situation in Japan and were aware that their safety was not compromised. No one could remain calm when they knew their safety was at risk, and these women were no exception!
"Is there anything we need to do? They contacted us first, and given the previous arrangements, do we need to maintain contact with them?" Zhang Yuyan asked. Her years of experience had allowed her to quickly regain her composure. After all, John wouldn't lie to them about something like this, nor was there any need for him to!
“You don’t need to do anything. Just continue with your previous lives. There’s no need to pay attention to anything else. They don’t care about your reactions. There are many things you can’t interfere with!” John paused here, then continued, “I won’t stay in Taiwan for long. I’ll leave once the cooperation agreement between the two sides is reached. Many things can be done in secret, but not in the open. That wouldn’t be good for anyone!”

John naturally gained considerable benefits from this exchange of interests with Taiwan, but these benefits couldn't be made public to avoid unnecessary trouble and disruption to his plans. Most importantly, John didn't want to accept too much from these Taiwanese guys, as they constantly tried to extract military advantages from him, something he was unwilling to accept. Deals with Middle Eastern tycoons were risk-free; even with opposition from Israel, it wouldn't cause him any trouble. But Taiwan was different; John didn't want to ruin his investments in China because of this deal!
Despite the seemingly smooth progress of his trip, there are many implications behind it. His choice to come to Taiwan at this time has a significant impact on all parties involved. Moreover, John knows that Morgan will soon appear before him, because those old guys only have this one trump card to play!

Previously, Martin Luther King Jr. was a trump card; as long as they offered some benefits, they could get the family-oriented King Luther King Jr. to step in. But now, that card is useless. John's conflict with the family is almost entirely out in the open, and they have even parted ways. Why? Because, just as John suspected, those family members betrayed him at a crucial moment. They preferred to convert their shares into Intel and Microsoft shares rather than sell them directly to help him!
In contrast, Eva and Allen did not betray John's family ties; they did not hesitate to sell the asset. This is the difference. Under such circumstances, it is naturally impossible for John and his family to reconcile, and even if Old Martin intervenes, it will be to no avail. In the current situation, Morgan becomes their best option.

Friendships are built on give and take, and lasting friendships are forged through shared interests. However, the friendship between John and Morgan was gradually eroded by one incident after another. Under these circumstances, John needed to consider how to cooperate with Morgan. John wouldn't give unconditionally, because such a friendship only involved his own sacrifices without receiving what he wanted in return.

Despite Morgan's continued efforts to maintain an exchange of interests, John held far more cards than Morgan did. If it weren't for their past relationship, their friendship would likely have been completely eroded over time. Under these circumstances, John naturally exercised caution.

"What benefits should I ask them for? It's almost impossible to get them to give me any more opportunities to expand. Those old guys won't give me any more opportunities to expand. They don't want to see me continue to expand in any way. It's the same in Europe. Even though those guys got their tickets to the internet from me and are developing their own internet companies, they're a disorganized bunch and can't form much of a force. So there won't be any benefits for them in Europe either."

Thinking of this, John couldn't help but sigh. Facing numerous problems, he felt considerable pressure. The Asian financial crisis and the battle for semiconductor chips both presented him with significant troubles. Whether it was the US or Europe, getting involved in their interests wouldn't be easy. After all, these countries possessed substantial funds, and even setting up a winery wasn't straightforward!

John understood his current situation, which is why he disposed of his hotels, keeping only the boutique and luxury hotels. However, compared to the pressure in the United States, the pressure in Europe was much less. After all, he had a foothold there, and most importantly, Europe was a fragmented place where he could get whatever he wanted by paying the price.

Currently, John's biggest obstacle in Europe isn't France, but Germany. His expansion there has met with significant resistance because these countries are far too conservative—to the point that even John is finding it troublesome. In contrast, Italy is much easier. With the expansion of the Bentley Motors Group, John's retail footprint in Italy is relatively easy to establish. Financial matters haven't presented major obstacles, as this is a long-standing strategic plan for John. However, the pressure in this area is considerable. With the end of the Asian financial crisis, some are questioning John's European strategy and are secretly investigating everything.

(End of this chapter)