America: My Time

Chapter 1527 The Transformation of Neon Lights

Chapter 1517 The Transformation of Neon Lights
John shook his head and said, "Forget it. Even if you know their schemes, so what? I know them too. But what can I do? Unless we can overturn the table, but do you think that's possible? We can't even make a scene in front of the public, because doing so would only hurt ourselves. These guys have already seen through everything. Now the White House and the military are on their side. There's nothing we can do. That's why I'm being so easy to talk to."

Upon hearing this, Morgan couldn't help but sigh. He realized his reaction had been a bit too extreme. As a member of the conglomerate, how could he not understand the situation? If he were to jump out and overturn the table at this moment, the pressure he would face would be too great, perhaps even unbearable for the Morgan family. As a member of the conglomerate, he had to consider everything from the conglomerate's perspective; as the patriarch, he had to think about the family's interests and survival!
"Yes, you're right. We really are powerless to fight back. Those guys have reached a consensus, and we can only accept it. Even if we know they have a conspiracy and a scheme, we have to compromise. Everything has to be for the greater good! But I'm not willing to compromise like this. I can't swallow this insult!"

"So what? We have to swallow it, even if we can't. I've faced this situation many times before. It's because our power isn't strong enough. If we could control everything, their schemes would be useless. However, don't worry too much. Those who play with fire will get burned. If they keep playing mind games and using tricks, they will eventually be devoured. Whether it's the donkey, the elephant, or those old guys like Rockefeller, the more they indulge those guys, the more they will pay the price for their actions! We don't need to rush. We have plenty of time to play along with them. If I were in the Morgan Group's position, I would increase our control over the media. Only with a voice can we have more influence!"

“John, I understand what you’re saying, but you’re not unaware of the current situation. With your rise to prominence, everyone’s eyeing the media. Acquiring newspapers and television stations won’t be an easy task anymore!” Morgan sighed. Although Morgan was increasing its control over the media, progress was too slow.

“Mr. Morgan, I think you’ve gone astray. The media I’m referring to doesn’t necessarily mean newspapers and television stations. You can certainly increase your control over the internet. With the current speed of semiconductor chip development, the internet will see even greater growth in the near future. Planning ahead is the best option.”

“John, I understand what you’re saying, but it’s not up to me. You know how many lunatics are eyeing this market. Even if I wanted to increase my investment, I’m powerless to do so!”

“Let’s take it one step at a time. I still maintain that there’s no need to rush. I’ve made compromises and given up so many assets. You know those guys well. With their greed, do you think they can continue to develop steadily even if these assets are in their hands? I’ve kept my share of the opportunities. Morgan can do the same. I don’t seek rapid development, but I just want to have the strength to do it!”

Hearing John's words, Morgan nodded thoughtfully. He had also had his doubts, but John's pointing them out made him take them more seriously. However, a slight unease lingered in Morgan's heart. Why was John telling him so much? Was there more to the story?

Of course there is. As a member of the conglomerate, how could John do things that are thankless? Morgan's role is still very important. It would be beneficial to give him a proper reminder. As for whether Morgan is willing to believe it or not, that is his own business. Even without Morgan, his own plans will continue to move forward steadily!

Of course, with Morgan's involvement, the process might be even faster and the impact even greater. But John himself doesn't know how things will develop, or how far this grand scheme will go. Fortunately, his current focus isn't in the United States, so there's no need to fight these old guys.

Leaving John's residence with a belly full of doubts, Morgan was in a heavy mood. He came with a heavy heart and left with a heavy heart. He had only done things for Rockefeller and the White House guys, but many doubts in his heart were still not resolved. John was obviously implying something, obviously had a deeper plan, and even did not think highly of those old guys' plans!

"John, what kind of grand scheme are you playing? Are you really that confident that you can strike back in the semiconductor chip field again and deliver a fatal blow to those old guys like Rockefeller? But where does your confidence come from?"

Morgan wanted to understand all of this, but unfortunately he couldn't see through it at all. After all, the current internet bubble was hidden in the huge profits. The old guys in the US were getting involved, and more and more capital was coming in. The same was true in Europe and Asia. Whether it was South Korea or Japan, the development of the internet was progressing rapidly. The Middle Eastern tycoons were no exception, not to mention Taiwan. All of this shocked Morgan.

Without personally visiting Taiwan and witnessing firsthand the audacity of John's plans and the sheer power he wields in the electronics and semiconductor industries, one cannot truly grasp the extent of his influence. Only after witnessing it all did Morgan understand why those in Japan had aligned themselves with John—because everything here threatened Japanese interests!

John's impressive presence in Taiwan begs the question: what massive investments must he have in China? After his tour of Taiwan, the Morgan executives began to understand the source of John's confidence. In short, John had a firm grasp on the industry; Intel and AMD's plans were doomed, and they were no match for a price war. Just look at the attitude of Taiwanese employees versus the work ethic of American workers—the difference was enormous!
When Morgan Stanley didn't immediately return to the US, but instead chose to stay in Taiwan to investigate, it surprised the old guard in the US. However, they didn't have time to understand Morgan Stanley's thinking; they needed to speed things up to resolve their own crisis and regain the initiative. But the prerequisite was completing their deal with John, so they were all urging Asian Energy and Western Energy to finalize the transaction. The Japanese, though unwilling, had no choice but to accelerate their deal with Asian Energy under pressure from the Americans. The changes in the US were putting considerable pressure on them, and they also resented the Americans' lack of credibility. They had promised to bear everything, but ultimately, Japan still had to pay the price. In their cooperation with these guys, Japan had never gained a single advantage; they had always been at a disadvantage!

Although the Japanese were also dissatisfied with John's rapid expansion in Japan, and even felt uneasy, the Americans were far inferior to John in terms of credibility. In the past, they had only benefited from cooperating with John, but they had only suffered losses in cooperating with the Americans, which gradually changed their mentality.

"Gentlemen, perhaps we should change our attitude. Those Americans like Rockefeller are not trustworthy. Every time we cooperate with them, we only suffer losses and never gain any benefits. So I think we should maintain our cooperation with Mr. John. Haven't we already succeeded in our energy strategy? Although we paid some price, we also got everything we wanted. I believe you all know that the Middle Eastern tycoons are already interested in cooperating with Mr. John to cut off our energy supply, but Mr. John refused, saying he didn't want his friends in the Middle East to suffer any losses. But in our cooperation with those old Rockefellers, when have they ever considered our needs?"

"I admit that Mr. John's credibility is not a problem, but we need to consider a longer-term strategy. After all, with the opening up of our market, Mr. John's expansion in Japan has been too rapid and his reach has become too wide, affecting all aspects of our lives. We have to be on guard. We cannot gamble with the safety of our citizens!"

"Foolish. What's the use of being on guard? In our cooperation with Mr. John, even when we wanted to take back those assets, Mr. John cooperated tacitly. I don't think this will have any impact on us. On the contrary, with Mr. John's involvement, we have directly eliminated the pressure on energy and food, which can stabilize the situation in Japan. However, we have not received such benefits in terms of minerals. I believe everyone knows why."

"Watanabe-san, what you said makes some sense, but we can't gamble with the nation's fate. Moreover, internal strife within the United States has always existed. I don't believe Mr. John can continue like this. Even a lion has its moments of weakness, let alone a human. One mistake will cost him dearly. Furthermore, this semiconductor chip war is also related to the development of Japan's electronic semiconductor chips; we shouldn't give up. Compared to Intel and AMD, I'm more worried about John's Cyrex and ARM!"

In fact, this idea is not only prevalent in Japan, but also in the United States. No one believes that John can continue to win. In the minds of many, if John fails even once and falls from his pedestal, he will never be able to get back up. Therefore, they are unwilling to believe in John.

The reason Morgan Stanley made those seemingly surreal moves was actually due to a deep-seated anxiety. In their eyes, even the most powerful person can make mistakes, and they were all waiting for that day to arrive. Unfortunately, these guys had no idea about John's true situation!

"Hehe, if I remember correctly, our cooperation with Mr. John has been ongoing. We even obtained production licenses for car navigation chips. But have we received licenses from Intel and AMD for our development in personal computer chips? No, they won't give us that kind of support. They're just using our power to suppress Mr. John. Don't forget, the retail market is huge, enough for ASUS to develop comfortably for a year or two. Not to mention communication chips, even without personal computer chips, neither ASUS nor Bell Labs will be greatly affected. On the contrary, if they can catch up in personal computer research and development, the situation will fundamentally change."

"Are you trying to get us to switch sides with Mr. John and stand on the opposite side of Intel and AMD? Have you considered the consequences of doing so? Do you really think that doing this will gain Mr. John's approval and give us a chance to develop in the semiconductor chip field? No, I can tell you clearly that this is impossible. Neither Intel, AMD, nor Cyrus and ARM will give us such an opportunity. They will only suppress our development. This is the US strategy, and none of them can change it. Think about it carefully. Why did Gulfstream Aerospace sell the F-22 fighter jet project? How many secrets are behind this?"

"But I'm not willing to give up like this without communicating with Mr. John!"

"What's the use of being unwilling? Can the Japanese market support our research and development? Investing recklessly will only be a waste of time, energy, and money. The Americans won't allow us to continue developing. Stop having any illusions. John is also a member of an American conglomerate. Don't be fooled by his asset restructuring this time. Even if he forms a conglomerate in Japan, he's still not one of us. Do you understand?"

These guys in Japan understood perfectly well, but understanding alone wouldn't solve the problem. They all harbored a sliver of hope, which is why they acted so recklessly, repeatedly siding with the old Rockefellers. Frankly, they all dreamed of using the Rockefellers to defeat John, dismantle his assets, and profit from it—a promise the Rockefellers had repeatedly made to them! Unfortunately, while that promise remained, they never succeeded. Their repeated schemes and betrayals brought them no benefit, only a heavy price for their foolishness!
(End of this chapter)