America: My Time

Chapter 1535 Compromise and Fear

Chapter 1525 Compromise and Fear
Zipperton truly had no choice, but he didn't want to face the pressure from John, given what he had done before. So, he went to John's parents, John's family, and even sent his daughter Chelsea to Jennifer Connelly, embarking on this path. He dared not add more pressure to himself, as there were many calculations behind this matter, and even the slightest mistake could cause him considerable trouble!
“Heh, interesting. This guy, Laugh Tale, has changed. Now he's even using this little connection. It seems he knows how terrifying the scheme behind this is. On the surface, it's just a small matter involving Starbucks, but behind it lies a lot of trouble. Oilfield Capital, those old guys like Rockefeller, Wall Street, and even Morgan are all involved. If he comes directly to me to plead for him, there's no turning back once he's refused!” John couldn't help but sigh when he received Jennifer Connelly's call, because he had already received a call from his mother before that.

Just let those guys get away with it like that? No, John wouldn't let them get away so easily. Besides, this was only the beginning. These guys couldn't handle it already and wanted to sacrifice pawns to save the king. They were just overthinking it. However, John also understood that with Laugh Tale intervening, he couldn't push things too far. After all, he had to give the president face. After all, this guy had helped him a lot. Otherwise, his presidential pardon wouldn't have been so easy to obtain, and many of his plans wouldn't have been able to proceed so easily, especially the Hollywood battle.

“Chelsea said the same thing, and you know I can’t refuse!” Jennifer Connelly couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed like a small matter, but behind it lay a lot of trouble. If she agreed this time, how many more situations like this would arise in the future?

“Don’t worry, Mother called before and received a request for help from Hillary. They’ve already gone to great lengths to get the Madam’s help, so what can I say? How could I possibly refuse? In matters like this, we can only accept it. After all, we can’t go too far, especially since there’s more to this fight than meets the eye. If we go too far, we’ll fall into their trap. Since they’re already willing to admit defeat, I’ll give them that chance.”

With John's wisdom and insight, he immediately saw through the many calculations behind it. Why did Oil Capital choose to admit defeat at this time and sell Starbucks? It was not a simple loss-cutting, but a deeper hidden conspiracy. If he refused, not only would he lose face, but he would also make those guys on Wall Street feel fear. Some people might even be unable to resist trying to sabotage him. After all, people can do anything when they are desperate!

"You just agree like that, without any conditions?" Jennifer Connelly was a little surprised when she heard John's words. In her opinion, since the enemy had already admitted defeat, she should naturally make more demands to maximize her profits. Having been involved in business warfare for so long, she had also gained some insights!

“There’s no need. Starbucks is insignificant now. There’s no need to make enemies for a little bit of profit. You take over everything and let those guys at Starbucks continue their original expansion plan. Tell them not to feel any pressure. I need to see their capabilities!” Knowing full well that Oil Capital was scheming, John naturally wouldn’t fall for it, and besides, he didn’t have that much energy to devote to this matter right now.

Of course, John's actions were largely a deception of his enemies, a way to lower their guard and make them believe the matter was completely over, allowing them to resume their plans without any further scruples! When John severed Starbucks' supply chain, he had already anticipated that it would provoke those guys into deciding to cut off the supply chains of Pizza Hut, Burger King, and other restaurants in return. This would lead to a counterattack against his farm plan, causing him to suffer the consequences as well! John had already foreseen these guys' intentions and was eagerly awaiting their response!
Yes, this was exactly the outcome John wanted. If these guys didn't retaliate, didn't launch attacks against him, how could his subsequent actions be done openly and legitimately, silencing them and leaving everyone speechless? Those guys at Oil Capital thought they were clever, but John wasn't stupid, nor was he unprepared. While their thinking was correct—John indeed didn't have the energy to focus on this—that didn't mean he had no plan!
"But won't such an arrangement have a negative impact? After all, Starbucks was taken over by those people and some adjustments were made. If we continue like this, won't it affect Starbucks' operations?"

"There's no need to worry. If they're even slightly smart, they'll know what to do. They'll follow Subway's arrangements and obediently expand according to the original plan. If they fail this time, they'll be gone from the professional management circle. They can't afford to lose!"

John was right. If these guys failed even with John delegating authority, they would ruin their own futures, and no company would want to take them back. After all, John delegating authority was the greatest recognition he could give them.

"What's next for Subway? Will it be reorganized into a new restaurant group?" After some thought, Jennifer Connelly still asked this question, because it wasn't just Chelsea, Laugh Tale's daughter, who was looking for her, but also Subway!

John wasn't surprised by this situation. Social interactions are inevitable, both in the United States and among professional managers. Especially given the crazy impact Subway has faced in such a short time, it's perfectly normal for them to feel uneasy!
"I know what they're worried about. Don't worry, the plans in Asia won't affect them. In the future, North America and Europe will still form a new restaurant group with Subway at its core. They won't be greatly affected. Before it was about acquisitions, now it's about expansion. Let them make their plans!"

Acquisitions are a quick way to expand, but after being targeted this time, John realized that acquisitions also have considerable hidden dangers. In comparison, expanding independently is safer and more secure. It is best to have everything in your own hands. Moreover, he doesn't need to make excuses now; the previous conflict is the best explanation!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, John decided to completely split up his restaurant plans in Asia, reorganizing them with Hong Kong as the headquarters to form a new restaurant group. However, now was not the time to fully launch; he needed to wait for the right moment, for those guys to retaliate, giving him a more compelling reason for expansion. Was there anyone who could see through John's calculations and understand his plans? Of course, there were. After all, facing an opponent like John, not only the guys from the oilfield capital, but even the old fogies like Rockefeller wouldn't dare underestimate him. They were all waiting for John's response; only after John reacted would they make their decisions!
John's reply was quickly placed on their desks. Seeing that John had so easily agreed to reacquire Starbucks, they all frowned. This was completely different from what they had expected. John had not made any changes to Starbucks at all and was still keeping it under Subway, which made them somewhat worried.

"Damn it, is John, that madman, planning to spin off the Asian restaurant brands again? Is he going to break them up again?" In an instant, someone thought of John's consolidation plan. If this situation were to occur again, it wouldn't be good for them.

"Judging from the current situation, that's how things are, and Subway has also gone down a different path. The funds from selling those brands were not used to make new acquisitions, but were used for new expansion!"

"This is not good news. John's community plan has led Subway on a path of frenzied expansion, and it now holds an absolute advantage. If this expansion continues, the consequences will be significant. What's most worrying is that the Subway restaurant group is now unbreakable. If Starbucks continues to develop in the same way, it will also become unbreakable. We are even more helpless in Asia, especially in Japan and South Korea. They dare not express any dissatisfaction with John's expansion, or even attempt to sabotage it. Originally, we wanted to use Taiwan Capital to cut off John's funding chain in the restaurant group, but things have not gone as we wished. Taiwan Capital and those guys on Wall Street are too foolish. They were blinded by victory and made a mistake they should never have made!"

"What's the use of saying all this now? Everything has already happened. No matter how unwilling you are, you can face it all. What we need to do now is to stop John's development. The failure in semiconductor chips has already had a significant impact on us. Now those guys in Korea and Japan are unwilling to cooperate with us anymore, or even trust us. But John's reputation as a madman has not been affected at all. Now that guy has returned to Asia and returned to China, you can imagine how crazy his plans in Asia will be next!"

"Snipe? What can we use to snipe at this point? Just as you said, the previous failures have made those guys in Japan and South Korea lose faith in us, and even caused us to lose a lot of influence on Wall Street, in the United States, and in Europe. Under these circumstances, we simply cannot snipe John's expansion, especially his overseas expansion. The price he paid before was enough to earn him everyone's approval. Whether it's the Europeans, or the Japanese and South Koreans, they are all willing to believe in him!"

This was yet another instance of pressure facing Rockefeller and his ilk. John's undefeated record in the financial markets was enough to command respect, and his reputation made him a worthy partner for many. Even in the most exclusive of countries like Germany, John's expansion was not significantly affected, because his credibility was guaranteed!
In fact, many people have noticed that John has almost never withdrawn the profits from his investments; instead, he has used them for expansion. This is enough to make all countries accept John's expansion plans, since it means an increase in employment, especially in South Korea, Japan, and other Asian countries. The Asian financial crisis severely damaged them, making them even more in need of such reputable investors.

Of course, some people were angry and dissatisfied with John. That's just how Indians are; they've tried to invite John to invest in India more than once, but he's always refused, without even a reason. Knowing it's a trap, John doesn't want to step into it.

However, the more this is the case, the more uneasy some people become, especially those guys on Wall Street. John hardly withdraws funds from these companies, so where does the money John controls come from? Is it from Hurricane Investment, Standard Chartered Bank, or Credit Suisse, or even other assets in John's possession?
"Alright, let's not argue over such a small matter. Our biggest problem right now is still chips. AMD wants to make a deal with John. They hope that John will give up personal computer chips and switch to memory chips, and in return, they promise not to participate in the research and development of memory chips. Even Intel has the same idea. They don't want to continue fighting with John over chips!"

"Are these guys stupid? How could they have such a ridiculous idea? They think John would agree to them? Not to mention ARM in Europe, but also Yetian in Canada, Bell Labs and Serex, do you think John would agree? Right now, they're not in control, but this madman John."

"Yes, I also think this idea is too stupid. John has invested so much in semiconductor chips, how could we possibly reach such an agreement with them? They are just daydreaming. They should spend that time on research and development so that they can have an absolute advantage to suppress John's chip companies!"

These old guys are under considerable pressure regarding the changes in semiconductor chips. They are shocked by John's madness and dissatisfied with the reactions of Japan and South Korea. Japan's compromise and concessions have forced them to face John's firepower and impact, putting them under even more pressure. This poses a fatal threat to them. They are not confident that they can maintain their lead and continue to suppress companies like John!

(End of this chapter)