America: My Time

Chapter 1540 Undercurrent
Chapter 1530 Undercurrents
"What should we do? We need to make a decision. Silence won't solve anything. Mr. John's attitude is still relatively good right now; at least he's leaving the matter to us. All we need is a result. If he gets involved, the consequences will be unimaginable. I think we need to take a stand!"

"A swift and decisive approach is needed. These kinds of things require bloodshed to cleanse, and we don't have that much time to waste on these issues. If we keep remaining silent and unwilling to take drastic measures, these kinds of things will continue to happen. The only way to stop it is with iron-fisted methods. Everyone involved must be eliminated directly, otherwise, in this environment, the consequences will be unimaginable. Everyone's patience has its limits, Mr. John Kongxing is no exception, not to mention that Akio Morita has passed away, and we have lost an important pawn!"

“Alright, let’s decide on this. This is not only to give Mr. John an explanation, but also to teach those restless guys a lesson. You know, those shady characters have been jumping around too much. They’ll do anything for money these days. It’s time to teach them to rein themselves in and let them know that there are many things they can’t do!”

"That's true, but I'm worried it might cause unrest. After all, the current environment is not good, and if these guys are pushing things behind the scenes, it could easily trigger a crisis. If possible, could we handle this with gentler methods to avoid creating a storm?"

"Do you know what you're saying? Will gentle methods work? Look how arrogant those guys have become. Once or twice we can defuse the crisis by relying on our relationship with Mr. John, but do you think we'll still have that kind of face next time? Don't tell me you don't know how many of those guys are their own people. If this continues, are you sure everything is still under control? Are you sure the same thing won't happen again? If you can guarantee that, I have nothing more to say!"

Guarantee? How could that be possible? Even a fool wouldn't do that. These guys in Japan know exactly what kind of people they are. They're a bunch of scoundrels. Giving them a guarantee is just asking for trouble.

"Alright, stop arguing. The minority should submit to the majority. Everyone should express their opinion. After all, this is not a trivial matter!"

This is indeed no small matter, but no one wants to take the blame because these guys are worried that someone might betray them or sell them out. If they say something they shouldn't, they could easily be resented or even purged!
Everything quickly came to a conclusion. The Japanese guys all accepted the suggestion to cut the Gordian knot, because it was in their best interest. A few deaths would solve everything perfectly, which was naturally acceptable. As for what those people thought, how they viewed it, or what grievances they might have, they didn't consider it.

"What a bunch of lunatics! They've started acting so quickly. It seems they're really desperate. Could it be that my appearance has exacerbated the bubble in Japan and increased their burden?" Upon receiving the news, John couldn't help but sigh. He hadn't expected Japan to give him an explanation so quickly, and this made him wonder if his appearance had caused Japan even greater losses. Otherwise, they wouldn't have any reason to be so frantic!

There will be an impact, but it's hard to say how big it will be. After all, John's abilities are limited, and Japan, in any case, has considerable resources. The reason these Japanese guys value John so much is because of his own strength. Everything John said to them back then has already happened, and the current situation in Japan is still deteriorating, which they find unacceptable but have no choice but to face. They are worried that the worst-case scenario John described will come true!

Shaking his head to banish the crazy idea from his mind, John sighed and muttered to himself, "We should make some arrangements in case the worst happens and we're caught off guard."

By this time, John was already considering abandoning the oil refinery in Japan. Such physical industries were simply too costly; Southeast Asia offered a more cost-effective alternative. John had initially invested in it as part of a strategic move during the bubble economy and to establish a foothold in the energy and chemical industries. Now, he could completely discard it, since all he wanted was research and development!
John knew the Japanese as he did; they couldn't let him control their lifeline forever. Similarly, Russia wasn't trustworthy. Once the time was right, Japan would definitely "cooperate" with Russia. If that happened, his own elimination wouldn't be far off. Asia Energy's full-scale exploitation on Sakhalin Island had also caused discontent among some within Russia. After all, seeing Asia Energy making such huge profits, how could they not have their own ambitions? However, they didn't dare to directly back out, as the consequences would be far greater.

If Russia were to renege on its promise at this point and try to take back Sakhalin Island, not to mention the amount of compensation they would have to pay John, the reputational damage alone would be staggering. After all, John holds Russia's loans, and his influence is considerable. If even John's investments are damaged, who would dare to cooperate with Russia in the future?
On the surface, things appeared calm, but beneath the surface, a turbulent undercurrent was brewing. The oil giants were also in full swing, frantically acquiring and merging assets. If this was happening in the US, the pace was even more dramatic overseas. Unfortunately for them, John had already acted earlier, acquiring numerous oil fields in Southeast Asia. This was preparation for the eventual repossession of Sakhalin Island. A lack of foresight leads to immediate trouble; early preparation is essential!

"As expected, I underestimated the cunning and treacherous nature of these Japanese guys. I originally thought they wanted cheap ore, but I didn't expect they wanted to drive up the price of iron ore!" John was shocked when he heard the Japanese guys' suggestion. He quickly understood their sinister intentions. After all, these Japanese guys had been planning their operations in the mines for a long time, and now it was time to reap the rewards.

Of course, John also harbored a deeper worry: could these Japanese guys have colluded with those old-timers in the US again, trying to test his intentions? After all, his mining and energy holdings were vast, and even after the restructuring, they still couldn't be at ease. Using these Japanese guys as pawns to probe his thoughts was quite possible.

Refuse Japan's offer? No, John couldn't do it. Besides, the fact that these Japanese guys had already spoken meant they were fully prepared; his opposition wouldn't succeed, as it concerned the interests of the entire industry. "In principle, I have no objection, but everything needs to be discussed with the mining companies. As for food and energy, Sakhalin Island's supply won't be a problem. As long as Russia doesn't have any issues, Asian Energy won't reduce Japan's quota. After all, Asian Energy hasn't been resting on its laurels these past few years; the development of Sakhalin Island has been ongoing, so meeting Japan's energy needs isn't an issue! And as for food, needless to say, since I'm practically self-sufficient!"

Although John's words sounded good, the Japanese guys just weren't happy. John simply had no objections; everything else was up to them to negotiate, so it was unlikely they would get anything from John.

"We are relieved to hear your words. I wonder if Mr. John could offer some further guidance on how we can extricate ourselves from this crisis? As you know, the Asian financial crisis has had a huge impact on Japan, plunging us into a predicament. If we cannot turn the situation around, Japan's economy will be significantly affected, which will also impact your investments in Japan!"

Good grief, these guys are even going to say things like this to get John to give them pointers. John does have a lot of investments in Japan, but the Japanese economic downturn hasn't affected his investments that much.

"To stimulate consumption, you could further ease monetary policy, for example, by lowering interest rates to zero. I believe that would still stimulate the market. The more important reason for this problem is the damage to your government's credibility with the public. You went too far during the bubble era!"

Upon hearing John's words, the Japanese were all shocked. They were also considering similar issues, wanting to ease monetary policy and lower interest rates to zero. John's advice made them feel confident that it wouldn't be a problem, given his renowned foresight. As for John bringing up the bubble economy, they didn't pay much attention; it was a fact, already happened, and couldn't be changed.
Actually, there's another issue: the appreciation of the yen has a more serious impact on the Japanese economy. However, John won't mention this; it's not something he should say. Speaking out would affect the interests of many people and bring him endless trouble. John won't say anything unless he wants to extract significant benefits from Japan!
These guys in Japan don't realize they've jumped from one circle to another dangerous one. Many conglomerates have invested in Silicon Valley's industries, not only in Japan but also in South Korea, and even in Europe. So, under John's guidance, the internet bubble has been blown even bigger, just waiting to be burst.

The exchange went very well, and both sides were quite satisfied. This was the feeling of John and the Japanese guys. Although some of the Japanese guys were dissatisfied with John's statement, as he hadn't given them a direct promise, they forgot that John's status had changed; he had moved from the public eye to the shadows. From the moment John completed his asset restructuring, he no longer owned many of the companies, so he naturally wouldn't make such a basic mistake. Any matters that needed to be discussed should still be addressed with the relevant conglomerates!

However, there are also some radical Japanese who feel that John's repeated rejections of their investment in Sakhalin Island mean he doesn't want to share the profits with them. They don't even consider what right they have to talk about profit sharing with John. Even if they have a market, so what? Compared to cheap energy supplies, these guys won't be stupid enough to accept expensive energy, especially since the current situation in Japan is not ideal. If they force the people to use expensive energy at this time, their downfall may not be far off.

The more the Japanese translators learned about Japan's energy needs and the situation on Sakhalin Island, the more unwilling they became. Although they were satisfied with the results of this exchange, someone proposed a crazy plan.

"Gentlemen, we can't let Mr. John keep controlling Japan's energy lifeline forever. Our investment proposal has been rejected again. It's clear he doesn't want to share the profits with us, or rather, he wants to control our lifeline and deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment, making us more hesitant to cooperate with him. I think we should talk to Russia and try to get his approval. If Russia intervenes, perhaps things will turn around!"

"Are you crazy? Do you know what you're saying? Do you think Da Mao is so easy to talk to? Besides, you know how good John's relationship with Da Mao is, and Da Mao wouldn't dare to act rashly, given John's influence. Most importantly, if we do this, not to mention the cost of betrayal, we simply can't afford John's retaliation."

"No, I think this method is feasible. After all, we're not in a rush. This isn't the first time we've discussed investing in Sakhalin Island with Mr. John, but we've been rejected every time. So we shouldn't have any expectations anymore. We must prepare for the worst. You see, Mr. John not only controls Sakhalin Island's energy supply, but he also has excellent relationships with Middle Eastern tycoons. If he just asked, cutting off our energy supply wouldn't be difficult. Naturally, we need to guard against the worst-case scenario. Therefore, we must participate in the Sakhalin Island investment. The best option is to get Russia involved. I don't believe Russia won't be tempted by such huge profits! As long as they're interested, we'll have a chance. After all, we have a huge market. Once we reach an agreement with Russia, it won't be a problem!"

"You haven't forgotten about the undersea oil pipelines. They were originally independent. After this asset restructuring, Asia Energy has already separated the undersea oil pipelines. Judging from Mr. John's reaction, I suspect he might be wary of Russia. Otherwise, there would be no need to go to such lengths. All the oil pipelines have been split up and a new company has been established, separate from Asia Energy. This is a bit abnormal!"

(End of this chapter)