America: My Time

Chapter 1556 Morgan's Test

Chapter 1546 Morgan's Test
When John shifted the conversation back to the Koreans, Morgan knew that the exchange was coming to an end and John was seeing him off. Everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed; even if he wanted to learn more from John, it would be impossible. After all, John was now on guard, and as long as their agreement wasn't signed, he would remain wary of him.

John is no longer the boy he once was; he has become a seasoned conglomerate tycoon, far more cunning and ruthless than they were. It's impossible for Morgan not to be shocked by John's steady rise to power. From the very beginning, John knew what he was doing and how to make the necessary choices; this scheme had been in the works for twenty years!
However, Morgan had one more important question to ask John during this trip: something the military required of him. Although Morgan was reluctant to take on this 'task,' he had no choice, given the vast interests involved. The Morgan conglomerate was under pressure!

“John, there’s another question I’ve been wanting to ask you, but I haven’t had the chance until today. I’ll ask it now: when will the next phase of your Starlink project begin? This is a question many people want answered, since it’s related to communications, and Bell Labs is undergoing upgrades, which inevitably causes some concern!”

Is this something that those old guys like Rockefeller want to know? Part of it, but mostly it's the military that wants to know. After all, John has acquired Motorola's business and gotten involved in the satellite phone project. Moreover, under John's leadership, the project has shown some promise and may be revived soon. This naturally makes some people worried!

At this moment, John sighed and said, "This isn't something I can decide; it depends on many factors. First, there's the advancement of satellite launch technology, then the networking issue, and finally, whether everyone can accept it. You should know that the Starlink project isn't just a small-scale deployment; it's a global network that will connect with existing satellite networks. There are so many technologies involved, and the funding required is enormous. I'm still negotiating with Middle Eastern tycoons; they want Gulfstream Aerospace to establish a network in the Middle East first, which puts pressure on us!"

Upon hearing John's words, Morgan's expression changed slightly. This was something he hadn't expected, nor had the US military. After all, previous collaborations had involved Middle Eastern tycoons begging John and Gulfstream Aerospace, but now the situation had changed. How could this not shock them?
“John, all of this should be under Gulfstream Aerospace’s control. There’s no need to consult with Middle Eastern tycoons. After all, the technology, production, and launch are all in Gulfstream Aerospace’s hands. They have no right to make demands on Gulfstream Aerospace!”

Upon hearing Morgan's words, John felt a slight surge of joy. These were exactly the words he wanted. Suppressing his delight, he shook his head and said, "Under normal circumstances, this would naturally be the case. But you know the situation at Gulfstream Aerospace. There are other areas where I need to cooperate with Middle Eastern tycoons and rely on their support. Otherwise, it would be difficult to weather this dangerous period. Under these circumstances, it's natural to consider their feelings and accept some of their demands. In truth, all of this is the fault of the military and the White House. If it weren't for their madness, forcing military-industrial companies like Gulfstream Aerospace to scale back their missions, how could we have fallen into this predicament!"

If anyone else had said such a thing, Morgan wouldn't have believed it, and even the old guys in the US who were eavesdropping wouldn't have believed it either. But since it came from John's mouth, it was worth their deep consideration. After all, John had indeed received strong support from Middle Eastern tycoons in a short period of time, and they wouldn't believe there wasn't some other reason behind it.

"But won't this affect US security and the overall interests of the United States?" Morgan frowned and continued to ask. He was already feeling uneasy, after all, John had mentioned the situation of the military-industrial complex earlier!
"This is no longer something I can consider. My first priority is to ensure Gulfstream Space's survival, otherwise the losses will be even greater. Look at how many profitable projects Gulfstream Space has right now? None. It has almost completely shut down from the military-industrial complex. How can I choose? How can Gulfstream Space choose? Faced with life and death, we can only compromise. We can only hope that their demands are not too high and that they can bear part of the production and launch costs. Otherwise, the entire project may come to a standstill, and at that time, all the previous efforts will be wasted."

Upon hearing John's words, Morgan's gaze sharpened. Was the situation really that serious? He was highly skeptical, given that Gulfstream Aerospace was in a relatively good position and didn't seem to be short of funds. However, he didn't elaborate on the matter, as John's collaborations with Middle Eastern tycoons extended far beyond military projects; they encompassed numerous other ventures.

"John, you actually have another option: take Gulfstream Aerospace public and raise funds!"

John sneered inwardly. These guys were indeed plotting something. By listing Gulfstream Aerospace at this time, he was likely to be targeted by them, especially those bastards from Oil Pacific Capital. They would definitely try every means to target him and Gulfstream Aerospace, and drive Gulfstream Aerospace into bankruptcy. That was exactly what they wanted to see.

"Going public and raising funds? Are you kidding me? If I go public and raise funds at this time, what will be the reaction from the Middle East? Do you think they won't ask to take a stake? If they want to take a stake, how am I supposed to choose? The initiative will completely shift to them, and at that time, my situation will be even more dangerous."

Seeing John's decisive refusal, Morgan sighed inwardly. Although it was within his expectations, John's mocking expression made him realize that John had seen through the calculations behind his words. Although it wasn't his decision, he had to bear the trouble for saying those words!

Morgan Stanley was well aware of the extent of John's interests in the Middle East. If Gulfstream Aerospace were to go public and raise funds, how could the Middle Eastern tycoons possibly let go? Therefore, this was severing John's ties with the Middle Eastern tycoons—something he himself wouldn't accept. If John were still the young man he once was, he might have been able to compromise, but now John had become a true conglomerate tycoon. Naturally, he wouldn't sacrifice his own interests for the sake of so-called US security. If he were to try to persuade him again, he would be truly making an enemy of John.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan sighed, "John, I have no choice. After all, there are some things I have to compromise on. If you're unwilling, no one will force you, and no one will dare to do so. What you said makes sense. If Middle Eastern tycoons were to invest in Gulfstream Space, things would become more complicated, even more dangerous!"

“I know you mean no harm and I understand your difficulties, but you also need to understand mine. Although Gulfstream Aerospace hasn’t yielded much profit from my investment, and may even be facing losses, its role is extremely important. I cannot allow it to go public and raise funds, no matter who does. Gulfstream Aerospace can go bankrupt and be liquidated, but it cannot go public and raise funds!” John’s words were firm and his attitude was clear. This was John’s bottom line. This time, John wouldn’t hold a grudge, but if there were a next time, things would not be the same, and even Morgan would have to pay the price.

Although the meeting couldn't be described as ending in discord, Morgan understood that his relationship with John had been affected. After all, helping those guys test John's limits was a serious matter.

Watching Morgan's departing figure, a subtle change flickered in John's eyes. "Every man for himself!" The Morgan of today was not the Morgan John once knew. Everything was changing, and John needed to speed things up to complete his plans. Without strength, he would only become easy prey for others to exploit!
John won't need to get involved anymore; the US can handle it. There will be some minor changes while keeping the overall framework unchanged. However, the Koreans will soon be affected. Those guys will feel what pressure and fear are, since John has been able to gain the upper hand in this confrontation, which is an outcome they didn't expect.

The plans in Hong Kong need to be accelerated. I can't stay in Hong Kong forever. Once the US fully agrees to my demands and the agreement is signed, I can't take too many actions anymore. I need to shift my focus to those guys in the US. As for the Koreans, I need to make some concessions.

Of course, everything depends on how the situation develops. Given the circumstances in South Korea, if those guys there refuse to compromise and can hold on, there's still a chance for things to turn around. However, the possibility is very small. John knows those South Koreans too well; expecting a bunch of cowards to stand up to American conglomerates is unrealistic. Once those guys accept funding from the American conglomerates, South Korea is finished; it will slowly descend into the abyss.

However, John didn't care about these guys' thoughts, nor about the changes in South Korea. After all, as long as his plan succeeded, the extent of the changes in South Korea wouldn't have a significant impact on him. John's current priority was to quickly arrange things in Hong Kong and finalize the plans with Standard Chartered Bank, ensuring their cooperation with Hurricane Investment to complete his next phase of operations!

Although John was very confident, the old guys in Rockefeller's group did not believe that John could defeat those 'enemies' in a short time and successfully acquire them. After all, these guys were industry giants, and John would have to pay a price to defeat them. No matter how powerful Hurricane Phoenix Investment was or how influential John was, as long as these guys didn't cause any problems, John could not succeed in a short time.

Time is what these old fogies like Rockefeller want. In their view, given enough time, everything can be changed, and John will be forced to retreat. If John fails in this confrontation, his influence will be affected, which would be a great benefit to them.

These guys are overthinking things and simplistically navigating them. Is John really that easy to deal with? If he were, they would have compromised with him in this situation. When has John ever done anything wrong?

Unfortunately, these guys are all very confident now. They believe that as long as John is drawn away from the semiconductor chip issue and into the confrontation within the United States, everything will be fine. Moreover, they have more than just this much preparation. As long as the battlefield is in the United States, they believe they have an absolute advantage.

John had no idea what those old guys Rockefeller were thinking, and even Morgan was unaware of their schemes. For Morgan, it was simply a matter of doing his best, and how things would end was none of his concern. He even believed that after such a lesson, those Rockefeller guys would be more restrained and wouldn't dare to do anything else.

The idea was good, but reality was incredibly cruel! Those old guys weren't so easily defeated, and they all felt there was still a chance. As long as they persisted and worked harder, they had a chance to turn things around and take back everything they had lost. After all, in their eyes, John also had a weakness, and as long as they seized on that, they could deal John a heavy blow!
As Morgan returned, they discussed countermeasures and how to deal with the pressure from John and how to sabotage his plans. They felt they still had an absolute advantage in energy, since John's power in the United States was far inferior to theirs, and this was their chance to retaliate.

As for the Koreans, since John has already agreed to their demands, nothing major will happen. After all, John's reputation is much better than theirs, and they don't believe that John would sacrifice his reputation for such a small benefit. If John really did do that, they would be overjoyed, as it would mean that John has lost one of his most important forces!

If John didn't have that globally recognized credibility, he wouldn't have his current influence. At this moment, they are all waiting for Morgan's return and for the signing of the agreement. Only by doing all this can they have more opportunities to continue targeting John, continue their plans, and keep everything in their hands.

(End of this chapter)