America: My Time

Chapter 1566 The Insidious Stick

Chapter 1556 The Insidious Stick
“You trust those guys too much. Maybe I’ve protected you too well, depriving you of a lot of experience. After the Asian financial crisis, after those chaebols compromised, they lost at least half of their wealth. Do you think they’d go crazy? And they’ve always been oppressed by the South Korean government. Now, suddenly they have American conglomerates backing them. Wouldn’t they go insane? Things they wouldn’t have dared to do before, they won’t care about now, because they have a powerful backer. You should understand the principle of taking money to solve problems. To protect their own interests, even if those guys cause a huge mess, the American conglomerates will step in to protect them. That’s the entanglement of interests!” John sighed as he spoke. Under his guidance and help, Lee Boo-jin was indeed living a very comfortable life. Even if the South Koreans had any schemes, they wouldn’t dare to go too far. After all, John was behind her, and those guys had to consider John’s reaction.

Is John's explanation reasonable? Yes, absolutely! Lee Boo-jin's expression kept changing. Thinking about the changes in the Korean entertainment industry, they were indeed quite significant and frequent. They all seemed to be monetary transactions, but were there other things going on behind the scenes?

Of course there are such people, but we don't know enough about them, or rather, no one dares to stand up and resist. After all, those people are weak, like ants in front of the chaebols. Moreover, the South Korean government is currently preoccupied with its own problems, so where would it find the energy to suppress the power of the chaebols? Therefore, the situation in South Korea will only get worse, and the chaebols will become more and more arrogant. The entertainment industry will be the first to suffer, and those celebrities will become the targets of the chaebols, and they will be even more ruthless than before.

After a moment, Lee Boo-jin sighed and nodded, saying, "You're right. I was too naive. I underestimated their madness and the terrifying nature of humanity. If these guys really go crazy, it will have a significant impact on us. After all, they've all lost their minds, and in that extreme madness, they'll do many insane things!"

"It's good that you understand, but there's no need to worry too much. If they dare to make a move, that's the best reason to deal with them. At that time, even old guys like Rockefeller won't say anything. As long as we don't cross their bottom line, there won't be a problem. After all, they're just in a relationship based on mutual interests. We've already reached an agreement with them, and I'm also a member of the American financial group."

Yes, John is also a member of an American conglomerate, so naturally he won't give those Koreans a friendly look. Given the chance, he'll teach them a lesson they can and cannot do. If he hurts them too much at once, there will be countless troubles later. After all, in a fit of rage, these guys are capable of anything, and John doesn't have time to deal with them!

Today, South Korea faces external pressure, economic burdens, and social unrest. They have no way out. Although the South Korean government is very dissatisfied with the chaebol's decision, they are powerless to stop it. After all, American conglomerates are involved, and they have no way to stop them.

During the Asian financial crisis, the reason why South Korea was so badly hurt was not that they didn't know. It was precisely because of their arrogance that they dared to cheat even American financial groups, which is why they were targeted and relentlessly dealt with by people like Soros. Soros represents the Federal Reserve and, to a certain extent, the will of old guys like Rockefeller.

John is also a member of the American financial group, and he can hold his own against old guys like Rockefeller. If South Korea wants to target John, they'd better consider their own strength; at least the South Korean government doesn't have the guts. John's financial power surpasses even Soros's; if they anger John, they can't afford his wrath!

"How about I go back to Seoul first, to prevent those chaebols from getting too arrogant and affecting the group's development?"

Hearing this, John shook his head and said, "There's no need for that. Although they pose a slight threat, the impact is minimal. Besides, if they really take action, this would be the perfect excuse. Let them do what they want. Even if there are some losses, it's within acceptable limits. As for the development on the Korean side, even if there are some losses in the next year or two, it's acceptable. You don't need to feel any pressure!"

What can South Korean conglomerates do? At most, they can only hinder their own development and perhaps suppress the media and entertainment industry. However, this pressure will not have much impact on John; it will only make him lose face.

While John had seen through the tricks of the Korean chaebols in Hong Kong, things were also not peaceful in Seoul. The Lee family of Samsung was also in turmoil. Both father and son had gloomy faces as they were questioned and accused by other chaebols.

“Dad, you’re still thinking about those guys’ threats. Actually, we don’t need to pay any attention to them. After all, we have Rockefeller behind us, so they won’t dare to go too far. And if they dare to make a move, we can retaliate. With their current strength, they are no match for us.”

"I know, what I'm worried about isn't their threat. They wouldn't dare to lay a hand on Fu-jin; they don't have the guts. What really worries me is that their foolishness will drag John into this and change the situation in South Korea! You know how crazy they are right now. They've completely let themselves go, and even the authorities can't do anything about them. At least not right now, the authorities dare not act rashly, otherwise the entire South Korean economy will collapse. Not to mention whether we ourselves can withstand it, even the American conglomerates won't accept it." "They control some media power, so shifting the blame to Fu-jin wouldn't be difficult. Moreover, those officials are in a very unfavorable position and might tacitly approve of all this, or even actively support them. That way, these guys won't feel any pressure, after all, they don't want to take the blame."

"Jaeyong, if that's what you think, then you're sorely mistaken! Boo Jin represents not our Samsung Lee family in South Korea, but John, and the American conglomerate. If they dare to do this, do you think John's media outlets are just for show? Do you think the US government will react? Do you really think the Donald can influence the White House and make it turn a blind eye to all this? Also, don't underestimate John's abilities. He can shut down South Korea with just energy!"

"But hasn't Asian Energy already started negotiations with the authorities, and their attitude has softened somewhat?"

"Heh, only you would be foolish enough to believe that, and those guys would believe it too. You've forgotten that the undersea oil pipeline is no longer under the control of Asian Energy. It's already under the control of a pipeline company. Even if Asian Energy agrees, what's the use? If the undersea oil pipeline isn't opened, do you think shipping can solve South Korea's current energy crisis? Most importantly, haven't you realized that all of this is under the control of someone with ulterior motives!"

"You mean John? He's in control!" Lee Jae-yong immediately understood his father's meaning. After all, Lee Boo-jin's departure was too coincidental; she had already left Korea before they even realized what was happening.

"That's right, it's him. He's the one who's hiding the deepest secrets, and the most insidious and ruthless. Don't be fooled by his 'friendly' reputation; he's the one who's been the most cunning. Look at the state of South Korea now. Who caused all this? He's the one who caused it all. Yet, he hasn't borne any blame because he's just passively accepting it all. It's our own foolish breach of contract that led to this situation. Do you think those guys have any chance of successfully shifting the blame to him? Most importantly, he has his own voice in South Korea, and he has the power of the TV station. Do you think he'll care about those people trying to shift the blame? In fact, the moment those guys make a move, they'll fall into his trap again!"

“Dad, since you know all this, why didn’t you stop them? Why didn’t you warn them? If all this had happened, it would have had a significant impact on Samsung, and we would have paid a heavy price.”

"Stop them? Why should I stop them? We will be affected, but those guys will be affected much more. We can take this opportunity to get more assets. And even if I try to persuade them, do you think they'll believe me? You've forgotten our relationship with John. They won't believe our advice; they'll just think we're trying to harm them. With no chance of success, we naturally have to choose the decision that's in our own best interest!"

"You're right. I was too naive. Stopping them was pointless and they even shifted the blame onto us. Now these guys are blaming us, thinking we're wrong and have let them and the Korean people down."

"Is this our fault? No, it's everyone's fault. They just want to find someone to take the blame, and we happen to be the perfect candidate. Besides, they're also eyeing Samsung. If they pin the blame on us, how will the public view us? We'll naturally be criticized and even despised by the public. At that time, they'll take away Samsung's market share, and these guys will quickly recover! If they want to scheme against us, they should be prepared to pay the price."

As expected, experience counts, and it's clear that Samsung's leader was well-prepared. Even in these difficult times for South Korea, even with the chaebols going to extremes, their schemes continue unabated, each plotting against the other, scheming to destroy them and seize their market share. Unable to defeat the American conglomerates and forced to compromise, they've turned their attention to their own people, targeting them instead—that's the ruthlessness of the chaebols!
Unfortunately, neither Samsung nor the other South Korean conglomerates forgot an important question: whether the old guard in the United States would be willing to let them fight a war. After all, what those old guards want is profit. If they ruined the South Korean economy, that would not be an acceptable outcome for them. Not to mention that John also controls a portion of South Korea's interests, so how could he possibly want to see the South Korean economy collapse?

If South Korea's economy collapses, it won't be good for John either. After all, his investments in South Korea could suffer heavy losses. Rockefeller and Morgan would likely also be unwilling to see this happen, as they want a financially sustainable conglomerate, not one in distress. This would also harm US national interests, and if such a situation were to occur, they would be dealt with in no time!
Did Samsung's Lee family and the South Korean conglomerates not think of this problem? No, they actually knew it in their hearts, but they wanted to use this opportunity to test the Americans' reaction. After all, only by understanding the bottom line of American conglomerates could they prepare for everything that followed. So these guys were also hiding their own calculations.

This is the insidious and ruthless nature of the chaebols. They don't care about the lives of the Korean people; all they care about is their own interests. Only by testing the Americans' bottom line can they calmly make their plans. However, none of this has been told to anyone, not even Lee Jae-yong, the heir of Samsung. After all, the more people who know, the more danger there is. Moreover, these old guys maintain a tacit understanding. As for whether anyone will expose everything in the event of failure, that's anyone's guess. After all, people are capable of anything under duress!
John underestimated the cunning and treachery of these South Korean chaebols. He thought he was outmaneuvering them, but in reality, these chaebols were also making their own calculations, trying to gauge the reactions of these American financial giants and the US government. These South Korean chaebols, who control South Korea's future economy, are not as simple as they appear. While they may seem frantic now, part of it is a deliberate act. Only in this way can they lower the Americans' guard and reduce their pressure, allowing them to obtain everything they desire.

All I can say is that these Koreans are more treacherous, cunning, and insane than John imagined. They possess the ugliest side of human nature, after all, the temptation of power is a temptation that no one can resist!
In truth, even if John knew about the scheming of these South Korean conglomerates, he wouldn't care. If they weren't so reckless, how could he control South Korea's market share? Mutual compromise was the best option. A hardline stance would only make things worse, and the ones who would suffer wouldn't be John, but rather the South Korean people. It had nothing to do with John; in fact, behind all this, John could gain more power and enjoy better treatment! After all, someone always has to take the blame, and if that person is South Korea, that's perfect!
(End of this chapter)