America: My Time

Chapter 1569 Persuasion
Chapter 1559 Persuasion

"Mr. Huo, it's been a long time. How are you?" After meeting Mr. Huo, John quickly stepped forward to greet him, showing no arrogance whatsoever, and attending the gathering as a junior.

Many people's eyes lit up when they saw John's performance, but their expressions darkened when they saw the two beautiful women beside him. A bad feeling crept into their hearts; they felt their plans were likely doomed. Lee Boo-jin's appearance was not good news for them. After all, John wasn't one to be rude; he must have his reasons for doing this!

Soon John and Old Master Huo sat down to the side, and Lee Boo-jin and Cherie Chung also went to chat in the group of ladies. Everything was so natural, as if they had no pressure at all during this trip.

"Mr. John, you must be aware of why we invited you here today. Many people are worried about another upheaval in the stock market and are considering buying back shares. What are your thoughts on this?" Old Master Huo needed to be cautious with a conglomerate tycoon like John, given his status and power. It was best to be upfront and avoid unnecessary trouble in the future.
"Mr. Huo, you should know my stance. They have no right to make such demands of me. My investments are for making money, for appreciation and preservation of value, not for providing them with convenience. Now that they've recovered, they want to take those shares from me—that's far too presumptuous. If they want a financial war with me, I'm happy to oblige. Don't think that just because they have some backers, they can fight me. They're overestimating themselves!"

John's words did not surprise Old Master Huo. He knew about the situation behind those people, but because of past friendships, Old Master Huo had no choice but to step forward. Favors always have to be repaid, and it would be good for everyone to talk things out!

"I understand, and I know. I had no choice. Over the years, I've accumulated a lot of goodwill, so I could only talk to you. Now that I've done all this, the rest is up to you!" Old Master Huo was well aware of the situation John was facing. With such a commotion in the US and South Korea, it was bound to attract attention. He even suspected that there would be similar movements in Europe soon!
Although the situation seemed somewhat unfavorable for John, Old Master Huo would not intervene or get involved. He was well aware of John's strength. Rashly participating in the internal strife of the American financial groups would not be good for them; no smart person would choose that path. However, many were not so 'smart,' and some even represented the interests of British capital, or were even siding with British capital, testing the waters on its behalf.

"It's good that you understand. If it were anything else, I would always give you face if you asked. But when it comes to business, I can't do that. After all, I can't afford to lose my own interests. Besides, I no longer control the group company. Everything is arranged by the CEO, and I can't rashly change their decisions!"

Understanding is everything, that's John's feeling. After all, he didn't want to be enemies with this respectable man, and behind this matter were many rivals: British conglomerates, oil and gas companies, American conglomerates, and even some ignorant and greedy individuals. After all, profit moves people's hearts, and when there was no danger, these ignorant people became greedy.

John had considered dealing with these guys, but now wasn't the right time. This was Hong Kong, and he couldn't go too far. But overseas, it was a different story. Unless they had no assets abroad, these guys would face John's relentless targeting from all sides. John wouldn't show mercy to his enemies. Anyone who dared to provoke him would pay a heavy price, or who knew how many people would try to sabotage him in the future!
Today, he could give Old Master Huo face and refrain from taking action in Hong Kong, but that didn't mean the matter was over. Old Master Huo, of course, was fully aware of John's ulterior motives. In fact, he had already advised those people from the beginning, but unfortunately, they didn't care, or rather, their backers gave them enough courage. After all, something like this had already happened once during the Asian financial crisis, so it was quite normal for it to happen again!
They chose this path themselves, and they must bear the consequences. They dared to create this karma and hatred, so they must bear all the consequences. All of this is their own doing, and has nothing to do with Old Master Huo.

However, Old Huo was a good man. After thinking for a moment, he decided to offer some advice, which could be considered as contributing his efforts: "Mr. John, if possible, please leave them a way out. They were only blinded by greed when they made this decision. With their strength, they will not cause you any harm!"

Hearing this, John shook his head slightly and sighed, "Mr. Huo, wrongdoing has consequences, and this isn't just about one or two people. Besides, it concerns my own safety, so I can't agree to your request. If I turn a blind eye to their provocation, there will be endless trouble in the future. I won't target them in Hong Kong, but overseas, that's up to their fate. You know about the feud between Standard Chartered and HSBC. Since someone is willing to stand on HSBC's side, they must bear the consequences."

Old Master Fok knew perfectly well who was on HSBC's side. Even though Standard Chartered had made a name for itself, many of the bigwigs in Hong Kong still trusted HSBC more than Standard Chartered.

"Fine, they chose this path themselves, and they should bear all the consequences. It's already difficult enough that you can make such a guarantee. Out of sight, out of mind. If there are no problems in Hong Kong, that's a good outcome. At least they can protect themselves!"

If these guys weren't so greedy, then what Old Huo said would be true. But these people are willing to be enemies with John, so they wouldn't be greedy. They want more than Old Huo said. They don't just want to take back their company's shares; they also want to seize a portion of the profits from John's assets. This is also the promise made by the people behind them.

It was precisely because of this promise that these guys went so crazy and joined forces to ask Old Huo to talk to John. But they were all overthinking it. Although John would give Old Huo face, he would not let them off the hook, much less give them any benefits!

Many people were incredibly anxious watching John's exchange with Old Master Huo, hoping for a good outcome, but things didn't go as planned. Soon, John rose to take his leave of Old Master Huo, ending the exchange. To give his host face, John didn't rush to leave; after all, this was Hong Kong, and he didn't want to give a bad impression. He found a corner to sit down and then surveyed his surroundings.
Not long after John left, someone spoke with Old Man Huo. Soon, the man left with a gloomy expression. It was clear that Old Man Huo had told him the result, which greatly disappointed him and made him dissatisfied, since this was not the result he wanted.

The saying goes, "A man's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant." He doesn't even consider his own capabilities before daring to interfere in the internal power struggles of American conglomerates. The last lesson didn't teach him a lesson, and this time he'll pay a heavy price for his greed. However, it's also possible that this guy has been spending too much time with the British and has lost his sense of self-respect. As some people left the room, John also got up to say goodbye to Old Master Huo. However, John's departure annoyed many people, who felt he was disrespecting them and denying them even a chance to interact.

It wasn't that John didn't give them a chance; it was that they themselves weren't confident. Each of them was too arrogant and didn't take the initiative to communicate with John. Many people also didn't dare to approach John because of their presence. After all, these guys had considerable power in Hong Kong, and no one was willing to take the risk at this time!
"As you all have seen, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but it's simply impossible. Your demands are excessive. You want to take back your company's shares, but you can't harm other people's interests. Standard Chartered Bank's strength is not something you can contend with. If you have time, you should go and apologize to them and end this!" Old Master Huo's kindness was not appreciated by the crowd. They only felt that Old Master Huo didn't want to help them. That's human nature.

As a result, no one spoke up, and no one took Old Huo's goodwill seriously. Everyone was focused on how to get their company shares back and how to force John to concede. Were they blind to the danger behind it all? No, they were too greedy. Because those people had given so much, they selectively forgot the danger!
"Do you think I'm being too weak, that I have to explain myself to them? You can't push things too far. I just want to give them a chance, to let them stop in time and have a good ending. After all, we have a good relationship. Even if they have selfish motives or are scheming, I don't want to see them go down a dead end."

"But they don't appreciate it. They just complain and blame you for not helping them. Look at how they left, they were all full of resentment. Such people are not worth your help. Moreover, I'm worried that doing so will offend Mr. John. After all, he is very powerful and can influence the United States' strategy. It's just a power struggle among conglomerates. Why should we interfere?"

"No, you underestimate Mr. John. Since he came today, he's giving me face, so there's no problem at all. Don't worry about it! It's just a pity those guys won't listen to my advice. If they were willing to stop, apologize tomorrow, and smooth things over, he wouldn't have gone too far!"

Unfortunately, this is destined to be impossible. Although some people may waver, most will be blinded by greed. Greed drives people mad; otherwise, why do so many people suffer during every stock market crash? It's because they were too reckless and too greedy, and thus paid a heavy price. "A man's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant"—that perfectly describes them!

"It's better to be safe than sorry. If those guys don't listen to our advice and continue to provoke Mr. John, he might think it's our problem. After all, you just invited Mr. John here, and these guys are causing trouble again. In this situation, who wouldn't be angry? We might accidentally become the scapegoats for them!"

That's true, but John isn't that ignorant or petty. With John's intelligence, how could he not see Old Master Huo's attitude? He wouldn't make such a foolish calculation. It can only be said that those guys are too greedy.

Actually, John knew when he left that those guys wouldn't give up, that the storm would continue, and that they would continue targeting him. Lured by profit, they were capable of anything. Ultimately, it was his own choice that mattered. If he hadn't appeared, they might not have dared to continue, but his presence made some people feel emboldened, as if they had something to hold back.

Just as they had feared, after leaving the Huo family, the guys found a quiet place and one of them started venting his anger: "This is too much! Old Huo won't help us, and he even wants us to apologize to that guy. He's not giving us any face at all. This matter can't end like this. We need to find a way to force him to hand over his shares. This is Hong Kong, not the United States. We have an absolute advantage. Even the British conglomerate has compromised and backed down. What gives him the right to be so arrogant?"

"You're crazy! You know what you're saying. Advantage? What advantage do you have? That's Standard Chartered Bank!"

"So what if it's Standard Chartered? We have HSBC and the support of American financial groups behind us. Besides, this isn't like the financial crisis anymore. HSBC has enough financial resources to support us!"

"So what? Standard Chartered Bank doesn't want to sell its shares, and you can't force them to. Besides, you have no financial dealings with Standard Chartered Bank, so you can't even threaten them. Stop it, stop playing with fire. I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't want to continue like this. That's Standard Chartered Bank."

Some people have already considered giving up, but many more want to continue and refuse to listen to advice. This is because self-interest can move people's hearts. Under the absolute temptation of profit, they are unwilling to let go. After all, the people behind them are offering too much, and there is also financial support. How can they be willing to give up? Those who are willing to let go only receive a small amount of benefit, or perhaps some media coverage; they themselves do not benefit much.

(End of this chapter)