America: My Time

Chapter 1577 Sincerity
Chapter 1567 Sincerity

"It seems the struggle in the US has come to a conclusion. Otherwise, Morgan, Rockefeller, and DuPont wouldn't have come together, and not for business talks, but for tourism. It seems we all underestimated that kid's strength. Even under such pressure, he can maintain an absolute advantage, forcing his opponent to compromise and bow down!"

"Yes! Many people thought our kids would pay a heavy price this time, but the result exceeded our expectations. The fact that Rockefeller compromised and Morgan had to step in repeatedly shows that the situation is more serious than we thought. We need to make some preparations, otherwise we will face a lot of pressure in the future!"

"However, our technology is far from sufficient to deal with these problems, and our influence is not enough to handle the current situation! But we don't need to be under too much pressure in the short term. Everything is still under control. At least this child's integrity is not a problem. The Koreans' problems are of their own making!"

"Although this is all a problem with the Koreans, we cannot let our lifeline be in the hands of others!"

Many people were shocked by the conflict between Asian energy companies and South Korea, as well as the outcome of John D. Rockefeller's confrontation with these old guys. No one expected that it would end like this so soon after the asset restructuring was completed. Many people wanted to know what forces forced giants like Rockefeller and DuPont to compromise and bow down.

Some suspect this is related to the US election, while others suspect it is related to energy. After all, the little tricks of South Korea and Japan cannot be hidden from those who are interested, and Russia has not kept them secret either. With a little investigation, it is easy to find out about Japan's little tricks. That is why everyone in Japan is now fearful and uneasy. They are all trying to contact John and shift the blame to the Japanese government, but they cannot reach John.

While it appears to be an official Japanese operation, anyone with a modicum of intelligence understands that if successful, the Japanese conglomerates will inevitably take over the development of Sakhalin Island. Therefore, the real adversary of Asian energy is not the Japanese government, but the Japanese conglomerates. The reason is simple: like South Korea, they don't want their nation's lifeline in the hands of others. Unfortunately for them, they failed.

Currently, Asia's energy sector is embroiled in a tug-of-war with South Korea. If South Korea reaches a resolution, Japan will be next. How can this not worry the Japanese? Just look at South Korea's current situation to understand how dire their fate would be if John were to take action against Japan. This forces them to accelerate their energy reserves to ensure that negotiations do not negatively impact their national development and prevent them from falling into a similar situation as South Korea.

These guys in Japan had considered having the Americans take the pressure for them and persuade John, since Rockefeller, DuPont, and Morgan had already been mobilized. Unfortunately, they couldn't get in touch with Rockefeller, which made them realize that they had been tricked by these damn Americans again.

These guys from Japan had considered going to China to discuss things with John in person, but they simply didn't have the opportunity. If Akio Morita were still alive, none of this would be a problem, but now no one in Japan could meet with John without an appointment. They had tried more than once, but were always rejected.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Rockefeller's private plane landed at the Beijing airport. Perhaps the matter was too important, because instead of going to a hotel to rest, they went directly to visit John and appeared at John's residence.

John remained calm as he watched the travel-worn Morgan, Rockefeller, and DuPont, as if they had not moved him at all. He simply gave them a polite greeting, and then they all took their seats.

"John, we have come with sincerity. We don't know what your request is, but as long as we can agree to it, it's not a problem!"

Upon hearing Rockefeller's words, John smiled calmly and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you all want to temporarily halt the expansion of Western Energy, at least so as not to affect your energy plans. During this period, you have been acquiring those oil fields and energy companies. If Western Energy makes any amazing discoveries at this time, it will directly shake your plans. Am I right?"

John cut to the chase, revealing Rockefeller's purpose. This revealed a hint of resentment in Rockefeller's eyes, but he was powerless to do anything about it. In truth, he had known from the moment he arrived that John had already seen through their plans, and that John was faster and more decisive than them, possessing considerable oil resources. In fact, many of these oil resources weren't even in the hands of the major energy companies, but rather in the hands of hidden offshore companies!

“That’s right, that’s how it is. If a world-class oil field were to emerge at this time, it would have a significant impact on my pollution plan. And since you already know about our plan, you should understand that its success would benefit all of us. So, what are your thoughts? Do you have any requests for us?”

"Demands? No, I have no demands. After all, this is just business competition. But don't you all think I deserve an explanation for some things? We've already discussed the situation with South Korea, and I don't want to say anything more. But what's going on with Japan? They actually want to cut off Asia's energy supply. This shouldn't be happening. I need an explanation!"

When John pointed the finger at Japan, Rockefeller and DuPont were not pleased, but sighed inwardly. This meant that they had to choose between their own interests and Japan's. John was forcing them to stand on the opposite side of Japan, forcing them to become enemies with Japan.

Although Rockefeller and DuPont didn't care about any of this—after all, they had never accepted Japan—they had only instigated Japan to act as a scapegoat. Under these circumstances, both Rockefeller and DuPont turned their gazes to Morgan, clearly hoping he would intervene. Even though he was unwilling, Morgan couldn't refuse and could only say, "John, I will definitely give you an explanation, but continuing like this is very disadvantageous for us, and could even put us in danger. This isn't just our own problem; you should understand that!"

John smiled calmly and said, "I know, but knowing doesn't mean I have to follow your arrangements. Besides, this isn't a decision I made in a fit of anger; it concerns the development of Western Energy. If it weren't for your repeated sabotage back then, Western Energy wouldn't have been able to change its plans, and the gas-fired power project would have been repeatedly thwarted. Ray, do you think I can still trust you? Of course, I'm not trying to settle scores, but I'm telling you, this isn't my fault, it's yours. Whatever the consequences are, it has nothing to do with me!"

“We understand what you’re saying, but everything has already happened. Now we can find a result that both sides can accept. The fact that the three of us came here in person is enough to prove our sincerity!” DuPont had no choice but to speak up at this point. After all, if he did nothing after the three of them came, it would be as if he had come for nothing!
"What you want is not a result acceptable to both sides, but my compromise and Western Energy's compromise. So far, I have not seen the sincerity you mentioned. If you say that the mere presence of the three of you is sincerity, then that sincerity is laughable. Moreover, it's not about what I want, but what price you are willing to pay."

John's assertive attitude shocked both DuPont and Rockefeller. Rockefeller had thought there was still more to look forward to, but now it seemed there was no chance at all. Their meeting with John was only because of Morgan's influence. It was impossible to persuade John to compromise with such empty words and allow their plan to proceed smoothly!

“John, just tell us what you want. Like I said before, we won't refuse anything we can do. If you're asking for a price, to be honest, we really don't know what to do. After all, many things are great in our eyes, but nothing in yours. Like before, we all thought you'd choose gas-fired power, but Western Energy's decision is to expand overseas and abandon the US market!”

"This is a choice we had no other option but to make. If the US market could accommodate Western Energy, things wouldn't be like this now. However, you've gone this far, and there's still Morgan's face to consider. If I were to refuse again, it would be a bit out of line. But to ask you all to pay a price, or even to make demands in the US, would be unrealistic and would put you in a very difficult position. I want South Korea's mobile communications license and internet operating license, and I will not pay any price for it."

“John, you’re putting us in a difficult position. If you have any ideas, you should talk to the Koreans. After all, they have the final say!” Rockefeller said with a wry smile. He felt that John was deliberately making things difficult for him.

"Difficult? No, I have no such thoughts. If I were to negotiate with the Koreans, I would definitely have to pay a considerable price, and they might even impose all sorts of conditions, which is something I am unwilling to face. Since you all want to know what I want, I only have this one request!"

Seeing John's resolute expression, Rockefeller wanted to persuade him further, but DuPont stopped him. DuPont said, "Okay, but to ensure everything succeeds, you also need to open an undersea oil pipeline to solve South Korea's energy problem. This will also benefit you, since you don't want to lose this market!"

John nodded and said, "Okay, but let's not talk about the ownership of the undersea oil pipeline anymore. They breached the contract first. As long as you can convince the Koreans, Western Energy will not make any major discoveries in the next three years. However, we don't know what will happen in the future. After all, no one knows what the future holds!"

John's words did not put Rockefeller and DuPont at ease. Their hearts sank, and they sighed inwardly, "As expected, John was prepared all along, or rather, the expansion plan of Western Energy was planned in advance. This guy must have made some discoveries in South America, otherwise he wouldn't have been so calm. Is this guy's big data really that powerful?"

At this moment, Morgan's eyes also revealed a look of "I knew it" from his expression. Based on his understanding of John, if they hadn't discovered it, they wouldn't have taken such a big action. Moreover, they had already made many preparations. Everything was ready except for the final push, which made him excited. After all, it was a non-renewable energy source!

As for the situation in Japan, John didn't mention it, nor did Rockefeller and DuPont. They all deliberately avoided the topic. Rockefeller and DuPont didn't want to take responsibility for Japan. Although they wouldn't feel any pressure now, getting involved would mean admitting that it was all their arrangement and plan, which would bring them a lot of unnecessary trouble in the future. It was better to just abandon it and pretend that they knew nothing!
John wanted Rockefeller and DuPont to act this way. Dealing with these guys in Japan was easy; it was just a struggle for interests. There was no need for old guys like Rockefeller and DuPont to get involved. He was absolutely confident in taking them down, and these guys were already impatient.

Was this really necessary to go through all this trouble? If it weren't during an election, and if there weren't so many problems, Rockefeller and DuPont wouldn't have needed to personally intervene, let alone Morgan. But at this crucial moment, they dared not be careless in the slightest. If they hadn't personally intervened, they would have had concerns, fearing John might have more schemes up his sleeve. Similarly, they were also protecting themselves; by personally going to apologize, they were essentially settling the matter, preventing any future repercussions, cutting off John's plans, and eliminating this potential threat!

Previously, they had repeatedly suppressed John, even forcing him to go overseas. Such a heavy reputation was not something they were willing to bear. Now, they have personally come forward and traveled all the way to China to meet John to discuss cooperation. This is enough to clear them of this heavy reputation. In the future, John will not be able to succeed in using such schemes against them. The people will not believe him. With just a little guidance, all the crises can be resolved.

Of course, if John goes all out, there is a way to turn things around, since he controls the power of the media. However, the price is too high, and he is unwilling to bear it. There is no need to cross the line with the other party, as that would not be good for anyone.

(End of this chapter)