America: My Time

Chapter 1596 Dialogue
Chapter 1586 Dialogue

Given the cunning and ruthless nature of American conglomerates, if those guys in South Korea don't meet their demands, they might actually do something like that, or even cooperate with the South Korean government. After all, the struggle between South Korean conglomerates and the government has been going on for more than a year or two, and it's not impossible for the Americans to betray their partners for their own interests.

The Americans see nothing wrong with betraying their allies, a fact John is well aware of. Just look at the plight of Japan to see how ruthless the Americans can be. Of course, John is one of them, and naturally knows how vicious their schemes can be. If they've dealt with Japan, they certainly won't show any mercy to South Korea.

Seeing Lee Boo-jin's tense expression, John smiled calmly and said, "Remember, we only need to protect our own interests, and then we just need to wait for those old guys to lose their patience. We don't need to go to those Korean conglomerates; they will take the initiative to discuss it with you. Investments need to yield returns. If there are no returns, someone will take responsibility!"

This time, John showed no mercy to the Koreans and made things crystal clear, letting her know how insane and vicious the schemes behind it were. He emphasized that to carve a bloody path through the Korean conglomerates, one had to be tough and ruthless. If Lee Boo-jin couldn't turn things around even with his guidance, John would have to give up. After all, he didn't have the time and energy to waste on the Koreans; the US was the real focus.

As time went on, John realized he couldn't hide forever. When things were settled, he would have to step in, after all, he was a member of the American conglomerate and needed to make a statement on all fronts. He decided to take advantage of the time he still had to deal with the issues with South Korea and Japan.

When Lee Boo-jin took action, the South Koreans were quickly dumbfounded. Hadn't they promised independence and autonomy? How could they suddenly contradict themselves? This was unacceptable to them, but they were powerless to do anything about it. Quantum Mining regaining control of those companies made many uneasy. Soon, the same happened in media and entertainment, followed by automobiles and retail.

Before those guys could even recover from their shock, Lee Boo-jin had already completed everything according to John's plan. This sudden turn of events left many people completely bewildered. Especially in the US, many felt it was a bit too crazy; wasn't this just a waste of time and energy? Why not just do it all in one go from the beginning!
"Morgan, what do you think of John's move against the Koreans? That was a ruthless move. Those Koreans are probably regretting it now, but it's all over. And those guys in Japan will hate them to death. This is sabotaging Japan's plans. I wonder what other tricks he has up his sleeve!" Rockefeller looked at Morgan calmly. Because Morgan's retirement date was already set, Rockefeller wouldn't let go while he could.

"I have no opinion. The reasons are obvious. Those Koreans never learn their lesson and always want to cause trouble. Now look what's happened. They've blown things up and can't clean up the mess themselves. What else can they do? If those guys can't solve the problem, then we'll take care of them. There are plenty of people who want to rise to power. One more or one less won't make a difference!"

“That’s true, but it’s not as easy as you make it out to be. After all, these guys are deeply entrenched in South Korea. If we were to replace them, it would cause quite a stir, and might even trigger an economic crisis in South Korea. We’re here to make money, not to cause destruction. If the worst happens, we’ll lose a lot of money!” Rockefeller didn’t have the composure of Morgan, because they had invested a considerable amount of money, and if something went wrong, he would be in big trouble!
“You should learn from John and see how he does it. You tell me how much he has lost through these repeated asset restructurings, but has he even bothered with it? Others may not be able to see through John’s schemes, but do you think you can’t? John wants to hide behind the scenes, eliminate all hidden dangers, and leave himself no risk whatsoever. Through this series of operations, everything he has has been wiped out. And after a few years, time will wear everything down, and then his interests in Korea will be completely secured.”

At this point, Morgan paused slightly, took a deep breath, and continued, "I don't know why, but John seems to be in a hurry to get everything done. But the Asian financial crisis has just passed. Why is he in such a rush? I can't figure it out. Maybe I'm really getting old!"

"Not only do you not understand, but we all don't understand. John has broken up and reorganized these groups one by one, and now he's created this mess. Who is he guarding against? Us or someone else? This time, the Japanese are going to be furious. Once the changes happen in Korea, Japan will do the same, and even Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Europe. John is playing a big game. What do you think he wants after paying such a high price?"

As soon as Rockefeller finished speaking, Morgan shook his head and laughed, "What he wants has little to do with me anymore. I would have retired long ago by then, and someone else would have taken care of everything. Besides, since he planned ahead, he wouldn't let us see through him. Moreover, John has paid a considerable price under your pressure. You should be content."

"Morgan, are you joking? How much of John's assets are ours? I just don't understand why they didn't develop in our hands, but they've grown rapidly in his. I've tried to find the reason more than once or twice, but the results are not ideal, and I can't accept it!"

"People have to accept getting old and let go when it's time to let go. If you keep clinging to power, you naturally won't see the reasons. Also, I've never understood why you insisted on acquiring those airlines from John. There wasn't much profit to be made from it."

"This wasn't my decision; it was the managers' decision. They were optimistic about the US aviation market, saw potential profits, and these airlines were doing very well. It's a pity that John wasn't willing to sell them all; otherwise, I would have liked to acquire all of his airlines—that would have been a huge business!"

"You're daydreaming. Not only would John not agree, but would those countries agree? Besides, have you forgotten how Gulfstream Aerospace survived? A small part of it relied on orders from these airlines. Even if you were to acquire it, Gulfstream Aerospace would still be fine, no matter how much you paid!" Morgan shook his head, not believing Rockefeller's idea could succeed.

Airlines are indeed very profitable, but who can guarantee that these profits will continue indefinitely? Morgan always felt there was something wrong with them, otherwise John wouldn't have sold off those airlines. "Morgan, to be honest, I'm not worried about the airlines. What worries me most is high technology, semiconductor chips. John controls too much of the market share, so much that it's already threatening our position."

When Rockefeller brought up the semiconductor chip issue again, Morgan shook his head and said, "I know you're unwilling, but this isn't a problem you can solve. Do you think the Koreans can stand up to John now? Will Japan be on your side? It's impossible. Now that the Koreans have caused this mess, it's good enough that Japan doesn't hate them or kick them when they're down! I know you've suffered significant losses in this dot-com bubble, but you can't act impulsively. You know John's bottom line; once it's crossed, the consequences will be unimaginable. I don't want to take the risk, and I don't want to get involved."

Morgan's reply made Rockefeller sigh: "Morgan, we are not you. John has never forgotten you, no matter what interests we have, but he has always been excluding us and unwilling to integrate into our circle. You tell me how many times we have invited him, but what has been his reaction? I just don't understand why he has to target the oil capital so much. There is no deep hatred between them!"

"I don't know. Maybe that's just the kind of obsession a demon has. He'll hold onto even the smallest things."

"You mean that financial war from back then? He wouldn't be that petty, would he? So many years have passed, and he still remembers it!"

"Have you forgotten how John dealt with the Indians? Look at their current miserable state, and you'll understand how petty he is in some matters. In short, we are a juncture: we will not be enemies with John, or if necessary, we will remain neutral and not participate in your conflict. Of course, I don't believe you can defeat him either. In just twenty years, he has built such a vast wealth empire. Do you think John is an easy person to deal with? I don't understand why you insist on looking down on John. In terms of strength, do you have the right to do so? Is it merely out of arrogance? Our era has passed, and there is no need to continue it. The changes of the times have caused us to lose control of everything."

“Morgan, just say what you want to say. There’s no need to beat around the bush. It’s just the two of us here. What are you holding back?” Rockefeller sensed the hidden meaning in Morgan’s words, but he wasn’t sure, so he pressed for confirmation.
"Alright, since you've put it that way, I'll give you face. Don't you think the US has become quite crazy? If the donkey and the elephant keep fighting like this, things might get out of control. The US economy also has problems. The financial and service industries can't support a strong nation; steel, oil, and manufacturing are the foundation of a country. But how much manufacturing does the US have left? How many of those once-glorious shipyards are left? If this continues, the US industrial system will collapse. Is this the outcome we want to see?"

“Morgan, I understand your concerns, but there’s nothing I can do. This is the trend of the times, and we have no choice but to back down. Otherwise, we will be on the opposite side of high society, and no matter how deep our foundation is, we can’t afford such a price.”

“I know, and John knows too. That’s why he’s taken advantage of opportunity after opportunity to relocate manufacturing overseas. It’s also because he knows America’s weaknesses that he’s always followed his own path, integrating upstream and downstream operations. He doesn’t give anyone the chance to hold him back. If possible, I think you should sit down and have a good talk with John. Perhaps you don’t have too many conflicts of interest. I remember John saying that the semiconductor chip market is huge, and he can’t monopolize it! Now I think he was right. Even after the dot-com bubble burst, personal computer sales were not affected and continued to increase. This is enough to show how amazing the market size is.”

“Morgan, I know that too, but do you think there’s anything to talk about even if we sit down? The initiative has always been in John’s hands. I thought that once Nvidia was in our hands, we could suppress John’s many developments, but then Bell Labs jumped out again. I have to admit that John’s plan is brilliant, and so is the company on the British side. Every move he makes is absolutely correct. Under these circumstances, he will care about our thoughts! Talking is useless. Everything depends on strength.”

"Alright, if you insist on this, I have nothing to say. But you should understand that John's focus is not on the United States, but on the world. Look at his global expansion over the years, and look at his investments in the United States. You should understand that his thinking is completely different from ours, and he has no intention of confronting us, provided that you do not provoke him."

“Yes, you’re right. But there’s something I don’t understand. Why do you seem like someone John invited to persuade us? It’s a bit strange!” Rockefeller said with a faint smile, a glint in his eyes.

"You're being skeptical again. Maybe you don't trust anyone at all. I'm just expressing my feelings. I'm about to retire, and I want to advise you to tone it down. There's no need to keep this confrontation going; it's not good for anyone. This is also my way of giving back to John. After all, the Morgan Group has benefited a lot from its cooperation with him over the years. I can't just do nothing; that's not my principle!"

Upon hearing this, Rockefeller's expression turned serious. He stared at him intently, carefully observing the changes in Morgan's expression to determine whether his words were true or false. After all, in his mind, there was no room for sentimentality among capitalists, and he did not believe that Morgan would make such a low-level mistake or have such a ridiculous idea!

"I won't doubt it. I'm speaking from the heart, without a trace of falsehood. This is also a way to build connections and earn favors for future generations. Whether you accept it or not is not important; the key is how I act. Perhaps this favor can be exchanged for help in the future. After all, John's reputation is guaranteed, and even you can't find fault with him!"

(End of this chapter)