America: My Time

Chapter 1599 A Forceful Rejection
Chapter 1589 Forceful Rejection

"Mr. Morgan, are you trying to pressure me with your righteous cause?" John's gaze sharpened as he stared at Morgan, not answering his question but instead posing a counter-question, instantly making the atmosphere tense!

Although John had a good relationship with Morgan, he couldn't accept Morgan's tone and attitude. It seemed like Morgan was letting him make the decision, but in reality, Morgan was using the concept of righteousness to pressure him, which John couldn't accept.

"No, I didn't mean that. It's just the reality. Others are hesitant to speak up because they have their own concerns. Now that I'm retired, I don't have as many concerns, so only I can say these words, and only I can bear this responsibility!" Morgan calmly replied to John's question, his eyes showing no emotion. He was well aware of the impact his words would have, but under these circumstances, he had no choice. Otherwise, the situation today would be in serious trouble!
"Fine, I believe you, but are my demands excessive? You can't keep making me sacrifice and make contributions while you reap the benefits. I want to ask you, all these years, I've given so much, but what have I received in return? One scheme after another. Don't give me that nonsense about tests; I'm not a child. To put it bluntly, some people don't want to see me grow stronger; some want to sabotage me. Unfortunately, their abilities and vision are limited, and they've never succeeded. So this time, I won't compromise. I told you before, my patience has its limits. Since they're unwilling to pay the corresponding price, then don't push everything onto me. I have no responsibility or obligation to consider their interests!"

John's forceful response to Morgan once again caused everyone to gasp, especially those who stood with Oil Capital. They were all incredibly shocked. They hadn't expected that even when Morgan stepped forward, John wouldn't give him any face, but instead directly refuted and rejected him.

“You’re right. You’re not obligated to consider their interests. You have to pay a price for what you want. Since they’re unwilling to pay the corresponding price, there’s nothing I can do. You have to decide for yourself. But I hope you can prioritize the bigger picture. Even if you’re unwilling to take action, you shouldn’t target everyone.”

"Don't worry about that. Since they want to exclude me, I won't take responsibility or get involved. After all, I'm still an American, and I know the bigger picture is important. Unlike some people who only do small things in the shadows, don't think that someone will stand up for you every time. Maybe next time it won't be so simple. People's patience has its limits. I hope you won't provoke me anymore, otherwise it will be a war to the death. I hope you can withstand my wrath!"

Domineering and forceful—that's John's attitude towards everyone now, and also towards these old guys in the American high society. Although John hasn't completed his plan yet, he no longer needs to give them face. After all, these guys have no face at all; all they care about is profit!

"Alright, we can rest assured now that you've said that. They definitely won't do anything targeted again, or they'll become enemies with everyone. Rules can't be broken. If anyone breaks the rules again, they'll have to bear our wrath." At this moment, Xiao Bushi finally stood up and spoke up. He knew that if he didn't step in, the situation would get out of control!
When the newly appointed president, Little Bush, spoke up, those old guys who wanted to scheme against John breathed a sigh of relief. With him intervening, John would have to give the president some face, and they were temporarily out of danger.

"I have no objection. I have always followed the rules, so I hope others will follow the rules as well. Otherwise, you can break the rules, and so can I. You know the consequences yourselves. You can use others' help, and I can do the same, and I'm even better than you. If it really comes to that, I don't know how many of you will still be sitting here!"

Such a domineering threat made everyone sigh inwardly. Morgan, however, smiled calmly and didn't take it seriously. After all, no matter how much John made a fuss, it wouldn't affect Morgan. Since Morgan had never been involved in any of this, he wasn't afraid of John's retaliation and could simply watch from the sidelines!
Although the old men like Rockefeller didn't get their wish, they could barely accept it. After all, John had promised not to interfere with their plans or offer any assistance; everything would depend on their own abilities. However, John's domineering threat left them feeling uneasy and somewhat dazed. How long had it been, and John had already become like this? Could it be that Morgan's approach was the most correct one, and that a prodigy couldn't be suppressed?
Although their resolve wavered, these men didn't give up. Their greed was ingrained, not something easily relinquished; it was almost instinctive. The wiser among them noticed John's change in attitude and understood that he wouldn't compromise as before and would make the right choice. But not everyone could do that; the greedy were incapable.

Just as you can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, those greedy people only have profit in their eyes. They can do anything for profit, even disregarding their own safety, and will risk everything to earn the last penny.

Next, John had another limited debate with these old guys. After all, profit is a powerful motivator. Many people wanted to imitate John's plan and make a fortune from real estate. However, not everyone had the ability. They only saw how John's plan made the real estate industry heat up rapidly, but they didn't see that John made real investments in hardware, while their plans had nothing, or were pitifully small. The two were not comparable!
Looking at this group of guys whose eyes were blinded by greed, John shook his head and stopped trying to persuade them. It's hard to reason with these damned devils. Since they were determined to get involved, why should he be a villain and try to stop them? These guys always think they can get out before the market collapses, but in the end they will only get deeper and deeper into it!
It was yet another unpleasant exchange. Seeing the reluctant expressions on the faces of the old men like Rockefeller, John remained unperturbed, his expression indifferent, completely unconcerned about their thoughts or opinions. His gaze, however, was fixed on Morgan, who remained seated, clearly wanting to have another conversation with him. Even Little Bush, after seeing everyone off, returned to sit down again, seemingly wanting to exchange a few words with John as well!
“John, we’ve known each other for twenty years and worked together for so long, I believe you know my character. I won’t explain too much, I can only say that I had no choice, some things had to be resolved by someone!” Morgan said calmly to John, his eyes still so indifferent, just like a normal retired old man, as if nothing could arouse his interest!
“I understand. You’ve already explained it once before, and I completely believe you. You’re doing the right thing. After all, someone has to break the silence, and it’s acceptable for both of us to step forward. But are you sure you want to step down? You know, if you step down, Morgan might do something that shouldn’t happen again. Aren’t you worried that Morgan’s interests will be affected?”

"Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. I can't protect them forever. They need to weather storms to grow. Besides, I trust your character; you won't let Morgan's interests suffer." "Hahaha, old foxes are shrewd. You wait here for me. I can assure you, as long as Morgan doesn't target me, I naturally won't do anything backstabbing. You know my reputation is always excellent. Instead of trying to persuade me, you should try to persuade Morgan's men not to be used as pawns in a moment of impulse. After all, they're not you; they have no right to talk about friendship with me. Even if you keep Jimmy here, that guy doesn't have that right!"

“I know, I understand, and I won’t try to persuade you. You have your stance, and they have their own ideas, so I’m not too worried. Even if they can’t make Morgan continue to grow, they can still protect their existing interests. However, I’m afraid your threat this time won’t be very effective. People are driven by interests. The benefits your community plan brings are too amazing. How can they sit still?”

"I know, but they're only focused on profit and haven't seen the hidden dangers. I've invested real money, and I have a complete management system and supporting resources. They have nothing, or it's just a few parties cooperating. If there's even the slightest conflict, the so-called cooperation will collapse instantly. They're planting time bombs in the US economy, and who knows when they'll explode and shatter everyone. It's fine if they want to die, but they can't drag me into it!"

Upon hearing John's words, Little Bush's face instantly turned grim. If this ticking time bomb exploded during his term, it wouldn't be a good thing. He quickly said, "John, you really don't think much of them? Is their plan really that dangerous, capable of blowing everyone to pieces?"

"Well, that depends on your regulations. I don't know if you're familiar with the Japanese bubble crisis, but they're the best example. Once everyone gets involved in the real estate industry and wants to make a quick buck, what do you think the US real estate industry will look like? The size of the Japanese bubble is directly proportional to the size of the US bubble, because the Japanese are crazy, and the Americans are even crazier. Look at what Japan is like now, and you'll know what will happen to the US! If you're lucky, everything won't happen during your term. If you're unlucky, then you'll have to take the blame for everything!"

“I know about the bubble crisis in Japan, but I just can’t see how the US could have such a problem. Japan has such a small area, while the US has a much larger land area. How could such a crisis occur?” Little Bush asked John with a puzzled look. He wasn’t wrong; the US does have plenty of land to balance everything. But would those greedy capitalists give them such an opportunity? Would they only make money from real estate?
"This is beyond my explanation. After all, you have the overall situation under control, and you should consult with experts. When capital starts to operate, it's not something you can stop. When that moment comes, unless a crisis is triggered, even if you were the president, you wouldn't be able to stop it. The consequences are beyond your ability to bear. Morgan, if I were you, I would have to stabilize the financial market and at least not invest all the funds in real estate. If something goes wrong, it will directly ruin you."

John's advice surprised Morgan. He hadn't expected John to say such a thing. It was a piece of advice worth a fortune, and there were too many benefits hidden in those words. Anyone who heard it would be excited.

Morgan Stanley did not disappoint John's good intentions and nodded, saying, "I will warn them. After all, finance is no small matter. Consider the enormous price that South Korea, Japan, and the entire Southeast Asia paid during the Asian financial crisis. I believe they will listen to advice and will not make a foolish decision!"

"Hahaha, I knew you hadn't truly stepped down. You still have the ability to control Morgan, so I'm relieved. I don't want my allies to fall at crucial moments; that would make me uneasy. After all, those Rockefeller guys are too dangerous. I don't think they can really control the oil capital. Perhaps those old guys like Rockefeller will be fine, but it's different for others. Under the temptation of profit, many have already betrayed us."

John's words were rather heavy. Not only were Morgan tycoons moved, but President Bush was also alarmed. He didn't think John was exaggerating. After all, John's track record spoke for itself. Even with the help of the Federal Reserve, oil capital still lost out to John. That was the difference! Throughout the entire Asian financial crisis, only John remained undefeated.

“That was their own choice, something we couldn’t stop. Human nature is unpredictable; it’s perfectly normal for them to change their stance under the lure of profit. And we can’t stop them anyway. The more you try to stop them, the more crazy they become. They’ll only become more stubborn and won’t re-examine themselves. That’s just human nature!” Morgan sighed deeply. He had tried to stop them, but it was all beyond his control. Those guys wouldn’t listen to advice; all they cared about was profit. John had hit the nail on the head, which was one of the reasons why Morgan stayed to have another talk with John!

(End of this chapter)