America: My Time

Chapter 1601 Everyone is happy
Chapter 1591 Everyone's Happy

“I need time, we all need time, John, you should understand!” Morgan said after a moment of silence, a determined look in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind.
"What do you think?" John turned his gaze to President Bush, a faint smile in his eyes.

“I have no problem with that either. They’re all at the White House tonight, so we can talk again!” Xiao Bushi nodded without hesitation, agreeing to everything.

“Alright, then I’ll give you time. I’ll wait for your news!” John said, getting up and leaving, giving Morgan and Little Bush space, completely unconcerned whether the two guys were plotting against him!

"Mr. Morgan, do you think John really wants to break up Gulfstream Aerospace?" After watching John leave, Little Bush asked Morgan with a hint of anticipation in his eyes, as if he too had been swayed by John's words!

"A breakup will happen, but not in the way you think. Do you really think John's relationship with the military has deteriorated to this extent? I don't know if Old Bush has told you anything, but I can tell you that the conflict between John and the military isn't what you think. Their conflict involves many things. Now that John has made his move, let's see how those guys in the military respond. If Gulfstream Aerospace really completes a crazy breakup and consolidation, what do you think the public will think? What kind of pressure will the military face? What kind of pressure will the White House face?"

"So this was just a small test, John wanted to gauge the attitude of those guys in the military?"

"That's true, but it's more of a forced assignment. He's imposing his demands on the military, not wanting to continue entangled with them. Or perhaps more accurately, he's making a final deal with the military, a deal we're all unaware of, and the bargaining chip is the spun-off military industrial enterprises! Time is running out, so let's act now and hear what those military guys have to say, and what others think. This isn't a decision we can make ourselves!"

It would be a lie to say that Morgan was unaware of the deal between John and the military, or the nature of their conflict. Little Bush certainly knew as well, after all, his father had been a president and was well aware of the details of John and the military. However, neither of them was willing to speak out, as it involved too many things!
Of course, John dared to make this decision at this time because the timing was perfect, allowing him to move forward or backward freely without worrying about any trouble arising!
Soon, the conference room was filled with people again, but this time John was not present. Instead, it was a discussion among the men themselves. When Morgan announced John's terms, the room fell silent. Some people's eyes gleamed with excitement, while others frowned.

"General, it's time for you to make a statement. We don't have much time to waste. As a member of the military-industrial complex, we are willing to accept Mr. John's conditions and can proceed with the acquisition. Of course, if you are not comfortable with this, we can also reorganize these assets into a new military-industrial group!" Soon, someone couldn't help but stand up and challenge the military. They felt that the military should compromise and make concessions at this time, as only in this way could everyone benefit!

“Excellent, John’s sincerity is evident. We can’t do nothing, otherwise, if problems arise again, they can’t blame us. After all, you all know how much pressure we’ve been under!” Once someone speaks up, other military-industrial groups will step forward to express their opinions. They naturally all want to tear a large chunk out of Gulfstream Aerospace, since Gulfstream Aerospace’s assets are all high-quality assets. Anyone who gives them up would be a fool! However, the premise is that everyone must manage public dissatisfaction. After all, they all know how large Gulfstream Aerospace is. The sudden splitting of such a military-industrial group will cause quite a stir, and may even cause stock market fluctuations!
No one dared underestimate John's influence. They didn't want anything to go wrong, so they all believed the military needed to compromise. They understood the conflict between John and the military: the supply of materials. John wanted more orders and a larger share of the profits from the military. However, their initial negotiations had failed, and now John was unwilling to continue the conflict, which was giving the military a headache.
If Gulfstream Aerospace were to undergo a complete restructuring and dismantle its military projects, the consequences would be dire. This is a danger they cannot afford to risk, and if it were to trigger public discontent, it would be a disaster for them.

"What are you thinking? And how much benefit can we get? You can't expect us to compromise while you want to keep all the benefits in your hands. If that's the case, I can't accept it!" The military personnel quickly spoke up. It would be a lie to say they weren't tempted, after all, they all knew how much profit the military-industrial complex could generate.

"The division of benefits is simple; it depends on each party's investment. We can sit down and discuss the details. Whatever your demands, we can negotiate. Now, we need to give Mr. John a reply. If we refuse this time, we will never have such an opportunity again. Your military knows better than we do how valuable Gulfstream Aerospace's assets are. To put it bluntly, this is an exchange of benefits."

"Alright, it's a deal. We'll arrange for someone to discuss this with you. If you back out, you'll have to bear the consequences. After all, we're not without the ability to retaliate! If so many things hadn't happened during this time, we wouldn't have accepted this!" The military representative seemed reluctant and resistant.

"Then it's settled. Now you decide whether to let the spun-off company operate independently as a military-industrial group, go public and raise funds, or whether we will acquire it?" Perhaps due to time constraints, these American conglomerates did not want to waste time and energy, and directly let the military make the decision!
“Let’s run it alone. We can’t afford the public’s anger. If this matter gets out of hand, it won’t benefit anyone. I believe you all understand that. As long as our interests are protected, nothing else matters!”

To put it bluntly, it's a matter of interests. These guys in the military don't want to give John the benefits he deserves, but now John has forced them into a corner, so they have no choice but to accept. They went too far before, and now they've lost all their opportunities and have to face John's strong coercion.

Once the US military agreed, things went smoothly. John soon appeared in the conference room, calmly observing the military personnel. After all, they had been fighting for so many years, and they were quite familiar with each other. Many of them had dealings and connections with John. Otherwise, John wouldn't have dared to make such a show of force. Not everyone in the military had a conflict with John; the number of those with real conflicts was relatively small. However, without their approval, obtaining supplies wouldn't be easy for John. Moreover, without the approval of those older figures, things were difficult to manipulate. This was a massive interest group, and John would have to pay a price for intervening!
"It's a pleasure to cooperate. We can both finally be satisfied. You no longer need to suppress Gulfstream Aerospace and endure the complaints from below. I also no longer need to consider the pressure and losses in the military industry. This cooperation is a win-win situation, and we can both get everything we want!" "Mr. John, there's no problem with the cooperation, but you can't shift all the responsibility onto us. After the split, all the pressure should be borne by Gulfstream Aerospace, not us!" The military raised their most pressing concern. After all, John's influence in the United States was too great, especially among the public. Although he had a playboy reputation, he had no other blemishes, which made the military have to be cautious.

"Of course, we're all old friends, and you all know my character. I believe no one will question my credibility. Since I brought this up myself, it's because I want to resolve all the previous issues and not leave any more trouble for myself. I believe everyone can understand."

“I understand. This way, Gulfstream Aerospace can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble, and we won’t have to deal with harassment from those people. It’s not just you who doesn’t want to continue; we feel the same way. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. But are you sure there won’t be any problems with the Middle Eastern tycoons? After all, Gulfstream Aerospace has sold quite a lot of equipment there!”

Faced with the military's probing, John nodded and said, "I'm sure the Middle Eastern tycoons have already spoken to them, and they understand. Only in this way can we wholeheartedly cooperate with them and complete the projects they need. After all, if things continue like this, Gulfstream Aerospace will face a funding shortage again, which is something no one wants to see. Now, you all need to make a decision on which military-industrial enterprise to use as the main body for the spin-off!"

“Mr. John, since you’ve brought it up, we believe you must have some plans. We’ll all listen to you. After all, Gulfstream Aerospace has already made preparations, so we believe they understand better than us laymen how to best break it down!”

John smiled calmly and said, "Gulfstream Aerospace's plan is to split Lockheed and Hughes together. After all, many people are most worried about Lockheed's R&D capabilities, while Grumman is nothing in comparison."

John wasn't stupid, so he naturally didn't believe what these guys in the military said. As their opponent, John knew exactly what these guys feared most. This kind of split was exactly what they wanted. Lockheed's R&D capabilities, as well as Hughes's, were the strongest in Gulfstream Aerospace. Only with this kind of split could they be satisfied and everything could proceed smoothly!
"We have no problem, we'll do whatever you say!"

John shook his head and said, “No, it’s not about following my arrangements, but about us discussing it together. I can meet your conditions, but I believe you won’t refuse my conditions either. In the future, you can’t take any further actions against us. We will control the overseas export rights ourselves, since what we sell will not pose any threat to the US military. Also, we can’t license the technology to other parties, nor can we enter the civilian market.”

When you show kindness and I show loyalty, a verbal agreement is quickly reached. Seeing John's choice, some guys are happy. Finally, they can control the equipment issue with the Middle Eastern tycoons. After all, what they were most worried about was that Gulfstream Aerospace would sell Lockheed's powerful weapons to the Middle Eastern tycoons, fearing that John would be defeated by the money of the Middle Eastern tycoons. Just look at Hughes Aerospace to know everything. Now they don't need to worry.

Seeing that everything had ended smoothly, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Bu also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, as the master, his pressure was no less than John's. John could face everything with a calm mind because he had made full preparations and had taken the initiative. But Xiao Bu did not have such ability and could only passively face everything.

Of course, John's withdrawal and Gulfstream Aerospace's withdrawal also instantly relieved the pressure on the US military. At the same time, they no longer wanted to associate with those guys from the oilfield capital. Before, they wanted to use them as a tool to suppress John and create opportunities for their plans. Unfortunately, those guys were too useless and never succeeded. Now that they have obtained everything they wanted, they naturally no longer need to get involved with the oilfield capital. Now they are also a member of the capital!

If many in the military were initially annoyed with John, now they see him as a benefactor. They never expected him to be so ambitious. Their previous demands were simply for Gulfstream Aerospace to go public and raise funds, so they could have less trouble, fewer concerns, and more profits. But now they are getting more than they wanted before. How could they not be happy and excited? So their perspectives have naturally undergone a major change!

These guys were happy, and John was happy too. Only in this way could he free up his hands to reorganize everything at Gulfstream Space and get rid of the hidden dangers he carried. The reason why the military and the conglomerates were so happy was actually quite simple: they felt John was sacrificing his own interests. While they wouldn't compete with John for the civilian market, they could compete for the overseas market. They didn't believe John's cooperation with the Middle Eastern tycoons was foolproof; as long as they were willing to work hard, they still had a chance to snatch a share from John. John was well aware of all this; now it was up to their individual instincts!

(End of this chapter)