America: My Time

Chapter 1602 John's Scheme

Chapter 1592 John's Scheme
“John, are you really going to give up the military industry? This is no small matter, and it will have a significant impact on Gulfstream Aerospace. It could even shake your influence among the Middle Eastern tycoons. We have absolutely no need to take this risk!” John’s uncle Calvin said with a worried expression when the family sat together after returning from the White House. He knew very well how much the loss of the military industry would affect John, so he couldn’t understand it!
“Uncle, I understand what you’re saying. Actually, I had the same idea as you before, to keep this military industry under our control. That’s why we had a conflict of interest with the military and also gave Gulfstream capital the opportunity to make a fuss. I know the importance of the military industry, but we can’t hold onto it too tightly just because it’s important. It’s a double-edged sword, and we can hurt ourselves if we’re not careful. As for the Middle Eastern tycoons, I’ve already communicated with them. They are accepting and understanding, and they’ve given Gulfstream Space Technology enough time. There’s not a big problem there.”

"However, breaking up these military industrial enterprises at this time will result in significant financial losses. It won't be long before war breaks out, and peace in the Middle East is likely to be short-lived!"

"I know that if it weren't for this, do you think those guys would agree to my conditions and make such a written guarantee? There are always trade-offs. The sacrifices we make now are for the gains to come. Although this split will severely damage Gulfstream Aerospace on the surface, it will also lower their guard and give Gulfstream Aerospace more time to prepare. The current forbearance is for better development in the future. Next, Gulfstream Aerospace will enter a period of frantic asset consolidation, and I will gradually withdraw from the entire group. This time, the family foundation will no longer hold shares; the charitable foundation will take over, as will the offshore companies, Hurricane Investment, and major banks. In short, on the surface, we will no longer be the heads of Gulfstream Aerospace!"

"Hiss!" At this moment, everyone present gasped. This decision was too crazy, so crazy that it shocked them. With this arrangement, Gulfstream Aerospace became a joint-stock company. As long as the charity foundation's shares were not too many, it would not bring any impact to the family on the surface!
“John, have you thought this through? This way, it's easy to give the enemy an opportunity, and can you guarantee the safety of the professional managers? Even a little trouble could have a huge impact on us, and the losses to Gulfstream Space could be staggering!”

“I’ve thought this through very clearly. Only by making sacrifices now can we gain more time and opportunities. You don’t understand the situation at Gulfstream Aerospace. Nowadays, Gulfstream Aerospace’s cooperation with the military is pitifully small. If those collaborations weren’t so important, they would probably have already imposed further blockades. Now is the perfect opportunity to sacrifice them. And you know that the Middle East is not peaceful. After this company goes public, how amazing do you think its market value will be? Don’t forget, I’m not selling it all at once, but little by little. Gulfstream Aerospace’s focus is on the Starlink project, the drone project, the space carrier project, and overseas exports. All of these are inextricably linked to the Middle Eastern tycoons, so I’m not worried about what the Middle Eastern tycoons think. Once the split is successful, there will be no obstacles.”

John was fully aware of the enormous market potential for drones, the immense profits from the Starlink project, and the substantial export benefits overseas. In comparison, the cooperation from the US military was less important. Moreover, this separation removed the military's excuse for compromising security, freeing them from all constraints. This was even more crucial for Gulfstream Aerospace's development!

"It's good that you've thought it through. Now that you've made your decision, I'm relieved. After all, such a split will shake the beliefs of many people, and this is a crucial moment!" Calvin reminded John once again that as a conglomerate giant, the influence of the military industry is unmatched by other industries.

"I know that the guys in the military don't approve of my plan right now because they think it's too crazy and only suitable for players like Middle Eastern tycoons. The military can't afford to implement it. But what I want is the interests of Middle Eastern tycoons, as well as the interests of the civilian market. You can't have everything. Selling these assets will give Gulfstream Aerospace ample funds for research. As long as we have the absolute technology, making money is easy!"

While John's family was discussing things, things were also unsettled at the White House. Little Bush told his father everything, as this negotiation had had a significant impact on him as well!

"Dad, do you think John has gone mad? To make such a decision at this time, to break up Gulfstream Aerospace and completely divest the military-industrial complex, I really don't know what he's thinking!"

Upon hearing Xiao Bush's complaints, Lao Bush smiled calmly and said, "Don't you know whether he's crazy or not? Do you think someone with this guy's abilities would make a losing deal? Just because you can't see through it doesn't mean John has no profit to gain. At least one thing is clear to everyone: the conflict between the military and John has been resolved. This is an exchange of interests, and John has completely integrated into the military's supply chain. This is not simple; the profits involved are far more outrageous than you think!"

"However, no matter how good the exchange of benefits is, it is insignificant compared to the assets of military enterprises, especially in terms of influence. I don't believe John is unaware that the Middle Eastern tycoons will have no objections to his splitting up, since it means that their supplies will once again fall into the control of the military!"

"Hehe, you can see it all. Do you think John can't see it? Do you think the Middle Eastern tycoons can't see it? You don't really think John is lying and that he hasn't communicated with the Middle Eastern tycoons. If you think that, you're very wrong. John has definitely communicated with the Middle Eastern tycoons, and there were no problems in their communication."

"Why? Are the Middle Eastern tycoons so confident in John, or are they so sure that the power they currently possess is enough to guarantee their own safety? You know, Gulfstream Aerospace won't be upgrading many of their equipment again, which could put them in trouble years later!"

"You really are getting stuck on a tangent. Don't you think about it? How much of the equipment these Middle Eastern tycoons received from Gulfstream Aerospace is the same as what the military uses? And their biggest equipment is helicopters, but those are all civilian-grade. What do you think they have to worry about? Besides, the aircraft John collaborated on with the Middle Eastern tycoons is already in service, so there won't be any problems. Before, the Middle Eastern tycoons were worried about secrets being leaked, after all, they had actually experienced such a crisis before. Now that John has broken up Gulfstream Aerospace, that danger is gone. If I'm not mistaken, John's promise to the Middle Eastern tycoons was to fully improve their unmanned offensive and defensive systems. After all, they are ahead in this area, and it's the system best suited to their needs. Now do you understand why John dared to do this? Of course, this is only one aspect. Only John, that little fox, knows the deeper reasons; we can't possibly guess them!"

"I see. But if that's the case, why don't others understand it, especially those guys in the military? They can't possibly not understand, yet they agreed so readily?"

“As I said, this is an exchange of interests. The military suffers no loss whatsoever. More importantly, what the military wants is John's attitude, and that's crucial. John voluntarily compromised, allowing them to save face and gain benefits in return. How could they not accept it? As for the future, that's up to each side to decide. However, I don't have a high opinion of those guys in the military. Their vision is far inferior to John's.” At this point, Old Bush paused slightly, took a deep breath, shook his head, and said, “I think John is playing a long game, but we can't see his true purpose yet. However, it should be related to his current system. Perhaps this guy has truly embarked on a crazy path!”

It has to be admitted that experience matters. Old people have insight and wisdom, and they know when to back down at crucial moments. Not everyone can do that. He still saw a glimpse of John's scheming!

"You mean the system John built for Middle Eastern tycoons? That's a money offensive. No one but the Middle Eastern tycoons can push forward in this area, not even the US military, since we have too many places to defend!"

"Yes, it's not feasible for us, but it's not a problem for Middle Eastern tycoons. So John has a firm grip on the Middle Eastern tycoons. The military wants to snatch the orders from John. How likely do you think that is? Also, do you think there has been any communication within Gulfstream Aerospace? If so, why hasn't there been any word of it?"

At this moment, Xiao Bushi's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Dad, you suspect that John didn't discuss this with Gulfstream Aerospace at all, or that he didn't discuss it internally, and at most only communicated with the CEO. But how dare he be so crazy? This could shake the foundation of Gulfstream Aerospace and cause it to lose many elites!"

“That’s what I don’t understand. Given John’s character, he wouldn’t do something so foolish. So I don’t understand why John is so confident. What secrets does his system hold? Or is there an even more outrageous strategic system within Gulfstream Space? If so, then it’s dangerous. John will break out of the existing system and go his own way, and he’s already demonstrated that before!”

"Isn't the space carrier project a joke? Didn't the military abandon it long ago, thinking it was impossible to achieve and that they didn't believe the modifications could be completed?"

Old Bushi sneered, "Just because the military says it's impossible, does that mean it's impossible? Do you know how powerful Gulfstream Aerospace is? They dared to abandon Lockheed and Hughes aircraft, and what they gave away were all military production lines. As for how many R&D personnel were unwilling to leave Gulfstream Aerospace, have you thought about that? We have no idea how many moves John has made in this game. We'll have to see what Gulfstream Aerospace does next."

"So, John is after the future, and he's betting everything on his plan. If that's the case, Gulfstream Aerospace might not have a chance to turn things around for years and will have to prepare for losses. Isn't that a bit too crazy? He could easily take Gulfstream Aerospace public to raise funds, which would solve the current crisis and resolve the conflict with the military!"

"That's just your opinion. What do you think Oil Pacific Capital will do when Gulfstream goes public and raises funds? What will those old guys like Rockefeller think? Add the military on top of that, do you really think John can control everything at Gulfstream? I don't know if you've noticed, but John is intentionally limiting the Presidential Order. According to your agreement, even in wartime, it won't be easy for you to target John's company. He's guarding against the President and the military's schemes!"

"Is it really necessary to do this? Isn't he overthinking it? Even if we had such an idea, those old guys in the conglomerate would never accept it. They can't possibly watch their assets be affected!"

"Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I think John is definitely wary of this kind of thing. Ever since Global Online, he's been wary of the military and the government. You know, he invited the military and the government to participate back then, but they gave up because of funding issues. Now, if they want to get involved again, John won't give them the chance at all, and those old guys are also stopping them. If Gulfstream Space could do something like that, what do you think it would be like?"

“Dad, you said John’s Starlink project has a chance of success. You’ve heard how crazy his plan is, and the price to be paid is too high. Even the military wanted to give up. How can he be so confident? The Middle Eastern tycoons aren’t stupid. They can’t keep throwing money at it like crazy. At least the military doesn’t approve of this plan, and many organizations think it’s a crazy joke!”

"Yes, before John succeeded, it was a crazy joke. But back in the very beginning of the Starlink project, when John was developing his global satellite positioning system, weren't there people who were pessimistic about it? But are people still doing that now? Who can guarantee that John's plan has no hope of success? Don't be misled by those outside voices. You can't completely trust even the military's information, because they all have interest groups behind them, and they all have their own selfish motives!"

(End of this chapter)