America: My Time

Chapter 1608 The human heart is not enough and the snake swallows the elephant.

Chapter 1598 Human greed knows no bounds.
"See? This is what they mean by 'fighting without breaking down.' Those guys are gaining more and more influence in the US these days. If they're not kept in check, they might one day go so far as to shock the world. You need to increase your investment in the media. In this respect, you're far behind the oil and Pacific capital, and those guys in Italy are doing a much better job. You're too conservative!"

John did not participate in this struggle for interests. He simply watched quietly as those guys distributed the wealth, and as a portion of Lockheed Martin's shares fell into the hands of Oil Pacific Capital. He also casually reminded the Middle Eastern prince of the vast gap between the Middle Eastern tycoons and their rivals!

“Mr. John, you know we’ve faced considerable resistance both in the US and in Europe. Those guys are rejecting our acquisition, and you know why!” The Middle Eastern prince sighed, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. After all, their initial development was quite good, but things changed over time.

"You've simply taken the wrong path. You weren't reckless enough. If possible, I think you could shift your focus and get involved in sports. And since you're facing obstacles in Europe, you could try to win over Asia. No matter how much pressure you're under, you can't give up, otherwise you'll lose your voice and be completely dominated! I know you'll think of me as your friend, but there are many things I can't participate in, especially if things turn out the same way this time! On some important matters, I'm willing but powerless!" John sighed. The Middle Eastern tycoons clearly had an absolute advantage, but they hadn't capitalized on it!
Compared to the methods of oil-rich capitalists, the actions of Middle Eastern tycoons are far too brutal, which is why they are targeted. However, these words are not suitable to come out of one's mouth. You can't teach people how to do things; you can only make them understand when they know what pain is. But by then, it will be too late!
John had already personally taught them once, but in such a short time, the media power controlled by the Middle Eastern tycoons had been severely restricted, and their influence had decreased significantly. Who could they blame but themselves? John wouldn't have said such a thing if it weren't for their friendship!
For capital, Middle Eastern tycoons lack the methods and vision of oil-rich capitalists, and they are not ruthless enough, nor do they have the determination to go all in. If they could be so ruthless, things wouldn't be like this. The reason John hasn't visited the Middle Eastern tycoons or had much interaction with them over the years is because they are not on the same side. Most importantly, they have their own selfish motives and don't fully trust the help offered by Jaguar Security, nor do they fully believe in John's goodwill!
Of course, this situation is also related to John's warning, but instead of looking for the reasons within themselves, they blame everything on John, thinking that John is not a good friend. However, they never considered how much this would affect John!
The United States is now the sole superpower. The fall of Russia has made the US the true hegemon, while the Middle Eastern tycoons are wavering. How could John accept such a situation? If it weren't for their shared interests, their cooperation would have ended long ago. It was interests that brought them together.

Take this incident, for example. If they had truly trusted John, they wouldn't have rushed over so hastily, causing him considerable trouble and forcing him to unleash some of his "trump cards" to deal with them. Although John's rise to power was aided by these wealthy individuals, their fickleness gradually cooled his initial enthusiasm. Now, their relationship is purely transactional, and there's not much John can do anymore!

Once a rift appears, it's incredibly difficult to mend it. But the Middle Eastern tycoons haven't realized this yet, which is what's giving John the biggest headache. Perhaps Gulfstream's performance has made them think that John can't do without the support of the Middle Eastern tycoons, making them so confident that they can disregard John's feelings and situation!
Although the matter was resolved satisfactorily, it left a shadow in John's heart. However, the Middle Eastern prince was unaware of this, and even the Middle Eastern tycoons themselves were unaware. They only saw the benefits and did not see the hidden dangers behind it.

After witnessing Gulfstream Aerospace's modification progress, the Middle Eastern tycoons quickly transferred funds to the account designated by John, and the cooperation between the two parties was restarted. This time, they wanted more, and even felt that they had the upper hand in their cooperation with John, since John had compromised with them!
Yes, offering their opinions was a test for John, but they didn't consider the harm this test would cause to both sides. Although on the surface there was nothing wrong with it and it was normal business dealings, was their cooperation merely a simple business transaction? No, it wasn't. Unfortunately, the Middle Eastern tycoon hadn't thought about this issue and was still complacent.

Human hearts cannot withstand tests. When the Middle Eastern tycoon tested John, their friendship was already affected, not to mention how many inappropriate things the Middle Eastern tycoon did in secret.

"Get our men ready. Since they're so ruthless, they can't blame us for being ruthless too. Using someone else to do our dirty work is perfect. Keep an eye on those guys, and as soon as they make a move, we'll follow suit and pin the blame on them!" This was John's arrangement for Jaguar Security Company, and the original plan was about to begin.

"Don't worry, boss, we won't let you down. This time, everything will be absolutely foolproof!"

"That's good. I don't want any accidents to happen either; you should know what the consequences would be. Make sure everything is done cleanly and has nothing to do with us. After so many years of planning, it's time to reap some rewards!"

John's arrangements for Jaguar Security were not discovered, and no one noticed anything unusual about them. After all, Jaguar Security had always maintained such personnel changes, and coupled with Gulfstream Aerospace's "abnormalities," no one thought there was anything wrong with Jaguar Security's personnel adjustments, so everyone ignored it!
Human greed is hard to control. After those guys took such a big profit from John and made the distribution, they became greedy again and wanted John to speed up the sale of the shares. Everyone knows who was pushing this behind the scenes, but these guys still accepted it for their own benefit!

Unfortunately, they couldn't persuade Morgan to step in this time. After all, Morgan had retired and was no longer involved in things, and his successor wouldn't accept such a request. So the problem was brought to Little Bush. Those guys wanted Little Bush to act as an intermediary and talk to John!
"Dad, are these guys crazy? Don't they know what they're doing? John has already given them enough face and enough benefits, but they're still not satisfied and want more. Aren't they afraid of getting into trouble?" "Hehe, you're getting anxious now, that's normal. That's capital. Otherwise, why would Oil Pacific Capital be able to develop so quickly and attract so many people? Look at how many of those conglomerates and giants have already sided with Oil Pacific Capital, and they're all tempted. As for the consequences, they don't care at all. All they see is profit!" Compared to Little Bush's anger, Old Bush remained calm.
Little Bush asked in bewilderment, "But they're not afraid of John's retaliation. After all, the initiative is still in John's hands. Angering John won't do them any good. What gives them such confidence?"

"The law doesn't punish the masses. Oil Capital is trying to use the power of the crowd to oppress John, but they're overthinking it. These guys are truly insane and don't know when to stop. They'll regret it one day. Now they're giving John a reason to retaliate. Do they really think those old guys can suppress John? What a joke! Ignore these lunatics. We can't agree to their demands, and we won't interfere in their fight! John's strength is far more terrifying than you think!"

"Dad, do you think we should at least put on a show and talk to John to give them an explanation? Otherwise, these old guys will get angry, and that won't be good for us either?" Little Bush said worriedly. After all, he didn't have the same confidence as Old Bush, and this time it was a collective action by the American conglomerate!
"No, the more critical the moment, the less we should do. We must maintain our stance. If we act as if we've accepted these old guys' opinions, even if we fail, we'll still be labeled. Do you think John will have no reaction at all? Do you think John won't have any thoughts about you? Remember, don't compromise your stance. Even if you can't stand with John, you must remain absolutely neutral and not get involved in anything they do. Let them deal with their own thoughts. If they can't, that's their problem, and it has nothing to do with you! People are never satisfied. If you get involved this time, there will be endless trouble in the future. That's one of the reasons why Morgan retired."

"Dad, are you saying that Morgan was forced to retire by these old guys and that's why he quickly brought his successor into the spotlight? Isn't that crazy? How could these old guys possibly have that kind of ability?"

"Hehe, you think it's impossible, but it really happened. Think about it carefully. Every time these old guys get into trouble, don't they ask Morgan to step in? Once or twice is fine, John will give Morgan face, but if it happens too often, Morgan can't withstand such a drain. If he doesn't retire, how much trouble do you think he will have! Retreating to advance, that's Morgan's choice, and only in this way can he break out of the predicament!"

"But with Morgan's strength, there's no need for them to do this. They have more than enough resources to handle any potential crisis! Compared to other conglomerates, Morgan's strength has increased by leaps and bounds in recent years!"

"You're still too young and too naive. No matter how much confidence you have, it can't withstand this kind of drain. Didn't you see how the relationship between John and Martin deteriorated? At first, John trusted Martin so much, but repeated scheming and requests gradually changed their relationship. If even Martin is like this, how much better do you think Morgan can be? Knowing when to advance and when to retreat is what makes Morgan so terrifying! You have to understand that for someone of his status to make such a decision is something many people can't do!"

"But John and those guys from Japan are the same. They schemed against him time and time again, and John forgave them all. Morgan should be fine too." At this point, Little Bush mentioned Japan. The reason John has such a huge influence globally is because of his strong sense of loyalty, and Japan is the best example!

"You're underestimating John. Japan is just a pawn in John's game, a pawn used to build his persona. If John hadn't been so friendly to Japan, do you think he could have achieved everything so quickly? Without Japan's 'help,' John wouldn't have achieved what he has today. It's precisely because of Japan's example that John has gained recognition in various countries! Otherwise, why do you think John was able to develop and expand so rapidly in the energy and mining industries back then?"

At this point, Old Bushi paused slightly, then continued, "Since you mentioned Japan, haven't you noticed that John's investments in Japan have all been successful? But those guys in Japan were too greedy and got completely caught up in it, paying a heavy price for their greed. So knowing when to stop is the best approach, but those guys haven't grasped this point yet. Perhaps this is a case of 'the onlooker sees more of the game than the player,' they've all been blinded by profit!"

If those old fogies couldn't see things clearly, that would be one thing. But does that mean their think tanks couldn't see things either? It just means those old fogies are doing it on purpose. They're all too greedy, and that's the difference between them and Morgan. Of course, the reason the old man can see through all this is because he's an outsider, a true bystander with clear vision. If he were involved, he probably wouldn't have such insight!
Many things are easier said than done. Being able to see through everything doesn't mean you can actually do it. There are gains and losses in everything. Temporary greed made them forget the danger, forget that John wasn't someone they could manipulate, and that they had no standing or relationship with him. If they continued like this, they would only suffer in the end; they would pay a heavy price for their greed. Unfortunately, these guys still did it!
(End of this chapter)