America: My Time

Chapter 161 Sincerity
Chapter 161 Sincerity

In the United States, the day after the Hong Kong Telecom incident, Bentley Group CEO Mary Barra held a press conference and directly announced Bentley Group's decision to abandon the acquisition of Leyland Trucks and the decision to build a car manufacturing center in Britain. The reason given was that the British lacked integrity and the group could not take the risk. The acquisition of the truck brand would be re-selected.

This caused a sensation, shocking the entire world. The whole of Europe knew about Bentley Group's crazy expansion, acquiring three British car brands in a row. How could they not know about such a major event? Moreover, these were all luxury car brands, brands that had always been the focus of everyone's attention. Now they wanted to stop and give up. How could this not shock everyone!

Integrity is a crucial issue for all investors, and for Bentley Group to make such a decision is certainly no small matter. In a short period, the reputation of British automobiles has been severely damaged. Meanwhile, some European countries and car brands see an opportunity. Previously, Britain held a significant advantage due to its geographical location; now that Britain has been abandoned, this presents an opportunity—an opportunity to create jobs and increase tax revenue.

Everyone knew the reason behind this, but no one cared or wanted to get involved. They all had one thought: to do everything they could to bring Bentley Group's car manufacturing center to their own territory.

The British were stunned. They hadn't expected things to escalate so dramatically. They had thought they could easily resolve everything by creating a time difference, but they hadn't anticipated such a huge uproar and such terrible consequences, which severely damaged their reputation. They had all underestimated John and the Bentley Group's reaction.

They initially thought that John wouldn't let Bentley's investment be affected by such a small matter, after all, it's industrial manufacturing. But they were wrong; the other party really did make the worst decision.

If any British media outlets still harbored any illusions about Bentley's decision, those illusions were quickly shattered when Duff Trucks of the Netherlands received an offer to acquire them. This was a heavy blow to Leyland Trucks, which had previously held onto a sliver of hope, waiting for the resolution of the conflict to give them a chance. The acquisition process had already begun, but this event, unrelated to them, rendered all their previous efforts futile. They could not accept it, nor could they tolerate it.

John was unconcerned about the turmoil between Europe and the United States, believing that Mary Barra, as CEO of Bentley, could resolve the issues. His priority now was the upcoming investment. Opening up the investment market here would be crucial for future development!
The next day, John's long-awaited moment arrived. China made open arrangements for his investment, a gesture that both moved and astonished him. Such sincerity was irresistible; it was like a windfall, and he would be a fool to refuse. A huge market was beckoning him; not seizing the opportunity would be a disservice to himself and to such sincerity.

"All of this surprised and moved me. I know how difficult it is to make such a decision. You have shown such sincerity, and I cannot let you down. The investment from Nvidia and Bentley will begin immediately. To show my sincerity, I can promise that this investment will remain in China for ten years, and not a single penny will be transferred out. I can guarantee this to everyone with my reputation. As for where the final investment will be placed, that needs to be studied, and we can discuss it."

“Mr. John, thank you for your support!” John’s decision also shocked everyone present. They had not expected him to make such an amazing decision. He would not withdraw any funds for ten years and would leave everything behind. The terms were too good to be true.

This is no ordinary investment; it's an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the profits it generates are astonishing. Making such a decision would put immense pressure on anyone! So much can happen and so many changes can occur in ten years; even the slightest change could trigger a major upheaval. Yet, this young man has provided this response!

"It's nothing, it's what I should do. You've relieved me of the investment pressure, and as the beneficiary, I naturally have to show my sincerity. Cooperation requires a win-win situation, and only a win-win situation can last. This is my principle in doing business. Cooperation where only one party benefits will not last long. I hope that the cooperation with China can last forever."

Not all investors are like John, possessing such determination and investment vision. Furthermore, not everyone can seize the opportunity. Although everyone invests in China for profit, they only consider immediate gains and do not think about long-term benefits.

"We are also touched by Mr. John's decision. A win-win situation is good for everyone—you're good, I'm good, and everyone's good!"

"If possible, I hope to make a decision on the factory location. For cost considerations, we hope to locate the factory in a coastal area, preferably a large city, because only large cities can meet our demand for qualified workers. Both semiconductor and automobile manufacturing require qualified workers; those without a certain level of education cannot meet our needs. We will fund the acquisition of the land needed for the factory and also reserve sufficient expansion space for the company to expand production!" Although China will provide land for foreign investment free of charge, John does not want to take advantage of this. It would be best if he funded it himself, as a small token of his appreciation. Since China has made such a significant concession, he shouldn't haggle over such a small matter. What he lacks is not funds, but opportunities.

From China's perspective, John also paid a huge price, but John knew in his heart that he was the one who would reap the greatest rewards from this investment. He was very clear about how amazing China's development would be in the future, and that today's investment would be returned tenfold or a hundredfold in the future. Moreover, this investment would also bring more hidden benefits.

"Yes, we also hope that the factory can start construction as soon as possible. Mr. John, do you have any other options in mind?"

"If possible, I would like to locate the semiconductor factory in Shanghai and the automobile factory in Beijing. Both cities have qualified workers to meet our recruitment needs and can also receive assistance from universities. There are many areas where we need the help of universities in training and production! Of course, this is just my personal opinion. We still need to discuss the details with the cities where they are located. The best choice is to make both parties satisfied."

Compared to investments in automobiles and semiconductors, other investments could be put aside for the time being. John wasn't confident that his ideas would be approved, after all, it was 1983, and the cities open to investment didn't include Beijing and Shanghai. If it couldn't be approved, it wouldn't be unacceptable to put it in other cities!

After the conversation ended, the contents were quickly reported. When everyone learned of John's decision—that not a single penny would be transferred out within ten years, and that everything would remain—the word "win-win" made everyone remember this little guy, John.

No one doubted whether John would choose to default. Before inviting John to invest, arrangements had already been made. After all, John was no nobody; he had a huge reputation in the United States, and it was very easy for people to understand his character and conduct.

John has an excellent credit history at the Bank of Japan. He can get a $100 million loan without collateral at any bank in Japan at the lowest interest rate, and businesses that work with him have received huge returns. A man like John would not joke around with his credit.

Everyone agreed on the factory location, leaving everything to the local authorities. The area was completely open to semiconductors and automobiles. John's secretarial team quickly sprang into action, communicating with the mayors of the two major cities to begin selecting a factory location. Meanwhile, in the US and Taiwan, the management teams of ASUS and Bentley traveled to China to handle the details.

After much deliberation, John made a surprising decision: to place China's semiconductor investment assets under ASUS instead of Nvidia. This would make many things much easier, and even if Nvidia went public in the future, it would not affect the investment here, and would not give the enemy a chance to scheme against him!
John dared not be careless with those old guys, or he would pay a heavy price. He knew all too well how greedy they were, and it was better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

With his work handed over to his secretarial team, John felt much more relaxed and began to tour Beijing with a guide. Soon, both ASUS and Bentley completed negotiations with the cities where their factories were located, and construction of the factories commenced in full swing.

The city has provided strong support for the construction, and everything is progressing very smoothly. This level of sincerity is rare in the United States; even the smallest problems are resolved without delay. This has greatly surprised the management team from the US and Taiwan, as it was completely different from what they had imagined. They initially thought their boss had made a mistake, but now it seems the mistake wasn't their boss, but rather their own ignorance and arrogance. This place offers the best investment environment.

The enthusiasm and drive of the workers here are something that the United States lacks. Just on the issue of workers alone, they have gained the approval of these senior managers. With such hardworking workers and such low costs, who wouldn't be tempted and happy? It can be said that at this moment, these people have truly seen hope and a future for the company, instead of the crisis they had previously worried about. With so many favorable conditions, they cannot imagine any possibility of failure.

(End of this chapter)