America: My Time

Chapter 1613 Neon's Worries

Chapter 1603 Neon's Worries

“Mr. John, if it were just this small matter, I believe there would be no need for someone to come and explain it to us personally. I wonder if the Russian side has any other requests?” Finally, there was a smart guy who understood John’s purpose. If it was just to inform them that the negotiations with the Russian side had changed, a phone call would have been enough. There was no need for John to come in person. So this matter was probably a bit difficult, which made some people’s mood heavy!

John nodded and said, “That’s right, the Russians do have other requests, but they’re not really related to the first one. The first deal is what it is, so you don’t need to worry about the Russians’ requests affecting future cooperation. Of course, if you refuse, then this is the only cooperation we’ll have, and future cooperation will have nothing to do with you. I’m only making this trip because of our long-standing friendship. As for your choice, that’s your own business, and I won’t interfere. After all, everyone has the right to make their own decisions!”

The more John acted this way, the heavier the mood became for the Japanese guys. After all, they were worried about their own interests being harmed, and if it were just this one collaboration, there would be no need for them to make such arrangements.

"Mr. John, could you please tell us what the Russians are asking for? You're making us very uncomfortable!" Seeing the hesitant look on the faces of the conglomerate members, the Japanese officials had no choice but to speak up for them. After all, if the Russians' demands were too unreasonable, it would be better for the authorities to speak up, at least to avoid any conflict between the conglomerate members and John. So they had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it!
"The Russians' demands aren't unreasonable. This time, you'll get the entire oil field. If you're willing to continue cooperating, then the Russians will need to discuss the shareholding issue with you. Moreover, the Russians won't contribute any capital; they'll only take shares. The choice is yours!"

Upon hearing this, the Japanese official immediately realized what was going on and said with a serious expression, "Mr. John, does this mean that Russia is going to avoid you and that the next transaction will no longer involve you?"

John nodded and said, "That's right, that's what Russia means. If you agree to continue cooperating, we just need to agree on the price, and you will need to discuss the shareholding with Russia. As for what you can reach an agreement on, that's your own business. As for me and Asia Energy, we will no longer participate. This is Russia's requirement! I can't do anything about it. After all, Russia has the right to make such a decision. Sakhalin Island is, after all, their territory!"

“Mr. John, if that’s the case, we’ll communicate with you first, and then talk to Russia. If Russia’s conditions are too unreasonable, won’t we be in a dilemma?” The Japanese officials were still speaking up for the conglomerate, negotiating with John from the perspective of the Japanese conglomerate, after all, the impact of this was not small!

John smiled calmly, shook his head, and said, "You're overthinking it. I wouldn't cheat you all. After all, we've known each other for so many years, and my integrity is evident to everyone. You can negotiate with Russia first, and then talk to Asia Energy about cooperation once you've reached an agreement with Russia. I have no intention of cheating you all, otherwise I wouldn't have come all this way!"

When the Japanese officials heard John's words, their faces flushed slightly with shame. After all, what John said was true. If John had intended to harm the Japanese conglomerate, he wouldn't have needed to come all this way in person. However, they were doing this for the benefit of the Japanese conglomerate, so they could accept suffering a little grievance!

"Mr. John, we don't doubt you, we're just worried that something might go wrong. We all know your character, after all these years of friendship, everyone knows how trustworthy you are!"

"Alright, I don't mean to blame you all. I'm just trying to explain things to you. After all, there weren't so many problems during our initial negotiations. Now that Russia has its own ideas, I can only do my duty. Whether you are willing to accept it or not is up to you. You don't need to consider my feelings. After all, if you don't accept it, Asian Energy can continue to open up Sakhalin Island."

John's words immediately made the Japanese guys realize that Russia dared to make such a request because it wasn't worried about anyone refusing. After all, if Japan refused, there was still South Korea and China. Moreover, China only had China National Offshore Oil Corporation involved, so it could easily get other oil companies to join in!

“Mr. John, we accept the Russian request and are willing to negotiate with them. We just don’t know what the situation is with the Koreans. Are they also involved in the cooperation this time?” At this moment, someone brought up the Koreans. This wasn’t to speak for the Koreans, but to express concern that their involvement would affect their interests!

"The Koreans have two options. One is to give them an explanation using the remaining 10% of the assets, which would be my way of showing my appreciation. The other is to give them a ticket to participate in the next cooperation. As for what outcome they can negotiate with Russia, that depends on their own abilities!"

John was fully aware of what the Japanese guys were thinking, so he didn't hide anything and told them his decision directly. As for what they thought or how they viewed it, that was their own business.

"I see, we understand!" At this moment, the Japanese guys breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Koreans would also join in, it wouldn't have a big impact on them, so they felt at ease.

"It's good that you all understand. If you accept this, you'll be notified once Asian Energy's negotiations with Russia are complete. You can then discuss cooperation with Russia yourselves first. Once there's a result, you can participate in the second phase of cooperation. However, Russia doesn't want to end the cooperation three times. They've proposed a four-stage process!" The Japanese guys weren't too concerned about this; after all, as long as they could cooperate, this requirement wasn't a big deal. However, they didn't foresee the rapid rise in oil prices later on. By the time they realized it, it would be too late. But even if they knew, it wouldn't matter, because this was Russia's requirement and had nothing to do with John, or Asian Energy. They could only blame Russia's poor economy and worried about problems on John's side!

"We understand and accept this. Everything is still within our acceptable range!" Although the Japanese guys were a bit frustrated, they still accepted it. After all, they had never had the initiative. Russia held an absolute advantage and didn't need to consider their thoughts at all.

The reason why Russia did this was to avoid being infamous and to kick John out of the game so that it could negotiate cooperation with these guys. Without John, Russia wouldn't have any scruples. Even if the Japanese guys knew this, they could only accept it because they had no choice, unless they were willing to give up the energy resources that were right next to them.

And so John and the guys from Japan settled their score, reaching a verbal agreement. As for what happened next, it had little to do with John. How these guys distributed the profits and how they tried to negotiate with Russia was their own business, and how far they could negotiate depended on their own abilities!

John quickly left the meeting room, leaving the Japanese guys to fight over it themselves. As soon as John left, the Japanese guys' expressions changed drastically; they all became extremely solemn. After all, the news John brought them this time was rather heavy, making them worry that they would have to pay an even greater price.

"Gentlemen, it seems we need to cooperate, otherwise we will be at a disadvantage in negotiations with Russia. If possible, we can split 10% of the assets equally, and then we can negotiate a second round of cooperation with Russia together with the government. In this way, we can work together to resist Russia's oppression. What do you think?"

“In principle, we can accept it, but don’t you think there’s something wrong with Russia’s demands? Originally, Mr. John and Asian Energy planned to complete the cooperation on Sakhalin Island in three phases, but Russia is forcibly demanding four phases. This is clearly an attempt to maximize their profits. If we make even the slightest concession in the second negotiation, they will demand exorbitant amounts in the third and fourth negotiations, and we will pay a heavy price!”

“We understand what you’re saying, but what good does understanding do? Can we object? Or do you think we can refuse them? After all, the initiative is in their hands, and we can only passively accept it. Now we can only pray that everything goes smoothly and that the Koreans don’t cause trouble, otherwise our troubles will be even greater!”

“You’re right. We have to be wary of the Koreans. Those bastards are capable of anything. If they really go crazy, we’ll be in big trouble. After all, we’ll have even less assets the second time, and we’ll have to face more opponents. With the addition of the Koreans, Russia will be even more demanding!”

"If Mr. John could step in, that would be great. If he and Asia Energy were willing to speak up, there might still be a chance for things to turn around!"

"Are you daydreaming? What reason would Mr. John have to get involved? Even if we have a past relationship with Mr. John, Da Mao also has a relationship with him. Moreover, Da Mao's request has no impact on Mr. John. Why would he help us offend Da Mao? Besides, doing so would also guarantee Mr. John's interests!"

Yes, what reason would John have to speak up for them? Not only would he offend the Russians, but he would also harm his own interests. No one would do something so foolish. So, if they wanted John to step in, they were just overthinking it. They didn't have the right to do that. It was already a good thing that John didn't cheat them. They shouldn't even think about taking advantage of John!

"Alright, stop arguing. The matter is settled. Since the Russians have already convinced Mr. John, there's no use in us having any more ideas. The initiative is now in the Russians' hands, and we can only try to minimize our own losses. It would be best if we could try to build a relationship with the Russians. Back then, the Russians really screwed over Toshiba. Perhaps we can do something about that. If we can get the Russians to back down, that would be even better!"

Good heavens, these bastards in Japan really dare to think big, actually trying to take advantage of the Toshiba incident from back then. Come to think of it, it makes sense. Back then, the Russians still owed Toshiba money, and it was the Russians who ruined Toshiba. Now, Russia has taken over all of the Russians' debts, so they have reason to make a fuss about it!
"Sigh, it's our fault for being too hasty. If we hadn't rushed to sell off all our debts back then, we could have used that as an excuse to put pressure on Russia, and we wouldn't be in this predicament!" At this moment, the Japanese officials and the Japanese conglomerate tycoons were regretting their actions, but it was too late.

"What's the use of saying all this now? Let's think about how to persuade Da Mao to minimize our losses. This time, we all have to work together, or the consequences will be unimaginable. Right now, we can only rely on ourselves!"

That's very true. Japan can only rely on itself now. John and Asian Energy will not interfere. If they can't persuade Russia, they will suffer significant losses. As for what assets John will offer this time, they are no longer concerned. Since John has taken the initiative to make this trip, he won't cheat them. What they are worried about now is Russia.

The Japanese are well aware of how cunning Russia is; the Toshiba incident serves as the best warning. Therefore, they all wear grim faces, worried that Russia will once again swindle them. However, despite these concerns, none of the Japanese have given up hope. After all, Japan cannot allow its energy lifeline to be in the hands of others, and they also understand Russia's other motive!
"Gentlemen, there's no need for us to be so tense. Russia is doing this because they're worried we'll cooperate with Asian energy companies. So, as long as we work together, we can still persuade Russia, after all, we control the import volume! As long as Russia doesn't want to force us to break with them, they won't make any crazy demands. After all, we're not entirely relying on cooperation with them; we have other options. If we consider it from that perspective, we do have some advantages, so there's no need to be too afraid." At this moment, a Japanese official stepped forward to remind the conglomerate members. However, while what he said made sense, the conglomerate members didn't really think so!
(End of this chapter)