America: My Time

Chapter 244 Lehman Admits Defeat
Chapter 244 Lehman Admits Defeat

"Heh, what a foolish Lehman Brothers, actually trying to use the power of the White House to interfere with normal business activities. They are really stupid to the extreme. Now it's even better. John, that little fox, has even more reason to ruthlessly kill them. If these guys don't pay a higher price, I'm afraid it will be hard to end this."

"Boss, is John, that little fox, really going to ignore the White House's request?"

"If it were you, would you give up the profits you've already made just because of a bunch of nonsense from the White House? You heard it too, that little John directly demanded two hundred million dollars in damages! Oh, now it's not two hundred million, it's four hundred million. Does the White House have the nerve to do that? No one would accept that. That's four hundred million dollars. You could throw money at it and get away with it."

This situation wasn't just playing out at Morgan; it was happening at other firms on Wall Street. There are no secrets on Wall Street. When Lehman Brothers asked White House to intervene, it drew a lot of ridicule. Moreover, these guys all knew about John's demands. No one thought John was asking for an exorbitant sum. Two hundred million dollars in damages really wasn't much, and it was actually giving Morgan face. But Lehman Brothers didn't agree immediately, and now things have gotten even worse.

"Gentlemen, tell me, what is John, this little fox, planning? He directly demanded $200 million in damages from Lehman Brothers, which has now become $400 million. If his plan succeeds, he will be even more financially secure, which is not a good thing for us."

“What can I do? I can’t just step forward to shield Lehman Brothers from disaster. You don’t think we old guys can make that little fox John give up four hundred million dollars, do you? I don’t think we have that kind of face.”

“I know we can’t let this little fox give up on its own, but we can’t let it continue to develop like this either. If it makes further progress in finance, it will be an even greater threat to us.”

"Heh, I don't think so. Right now, John's target is Lehman Brothers. If we step in now, what do you think he'll do with the rest of his funds? Or has Rockefeller found a way to counter John's tactics? If you think you have that ability, then go ahead and try. DuPont will not get involved. This is a personal feud between John and Lehman Brothers. DuPont will not get involved in personal feuds, and we cannot afford the serious consequences!"

Did Rockefeller really find a way out? Did he see through John's methods? No, they didn't have that ability. They couldn't do that in such a short time. No one on Wall Street saw through John's tricks. Moreover, they all knew that this was just a personal grudge. If they had to seek justice, they would have to go to Lehman Brothers, not John.

Another day passed quickly, and Lehman Brothers' stock price plummeted even further. The stock market became even more volatile. Even though Wall Street giants stepped forward to say that there was nothing wrong with the stock market, they still couldn't stop the fluctuations. John, who caused all of this, felt no pressure at all and showed no sign of tension whatsoever.

As a new day begins, and Hurricane Investments continues its workday, countless eyes are fixed on John, this young man who instills boundless fear in them, as he appears at the exchange.

“Mr. John, I think we should have a serious talk!” At that moment, a voice rang in John’s ears, and several people quickly appeared in front of him. The one who spoke was the CEO of Lehman Brothers. However, he wasn’t the main point; the main point was the guy next to him, the current Vice President of the United States.

Good heavens, Lehman Brothers really had some nerve; they even managed to persuade Old Man Smith to come forward and convince him personally.

"There's nothing more to say. You know my terms: four hundred million US dollars. Once it's in your account, everything will be over. Otherwise, we'll continue. If you still can't make a decision today, next time it won't be four hundred million, it will be more. Because at that time, the stock price of Lehman Brothers will plummet. I believe those guys on the Lehman Brothers board will make the right decision!"

“Mr. John, your personal feud with Lehman Brothers is your own business, but your actions have now affected the stock market. The White House hopes you can sit down and talk about how to resolve the issue, instead of letting this turmoil escalate.” At this point, Old Man had no choice but to step forward. He had been tasked by the White House, and Lehman Brothers had made the request; he couldn't refuse them.

"I have nothing to say to Lehman Brothers. The moment they plotted against me, we became enemies. You can't be soft-hearted with an enemy. Last time I gave Morgan face, asking for only $200 million in damages, but they didn't take my demands seriously. Now, there's no use in being impatient. $400 million, no room for negotiation. That's the price today. If you come back tomorrow, it'll be $600 million. As for the day after tomorrow, you might not live to see it. Lehman Brothers might not live to see that day. I believe you won't be there by then!" As soon as John finished speaking, Old Man Bushi gasped. Although he had done much preparation before coming and knew a bit about John, he was still shocked when facing this young man. Just from these words, one could tell how strong the other man's confidence was.

"Impossible! Lehman Brothers would never accept your terms!"

Nothing surprised John. Lehman Brothers still clung to their ridiculous illusions, not knowing whether it was because of the arrival of the Vice President or something else, that they directly rejected his 'reasonable' request.

"Since it's impossible, what's the point of talking? Please leave and don't bother me again, or I'll have you kicked out. You have no right to negotiate with me. You either agree to my demands or you'll be fired. I believe that if you don't make a decision today, those crocodiles on Wall Street will soon take action. I'd also like to know if Lehman Brothers can withstand the tearing apart of the entire Wall Street crocodile!"

As he spoke, John's face revealed a cold smile, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. If such a situation were to occur, Lehman Brothers would be in deep trouble; facing an attack from the entire Wall Street, the price Lehman Brothers would have to pay would be far greater!
“Alright, I agree to your request!” As he said this, a hint of disappointment crossed the Lehman Brothers CEO's face, and his entire demeanor became sluggish. This blow had affected his mental state; this was an outcome he hadn't anticipated. His long-term scheme against John hadn't yielded a huge reward, but rather a disaster, a crisis for Lehman Brothers. This battle had severely damaged Lehman Brothers' reputation on Wall Street.

"Okay, I'll wait for your funds to arrive!" Although Lehman Brothers compromised and admitted defeat, John did not trust this guy. He would not stop until the funds arrived.

Seeing that John still didn't care about Lehman Brothers, the old man couldn't help but sigh inwardly. In the face of capital, he, the vice president, had no face at all. In the face of interests, he and the White House were of no use. Even this little guy John didn't take them seriously.

Although they had known about John's extraordinary talent beforehand, they only realized how terrifying he was when they actually faced him. They had to admit that they and the White House had underestimated the situation. Even if such a prodigy was young, he was still someone they should take seriously.

At this point, despite facing John's contempt and suspicion, Lehman Brothers dared not delay, for they knew that the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them. Before meeting John, Lehman Brothers' board of directors had already decided that, no matter the cost, they would end this storm today and reconcile with this cunning John. So, four hundred million dollars quickly entered John's account.

"Boss, $400 million has arrived!" Hurricane Investment immediately reported to John.

"Stop now. Take out one million as a bonus, and then sell your stocks after a while!" After receiving four hundred million dollars, John immediately stopped targeting Lehman Brothers. However, although they reconciled this time, the conflict remained. Once Lehman Brothers recovered, it would still be John's enemy.

Although John also wanted to take down Lehman Brothers in one fell swoop, he didn't have the power to do so, and he really didn't dare to push Lehman Brothers to the brink of collapse, at least not now. He couldn't afford the serious consequences. Most importantly, he couldn't trust those bastards on Wall Street. Nobody knew if those guys would deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment.

With $400 million in compensation, that's enough. Any more greed would only bring unnecessary trouble. Although he could ignore the White House's proposal, that was only in the face of profit. Now that Lehman Brothers has conceded defeat, he can't continue. Otherwise, once the White House is re-elected, his businesses in the United States might be targeted and suppressed by the White House.

When he saw John and Hurricane Investment withdraw, Old Bush breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally completed the task assigned by the White House and successfully resolved the stock market turmoil. Although he had lost face, the matter was finally resolved, which was the best outcome. Therefore, Old Bush had no resentment and accepted the result calmly.

(End of this chapter)