America: My Time

Chapter 256 A Crucial Moment
Chapter 256 A Crucial Moment

"It is indeed crazy, but it is the best choice for John. Don't forget the situation in the early game world. Some people were talking about monopolies. How could John not learn from that lesson in semiconductor chips? We were all deceived by this little fox before. Now, even if we want to stop him, it's too late. This little fox has already completed his plan. Since he dares to reject the old guys' proposal and ignore the pressure from those semiconductor companies in Japan, it proves that this little fox has already considered everything. I just don't know if this little fox will really make such a decision when those old guys really exert their strength."

"Boss, I don't think so. Semiconductor chips are a high-tech industry. Even if he wanted to move out, the White House wouldn't allow it. Besides, it's not like there's no way to solve this!"

"That's just your opinion. John, that little fox, probably doesn't think that way. If he really has more plans in the semiconductor field, he will definitely do this, using these tough methods to strike at the enemy. Only in this way can he get the ideal environment he wants, even if it means suffering great losses. If I were in his position, I would do the same. To be honest, what they said tonight really resonated with me. John was right about one thing: Intel shouldn't waste its energy on production; it should invest all its resources in research and development. It's precisely because they value profits too much that they've fallen into their current crisis. The more they care about and pursue profits, the further they stray from those profits, plunging themselves into even greater trouble."

“Boss, I admit John has a great eye for talent, but even if Intel is in a crisis for now, the White House won’t just stand by and watch them fall. They will definitely step in, and then everything will be alright!”

"Yes, the White House will eventually make its move, but by then it will be too late. Lost time can't be recovered. Look at John's methods and his investment in research and development. It can only be said that Intel's concept is flawed. If John, this little fox, profits immensely from the Dream World network system this time, it will be enough to prove that his concept is correct. These semiconductor companies in the United States should all change their mindset!"

At this point, Morgan shook his head slightly and said, "Forget it, there's not much point in saying all this. Everything depends on John the fox's decision. It's about time. We should prepare to hear what those guys on Wall Street have to say, what those old guys have to do, and what John the fox thinks about Japan!"

Although they had many ideas about John's plans and Bell Labs, and even many doubts and concerns about John's development, Morgan didn't want to discuss it any further because it was pointless. Everything was out of their control, which was the most passive situation!
When Morgan made his decision, the most crucial moment of the party had arrived. At this time, people were returning to the second-floor hall, and the number of attendees was not as small as John had initially perceived; more elites had arrived. However, none of these individuals dared to speak loudly, because the previous freedom was no longer the norm.

When the crucial moment of the evening arrived, only a select few had the right to speak; the rest could only listen. At this point, the beautiful women present no longer belonged to the first and third categories; only the second category remained—insiders. Now, their eyes gleamed with ambition, even the three beauties beside John. Ambition was essential in the financial industry; without it, there was no motivation.

Soon, Morgan and Jimmy appeared, and the old guys like Lofcliffe also showed up. It seemed that they all attached great importance to this party. Or rather, it wasn't entirely Morgan's arrangement, but the arrangement of all the bigwigs on Wall Street. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for so many bigwigs to appear.

At this moment, Morgan Stanley took the stage and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, our economic discussion today will begin immediately. We will discuss the state of the US economy and how to get through this difficult winter. Now, please welcome Mr. Julian Robertson of Tiger Fund to speak first!"

Upon hearing Morgan's words, John frowned. It seemed that his fears had come true. These guys were deliberately setting up a trap for Japan. Inviting him to the party was probably for ulterior motives. If he said anything targeting Japan during the party, it would soon reach the ears of those guys in Japan.

Cunning and treacherous—that was John's first impression of these guys. As Julian Robertson spoke, John couldn't help but frown. It seemed this guy was constantly talking about the current situation in the US, the pressures and predicaments faced by major American corporations, but his true intention was singular: Japan. Japan was the cause of America's current predicament. Was that really the case? There was some truth to that, but John didn't see it that way entirely. More importantly, these guys had been plotting for a long time, scheming against Japan. It was just that the environment in the US had changed drastically, giving them a better excuse. These guys claimed to be acting for America, but in reality, they were only after their own interests.

Soon, one Wall Street crocodile after another took the stage to express their opinions, but they all had only one focus: Japan. They believed that everything in the United States was caused by Japan, and that Japan was responsible for the US economy.

When Soros took the stage to speak, John listened attentively, pondering what the man was saying. His words were very organized and logically sound, and the large amounts of data he presented gave him a strong sense of conviction. However, behind these large amounts of data was something that Soros could not understand or control, because much of the data was state secrets. No matter how powerful Wall Street was, it should not have known these secrets. Clearly, this was what Soros had gained as a henchman.

Soros's words were clearly directed at Japan, and he made a crazy suggestion: everyone should join forces to put pressure on the White House to negotiate with Japan and force them to open up the financial market. This would allow them to pool the power of Wall Street to plunder profits from Japan. Soros's words also strongly implied that if the White House intervened, everyone would make an astonishing amount of money, as Japan was full of endless profits and opportunities!

After hearing these words, John became even more certain that these guys had planned this in advance. They wanted to gather the power of the entire Wall Street to take action against Japan. As soon as the White House finished suppressing Japan, that would be the time for them to enter the market and plunder Japan. This made John frown.

Although he had already begun making arrangements in Japan, John was pondering whether he should follow these guys' schemes and whether this discussion was a trap or an opportunity for him. He knew he couldn't refuse to speak tonight, because it involved the power of the entire Wall Street and the reputation of Morgan.

Just as I had thought, from the moment I attended this party, I was being schemed against by these bastards. They wanted me to be on the opposite side of Japan, to create conflict between me and the Japanese, so that their schemes would succeed.

Jimmy quickly approached John and whispered, "John, it's time for you to take the stage. Everyone wants to hear your opinion. In the entire Wall Street, you have the deepest understanding of Japan!"

At this point, John had no choice but to stand up and walk to the front of the stage. Many people were looking forward to John's speech, because those who could stand here were all elites of Wall Street, who naturally knew John very well and were eager to hear his insights and gain a clearer understanding of Japan.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to have been invited by Morgan to this gathering. I have just heard the insightful remarks of many distinguished guests, which are well worth pondering. However, my views differ slightly from theirs. Perhaps this difference stems from the fact that I am different from them. They are all elites in the financial industry, while I follow a more industrial approach. My focus is more on industry than finance, hence this difference! These distinguished guests have all subtly pointed to Japan, attributing the current predicament of American companies to its influence. They claim that Japan is responsible for the current difficulties faced by American companies. But I must say that while Japanese companies have indeed impacted and even pressured American companies, the current situation is not entirely caused by Japan; rather, it is largely due to problems within American companies themselves." Some say that Japan's low production costs are the reason for the current situation, but I would argue that this isn't the whole problem. The more crucial issue is that American companies haven't invested enough in research and development, haven't mastered enough patented technologies, and have fallen far behind Japanese companies. How can companies not lag behind if they don't focus on technological research and development? Knowing that American manufacturing costs are high, they should proactively avoid this, instead of blaming everything on Japan. If they can't face their own shortcomings, even if the White House intervenes, it won't change the current unfavorable situation for American companies. In corporate competition, technology always comes first. Without sufficient advanced technology and strong proprietary technology, relying solely on the White House won't get them out of this predicament!

(End of this chapter)