America: My Time

Chapter 298 Victoria’s Secret Show
Chapter 298 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
As the mining operation was gradually discovered, the Americans became increasingly worried. They were concerned about John's true intentions and whether it was another trap to lure them into it.

Is mining easy? Many people are wondering whether his plans in Australia, Canada, Mexico, and South America are real or fake, because apart from his actions in Australia, where he acquired two mining companies, his other plans are just small-scale operations, not much different from before, and are just exploration rather than acquisitions.

"Could this be a conspiracy? Is John, that little fox, deliberately trying to lure us into this trap?" This was the first thought in many people's minds. Are mines really that easy to find? John might have found mines by sheer luck, but more often than not, it's been a failure. The mining giants' annual investment in exploration represents huge losses. Without a bit of luck, even the best technology is unlikely to succeed—this was the honest thought in many people's minds.

Even after everyone saw John's diamond mine in Canada, the Diavic Diamond Mine, no one dared to easily step into the deep pit of mining. After all, they weren't blinded by greed; they knew all too well how many people had gone bankrupt and gained nothing in the mining industry. While there were many successful examples of prospecting, far more were failures. No one knew if this was some kind of scheme by that cunning John.

John didn't care what those old guys thought or thought. He wouldn't give up the diamond mines around Yellowknife; they were a considerable fortune. As for those who wanted to get involved and participate in this feast, John wouldn't stop them. The famous diamond region was already under his control, so why wouldn't he welcome others who wanted to join in?

While many people focused their attention on John's mining operations, time was passing by. Although the old guys kept communicating with Morgan, unfortunately, Morgan did not agree to their demands and did not intend to betray John, the little fox. At least for now, Morgan would not do so, as they had considerable interests with John.

Halloween was fast approaching, and John finally received the exact date for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. After so much meticulous preparation, John had no choice but to step forward. This was not just about Victoria's Secret, but also about his attitude, his concern for the fashion industry, and the beginning of the Forever Group's strategic plan.

With the help of NBC, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show quickly received a lot of publicity. Compared to newspapers, television promotion was much better, and this time NBC broadcast the entire show live.

Typically, invitations to major fashion shows are not for sale to the public. This is because the number of guests invited to these shows is limited, and it's also to maintain an upscale image, preventing just anyone from getting in, as was the case with the show at the Times Square building. Although many people knew about the show, very few were able to sneak in.

This year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was different. The Times Square building was a bit small, so it wasn't chosen to be held there from the beginning. Instead, it was held at the Arsenal on Lexington Avenue, which can accommodate thousands of people. This building has become one of the properties of the Mandarin Oriental Group and was one of the properties that John had acquired earlier. After some renovations, there are still more than a thousand seats for guests.

To expand Victoria's Secret's influence, the show will not only be broadcast live to audiences across the United States, but will also invite media, critics, and a large number of celebrities. These celebrities come not only from the United States, but also from other countries. Furthermore, the live broadcast will not be limited to NBC; Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong will also broadcast the show.

Of course, there will be media and celebrities from Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong in attendance. If you're going to do it, do it the best. Having paid such a high price, John doesn't want to just make an impact in the United States, but to have the same influence in Asia. Most importantly, Japan. If he can use this to open up the Japanese market, that would be great.

This time, John didn't continue collaborating with those old guys like Akio Morita, nor did he use their influence to affect Japanese idols and celebrities. Instead, it was a normal business invitation. This wasn't just the case in Japan; it was also in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and even Europe extended similar invitations.

However, neither Legendary Entertainment nor Phoenix Media has the same level of influence in Europe as they do in Asia and the United States, so John did not intend to take over Europe in one fell swoop, after all, Europe is not lacking in fashion brands.

On November 5th, New York media flocked to the vicinity of the Arsenal on Lexington Avenue. From early morning, the area was besieged by media from all sides, as the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was scheduled to begin at 7 PM that evening, naturally drawing significant media attention. Perhaps due to the previous fashion show in Times Square, many people were again there to capitalize on the fame, with models making up the majority. After all, New York is the fashion capital and a hub for models, attracting countless aspiring young women who all hope to gain some recognition through this event.

Models with companies behind them and some talent and fame often bring a small team to take various photos on the streets near the arsenal, so they can ride the coattails of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show the next day. Even if they never actually get inside the arsenal, this behavior is tacitly accepted in the industry, and no one will investigate. That's the entertainment industry.

As dusk approached, all the media personnel were on high alert, eagerly awaiting six o'clock. They all knew that the event started at seven, and six o'clock was the time for everyone to enter. This time, many people weren't looking for the celebrities, but rather for John, the big boss. They all understood that for someone of John's current status to be present at such a show was no small feat, and seizing the opportunity to ask him a few questions and obtain an exclusive report would be a tremendous chance!

It was quickly past six o'clock, and limousines began to pull up outside the red carpet one by one, while the surrounding reporters frantically snapped photos. Wall Street tycoons, political and business figures, fashion moguls, media executives, and Hollywood stars from New York all came into view.

For political and business elites and Wall Street tycoons, their presence wasn't just for the fashion show; it was for John. Many were aware of his mining empire, and some were eager to know about the upcoming IPO of the gaming world. Not everyone has the opportunity to meet John, so this Victoria's Secret Fashion Show presented a perfect chance.

Regardless of their motives, the presence of these tycoons undeniably brought enormous influence to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, guaranteeing a media frenzy. Jimmy represented Morgan Stanley at the show and met Johnny Depp. However, Johnny was now surrounded by numerous Wall Street figures and business giants. Celebrities were simply not qualified to approach; Johnny was now almost entirely surrounded by business magnates.

"John, it seems you're going to make a fortune again this time. Such high attention will definitely make the Victoria's Secret brand famous. But is your trip to New York really just for this Victoria's Secret show?" As an 'old friend,' Jimmy asked what many people were thinking. No one thought that John, this little fox, came to New York just for the Victoria's Secret show. After all, Victoria's Secret is not worth mentioning now and has little value in the eyes of these business giants.

"That's part of the reason, and there are also some issues with mobile communications. As you know, things have already started in Japan, and the US can't just sit idly by. I need to step in and coordinate everything!"

What matters required John's coordination? This was a question many wanted to know, but John didn't say. However, it wasn't what they thought; it was simply coordination with the Mandarin Oriental property management. Building a signal tower is no simple matter, and few properties in New York possess such convenient facilities. The Mandarin Oriental has such properties, including the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, both quite impressive. Although there had been prior communication, some preparatory work and further coordination were needed to begin construction.

Of course, the most important thing is that New York is the first city in the United States where Global Online has established its mobile communications presence. It is only natural that John came to take a look. As long as it is successful in New York, several major cities in the United States will quickly follow suit. It can be said that New York is Global Online's testing ground.

Although the experiment in Hong Kong has been successful, John dares not be careless in the deployment in the United States. He still needs to conduct a test in New York. Moreover, the preparations are now complete, and all that remains is to wait for the power-on test!
Of course, this is only what's on the surface. There are many more things to deal with behind the scenes, namely the issue of internet servers. The root server is on Global Online in California, and now New York needs an auxiliary server. After all, New York has a huge customer base, and having an auxiliary server will make the network speed faster.

However, John didn't want to tell anyone about this. From this moment forward, Global Online would connect the entire United States in the shortest possible time, forming its own powerful network system and making Global Online the largest internet network in the US. Originally, due to funding issues, they hadn't planned to expand the auxiliary servers in the short term. However, after the trip to the Middle East, the funding problem was solved, so Global Online's expansion speed naturally had to accelerate!

(End of this chapter)