America: My Time

Chapter 326 Rockefeller's Compromise

Chapter 326 Rockefeller's Compromise
Faced with the reminders from the crowd, Rockefeller couldn't continue to insist, otherwise he would only offend them and make them think that Rockefeller was only interested in taking advantage and unwilling to take responsibility. Although this was indeed the case, Rockefeller couldn't isolate himself from this group.

“Alright, I agree to make a deal with that little fox John. Tomorrow we’ll go see Morgan and tell him our decision!”

As soon as Rockefeller finished speaking, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. At least the worst hadn't happened. Otherwise, they would have had to consider whether their cooperation with Rockefeller could continue. They didn't want to face a selfish Rockefeller who only cared about his own interests. In fact, if such a situation had occurred, they would have chosen to switch sides to Morgan!
There are no personal relationships between conglomerates, only interests. If you can't get the benefits you want from cooperating with Rockefeller, there's no need to continue cooperating and waste your time and energy.

When Rockefeller relayed his decision to Morgan, Morgan couldn't help but sigh. However, he didn't mince words and told the guys directly that Morgan had already taken action, and Jimmy was ready to go to San Francisco to discuss the acquisition with John. He told Rockefeller to arrange for someone to meet with Jimmy himself!
"Damn Morgan! I knew that guy was unreliable. That bastard only cares about his own interests and doesn't care about ours at all!" Rockefeller cursed after hanging up the phone.

"It seems our fears have been realized. That bastard Morgan really did have his own agenda, wanting to cooperate with that little fox John all by himself. I knew we couldn't trust this guy, and now look what he's saying!"

"That bastard made us send our own people to San Francisco to meet with their manager, Jimmy, and then discuss the acquisition. We need to make a decision quickly; we can't let Morgan's scheme succeed. Who's willing to take that responsibility?"

No one was willing to take responsibility for such a matter. When Rockefeller saw that no one was willing to take responsibility, he couldn't help but sigh. These guys were so insidious. No matter how loudly they shouted their slogans before, when it came to actually standing up and taking responsibility, they all shrank back.

"Rockefeller, since you hold the lion's share in this deal, then you should take responsibility for it. After all, you know Paramount Pictures best and understand the value of television stations best. We all believe you won't let us down!"

Good heavens, these bastards have directly shifted the blame to Rockefeller, making him bear the heavy responsibility for this collaboration. Although they know that doing so is somewhat unfair to Rockefeller, they don't see anything wrong with it. They also paid a price in the Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney deals, and now it's Rockefeller's turn to bear the cost.

Despite his reluctance, Rockefeller accepted the task, even though he was convinced by everyone's opinion. As they said, it was the most appropriate for Rockefeller to represent them in this deal, since he had experience in such collaborations and wouldn't be led by the nose by Morgan, allowing Morgan to reap all the benefits!

While Morgan, Rockefeller, and the others were plotting how to 'outsmart' John, John had already returned to San Francisco. With the annual Spring Festival approaching, his family was making various preparations. Naoko and Akina had left their recordings in the US, while Kuroki Hitomi flew directly to San Francisco. In contrast, Zhong Meiren and Ye Qianwen did not accept the offer. Ye Qianwen chose to return to Canada to spend the holiday with her parents and would return to San Francisco afterward. Zhong Meiren chose to spend the Spring Festival with her family.

John's parents were aware of the beautiful women around him, but they said nothing. Time would tell; they didn't want to interfere in John's personal life. They already knew everything about these women; after all, as parents, they couldn't possibly be completely ignorant, especially now that John's status had changed, allowing him to stand on equal footing with old men like Morgan and Rockefeller.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the Consulate General in San Francisco sent an invitation to the gala. John attended last year, and this year it was decided that John would represent everyone at the gala as well. As for female companions, the most suitable one would naturally be Naoko, after all, she has experience.

John and Naoko arrived early this time, and as before, they found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, not participating in the activities of the other people at the party. Although some people kept glancing at John and Naoko, no one came to disturb them, after all, their wealth was far inferior to John's, and they simply couldn't associate with him.

Not long after John and Naoko sat down, Consul General Hu appeared. He was impressed by John's low-key demeanor, but a pot of Da Hong Pao tea caught John's eye.

“Mr. John, I wonder if there are any spots available for international students this year? As you know, we have a great need for talent, and many students are eager to study in the United States!” It's not surprising that the Consul General made this request; the country needs more talent. The United States currently boasts the most advanced technology, and last year, the students John helped connect with were all studying at top universities. The arrival of the new year has led some to think of John again. “There are spots available, but as you know, we need to give the schools face. A small number isn't a problem, but I need to discuss the exact number with the schools. Stanford and the University of California should still have some spots available!”

With the development of Dreamworld and NVIDIA, there have been many collaborations between Stanford and the University of California campuses. Even Bell Labs is now increasingly involved in collaborations with these universities, especially Stanford, where the cooperation is even closer. After all, John studied at Stanford, and his mother is also a professor at Stanford!

Upon hearing John's words, the Consul General breathed a sigh of relief. Many had worried that John would only offer assistance once, and that his motive was simply to gain some benefits from the country. However, the reality was quite different. John was very reasonable and agreed without hesitation. As for the number of people, the Consul General understood that even with John's excellent relationship with the university, it still required discussion.

Next, John discussed investment issues with the Consul General. He currently had considerable funds and was interested in expanding his semiconductor investments in China. However, when the topic turned to mining, John's mind raced. The Australian mining industry had completed its consolidation, and the two iron ore mines he had his eye on had commenced operations. Unfortunately, they were facing constraints in port and transportation. BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and other such companies were resisting Australian mining, or more precisely, resisting Quantum Mining. They feared Quantum Mining's rapid expansion would impact them, and thus refused to cooperate with Australian mining in various ways to hinder its expansion. John was somewhat troubled by this situation.

Faced with competition from its peers, it was unrealistic for Australian mining companies to rely on their railways to transport ore. This meant that mining companies needed to build their own railways. Given the working capacity of Australians, it was unrealistic to expect them to quickly build the railways they needed. So John thought of China Railway Corporation.

John had no intention of negotiating with these guys, because history had taught him that it was better to build his own railway and acquire specialized iron ore ports than to waste time negotiating with them. The port issue was relatively easy to resolve, but the railway issue was more difficult.

"Consul General, I wonder if China Railway can undertake railway construction overseas? Quantum Mining has now completed its expansion and integration in Australia, but it is encountering some obstacles in transportation and urgently needs to build its own railway!"

"Mr. John, is time pressing?"

"The sooner the better, it's related to the development of Quantum Mining in Australia. Don't worry about the machinery, we can provide any kind of machinery!" John currently has a large number of orders with Komatsu Manufacturing in Japan, so machinery is really not a problem. As for cars, that's even less of a problem, Bentley Group has its own.

Quantum Mining's aggressive expansion in Canada has presented Bentley with an opportunity. Holding large orders from Middle Eastern tycoons has quickly relieved Bentley of its financial pressures. While Bentley has no shortage of sedans, SUVs, and heavy trucks in Europe, it faces a significant weakness in North America. Mary Barra has been working to address this, and is now eyeing Western Star Trucks. With 7-Eleven's rapid expansion, demand for trucks is also substantial, so sales are not an issue. Bentley's actions have not escaped Morgan's notice, hence his anxiety.

"It's not a big problem. I'll inform China Railway about this and hear their thoughts!"

"Then I'll have to trouble the Consul General!" Although he didn't get a definite answer, John believed it wasn't a problem. With China's speed, as soon as there was news about either of the two major iron ore regions (Chester Center and Solomon Center), the railway would start construction immediately. Because it wouldn't be long before Japan would usher in a crazy bubble era, and the demand for iron ore would increase dramatically. He couldn't miss this good opportunity.

As for what Australia thinks, that's not John's concern. He doesn't want to waste his time and energy on those guys, hoping they can quickly complete the railway construction. That's harder than climbing to heaven. By the time they finish building the railway, the bubble economy in Japan will probably be over, and he won't be able to make any money then.

(End of this chapter)