America: My Time

Chapter 357 Win-Win Cooperation

Chapter 357 Win-Win Cooperation
“John, that’s true, but in many cases you still need to compromise. Otherwise, the union isn’t just for show. Those guys will cause you more trouble. Don’t think that you can get everything to be fine just because you got them to compromise on the Bentley Group issue. In the long run, once the storm has passed, those guys will still jump out and cause trouble!”

"I know, but let them be. If anyone causes trouble, I'll deal with it the way Bentley does. They're not afraid of losing their jobs, and I'm not worried about losses. At worst, we'll just move the factories out again. Production costs in Asia are much better than in the US, and even in Mexico! Even those old guys like Rockefeller are doing it now, so why can't I? Those guys are even more ruthless than me. They have all their appliance manufacturing plants in Mexico, but Bentley still has at least a lot of manufacturing in the US!"

As John toured the company, he and his father discussed some of their affairs. Perhaps not wanting to hear their conversation, his mother Anna, along with his grandparents and several beautiful women, quickened their pace and left under the guidance of the staff. This made John and his father Smith smile wryly.

"Let's go, let's catch up quickly, or your mother will start nagging us again! But your property is very nice, much more comfortable and relaxing than staying in a hotel, it makes you feel at home!"

“I knew you would say that, and that’s what I thought too. I don’t like staying in hotels at all; I like the feeling of home. If we have enough time this time, I think we should continue to buy more properties in China. China is definitely worth investing in.”

"You need to be realistic about your capabilities and not overdo it. Going beyond your control will lead to disaster. Your investments in Japan are too risky. The debt ratio is too alarming. One wrong move and it will collapse. Do you understand?"

"No, the debt ratio is within my safe range. What you see is just the debt, but what I see is the rapid increase in Japanese real estate prices. Just in Tokyo alone, the rise in land prices is astonishing. If I hadn't acquired those lands earlier, the costs would probably be even higher now. The work efficiency of those Japanese guys is truly amazing. My business center in Roppongi is already completed, not to mention those resort hotels. At this rate, many of my properties in Japan will be completed by the end of the year. This speed is something the United States can't achieve. Nowadays, American workers have lost the enthusiasm they once had, and we no longer see their powerful efficiency."

"John, are you so sure that Japanese real estate prices will rise sharply? Aren't you worried about potential problems?"

"No, there won't be a crisis for at least four or five years. Japan's real estate industry will accelerate its development. This is determined by Japan's own economic environment and its geographical environment. Just like New York, do you think New York real estate will keep falling? That's impossible. New York real estate will only rise, it's hard for it to fall. Today's Japan is like New York, but it's also different from New York. This is because of the difference in countries. The United States has a large enough land area, but Japan doesn't. As a world-class metropolis, Tokyo's land prices will continue to rise."

"How long are you two going to talk? Come here right now!" Hearing their mother's voice, John and Smith immediately hurried after her, no longer continuing the conversation.

The next morning, after the staff arrived, John and his family began their vacation according to their arrangements. However, John didn't have that kind of time; he had more important business investments to discuss and many other matters to attend to. Meanwhile, his girlfriend accompanied his grandparents and parents on a tour of Beijing's tourist attractions.

At the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, John met with the leaders to discuss this investment. John's main objective this time was the construction of the railway in Australia, as this was related to his mining development in Australia. Only after the railway was completed could he smoothly transport the Australian minerals out of the country.

“Mr. John, we have reviewed all the information you provided. We have no objections to the construction of the Australian railway and are willing to undertake the project. What are your requirements for us?”

“My requirements are simple: complete the construction as quickly as possible. Quantum Mining has already secured two major iron ore mines in Australia and is now preparing for development. However, the railway is restricting our progress. Quantum Mining cannot use the railways of other mining companies, which means we have to build our own. We have already solved the port issue, and now only the railway remains a constraint. My requirement is that the project be completed before September 1985, which means you only have a little over a year, and at the latest, no later than the end of 1985. The shorter the construction time, the better. As for the construction machinery, that is not a problem. We can provide everything we need, and we will even provide training on how to use the construction machinery.”

When Quantum Mining placed its large order with Komatsu Manufacturing, the training requirements had already been agreed upon with Komatsu Manufacturing, so it wasn't a difficult task and didn't require Quantum Mining to invest any funds; everything was handled by Komatsu Manufacturing. "Completing such a large workload in just over a year is putting a lot of pressure on us. Could you please give us a little more time?"

"I would like to give you all more time, but it's really impossible. Quantum Mining has its own plans, and exceeding the timeframe would have a significant impact, affecting our cooperation with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. We need to export the iron ore in the shortest possible time, so the time requirement is very high! Actually, I think you can absolutely do this. As long as you have enough manpower and work on multiple sections simultaneously, you can complete the project in the shortest possible time. Don't worry about the machinery or living conditions; we can fully cooperate. We will do everything we can to meet your needs! If you are worried that living conditions will exceed your budget, we can handle the initial logistical support ourselves, and we will absolutely satisfy you!"

It must be said that John's sincerity was evident. Although the time requirement was very tight, as John said, as long as there are enough people, it is really not a problem!
"Mr. John, what are your requirements for the selection of railway tracks? Could you give priority to our company?"

"If you can provide the railway tracks, that's not a problem either; we can accept that. Our only requirement is speed. Everything else is negotiable. Time is very important to us. To be honest, Quantum Mining will soon be communicating with several parties in Japan to discuss the price of iron ore, so we need to complete the railway laying in the shortest possible time."

The Japanese have contacted John several times. After the two major iron ore mines were secured, the Japanese have been in contact with John, wanting to discuss iron ore prices and hoping to use his influence to affect the price increase. With Japan's booming economy and growing demand for iron ore, they immediately saw the emergence of John's two mines as an opportunity to suppress iron ore prices.

Whether it's Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan, the demand for iron ore is constantly increasing, especially in Japan, where the demand is the largest and the price is the most important. Unfortunately, John has repeatedly refused their requests, citing that he is too busy. Now, John can no longer keep making excuses!

In this negotiation, John did not intend to drag things out, nor did he want to ask for any benefits from China. There was no need for that. All he needed was time, so he directly stated his bottom line: cooperation should be a win-win situation. John did not want to take advantage of China or lower the project price. There was no need for that, and this cooperation was just the beginning.

“Alright, we accept Mr. John’s request and will do everything in our power to speed up the construction of the project.”

“Okay, I have no questions. I will have Quantum Mining’s Australian mining division come over now to sign the cooperation agreement. If this construction meets our requirements, we will choose to cooperate with you again next time!”

Quantum Mining's expansion in Australia will not stop. In terms of construction, cooperating with China is the most suitable option, at least better than cooperating with those guys in Australia. I don't have that much time to waste.

The reason why several Australian mining companies refused Quantum Mining's request to use their railway for iron ore transportation is quite simple: they wanted to stifle Quantum Mining's development. Unfortunately, they underestimated John's determination and boldness. After the first round of negotiations failed, they immediately implemented their second plan, refusing to engage in further communication with these companies and wasting their precious time.

John entrusted all the construction to China, believing that everything would be fine as long as Australia's development proceeded smoothly. When the bubble economy arrived, John would obtain a larger share of iron ore from Japan, as well as from Taiwan and South Korea, thus suppressing the development of Australia's rival mining industries.

Originally, it was thought that this would be a time-consuming negotiation, after all, this kind of cooperation was different from the past, but the result greatly shocked the Chinese side. They made a decision and reached a result with just one assessment, and the conditions offered by the other party were irresistible.

With the Quantum Mining deal settled, John breathed a sigh of relief and immediately instructed his secretariat to inform Quantum Mining to sign the contract with China as quickly as possible, complete the construction of the Australian railway in the shortest possible time, and accelerate its expansion in Australia. Once the iron ore mining is completed and orders are secured from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, everything else will no longer be a problem!
(End of this chapter)