America: My Time

Chapter 373 Scheming Against Japan
Chapter 373 Scheming Against the Neon

As the Japanese guys were eagerly anticipating their arrival, Hughes Aerospace quickly sent someone to sign an agreement with them. The moment they signed the agreement, these guys breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on their faces. However, they didn't know that they were the ones who had been truly tricked. According to the agreement, they were required to transfer funds to Hughes Aerospace's account.

"Boss, how can these guys in Japan be so crazy? Our project has only just been established, and they're already rushing to our door to give us money. Isn't that a bit too much?" Carol Tomé asked in bewilderment. She was shocked by Japan's crazy actions, knowing that according to the agreement, they were supposed to pay Hughes Corporation $500 million to start the project.

"That's professionalism. As a company, we need to consider the true thoughts of our 'allies.' Once you understand their ideas and their intentions, you can easily handle everything. It may seem crazy and unbelievable to you, but to these 'good allies' in Japan, this price is insignificant compared to the benefits they can gain from Hughes. In their eyes, there are many things that money can't buy, which is why they're in such a hurry. Time is very important to them, and Hughes' project isn't as simple as it appears. In this kind of 'cooperation,' we want them to see a bigger future. Besides, do you think a billion dollars is a lot for them?"

Upon hearing this, Carol Tomey was at a loss for words. Since joining Gulfstream Aerospace, she had been responsible for everything related to Pan Am, and now she suddenly had even more responsibilities on her shoulders, which put her under a lot of pressure. After all, she knew nothing about many of Gulfstream Aerospace's projects.

"For those guys in Japan, this investment is negligible. We're not collaborating on an ordinary navigation system, but on the Global Positioning System. Now you should quickly adapt to your current position and pull your focus away from Pan Am. It's not that Pan Am isn't important, but you need to focus on the entire Gulfstream Aerospace. Right now, you don't need to worry about the military sector; your main goal is to quickly integrate other companies. With Japan's funding, we can now quickly complete the networking of communication satellites. Get Hughes to speed things up; we can't let our 'partners' down."

While it appears that Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group provided some funding for the satellite communications network, the amount they provided was too much to handle on the entire project. John never intended for Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group to bear the full financial burden; instead, he wanted to leverage their resources. As long as the funding from Japan arrived, everything would be fine.

With Hughes's abilities, it would be incredibly easy for him to manipulate such a 'cooperation,' and the reasons would be quite valid: to conduct experiments using a communications satellite network, which would naturally require a financial investment.

“Okay, I’ll adapt as soon as possible. But boss, should we involve the Japanese personnel in Hughes’ research and development? Won’t this affect Hughes’ development? And involving outsiders in such important research could lead to leaks of secrets. Besides, the conditions we agreed to for them are a bit too crazy. I’m afraid it will cause trouble.”

"There's no trouble at all. This is part of the cooperation, and Hughes will have a solution. A complete system requires a lot of supporting facilities. We need to build a signal station here in Japan, and that will solve everything. Don't worry about these small things. Besides, our research and development is for satellite navigation for sports enthusiasts around the world!"

The signing of the cooperation agreement between Hughes and Japan didn't generate much buzz. Both sides maintained a tacit understanding, neither wanting to publicize it extensively, at least not now. They wanted to wait until everything was on track. For Japan, that meant waiting for research progress; for Hughes, it meant waiting for the communication satellites to quickly complete their network.

With this funding from Japan, Hughes will soon be able to develop satellites and complete the satellite network in the shortest possible time. The funds that Hughes previously spent on satellite manufacturing can now be recovered little by little through satellite launches and other means, leaving those guys in Japan with no excuse.

"Carroll, you need to keep a close eye on Hughes Aerospace. Make sure they complete the communications satellite network to the fullest extent, and use the experience gained from the communications satellite network to validate our next plan. If there are no problems, have them conduct the second wave of tests as soon as possible to give our 'partners' a satisfactory result! They have invested so much money, we have to give them hope. Launching a satellite for testing first is a necessary choice."

John paused, shook his head slightly, and said, "Alright, that's enough about that. How's Gulfstream Aerospace's acquisition of Fokker going? Have those guys compromised yet?" "Boss, according to your plan, they've compromised. They're willing to let us acquire it entirely." Carol Tomey looked on with admiration. Although her boss was young, his wisdom was astonishing; he could see things that others couldn't, which was why the acquisition had gone so smoothly.

"Those guys are stupid. How could a mere Dutch pea possibly support the development of aircraft manufacturing? Even if they have the technology and the capability, they don't have enough market access. Their countries can't provide enough support for their companies. It's a joke for them to want to win in commercial competition. They can't even get into the European market, let alone the global market. The best way out for them is to be acquired by us so that they won't be subjected to unfair competition."

"Boss, why don't we choose to acquire the aircraft manufacturing company in Canada? That way, we can have easier control and it will be more convenient for production. After all, we've already acquired De Havilland Aircraft Company in Canada, so acquiring another one shouldn't be a problem. We can even quickly integrate them into one entity!"

"We can't just focus on the superficial convenience; we need to consider more issues. First, Canada's state-owned airline is heavily indebted. Second, while this acquisition seems good, it's not very valuable to us. We need the European market, and this acquisition will give us more flexibility and increase Pratt & Whitney's business. By acquiring Fokker, we can establish a foothold in Europe and leverage it to capture market share. Most importantly, we can take Gulfstream a step further. Once Fokker's development is successful, we can manufacture in the US and capture the US market, silencing those who want to scheme against us. We'll create jobs for the US!"

At this point, Carole Tomme finally understood his boss's ambition: to compete with McDonnell Douglas and Boeing for the market. As long as Gulfstream Aerospace had a production base in the United States, it could avoid a lot of trouble and even make things easier in many ways. Even Boeing and McDonnell Douglas would not be able to stop it.

“Carroll, have someone keep an eye on McDonnell Douglas. We need to not only have a presence in regional jets, but also prepare in advance for mainline aircraft. McDonnell Douglas isn't doing too well right now, so we need to be prepared. If some good personnel leave, that will be our opportunity. Gulfstream also needs its own large aircraft in the future, and its manufacturing plant needs to be expanded. We need to prepare for Fokker's regional jet production. We can't waste precious time; the production line must be completed ahead of schedule. During this trip to the Middle East, we need to strongly recommend Fokker's aircraft to the wealthy investors.”

"Boss, why don't we recommend Fokker's planes to Japan? They're quite capable too." At this moment, Carol Tomé couldn't help but think of those guys in Japan. If they recommended them to Japan now, Fokker would get quite a few orders, since those guys had already placed some orders with de Havilland Aircraft Company.

“The situation in Japan is different from that of the Middle Eastern tycoons. We can’t be too impatient. We can’t put pressure on them or make them doubt us until they see a future for the company. Once Hughes Space completes its communications satellite network or launches and verifies its first satellite, everything will be much easier. Only when they see hope will they take the initiative to get involved. We won’t need to urge them; they will come to us to discuss things on their own!”

Talking to those guys in Japan about Fokker at this point isn't without a chance of success, but the number of orders won't be many. John thinks it's a bit too hasty. If they wait until the GPS system officially launches and the first verification satellite is launched, everything will be completely different. They won't even need to ask; Japan will come knocking with more orders, which will be of greater help to Fokker.

Those guys in Japan aren't easy to fool. These bastards have their own ideas and calculations. Before they see the actual product and before they see any hope of success, it's impossible to expect them to pay a higher price. Perhaps ANA won't give Fokker many orders, but it's different for Japan Airlines. As a national airline, how can it gain further benefits and reap more rewards in the Hughes Aerospace project without paying a price?

Hughes Aerospace has a third major project, and if they don't make enough of a show of force, they might not even have a chance to participate in it. Under these circumstances, they naturally have to do their best. Most importantly, Fokker already has a production line in the United States at that time, so there's no need to worry about anyone causing trouble! Only when Fokker's regional jets have a production base in the United States will everything be easier, and they will be able to get greater benefits from these guys in Japan. So John isn't in a hurry at all.

(End of this chapter)