America: My Time

Chapter 382: One stone stirs up a thousand waves
Chapter 382 A Stone Stirs Up a Thousand Waves
John's answer did not surprise Akio Morita. Given the ridiculous greed of the Koreans, it was impossible for them to get help from John. Moreover, Japan had invested so much in negotiating the iron ore price, hundreds of millions of dollars. How could they possibly let the Koreans benefit? That was impossible.

For Japan, rapid Korean development would inevitably impact their interests, which is unacceptable. Therefore, they don't want to see Korea benefit from this situation, nor do they want to give Korea that opportunity. Originally, these Japanese guys also wanted to restrict Taiwan, but ultimately gave up. Their relationship with John is merely one of cooperation; making too many demands is not a good thing and will only make them seem arrogant.

Unlike South Korea, John has significant investments in Taiwan but none in South Korea. He had initially intended to invest in an oil refinery, but was rejected with exorbitant demands. Using the same methods to restrict Taiwan is impossible, and John would not accept it.

Regarding the iron ore price negotiations, Taiwan has also communicated with John. At least Taiwan has given John a lot of benefits in this matter. Naturally, many things cannot be discussed openly. Japan is not stupid and also needs to consider this issue.

"Indeed, such behavior is speechless. They try to take advantage of the situation without even giving a heads-up. It's a huge joke. However, you should be careful. Those guys won't give up easily and will definitely try every means to achieve their goals."

"Let them be. Even if Quantum Mining completes the development of the mine, it is unlikely to export much iron ore in the short term. We don't need to care about the orders from Japan. No one likes to deal with guys who only know how to take advantage and don't know how to give."

John had long harbored resentment towards the Koreans regarding the oil refinery. It was clearly a win-win collaboration, but these guys were so greedy that they couldn't gain John's approval. Although the Japanese were also greedy, they knew how to make sacrifices. In negotiations for iron ore prices, they were willing to invest heavily in Quantum Mining's iron ore mines in Australia without compensation. But the Koreans didn't invest anything; they just wanted to take advantage. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

"Mr. Morita, how much iron ore will Japan need next year? How many orders will Quantum Mining be able to secure? When will you begin negotiating the iron ore price with them?" After gaining control of the Australian mining industry, John was already planning to establish his own commodity trading platform, which was currently under construction. This was also why John wanted to control the port.

John's acquisition of the Australian National Shipping Company is now nearing completion. Those companies could no longer hold on and had to sell. With his own fleet and ports, he naturally has the foundation for commodity trading.

"It shouldn't be too long. As for when, I don't know. After all, I'm not in the steel industry. I'm just a middleman, a messenger. Like the Hughes Aircraft project, I can only relay messages between you two. What Mitsui thinks internally is not something I can decide."

John didn't believe Akio Morita's words at all, but he couldn't say anything. If the other party didn't want to talk, he couldn't force him. Besides, this was just the beginning, and he didn't need to care too much. After acquiring the Australian National Shipping Company, John also had some ideas about how to improve the shipping business.

"Mr. Morita, how much do you know about the shipbuilding industry? How many double-hulled oil tankers and bulk carriers does Australian shipping need right now?"

John knew nothing about Japan's shipbuilding industry. He was quite clear about it. He just needed to get the ship he wanted at the lowest possible price, which required some tricks. He could use Akio Morita to inform the major shipyards in Japan, and at the same time, he could take the opportunity to get a new round of loans from Japan.

Instantly, Akio Morita understood John's intention and nodded, saying, "John, you want to make preparations for the transportation of iron ore. It's good to be prepared in advance. I wonder how many ships you need and how long it will take."

"We need about thirty ships: ten bulk carriers, ten double-hull oil tankers, and ten container ships. All of them need to be large vessels, and the delivery must be completed by early September next year. As you know, with so many ships, the shipping company will need to take out loans, so we need suitable interest rates and the most favorable prices. If possible, we would also like to add two LNG carriers."

Was John's demanding? Not really. No bank would refuse such a request, especially given John's high reputation in Japan. The real challenge lay in shipbuilding itself; not all shipyards had the capability to complete such a large order in such a short time. It was almost unrealistic for Mitsui to try and monopolize the deal unless they abandoned other shipbuilding projects. Now that John's bait was on the table, it was a matter of assessing the strength of Japan's major shipyards and conglomerates. Any shipyard would be tempted by such a large order.

Of the thirty ships, the two LNG carriers are the most difficult to build. This is not something that can be completed in a year. It would be quite good if it could be completed in two years. Of course, the price is also staggering, and there are not many shipyards capable of building them.

“John, you’ve really given me a huge problem. Although I hope Mitsui Shipbuilding can secure this massive order, it’s practically impossible. This order will drive every shipyard in Japan crazy. But I don’t understand, is such a large order worth it? Will there be enough shipping business? This is a shipping slump!”

“I know this is a downturn for shipping, which is why I chose to take the initiative. As for the business, it’s not difficult. Bulk carriers can meet the needs of Quantum Mining, oil tankers can transport oil for refineries, and container ships are not difficult either, as they can completely take over the original shipping tasks. There’s no need to rush the business of LNG ships, after all, the construction time is very long, and there is plenty of time to prepare.”

Although John's order for over thirty ships at once seemed incredibly extravagant, things weren't as simple as they appeared. At least after hearing John's explanation, Akio Morita nodded in agreement. Quantum Mining and Western Energy both had needs, which greatly reduced the difficulty of the business. Of course, this would inevitably impact other shipping companies, but that wasn't something Morita had considered; that's business.

Akio Morita knew John very well, and he also knew John's investment preferences. Once John decided to enter a new industry, he would choose to control the upstream and downstream forces to avoid being held hostage by others. From media and entertainment to semiconductors, to automobile manufacturing, and now to mining and petrochemicals, this series of investments all followed this pattern.

When a large order for over thirty ships came in, just as Akio Morita said, the entire Japanese shipyard went crazy, everyone wanting a piece of the pie, though whether they could actually get it depended on their individual capabilities. Mitsui Shipbuilding was the first to act, as they were the first to understand the situation, followed by Hitachi Zosen in Sanwa, then Sumitomo, and other shipyards followed suit.

John's shipping company's massive order sent shockwaves throughout Japan and captivated other shipbuilding companies worldwide. This was during a shipping slump, putting considerable pressure on shipyards. Who wouldn't be tempted by such a large order? Even American shipyards were interested and wanted to contact John, but to no avail. They couldn't offer the benefits John desired.

Even Taiwanese shipyards failed. The reason is simple: they couldn't provide John with everything he wanted. Placing shipbuilding orders in Japan was to secure the lowest loan interest rates and the most favorable prices from them. Only Japan could offer this because they are a conglomerate, not a single shipyard. Each ship order is backed by its own bank, something other companies cannot do.

The banks in Japan never considered whether John could repay the loan. In their eyes, John was a good customer; at least in his past loans, there had never been a single default. Moreover, John's various investments were developing steadily and without any risk, which naturally earned him their approval. Especially since this order was a supporting arrangement for Quantum Mining and Western Energy, there was even less concern about repayment.

Unfortunately, John didn't have much time to stay in Japan. After a conversation with Akio Morita, he quickly returned to the United States. The reason was simple: the Los Angeles Olympics were about to begin, and he needed to go back to prepare. Naoko and her sister Yukari accompanied him. As for Akina and Hitomi Kuroki, they did not go to the United States; they both had their own things to take care of.

Hitomi Kuroki needs to keep an eye on John's real estate holdings across Japan, while Akina is preparing her album. Only Naoko has temporarily put aside everything she's doing, not because she's particularly free, but because she needs to worry about her younger sister Yukari Kawai's studies. After all, the school season is starting soon, and many things need to be prepared in advance.

When the plane landed at the private airport in San Francisco, not many people knew of John's return, so there wasn't much trouble. However, John knew that he would inevitably be attacked by some guys again, especially the interest groups behind the shipyards. They would all frantically attack John for their desire for the shipping company's order of thirty ships. Unfortunately, they couldn't change John's mind, and their schemes were unlikely to succeed.

(End of this chapter)