America: My Time

Chapter 391 Petty John
Chapter 391 Petty John

“John, your plans in Asia are extensive. We can understand Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but isn’t your plans in China a bit too crazy? A ten-year commitment, that’s no small matter!” Soon, DuPont’s words turned to John’s plans in Asia. Such massive investments made everyone take them seriously.

"I know many people are worried about changes in the Chinese market, but how can you expect to reap without sowing? Although the market there is small now, its potential is astonishing. I don't think my investment will be problematic or dangerous. At least in terms of labor costs, they are practically negligible, at levels you can't even imagine. I can tell you that my factory workers there earn less than $50 a month, and they are more dedicated than their American counterparts. What reason do you think I have to give up such an investment, or worry about its potential problems?"

"Hiss, this is insane!" Although DuPont and his team knew that labor costs in Asia were low, otherwise Japan wouldn't have a cost advantage over American companies, they didn't expect that labor costs in China would be even lower, to an unbelievable degree. With such low labor costs, how could investing in a factory not be profitable? At this moment, DuPont felt like he was going crazy; the labor costs were too cheap.

However, despite his excitement, he still had some worries. The different systems made him fear that his investment might go down the drain, so he quickly regained his composure, even though there was a hint of anticipation in his eyes!
"John, aren't you really worried that your investments will go wrong, considering their system is different from ours!"

"Haha! I know what you're worried about. You're afraid that after the factory is built and running for a while, it will be confiscated by the other party for various reasons. I can only say you're overthinking it. You should go and learn more about China. They wouldn't do something so treacherous. I have no such worries at all. Only by experiencing it for yourself can you truly understand the situation there. What you hear from others is not as good as going there yourself. I believe you don't lack this small amount of money. Everything you see will help you make the right choice. If nothing unexpected happens, I will continue to increase my investment in China. I had to return to the US because of some things that happened in Japan and the Olympics. I will go back to China in a while. The investment environment there is better than in the US. At least I don't have to worry about being suppressed or encountering various problems!"

At this time, John was again mocking those old guys like Rockefeller, and he was making his position clear: he was determined to continue investing overseas. This was also putting pressure on the White House to see if they would continue to stand by and watch.

"John, will China need to incur significant public relations costs with those Southeast Asian countries?"

Many people who have invested in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia know that the people there are incredibly greedy and their credit isn't very good; many have suffered losses as a result.

“You won’t believe me no matter what I say. You’ll only know if you see for yourself. I’ve never encountered this before, and it doesn’t require any public relations costs. If you don’t even have the courage to take the first step, then there’s nothing I can do.” At this point, John gave him an “I understand” look, but didn’t try to persuade him any further, nor was there any need to.

“John, has Western Energy never considered developing in the US? Do you really have such a low opinion of the US refining industry that you're willing to invest so much money in Asia?” At this moment, Jimmy stepped in to help DuPont out of his predicament.

John smiled calmly and said, "I have thought about it, but the reality is difficult. Before entering this industry, I naturally conducted a complete industry survey. In short, there is an oversupply of oil refineries in the United States, and more and more refineries will be closed over time. Whether it is refining costs or other factors, they are far from comparable to those in Asia. After all, I don't own any oil fields in the United States, and all costs are not under my control!"

"Doesn't Western Energy have its own exploration ideas? You can also participate in the development of the oil field!"

"This is different from mining. Mining is less difficult, but oil fields are different. They require more specialized technology, which I don't have right now. This would require a new round of acquisitions, but some people won't give me that opportunity, and I don't need to waste my time and energy on them. Overseas expansion is also a good option. Britain, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, South America are all options. I don't need to keep fighting with those old guys. They have the time and energy, but I don't."

At this point, John continued to undermine Rockefeller and his old buddies. Although everyone knew that John had been suppressed by these old guys, this was the White House. By bringing up this matter again and again while standing in the White House, wasn't he slapping the White House in the face? Wasn't he deliberately targeting Rockefeller and his old buddies?

"Everyone says John is petty and narrow-minded, and it's true! He's always looking for an opportunity to undermine and humiliate the other side. Making an enemy of such a kid is definitely not a wise thing to do!" "Yes, if the White House can't mediate their conflict, things will likely escalate. When this kid can't control his anger, a major battle might erupt. If a financial war breaks out, the entire Wall Street will be reshuffled. This kid's reputation on Wall Street isn't for nothing; it's earned through real battles!"

“Martin, your little guy is really something! Listen to this, so many people are worried about his outburst. If the White House doesn’t handle this well, they’ll be in big trouble. The US economy isn’t doing too well right now, and if a financial war breaks out, the consequences will be even more dangerous. You have to persuade him not to act impulsively!” At this moment, Paul Walker, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, was trying to persuade John’s grandfather, attempting to stop the situation from escalating.

“Paul, there’s nothing I can do for you. That kid has his own ideas, and you should know how all this happened. You shouldn’t come to me; you should talk to those guys. They can’t break the rules!”

"Martin, their conflict should end. It can't escalate too much and affect the economic recovery. If a financial war breaks out, the entire US economy will suffer another severe blow, which no one can accept."

"Alright, I'll try to persuade him, but I can't guarantee it will work. John already has his own business, and his family won't interfere in his affairs. At most, I can only offer advice!"

"That's enough. We'll also arrange for people to persuade the Rockefellers. Morgan isn't a big problem. As long as John doesn't intervene, Wall Street won't dare to make any rash moves. This kid has a terrifying influence on Wall Street now, and an unbelievable influence in various aspects. The White House doesn't want their conflict to continue. If possible, it would be best to guide his funds into the development of the United States and accelerate economic recovery!"

“Paul, you’re making things difficult for me. This is something I can’t bring myself to say. Don’t you know how much resistance John is facing in the US right now? People keep making things difficult for him with all sorts of issues. Don’t you know that? And do you think things can be resolved so easily? Someone has to pay the price! Rules aren’t just for show. If everyone ignores the rules, the environment will return to the chaos of the past.”

Although Paul Walker kept trying to persuade Martin to step forward, the result was not ideal, and such a decision was indeed not something Martin could make. John has now gone his own way.

Many people present also noticed Paul Walker and Martin Bayard, but their conversation was so brief that these guys didn't have a chance to learn more from the two men. By the time they wanted to know more, the conversation had already ended.

However, John's conversation did not end there. DuPont and Jimmy were still probing John's plans for Asia. No one could ignore Western Energy's construction plan for ten refineries, and they were all well aware of how close John's relationship with Middle Eastern tycoons was, especially in the development of the global satellite positioning system, where the other party directly provided two billion dollars in funding. Such a gesture was shocking and stunned everyone in the know.

However, such matters could not be discussed in this setting, as it would lead to endless trouble. They simply kept asking John for his views on China and on investing in China, because many people were already interested.

"Jimmy, what are you worried about? If you do nothing, you won't reap any rewards. You'll only know the results after you do something. You haven't even done any market research. What's the point of worrying about this and that? My factories across China are all operating normally and can meet my many needs. As for your concerns, I don't care. What I see is a market with endless potential. The current investment is nothing. Ten years may seem like a long time to you, but it's very short to me. It will pass in the blink of an eye. Moreover, ten years is enough for me to cultivate this huge market and gain a foothold in it. My initial investment has been in place for a year now, and there haven't been any problems! Of course, as I said before, go and see for yourselves, do your own research. Only then will you understand how big the opportunities and market are there."

At this moment, Jimmy said with a wry smile, "What you said makes a lot of sense, but many of us can't get over that psychological hurdle. We always have this or that worry. And we are different from you. You can spend ten years cultivating the market without caring about gains or losses, but we can't. We have to answer to the board of directors and to the shareholders."

(End of this chapter)