America: My Time

Chapter 397 A Reminder of 'Kindness'
Chapter 397 A Kind Reminder
Neon reacted quickly. As soon as the changes in Malaysia were announced, Sanwa Bank immediately took action. This was also a significant business opportunity. Although the situation at Tanjung Pelepas Port in Malaysia was currently unknown, given John's ambitions, it was unlikely that he would simply build an ordinary port. If they could secure this business, it would be an even better outcome.

Soon, some Japanese guys came to the United States taking advantage of the Olympics, and Middle Eastern tycoons were no exception. When both sides arrived, John arranged for them to visit Dreamworld, where they saw a simulation of the global satellite positioning system network by Dreamworld's supercomputer. Although it was just a simulation, both the Japanese and the Middle Eastern tycoons saw hope.

Satisfied, extremely satisfied—that was the initial thought of the Japanese and Middle Eastern tycoons. In their view, if the computer simulation showed no problems, there wouldn't be any major issues; it was just a matter of time. Hughes's plan was also accelerating. After watching the computer simulation, John also introduced some of Hughes Aerospace's progress. Everything would proceed according to plan, and the communication satellite network would be completed in the shortest possible time.

"Mr. John, we will transfer the research and development funds to Hughes Aerospace's account as quickly as possible. We will definitely not hold Hughes Aerospace back in its research and development. Our experts will soon join the Hughes research and development team. We look forward to your continued support!"

"That's good. With the arrival of Japanese experts, I believe the entire project's development will accelerate, and the first experimental satellite will definitely be launched successfully next year, achieving the results we want. This experimental satellite is currently under construction, and I believe Hughes Aerospace's capabilities in satellite manufacturing will not disappoint you!"

Without any surprises or trouble, John quickly got everything sorted out, satisfying both the Japanese and the Middle Eastern tycoons. As for whether the Americans were satisfied, that wasn't John's concern. Of course, there were some who hated John and cursed him, including the Koreans.

As South Korea faced repeated rejections and its oil refinery investment project came to an end, the pressure intensified. Now, a new voice emerged in the United States—a voice targeting South Korea. It's worth noting that South Korea now has cars on the North American market with positive reviews. With most people focused on Japan, this new voice against South Korea has created a shift in the North American market.

When this situation arose, those cunning Japanese guys immediately came up with an idea. They started bribing some tabloids to shift the blame for the problems of American cars onto South Korea, specifically targeting the emergence of Korean cars. And surprisingly, this method was effective. Soon, the pressure on Japanese cars eased considerably, which gave those Japanese car brands hope. Thus, a series of attacks on South Korea by Japan unfolded in the United States.

This situation left American automakers somewhat dumbfounded. Before the US had even made a decision, a conflict had already broken out between South Korea and Japan – a welcome development. While their American counterparts were pleased, the South Koreans were furious. They had been doing very well, but the Japanese had outmaneuvered them, resulting in pressure from their North American counterparts and a decline in sales. How could they not be angry? However, Japan had a deep-rooted presence in the US, with numerous cooperative grain crops. At least Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were on their side, and with the assistance of Columbia Pictures, they held a dominant position in the media industry.

The changes in the North American market and the suppression of South Korea are widely known to be the work of Legendary Entertainment. The reason is simple: Western Energy suffered unfair treatment in South Korea and naturally wanted to get revenge on its own turf and teach them a lesson. American automakers were naturally delighted with Legendary Entertainment's move. To them, all outsiders are enemies, and they would eliminate them one by one. Since they couldn't kill their Japanese counterparts for the time being, they would first eliminate South Korean brands.

Although South Korea had the best market share in Canada, it quickly suffered setbacks in the face of pressure from various forces. When they saw this, their German counterparts soon joined in, all with the same idea: to take down the weakest player first and divide up its market share.

Of course, as South Korea suffered, John's petty mindset became even more deeply ingrained. He believed that as long as an opportunity arose, he would definitely deliver a fatal blow to the enemy. Now, South Korea is paying the price for their stupidity. With just one blow, South Korea's layout of car brands in North America was disrupted, and its reputation plummeted.

Was John's harsh action against South Korea merely due to their failed investment in a South Korean oil refinery? No, John had a deeper intention. He was using South Korea to warn those old guys that his anger would have serious consequences, and they had better not resort to any underhanded tactics, or they would suffer consequences they couldn't afford.

The old Rockefellers naturally understood John's intentions, so without their intervention, although some still wanted to seize the shipping orders, they didn't cause any trouble. No one wanted to deal with a mad genius, and even though John continued his overseas expansion, no one jumped out to cause trouble. The old Rockefellers were all waiting for the Japanese to approve their plans, worried that these bastards might intentionally target them. For a short time, voices against Japan were much quieter, fearing that at this crucial moment, they might suffer a setback from the Japanese and disrupt their plans.

"John, this time things have gotten a bit out of hand in South Korea. It seems like those guys have taken a grudge against you!"

John smiled calmly and said, "I know, it's no big deal. Let them continue. We're not on the same side, and there's no need to care about their feelings. Besides, they provoked me first this time. If they can't give me a satisfactory explanation, I'll make things difficult for them whenever I get the chance! I don't care about the Korean market; I can even give it up completely. But they can give up the US market, give up the North American market. They can't do that. Actually, the biggest threat to South Korea's development isn't me, nor is it the US, but you Japanese."

When he heard John say this, Akio Morita frowned. He knew that John must have his reasons for saying such a thing, so he said, "What do you mean? I don't see any threat from the Koreans right now."

"Heh, that's just because you haven't paid attention to their existence. Kia Motors has already entered the North American market and is doing well in Canada, with a good reputation. If they hadn't sensed a threat, do you think their American and German automakers would have joined forces to destroy them? They've also made good progress in the semiconductor field, successfully developing memory chips, and their shipbuilding industry is also developing rapidly. South Korea's development is actually quite similar to Japan's; both are pooling national resources to achieve breakthroughs and form powerful conglomerates. You could say that South Korea is currently competing with Japan for market share, although their current capabilities are still limited. But given enough time, things will definitely change. Mr. Morita, you'd better pay close attention to avoid being caught off guard later."

Akio Morita nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for pointing this out. If you hadn't brought it up, we really wouldn't have noticed this problem. If we let the Koreans continue to develop, they do indeed have the ability to threaten Japan."

John didn't care about the fate of the Japanese; he just wanted to cause some trouble for the Koreans. However, even if the Japanese became more vigilant now, it wouldn't change the overall situation. No matter how much they struggled, it was useless. The United States was putting pressure on Japan step by step. As long as the United States targeted Japan, the Koreans could snatch a lot of market share from Japan.

Unfortunately, although the Japanese are taking precautions, they are powerless to fight against the United States. They will inevitably suffer from the United States' suppression step by step, and their market share will be gradually ceded. At that time, the Koreans will take over part of the Japanese market. John is very clear about this. Even if he reminds Akio Morita, at most he can only create some trouble for the Koreans and delay their development for a while. The general trend will not change, and John has no ability to change this trend.

After a pause, Akio Morita continued, "John, is it worth it for you to suddenly decide to acquire oil fields in the United States that are in a period of low production? There is no hope of making money from such an investment, and with the current oil prices, it will be difficult to sustain the production of these oil fields!"

“I know, I understand, but I have to accept it. It’s one of the conditions for reconciling with those old guys like Rockefeller, and it’s also my ticket to the game. Although it’s a kind of useless thing, accepting it means stepping into the circle of the American oil industry and no longer being excluded. That’s my ‘gain’ from participating in the White House dinner!”

“John, the focus of oil extraction is now in the Middle East. Is it worth making such a huge sacrifice? I’m afraid this asset won’t be profitable for a long time. Sanhe won’t offer much value either. Moreover, such an acquisition will put a lot of pressure on your own funds and may even affect your influence in investment. You should be prepared for all of this.” At this moment, Akio Morita showed a very concerned attitude towards John’s development. Only he himself knew whether this was genuine. John didn’t pay much attention to Akio Morita’s performance.

The details of this deal will soon be known to the outside world. John doesn't care what those "interested parties" think or think. Besides, these guys don't know John's thoughts or his plans in this deal. So John doesn't care about any of that and doesn't pay attention to their opinions!
(End of this chapter)