America: My Time

Chapter 407 Neon's Scheme

Chapter 407 Neon's Scheme

"That's true, but I've heard there's been a new development. Those guys in Japan are negotiating with that little fox John. They want to give Quantum Mining a larger loan to meet their demand for uranium. Once they reach an agreement, Quantum Mining's funding problem will be solved immediately, and it will enter a new phase of expansion. This is worrying many mining giants. The mining giants in the US are also opposing it, but no one has stood up yet!"

"It's no use. No matter how much those guys object, it's useless. John won't accept it, much less compromise. It seems his arrangements in the mining industry are indeed brilliant, easily solving his own development problems. However, that's not our focus. What we want is for John's company to go public. Only in this way can we reap more benefits. He can't keep these companies firmly in his hands forever; going public is a must!"

Jimmy also wanted to persuade John to go public and raise funds to accelerate the company's development, but it was simply impossible. At least in his view, John's development was completely different from that of other companies. John, this little fox, had the support of the Bank of Japan, so he didn't need to go public to raise funds to expand in the early stages. He could get the funds directly from the Bank of Japan.

If we were to name Morgan's biggest enemy, it would be the Bank of Japan. Those guys not only annoyed their Wall Street counterparts but also incurred the wrath of old fogies like Rockefeller, making them Morgan's adversaries as well. Their existence impacted many of Morgan's interests.

"If his uranium mine in Canada enters the mining stage, he will be the number one uranium mining giant, controlling the price of uranium. It has to be admitted that he is a monster, a crazy monster. Quantum Mining now truly controls the pricing power in the mining industry. No wonder some people are so wary of him. Who would dare to underestimate such a monster?"

"We don't need to worry about the uranium mine situation, but we need to pay attention to Quantum Mining's development in South America. Many people are worried that Quantum Mining will take advantage of this to expand its presence in South America. The financial crisis has already affected the entire region. If Quantum Mining aggressively expands now, it might acquire a considerable amount of resources." Morgan Stanley sighed inwardly as he said this. Many wanted Quantum Mining to go public, hoping to extract substantial profits from John, but unfortunately, they had no such opportunity. Quantum Mining's development is not in the United States, so it has been least affected.

Morgan was also very interested, but the Morgan tycoon understood that John had been prepared from the beginning. Although Quantum Mining was an American company, its development focus was not in the United States. In fact, it only had one mine in the United States, which was acquired. The real target of the other party was overseas, and it was not affected by the United States. Naturally, there was no possibility of it going public.

Everyone knows about Quantum Mining's methods, but no one has found its secrets. The only possibility is that it's in John's own hands, which makes many people a little worried. Such a well-rounded genius is too terrifying; such a guy is a threat to everyone.

The attention given to quantum mining is so great that almost all mining giants dare not take it lightly. After completing his trip to China, John received an invitation from Japan and had to change his plans to come to Tokyo to discuss the development of quantum mining. To be precise, these Japanese companies wanted to obtain the minerals they desired from John, not only uranium but also iron and copper mines. After all, Japan has very few resources and needs to import them. The expansion of quantum mining makes them feel that this is an opportunity.

"Mr. Morita, are you sure Japan will provide Quantum Mining with an interest-free loan to complete the layout of uranium refining? This is no small matter. You should understand that such a factory requires a lot of capital, and the interest-free loan will be repaid with uranium ore?"

"John, don't worry, there won't be any problems. As long as you agree, the Japanese government will provide you with this kind of support. This isn't the attitude of every company, but rather the official stance. We can sign a long-term supply contract."

"To be honest, I can't refuse such a cooperation. I can't think of any reason to refuse such favorable terms. I agree!" John was not surprised to see Akio Morita as the lobbyist. Moreover, such a deal was reasonable. It was also reasonable for the Japanese to want to get uranium from Quantum Mining. After all, Japan was developing nuclear power with all its might, and its demand for uranium was self-evident. As the largest uranium mining giant, Quantum Mining was naturally valued by them.

John now controls two of the most valuable uranium mines in Canada, attracting the attention of many. It's not difficult for those guys in Japan to know about it, since such a thing would draw a lot of attention.

“John, is Quantum Mining going to fully integrate into the downstream production of the game? Steel mills, uranium refining—are you trying to complete the upstream smelting step by step? If so, perhaps we still have a chance to cooperate!” Hearing this, John shook his head slightly and said, “It’s hard to say right now. It depends on the development of Quantum Mining. After all, Quantum Mining currently has considerable debt. In order to accelerate mining, it had to place large orders with Komatsu Manufacturing, which has added to Quantum Mining’s debt. Coupled with its investment in China, it doesn’t have any plans to further expand downstream smelting in the short term. At least we’ll wait until the mines are profitable. Rather than constantly improving downstream smelting, it’s better to increase investment in mine development. The situation in South America is somewhat complicated right now, which might be a good opportunity to enter the market.”

Although Quantum Mining has revealed its presence in South America, no one would assume that this is all Quantum Mining plans. It would be reasonable for John to continue investing in mineral exploration, as it is easier to profit from such investments compared to downstream smelting.

Who knows best how much debt John currently has? Naturally, it's the Japanese. They all know how staggering John's loans are in major Japanese banks. Although these companies are developing healthily and have huge potential, the cash flow is still John's biggest problem. It is precisely because they understand this that the Japanese dare to propose such cooperation and want Quantum Mining to repay the loans with uranium ore, and even offer interest-free loans.

Of course, the Japanese have their own calculations. Such cooperation only results in a loss of a little interest, but it can ensure a long-term supply of uranium ore for Japan. For a long time, Japan will not have to worry about a shortage of uranium ore, and it can provide Japan with a stable supply system to guarantee the power supply needed for its own development.

Japan's development is inseparable from electricity and iron ore supplies. Compared to the benefits of Japan's economic development, the costs they previously incurred are negligible. Many people think it's crazy for Japan to invest over $100 million in Quantum Mining's construction in Australia, but in reality, they gain much more. They hold a dominant position in iron ore pricing. With Quantum Mining's iron ore mines in Australia, they don't need to worry about mining giants demanding exorbitant prices. Without previous investments, where would this advantage come from? Just look at South Korea's situation to see how important this advantage is.

Not to mention Quantum Mining's current mining operations at Lake Aled in Canada, which are even more enticing. Quantum Mining's control over mines is astonishing. Iron ore giants, uranium mining giants, and the Escondida copper-gold mine in South America—all of this makes Japan and other countries eager to cooperate with them.

The alliance between Quantum Mining and Western Energy and shipping companies has accelerated their development, and their Asian layout is almost complete. This has made those guys in Japan more cautious. They are worried that Quantum Mining's entry into downstream smelting will affect their own interests, which is why they used Akio Morita's identity to test John.

John was well aware of the schemes of these guys from Japan, but he didn't have time to argue with them now. Once the quantum mining industry developed further, their ideas would be insignificant.

John attaches great importance to the development of Canada and Australia. The problems in Australia are not too big. At least the acquisition has been completed and there is no shortage of personnel and technology. However, Canada is different. Quantum Mining needs to make more preparations, not to mention the layout in South America. Everything will take time.

The idea of ​​unlimited expansion is good, and the idea of ​​venturing into downstream smelting is also good, but the prerequisite is that you have enough technology and enough capital, which John does not have, at least not yet.

After discussing mining matters with Akio Morita, John brought up the issue of the dock. The shipping company needed to own its own dock in Japan, which required negotiations with various parties in Japan. If the shipping company wanted to grow and expand, it needed its own dock; otherwise, its future development would inevitably be affected.

John and the Japanese are still in a cooperative relationship, and there are no disputes between them. Now is the best time to make demands. If they miss this opportunity, getting everything they want from the Japanese won't be easy. Those Japanese bastards aren't good people. They're willing to cooperate with John now because there are benefits to be had, but that's hard to guarantee in the future.

The dollar is still strong, and John wants to leverage the power of the Bank of Japan to acquire more resources and secure his position. What will happen in the future, and what the Bank of Japan thinks, is not John's concern. Once the Plaza Accord arrives and the yen appreciates, those guys at the Bank of Japan might regret it, considering John currently has too many loans with them.

(End of this chapter)