America: My Time

Chapter 417 Calculation
Chapter 417 Schemes

"John, Nvidia is about to go public. How do you plan to manage your funds? Many people are worried, especially about your small sale of shares in Game World, which has caused concern." On the eve of the IPO, Morgan Stanley couldn't help but talk to John. He was concerned about John's recent changes, and he was also representing the White House.

"Worried? What's there to worry about? Some guys are always talking behind my back, saying I'm unwilling to share profits. I have no choice but to give them a little bit of profit. As for the funds on hand, I'll probably put them into a new round of expansion. I know some guys are worried I'll target them. It's because those guys are doing bad things in the shadows, preventing the Mandarin Oriental Group from expanding and not wanting me to complete the acquisition of the catering business. Since that's the case, I'll just give up. I have no intention of forcibly acquiring it at this time, nor do I have any intention of fighting them. But I've remembered this 'grudge,' and I'll settle it someday. I know the White House is worried I'll cause trouble, but I won't create trouble for them. I'm not someone who doesn't know when to back down. This matter has nothing to do with them, so why should I make things difficult for them?"

The more rational John appeared, the heavier Morgan's heart became. This meant the matter wasn't over; unless those guys kept a low profile, this little fox would definitely scheme against them. Of course, this had nothing to do with Morgan. Morgan wouldn't stop it, nor would he tell those guys what John had said. They had chosen their own path, and they had to bear the consequences themselves. Morgan had no obligation to warn them of the dangers involved.

"Has John's expansion come to an end? Does the Mandarin Oriental Group no longer need to complete new acquisitions?"

"There's no need. In this situation, there's absolutely no need to get entangled with those guys anymore. They've all become incredibly greedy and won't give up easily. So why waste our time and energy arguing with them? It'll only be a waste of precious time. I don't want to get entangled with them anymore. If possible, I'd rather invest in China and expand in Quantum Mining and Western Energy. Quantum Mining is now on the right track. Although Western Energy is still not self-sufficient, the biggest problem is caused by the Permian Basin oil fields. I'm thinking about whether we can separate them from Western Energy to prevent them from affecting its expansion."

“John, this is no small matter. Are you sure you want to do this? Once separated, the pressure will fall on you alone. You will have to bear this pressure yourself.” Morgan was shocked by John’s crazy idea. In his opinion, it was unwise. If everything in the Permian Basin were separated, it would be impossible to borrow funds from Western Energy to repay the loan.

"It's nothing. I'll put it into my fund, and the fund will take over. This will relieve Western Energy of its pressure and allow it to develop rapidly. However, even if we want to share it with Western Energy, it will take time and require discussions with those guys in Japan, since this is a company-level division. As for the loan issue, it's not a big deal. We still have the funds from Nvidia's IPO, so it's not a burden for me. If Western Energy completes the division, it will develop even better without the pressure from Permian. Permian is just a piece of junk that those old guys gave me. I don't see the potential in crude oil prices. Perhaps Permian will be in a loss-making situation for a long time. Since that's the case, I might as well take it over myself."

“John, they all hope you can increase your investment in semiconductors. High technology is the kind of investment those guys are most looking forward to. If you acquire US semiconductors, I believe they won't stop you, but will instead choose to cooperate fully!”

"Heh, semiconductor expansion? What they want are semiconductor factories, aren't they? Too bad I don't want to take over such a mess. I've already given the White House face once by acquiring the Permian Basin from those old guys. I don't want to keep collecting junk. I advise them to stop messing with me. Don't think I'm easy to talk to. My patience has its limits; I won't let those guys test me indefinitely. Since they don't want the Mandarin Oriental Group to expand, then I'll play along. I'm going to acquire United Press International for one dollar. Now they're going bankrupt again. I wonder if those old guys will still stand up and fight me!"

“United Press International, John, you’d better think twice. Since the 70s, it has been stagnant due to mismanagement. Acquiring it would be a waste of money and a complete loss of resources. Besides, you don’t lack the power to say that.”

“I know it’s a piece of junk, so I’m going to buy it for one dollar. I want to see if those old guys are willing to stand up and fight me again, and if they’ll continue to cause trouble. If they’re willing to buy it, I’d be very happy to see that happen!”

Seeing John's faint smile, Morgan couldn't help but sigh. Although he didn't know John's thoughts, such an acquisition was definitely not that simple. Perhaps John, that little fox, had seen other directions. But United Press International was just like that; what value could it possibly have?
There is value, of course, but some people can see it while others cannot. John does have other ideas; it's not entirely about having a showdown with those old guys. However, for John, it's simply a matter of completing his own plans with United Press International faster, or wasting a little more time if he doesn't. That's all.

“There’s no need. You don’t need to bother with them over such a small matter. Acquiring this hopeless news agency, despite its prestigious name, is nothing compared to NBC!” “I have my own plans and some good ideas. I just want to know if those old guys are willing to get involved. If they are, I’m naturally looking forward to it. If they’re not willing, then they shouldn’t mess with me again. I can let bygones be bygones for the time being because of Morgan, but there won’t be a next time.”

"Alright, since you have a plan, I won't say anything more. If you need Morgan's help, just ask. Morgan will definitely stand by your side. As for the acquisition of the Mandarin Oriental Group, Morgan can't do anything about it. If it's just a controlling stake, there's no problem at all. But if it's a complete acquisition, those guys won't let go easily. They won't agree without enough benefits. Such a shareholding company is not easy to acquire. Morgan also has his own difficulties."

“I know, so I don’t care about any of this, nor do I care about those guys’ scheming. They think those shares are valuable, so let them be. They’ll regret it someday. I was originally going to give them a chance, but since they can’t even seize it themselves, they can’t blame anyone else. It’s all their own doing. Besides, I have plenty of opportunities to acquire these kinds of shares. It’s not easy to acquire them now. Perhaps when the economic crisis comes, everything will be out of their control, and their shares may plummet to rock bottom.”

As he spoke, a faint, cold smile crept across John's face. In that smile, Morgan saw endless cruelty. He understood that although John's words seemed calm, he sensed boundless murderous intent within them. For John, this little fox, to speak so frankly, things might become even more dangerous.

Having been targeted by this little fox, these guys are likely to pay a heavy price, with the consequences becoming uncontrollable. Behind this is Lehman Brothers, who are the ones who are trying to stop the Mandarin Oriental Group's acquisition. John already had conflicts with them, and this conflict will deepen. If the opportunity arises in the future, Lehman Brothers will be in real danger.

Of course, there were also those guys who were swayed by Lehman Brothers, each of them thinking that the Mandarin Oriental Group was determined to acquire their shares, forgetting that this was just wishful thinking on their part.

Seeing the Morgan executive deep in thought, John smiled calmly and said, "I know Morgan has done their best, so I have no complaints about this outcome. I understand Morgan's difficulties. There will be plenty of opportunities for cooperation in the future, but an acquisition won't happen in the short term. After all, there are many people who think I'm easy to bully, and I don't want to waste my time and energy, nor do I want Morgan to waste theirs. Let them make a fuss; they'll pay the price someday!"

John shook his head slightly. He was quite satisfied with Morgan. At least in their collaborations, Morgan had always stood by his side. Although there had been some minor mishaps, there were no major problems, which pleased John. However, he wouldn't make a move easily in the short term.

At this moment, Morgan nodded thoughtfully. He had a slight guess about John's performance and understood that John, the little fox, really had a plan. He just didn't know what the other party's goal was. However, those who wanted to scheme against John and had endless greed in their hearts would probably pay a heavy price.

After ending his conversation with the Morgan tycoon, John had no time to worry about the issues in the United States. Instead, he began to calculate how many Standard Chartered shares he actually controlled. The Plaza Accord was drawing ever closer, and his plans were progressing smoothly. He soon learned how many shares he actually held: less than 30%. All the shares held by his investment companies, whether openly or covertly, totaled less than 30%, which was far from his plan.

(End of this chapter)