America: My Time

Chapter 426 Cooperation with Bao Lao
Chapter 426 Cooperation with Master Bao
"What brings you here, Mr. Bao?" John asked with a puzzled expression after sitting down. He had no connection with the two men in front of him, and given their status, it was unlikely that they would come to him for financial matters. So he couldn't help but feel a little confused.

“John, we just wanted to inquire about the development direction of Mandarin Oriental. Some people are still a bit worried. The integration of the entire British real estate group has caused them some concern.”

“I see. Actually, I personally don’t place too much importance on the continued development of Mandarin Oriental Group’s real estate in Hong Kong. The existing resources are enough for us to develop, and there is no need to continue competing with other real estate companies. Moreover, the real estate market in Hong Kong has not fully recovered yet and will take some time. I prefer to invest in public utilities, such as Hong Kong and China Gas, Kowloon Motor Bus, and Hong Kong Electric. Although the profits are not high, there is no great risk. They are truly guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood.”

"Western Energy's acquisition of a controlling stake in China Gas has surprised many people. Many were interested before, but you acted too quickly and didn't give them time to prepare, forcing them to give up."

“Western Energy’s acquisition is actually the most suitable, because we have sufficient resources to rely on, which can enable Hong Kong people to use the cheapest gas and not worry about market fluctuations causing a huge increase in their cost of living.”

“What you said does make sense, but with global shipping in a slump right now, your heavy investment in shipping at this time suggests that you believe the shipping industry is about to recover. And if I’m not mistaken, you’ve reached a cooperation agreement with the Dong family’s Orient Overseas. Does this mean that shipping is about to recover?” At this moment, Old Bao changed the subject and turned the topic to shipping.

"The recovery of shipping is not so easy, and there is no hope for next year at least. However, I believe this is the darkness before dawn. As long as we get through this, we will usher in the spring of shipping. The world economy cannot remain depressed forever. As for my investment in shipping, it is only for my own benefit. Both Quantum Mining and Western Energy need shipping, so I invested in Australian shipping."

Although he had suspected it beforehand, Mr. Bao still sighed upon hearing John's explanation. The darkness before dawn is the most terrifying, and he wondered how many shipping companies would fall before this dawn.

The shipping disaster affected not only Hong Kong, but the whole world. It was just that Hong Kong was more severely affected because it did not have its own enterprises to support it. Everything depended on taking orders from other countries. This caused Hong Kong shipping to face greater pressure when the shipping crisis came.

"Only someone as wealthy as you can make a move at this time. Many shipping companies are struggling to survive!" Although the Bao family has abandoned their ships and gone ashore, they still have 85 ships and half of their shipping berths.

"Mr. Bao, your Global Shipping is currently in no danger, with only half of its capacity remaining. This allows you to observe the rise and fall of this shipping industry and gives you the ability to hold out until dawn. If Global Shipping faces pressure, we can cooperate. Orient Overseas can't handle all of Quantum Mining's transportation. If you're willing, I can entrust Global Shipping with the copper mine transportation business in South America. Japan has a considerable demand for copper."

When John finished speaking, Mr. Bao and his team were taken aback for a moment, then nodded and accepted John's offer. At this time, such cooperation was a tremendous boon for the shipping company, easing their pressure and alleviating their difficulties. After all, no one would refuse something that benefits them!
"Thank you for your help!" It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. Although Global Shipping has the least pressure among the four major shipping companies in Hong Kong, it doesn't mean they don't need shipping orders. At this time, receiving John's help makes Mr. Bao feel very emotional. Nowadays, the four shipping magnates are not having an easy time. Even if Mr. Bao abandons his ship and goes ashore, he will still be under pressure. The ship can't stay stationary forever, and it also needs maintenance.

"It's nothing. Quantum Mining's copper ore needs transportation, and it can be done by anyone. Why can't we give it to your Worldwide Shipping? Among the four shipping magnates in Hong Kong, you're the only one I know!" John had cooperated with Worldwide Shipping before acquiring Australian Shipping, and many goods were transported through Worldwide Shipping. With the development of 7-Eleven in Hong Kong, there was also a lot of transportation needed.

7-Eleven has now begun to expand into Thailand, and Western Energy is also accelerating its development in Thailand. Many people thought that John would stop expanding in Southeast Asia after completing his investment in China, but they were wrong. Western Energy and Australian shipping have not stopped, but have continued to cooperate with Thailand. Not only in Thailand, but Quantum Mining and Western Energy are also accelerating their development in various Southeast Asian countries, only they have become more low-key.

Southeast Asia is also rich in oil and gas resources, and John would naturally not miss such an investment opportunity. Because of previous investments, Western Energy has a good reputation in Southeast Asian countries. Many people think that Western Energy, Quantum Mining and Australian Shipping have withdrawn their personnel, which means that they have given up investing in those countries. However, they do not know that the investment has already shifted from overt to covert.

Quantum Mining has already acquired control of several major oil and gas fields in Thailand. Although no official reports have been released yet, it's only a matter of time. John has meticulously planned and invested heavily in the oil and gas landscape throughout Southeast Asia. This is why John stripped away the Permian Basin – to reduce the burden on Western Energy and allow for rapid development. Currently, the entire oil industry is in a downturn, presenting the best opportunity for expansion. John is aggressively acquiring land in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and the United States. Significant funds from Chengxin Bank and East West Bank have been invested in this frenzied expansion, all of which John has concealed this time.

In fact, both Quantum Mining and Western Energy require a lot of transportation, so even though John has cooperated with OOCL and Australian Mining, he still needs shipping business.

John didn't want to say too much about the development of Quantum Mining and Western Energy, so as not to attract too much attention and cause unnecessary trouble for the two companies' development and expansion. So he took the initiative to change the topic to the topic of feelings. As for whether it would have a good outcome, John didn't know. He just wanted to lend them a helping hand, and the final result was not something he could control!
After expressing his thoughts, John gently shook his head. He still wanted to help this loving couple, even if it ultimately failed, he had done his best.

After understanding John's thoughts and seeing him change the subject, the two elderly people also got up and left. Since they already knew what they wanted, there was no need to influence these young people here. Their presence made these younger generations feel uncomfortable.

"Old Bao, you two must have had quite a bit of collaboration, right? This kid doesn't treat you like an outsider at all, so easily telling us about the development direction of the Mandarin Oriental Group. This isn't something an ordinary relationship could do."

"There are indeed some collaborations. As you know, he has achieved good development in other industries, so there are some collaborations in transportation. However, this is nothing special. In fact, everyone in the shipping industry knows that many of their businesses in Hong Kong are handled by Worldwide Shipping."

"I knew it! This kid looks so shrewd. Even if you respect your elders, you shouldn't be so quick to tell us these things. But even if we tell them that the Mandarin Oriental Group won't be expanding aggressively in Hong Kong real estate, some people won't believe it. The Mandarin Oriental Group is now the largest real estate developer in Hong Kong, and it controls far too many high-quality resources!"

"What they think is beyond our control. We just need to do what we're supposed to do. And whether they believe it or not, the facts won't change. Compared to little John, I'm more worried about the power of British capital, worried that someone might do something ignorant that could affect our interests."

"Let's take it one step at a time. If nothing unexpected happens, I believe the worst-case scenario won't occur. Besides, I don't think he has any designs on Hong Kong. For him, Hong Kong is too small. In terms of development, China has more potential!"

"That's right. Hong Kong is too small for such a prodigy. Seeing his astonishing wealth, I feel that the world is changing too fast, so fast that I feel like I can't keep up with the times. His investments in China have made many companies envious, but they don't have the same determination as this kid."

"This is normal. After all, many people don't know China, so they have all sorts of worries. As time goes on, people will gradually understand, and all the obstacles will disappear."

"That's true, but I'm afraid some people are unwilling to accept this and want to do something. Just look at John's situation to understand how the British schemed against him before. If he hadn't taken the initiative to demonstrate his powerful influence this time, there would probably have been unnecessary trouble. HSBC wouldn't have compromised so easily, and this acquisition wouldn't have ended so smoothly!"

“That makes sense. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have held this banquet in the name of the Governor of Hong Kong. The British are worried that this young man will use the power of the media and his influence to impact them. With his financial abilities, who wouldn’t be worried and afraid? So it’s normal for the British to have concerns!”

(End of this chapter)