America: My Time

Chapter 429 Pressure
Chapter 429 Pressure

“I knew you wouldn’t last more than a few days. You were talking badly about me before, and now you can’t hold on any longer.” Ye Qianwen couldn’t stand having people visiting her every day, so she came to Repulse Bay. After hearing John’s explanation, she couldn’t help but feel happy.

“I didn’t expect them to be so enthusiastic. They all want to apply for loans from Standard Chartered, and some even want to cooperate with Quantum Mining. If it were just a few people, it wouldn’t be a problem, but with such a large group, how am I supposed to deal with them? Even if I wanted to refuse, it would be difficult to say so. Many of them are making this choice out of desperation!” John sighed as he spoke. With the collapse of Hong Kong Bank, many people have been affected. If Standard Chartered Bank didn’t need more time to recover, John wouldn’t have wanted to refuse these clients. Now, this is the only option he can have.

If even he was under such pressure, one could only imagine the situation on Yuan Tianfan's side. John could only sigh at all of this. This was the nature of the business world. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't solve all these problems. He couldn't risk Standard Chartered Bank's future. If he could, he wouldn't be under so much pressure.

Soft-hearted? No, John wouldn't be soft-hearted; he was merely lamenting the harsh realities of life. The dragon-slaying hero had become the dragon himself, and now that he was a member of the conglomerate, it was natural for him to consider his own interests!
Hearing John and Ye Qianwen's conversation made the already tense atmosphere even more subtle. Wang Zuxian, sitting beside John, pursed her lips and lowered her head, seemingly desperately trying to suppress a laugh. Even this seemingly imposing figure could feel such helplessness, forced to take an evasive action!
While the young beauties like Wang Zuxian, Zhou Haimei, and Zhou Huimin, who are new to the workforce, find it somewhat amusing, it's because they haven't experienced the harsh realities of society. However, Mi Xue is different; she understands that behind this helplessness lies a terrifying power, and that every decision made by such a powerful figure can affect the lives of countless people!

John's arrival was somewhat opportune; the party had just begun. After relaxing, John was taken aback when he turned his gaze to the red wine in front of him: "Latour, Château d'Yquem, Cheval Blanc, Krug, and Harland—all wines from your wineries?"

"Of course, we're not stupid, why would we advertise for others? Besides, we don't have to spend money on our own wine, it's a great deal. Have you tried any other red wines at Chu Hong's?"

Upon hearing this, John thought about it carefully and realized that he hadn't. Not to mention Chung Chor-hung, he himself had never tasted red wine from other wineries in Japan. Just as Ye Qianwen said, none of the women had prepared wine from other wineries. This made John shake his head with a wry smile.

"You two are really something! Take some time to go to Bordeaux with Chu Hong and visit Grandma. Your uncle is such a worry, hiding away in Paris. Grandma and Grandpa are getting old and must feel lonely; you should spend more time with them!"

It was already high in the sky, but John still felt a little dizzy, a side effect of the alcohol. He had drunk too much last night, and in the midst of the enthusiasm of a group of beautiful women, he had unknowingly gotten drunk while he was on edge.

Although nothing happened between him and these beautiful women, his own pressure dissipated with a bout of drunkenness. It wasn't that John was some kind of paragon of virtue, but rather that he lacked opportunity. No normal man dislikes beautiful women, and John was no exception. He simply liked too many and didn't know how to choose. He liked every single one of them, but he couldn't indulge in their beauty; he had many other things to deal with.

"Isn't it a bit unbelievable? This is the most real situation. Everyone has pressure, and a business genius like him is no exception. Many people only see his outward success but don't see the pressure behind it."

Early in the morning, the beauties were already up, all somewhat surprised by John's performance the night before. They had never seen a big shot like him so uninhibited; in their minds, big shots were always serious.

Even Mi Xue was somewhat surprised. Having been in this circle the longest, she was well aware of how chaotic it was. She had never encountered a big shot like him discussing gossip with a group of young girls, joking and drinking without restraint. However, considering John's age, she could understand somewhat.

Upon hearing Ye Qianwen's explanation, Mi Xue couldn't help but sigh. No one's success comes without a price. Ye Qianwen's success was so easy because she had a powerful figure like John behind her. Mi Xue's continued popularity was due to being ATV's leading lady. However, compared to Ye Qianwen, she was far inferior. This is the result of having someone to support you.

Although I've been in the industry for a long time, I still encounter all sorts of problems. But look at Sally Yeh, she doesn't have to deal with such trivial matters at all. No one in Hong Kong or Taiwan bothers her. That's the advantage of having a powerful backer; it gives her more resources in the entertainment industry.

Looking at Ye Qianwen's residence, it's not something ordinary people can afford. A mansion like Repulse Bay is beyond Ye Qianwen's means, not to mention the red wine from yesterday. Many people don't understand its value, but Mi Xue does. Even someone like herself, who's been in the industry for a long time, feels a little envious, let alone these young girls. They find it even harder to resist such temptation. Perhaps John has many women, but from everything that happened last night, it's clear that although he's lustful, he's not a heartless person, nor is he someone who easily tires of the old and craves the new. Is she tempted? Perhaps she is. At this moment, even she herself is somewhat unsure, after all, she's a woman who has experienced heartbreak!

ATV is much better than TVB now, at least in terms of employee benefits, and their income is among the highest in Hong Kong. This has also given the stars access to more resources. Those who left ATV back then regret it; although the change was short-lived, many stars received a significant number of advertising deals.

However, there are also negative voices. Some say that ATV is breaking the rules, increasing costs for other companies, and putting pressure on many aspiring individuals and companies wanting to enter the film and television industry. Because of ATV's changes, their demand for talent has increased, making it almost impossible for many small companies to survive. Talent in the Hong Kong film and television industry is gradually concentrating in large companies. Even if small companies have capital and ideas, it's useless; they simply don't have the opportunity to enter the industry. ATV's changes have blocked their path, making it difficult for them to find professional personnel; professionals in areas like lighting have disappeared from the market.

Professionalization is crucial. If the Hong Kong film and television industry continues to develop in chaos, it will affect the interests of Phoenix Group. Therefore, in John's plan, and in Phoenix Group's plan, the Hong Kong film and television industry must get back on track and not let one guy affect its normal development and the interests of Phoenix Group.

When John left Barker Road, those who wanted to visit him understood that this was a polite refusal of their requests. With the power of these bigwigs in Hong Kong, they naturally knew where John was now, but since John had made his statement, no one would be foolish enough to continue to pester him. That would only annoy people and would not yield any results.

"This little guy is really interesting. He was too embarrassed to refuse directly, so he chose this method. But it's good that way. He can save face for everyone. Just this alone will satisfy many people. After all, it shows that he is not an arrogant person."

"Actually, this is a typical case of grasping at straws when one is desperate. Those people think that if Standard Chartered Bank is acquired, they will have an opportunity, but that's completely unrealistic. The more they think that, the less likely they are to get the funds they want from Standard Chartered Bank. Standard Chartered Bank is tightening its credit policy now and will not choose to lend at this time, as that would only affect their own development."

"Indeed, Standard Chartered Bank is now tightening credit across the board, not only in Hong Kong but all of its branches. Even though the liquidation has been completed and the impact of the depreciation of the US dollar is no longer a concern, it still has a significant impact on Standard Chartered Bank itself. Not to mention the integration of Pacific Investment, which has caused many changes within Standard Chartered Bank. At this time, being as cautious as possible is the right thing to do."

"Standard Chartered Bank is not short of funds now. Pacific Investment has benefited greatly from this dollar depreciation, and has obtained sufficient profits from HSBC alone."

"That being said, they still have many concerns, especially since the Mandarin Oriental Group and ATV have both invested a considerable amount of money. Under these circumstances, caution is the right thing to do, and no one can guarantee that there won't be any new changes in the future!"

"Judging from the Mandarin Oriental Group's performance, it seems that they really don't want to compete with us for Hong Kong's interests. They want to go beyond Hong Kong and go global. The Mandarin Oriental Group has also invested a lot in Taiwan, taken on many engineering projects, and has considerable cooperation with Taiwan. They also have development in South Korea, which makes many people feel at ease."

"I wonder what the British will think and do. This financial upheaval has caused them considerable losses. Now, most of the assets of British conglomerates are in the hands of this guy John. Many British people are regretting it and want to get back their original assets. I wonder if they will be able to succeed."

"That's impossible. No matter how much they jump around, it won't amount to anything. They can't withstand John's counterattack. If nothing happens, he won't have any ideas. But if something does happen, it will definitely provoke his counterattack. With the current strength of those British companies, they simply can't withstand such a crazy counterattack!"

(End of this chapter)