America: My Time

Chapter 446: Counterattack
Chapter 446 Counterattack

"No, this time Lehman Brothers was unusually cautious. They did not participate in shorting the gaming world, but selectively followed Hurricane Investment to go long on the yen. It seems that they were scared by John and dared not start another fight!"

"See? This is what it means to learn a lesson. Only when you're hurt can you truly understand its meaning. Lehman Brothers is the best proof of this. Their choice was wise; not participating meant they wouldn't have suffered a huge loss. Those stubborn guys haven't learned their lesson yet. They thought the settlement with Hurricane Investment made them think the other side was weak and easy to bully. This time, they'll pay the price for their foolishness. At another time, they might have had a chance of success, but at this point, there's no hope at all. They only saw John repaying the Permian loan and thought John's funds were exhausted, but they're completely wrong. I even suspect this is a trap, a trap deliberately set by this little fox to make those guys make the wrong judgment. It's too late to say all this now. Everything has happened. Now we can only wait and see."

At the boss's prompting, Jimmy called John again, but this time the call connected a little late. It seemed that quite a few people were shocked by the changes in the game world and were demanding an explanation from John. Jimmy wondered who was demanding an explanation from John. He couldn't help but think of Japan; those guys must be very anxious now. They also held a significant amount of shares in the game world, and this sharp drop must be causing them considerable pain.

"As expected, John, that little fox, doesn't care at all about the shares being halved. Now we'll see what trump card he has up his sleeve."

When Jimmy revealed Morgan's decision, John's reply shocked him and even Morgan himself: "Jimmy, I accept Morgan's offer. Since someone is using the pretext of monopoly, I've decided to spin off our previous home video game console project from the gaming world and sell it to Japan. That's a huge market with 100 million users, and I believe they'll be interested. I've also communicated with Akio Morita before. Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi will be coming to San Francisco as quickly as possible, so you should be prepared!"

"He's gone mad, boss! John has really gone mad! He's actually divesting the most profitable project in the gaming world! What is he trying to do? Does he even respect the board of directors? This decision will drive the entire United States crazy!"

“Jimmy, do you think the board can stop all this? Even if we don't support it, it's useless. As long as John is determined, and with the support of those three Japanese companies, it's not a problem at all. It seems we should have a good talk with John and those guys in Japan. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a storm. I think John is playing a big game, a game to drag everyone into it. Go check and see what kind of jobs those laid off originally had. Hopefully, it wasn't the home gaming industry we're worried about, otherwise those guys will be embarrassed.”

As he spoke, Morgan sighed deeply. Things had come to this point, and there was nothing he could do. It was no longer a situation Morgan could control, nor could anyone else. Those guys on Wall Street were going to pay a heavy price. Countless investors would be wiped out; simply selling their home gaming projects would instantly generate huge revenue for the gaming world, becoming the straw that broke their backs.

Will John let those Japanese guys get away with this? Hasn't this little fox always been wary of Japan? Why would he suddenly make such a decision? Morgan was also very puzzled by all of this, but he would understand when those Japanese guys showed up and when everyone sat down.

"Boss, should we notify the White House? This is no small matter!"

"No need, this has nothing to do with us, nor with the White House. This is something Donkey did. If it gets out of control, Donkey will be even more unpopular. I just don't understand what Donkey and his gang are thinking, choosing this time to target the game world. Even if they know about the monopoly, they shouldn't be in such a hurry to act. You should communicate with them first. John, that little fox, is a media mogul."

"Nobody knows what they're thinking. They always make the wrong choices at crucial moments. This matter has blown up and they won't be able to handle it. This time it won't end so easily. I could hear endless anger in John's voice!"

"We would be furious too. Although the game world did violate the monopoly clause, there are ways to resolve this. There's no need to make such a big fuss and leave them no way out. Now, even if they wanted to reconcile, it's impossible. John has been forced to take the opposite side. The game world is great, but it doesn't have a significant impact on people's livelihoods. The existence of such a company would only benefit the United States, but these guys don't think that way. It's really speechless."

"Boss, do you think John will just change his name again and continue collecting tolls?"

“Jimmy, if it were you, could you give up such a large sum of money? No matter what those guys decide in the end, it won’t change John’s mind. Profit determines everything. John, that little fox, will only react more recklessly and dangerously.”

To Morgan's surprise, less than a day later, representatives from the three Japanese companies arrived in San Francisco. They had chartered a plane to San Francisco specifically to resolve the issues in the game world.

"What did you say? Those guys from Japan have already arrived, and John wants us to go there to discuss how to deal with them?" "Yes, those guys from Japan have already arrived. They chartered a plane directly to San Francisco, and now we're the only ones missing."

Although they were shocked, it was also understandable. Anyone would go crazy if they knew that the stocks they held would plummet. These three Japanese companies all held a lot of shares, so it would be strange if they weren't worried.

"What did you say? People from Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic are in San Francisco, and Morgan is going to San Francisco too!"

When Morgan makes a move, the entire Wall Street knows. Their every move is being closely watched by their peers. However, they can't figure out how John will counter their strategy. So far, the game world has not provided a reasonable explanation for the stock price crash. No matter how much you make a fuss, they remain unmoved.

“You all seem very nervous, but it’s really nothing serious. This has happened before, and once it happens, it will happen again. You should have been prepared!” John said with a calm smile when he saw the serious expressions on the faces of Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, and Morgan.

"John, we're not in the same good mood as you. You should know that the stock price of the game world has already fallen to a dangerous level. If we don't do something now, there's no way to turn things around!"

"Things aren't as serious as you make them out to be. We originally thought that after that lesson, they would obediently work with Game World to make money. Since they're no longer willing to sit back and make money, then we won't be polite. We'll establish a new company to take over Game World's division of the home game console business. All previous game console patents will be placed in this company. My shareholding will remain unchanged, and the other shares will be decided by you yourselves. We'll inject some capital into the new company to acquire this business. As for Game World's future game consoles no longer being compatible with previous games, and new games no longer supporting previous game consoles."

“John, what we’re doing is illegal!” Jimmy stepped forward to warn them, thinking it was insane.

"No, we never do anything illegal. We told all shareholders that we had to sell this business to avoid an anti-monopoly investigation. What they think or think is none of our business. As for the shares originally held by shareholders, we will provide subsidies. But the shares that Wall Street guys poured in to dump have nothing to do with us. That's their business. If they sue us for harming shareholders' interests, then they should explain how they acted. Panasonic is the distributor of home game consoles, so why don't they handle this acquisition themselves?"

John currently holds just over 40% of the game world's shares. Under these circumstances, who wouldn't be tempted? Although Matsushita felt there was a risk and that people would hold a grudge, the potential profits were simply too tempting. Even if 60% of the shares were split equally, his family would still get 15%. What was a little risk compared to that?

They originally thought it would take a long time to come up with a solution, but the problem was solved so quickly. Regarding the shareholding issue, although the three Japanese companies wanted more, Morgan insisted on an equal split, which they had no choice but to accept.

"Let's get started, everyone. I believe that today's efforts will bring even greater rewards in the future."

Despite the huge gains, Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic were completely baffled by the outcome. The situation in the United States had reached such a dangerous point, and John, this little fox, had so readily offered them such a large benefit. It seemed a bit too unbelievable, leaving them somewhat dizzy as they left the game world.

However, having secured their profits, they weren't about to let them slip away. The fact that the three companies held 45% of the shares far exceeded their expectations, and they were very satisfied with the outcome. Although Matsushita had to step forward and bear some criticism, the cost was insignificant compared to the gains. Matsushita himself didn't see any problem with it, and it was the most appropriate choice for them to step forward.

(End of this chapter)