America: My Time

Chapter 481 Betrayal
Chapter 481 Betrayal

Development, expansion, investment—this was John's frenzied behavior in China. Seeing that there were still considerable funds left in his account, he continued to invest and expand recklessly, completely disregarding whether such frenzied expansion would have any impact on himself. John's situation in China was now completely different from what it was at the beginning. He had now cultivated many elites in China, and his cooperation with the Russians could not be stopped. Investing in factories in China reduced production and transportation costs and made it less likely to be detected by those 'enemies.' As for the resources he obtained from the Russians, they were easy to obtain and could be fully consumed by himself.

During his time in China, John approved one expansion plan after another, and the entire industrial chain was operating at full speed. At this point, John no longer shipped goods to Japan but consumed them himself. The trade between Australian shipping and Russia had undergone a qualitative change; Australia could now specify the goods it needed. Whatever raw materials his work in China lacked, he could obtain them from Russia at the lowest prices. After processing them, the profits multiplied.

Of course, Australian shipping sometimes receives supplies they don't need themselves, such as timber, which can only be delivered to Japan. However, the Russians ship goods a bit too quickly, and those guys in Japan have accumulated enough supplies, so at this point, these bastards want to buy them at even lower prices.

"I knew these damned guys were incredibly greedy. I never imagined they'd make such a decision after only a short period of cooperation. Do they really think we have no other choice but to cooperate with them? They want to control me? That's a joke. From now on, we will no longer sell any timber to these guys in Japan. We'll consume it ourselves. Trying to take advantage of me? No way!"

“Boss, we don’t have factories that consume materials. If we don’t trade with Japan, we’ll have to store this timber, which will seriously affect the operation of Australian shipping. The Russians want to trade more timber for goods with us.” Secretary Ava had no choice but to reveal the Australian shipping report. The Japanese guys were doing this because they understood the cooperation between Australian shipping and the Russians, which is why they were taking such crazy actions.

"No, we don't have it now, but that doesn't mean we won't in the future. We can acquire a paper mill and then trade with the Russians for their papermaking technology and machinery. We can make our own paper and teach those bastards in Japan a lesson, letting them know how high the price of betrayal is. They dare to kick us when we're down and scheme against us. They're too arrogant and too presumptuous."

Although John had long known that there were problems with the cooperation with those guys in Japan, he didn't expect them to arrive so quickly. If John had any worries before, he had none now. This was the best opportunity to transfer Phoenix Comics' printing to China. All comics sold overseas would no longer be printed in Japan, but would be handled by China.

When John's request was received, the Chinese side was somewhat surprised, but they didn't see anything wrong with it, so John quickly took over a paper mill in Russia. The Russian papermaking machinery and technology were also quickly acquired, and at this time John also cut off his business with Japan.

Panic ensued. Soon, the Japanese panicked because they learned about John's deal with the Russians, that John had invested in a paper mill in China in a fit of anger, and that the export editions of Phoenix Comics would be printed in China. This shocking turn of events stunned them. It was a huge loss for them, as Phoenix Comics' annual paper demand was enormous. Losing such a major customer would have a tremendous impact on them.

Now those guys in Japan want to surrender to John, but they're getting no response. John is currently in China and doesn't want to deal with them at all. Phoenix Group's partner is Oji Paper, a member of the Mitsui Group. John doesn't believe the Mitsui Group is unaware of these guys' actions. Clearly, they're trying to cause trouble again and challenge him. This time, John won't hold back.

"Use cost to crush those bastards, let these guys know what the consequences of provoking us are. Now we have a lot of timber from the Russians, take this opportunity to crush those bastards. I want to see how much pressure they will feel after losing Phoenix Group as a major customer!" John's anger was ignited by the commotion caused by Prince Paper and the others. Did they really think they were easy to bully, daring to be so arrogant?

John dared not make any rash moves against those old guys like Rockefeller, fearing that his plans would be exposed. But he had no such reservations about the Japanese. Moreover, his development in Japan was already saturated, and there was no need to give them any face anymore. Did the Mitsui Group really think he was easy to talk to? This time, he would teach them a lesson.

"Hahaha, interesting, absolutely interesting! John, that little guy, has been betrayed by the Japanese! This is the best news we've heard! Just because of a timber sales issue with the Russians, this has happened. This is fantastic news! It seems our next move will be without any obstacles." "Indeed, this is good news. Before we even made a move, those Japanese guys have already courted disaster. They really think that little fox John is easy to bully, trying to take advantage of him. If it were so easy to take advantage of this kid, what would be left for them? What a bunch of foolish and ignorant bastards, making such a ridiculous attempt at this time!"

"No, it can only be said that those guys in Japan are too greedy. All they care about is profit. They never think about the long term. Just like when they seized the North American market, they frantically suppressed their competitors and stole their market share, forgetting how serious the consequences of greed are. By not giving their competitors a chance to survive, they will naturally suffer the backlash. How much is the timber traded with Australian shipping worth? How much profit is there? Is it worth it for them to be so crazy and drive their former allies to the side of hostility? They are really stupid and ignorant."

"Perhaps those guys in Japan didn't consider John an ally at all. In their eyes, John was just someone they could use. And do you think the Mitsui Group would be completely unaware of this situation? The fact that Prince Paper didn't gain Mitsui's approval just shows that those guys at Mitsui had their own ideas. They overestimated their abilities and underestimated John's reaction. In their eyes, a mere timber transaction was insignificant and a good opportunity to test John's thoughts. But they were wrong. John, that little fox, went berserk, leaving them no chance to make amends."

"We got the papermaking technology and machinery directly from the Russians, acquired a paper mill in China and renovated it, and completely transferred Phoenix Comics' overseas printing to China. It seems that John has quite a temper and his tolerance for those bastards in Japan has reached its limit. This time they have done us a great favor."

"A test, perhaps this is no ordinary test. If it were just the Mitsui Group, they wouldn't be so foolish as to choose this time and this situation to test John's bottom line. There are more conspiracies and forces behind this. It's just a pity that they will never have another chance this time. Based on my understanding of John, those guys will pay a heavy price. Without a sufficient price, it's impossible to end all of this."

"Perhaps we can cooperate with Morgan and take this opportunity to increase our pressure on Japan. I believe that Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media will no longer help those guys in Japan. This is our best chance!"

"We can give it a try. Without the help of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group, we can create an even bigger storm, suppressing the sales of Japanese cars in the United States and ruining their reputation! As long as we further hinder the development of Japanese cars, it will be more beneficial to our next plan. We must seize the opportunity and not give them a chance to persuade John. Fortunately, John, that little fox, is currently in China."

The mere mention of timber has attracted the attention of Wall Street's predators. With those old foxes joining forces, the predicament of Japanese automakers is predictable. Without the support of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, they will undoubtedly pay a heavy price. Although Toyota has been in contact with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, no agreement has been reached yet. This situation gives the Wall Street predators and those old foxes even more opportunities to maneuver.

The suspension of cooperation with the Japanese automotive industry was quickly followed by a phone call from John. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group changed their tune, ceasing their active communication with Japanese automakers and becoming distant. This sent a chill down the spine of the Toyota representative, signaling the worst-case scenario.

Toyota had been negotiating with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media on how to publicize Toyota's factory construction in the United States and how to reverse Toyota's current reputation in North America. They never expected things to turn out this way so suddenly, catching them completely off guard. When they reported the situation in the US to their headquarters in Japan, Eiji Toyoda was furious. While his North American staff were unaware of what had happened, he knew perfectly well what was going on. It was all because of Oji Paper's foolishness; someone had used this opportunity to test John's intentions again, and now they had succeeded. However, they were facing an enraged and powerful enemy, which had shattered the relationship Toyota had painstakingly built and plunged Mitsui into an even greater crisis!

(End of this chapter)