America: My Time

Chapter 507 Conflict of Interests

Chapter 507 Conflict of Interests

"Tianfan, the Toshiba reselling CNC machine tools to the Russians has been exposed. A terrible storm has broken out in the United States. From now on, we will stop and no longer invest in yen. Damn Toshiba, they are cutting off our source of income. Under these circumstances, we must prepare for the worst!"

This is John's excuse for abandoning his investment in the yen's appreciation, and it's the best reason. Now that the Toshiba incident in Japan has caused such a big stir, only a fool would continue to be optimistic about the yen's appreciation, even though there haven't been any major fluctuations yet! In fact, whether it's Standard Chartered, Hurricane Investment, or even investment companies in Japan, they have already slowed down their investment in the yen's appreciation by April. They don't have much yen on hand, so even if the yen plummets now, they won't suffer much loss.

“The US has spent over a trillion dollars before, and now there’s the Toshiba incident. It seems the global financial situation is very unfavorable. Standard Chartered Bank should be prepared. I think a financial storm may be coming soon. You be ready and wait for my news!” John took this opportunity to remind Yuan Tianfan to be prepared, but he did not give an answer as to when it would break out.

Although John's words sounded somewhat forced, in the financial market, such a seemingly forced thing could trigger a terrible crisis. Moreover, the Toshiba incident would obviously affect the appreciation of the yen, so Yuan Tianfan did not feel there was anything wrong with it and thought that his boss's caution was correct.

Yuan Tianfan nodded and said, "I will arrange everything as soon as possible. I hope the worst will not happen!"

"I don't want to see the worst happen either, but there are many things we can't change. The environment is beyond our control and influence, and we can only passively accept everything. Fortunately, we have been tightening our belts, otherwise, such a situation would have put a lot of pressure on us!"

Yuan Tianfan could understand his boss's caution. After all, his boss had made significant investments in Japan, and if the Toshiba incident affected the entire country, his boss's investments would definitely suffer a major blow!

Such a sudden situation would cause concern for everyone. The financial market is volatile, and even the slightest carelessness can lead to severe consequences. At this time, no amount of precaution is excessive.

As John hurriedly left Hong Kong, many people sighed. After all, they still held onto a sliver of hope that the Hong Kong government would arrange another meeting with Standard Chartered. Currently, Standard Chartered Bank had the most abundant funds in Hong Kong, even surpassing HSBC in terms of reserves. However, the result was disappointing. Before the Hong Kong government could take any action, John's men had already left. At this time, these people quickly learned about the shocking changes in the United States and Japan.

As a member of an American conglomerate, it's understandable that John is eager to return. Moreover, John has significant investments in Japan, and if Japan suffers suppression from the United States, it will have a considerable impact on John.

"Perhaps this is fate, not giving us the opportunity to cooperate with Standard Chartered Bank. With such a thing happening in the United States and such a major incident in Japan, I'm afraid Standard Chartered Bank will be even less likely to accept the Hong Kong government's proposal. The economy of Hong Kong is not as important as their own interests. Right now, Standard Chartered Bank's funds are their biggest guarantee."

"Yes, all of this happened so suddenly, shattering everyone's hopes. Now we can only watch HSBC's reaction. We can't count on Standard Chartered. The Hong Kong government doesn't have the face to ask them to make sacrifices. That little guy won't care about their reactions. The upheavals in the US and the major events in Japan have forced him to be cautious!"

"This kid has quite a few investments in Japan. His eagerness to return to the US is probably because of those investments. Who would have thought that Japan would do something so crazy that it would shake the entire US!"

Having learned about the situations in the US and Japan, these Hong Kong tycoons sighed and lost all hope in Standard Chartered Bank. As a private bank, their primary concern was ensuring the safety of their own funds, not Hong Kong's. Moreover, the relationship between the Hong Kong government and John was not very friendly, so Standard Chartered would naturally not give them any face.

Upon returning to the United States, John quickly communicated with Morgan to understand the current situation and the actions of those old men. In John's view, these old men were the real trouble; if they continued to incite the White House, the situation would only spiral out of control, significantly impacting him. After returning home, meeting with his parents, and resting briefly, John met with his old friend Jimmy. His appearance was likely not a good sign; it seemed those old men wanted to discuss something with him through Morgan again.

"Jimmy, what brings you here this time? You're not here to be a mouthpiece for those old guys again, are you? Tell me, what do they want to discuss with me this time? I don't know what I can do to help them!"

Upon hearing John's words, Jimmy couldn't help but smile wryly, shaking his head and saying, "John, you're absolutely right. I'm here to talk to you on their behalf. They have some requests and want you to help them negotiate with those guys in Japan. In the US, only you have that kind of ability."

"Alright, don't flatter me. I don't have that kind of power. I know how greedy those old guys are. They've probably made some crazy demands again, otherwise they wouldn't have asked Morgan to step in. I'm not their lobbyist, nor can I help them. I've already given them enough face by getting Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group to assist them. If they want anything else, they're just dreaming. I won't agree to it. You know I have a lot of investments in Japan, and so do you. Don't go too far, or it will only hurt both sides. Those guys in Japan have a crazy side, and I believe the White House doesn't want to see them forced to take that step!"

John's refusal was exactly what Jimmy had expected. At this point, it was impossible for those old guys to get John to do their bidding. John wouldn't do anything without a benefit, not to mention that John had huge investments in Japan. Most importantly, even John understood that the White House wouldn't see this, and neither would the American conglomerates. If things went too far, it wouldn't be good for them either. Besides, Japan was a junior partner of the United States, and you can't just kill your junior partner with one blow. What would others think of the United States if you did that? At least the White House wouldn't do that.

“John, things aren’t as difficult as you think. Those old guys’ demands aren’t unreasonable. They want Toshiba’s semiconductor technology, and as long as Dongguan agrees, this matter can be resolved quickly!”

"Heh, that's really outrageous. Those old guys can negotiate Toshiba's semiconductor technology themselves. It's impossible for me to get involved. Don't think I don't know what they're thinking. It doesn't benefit me at all; it's just a threat to Nvidia. I won't agree, and I'm even less willing to get involved. I don't want to be resented by those Japanese guys and have my investments there affected. Besides, they have no right to ask for my help. If that's why you're here, I can only say no way! Let them negotiate with those Japanese guys themselves. Repeatedly inciting American public discontent against Japan and suppressing them—do you think they're fools, completely oblivious and unresponsive?"

"Isn't it precisely because they understand this that they asked Morgan to talk to you and for you to consult with the Japanese? And do you think these old guys have consulted with the White House?"

"Heh, so what if it's the White House? Let them talk to the Japanese about their own ideas and demands. I have no interest in helping them, and I certainly won't sacrifice my own interests for them. Jimmy, you Morgans have helped these old guys time and time again. I'm starting to wonder if you've already sided with them!"

As soon as John finished speaking, Jimmy's expression changed drastically. He wasn't stupid and naturally understood the meaning behind John's words. Morgan's repeated interventions on behalf of these old guys had already aroused John's dissatisfaction. If this dissatisfaction continued, it would only affect the relationship between Morgan and John, and even their cooperation.

“John, you understand that we are often powerless in many things. We are not as free as you, able to remain unaffected by so many things. We can’t do it. Whether it’s the White House’s demands or the requests of other ‘friends,’ we can’t refuse. Even though Morgan has a large and powerful family, he can’t face too many enemies.” As he said this, a faint bitterness appeared on Jimmy’s face. John’s reaction was beyond his expectations.

"I understand Morgan's predicament, but I also have my own. I have to consider my own interests. I don't want to get involved in this matter, at least I won't help those old guys. Let them talk to Toshiba themselves. You know, my relationship with Toshiba isn't very good. Toshiba is also a potential competitor of Nvidia. If those old guys can defeat Toshiba, that would be the result I hope to see. I have the opportunity to sit back and watch the tigers fight, why should I get involved!"

John's words troubled Jimmy greatly. He understood that John was telling the truth. Many people knew that Toshiba and John did not have a good relationship. Even John's relationship with Mitsui was problematic. If it weren't for Akio Morita and the cooperation with Sony, John might have already had a conflict with Mitsui.

(End of this chapter)