America: My Time

Chapter 573 Wind Direction
Chapter 563 Wind Direction

What kind of relationship is the strongest? The bond of interests. Faced with such a financial offensive from Middle Eastern tycoons, who can resist? So, in the media, they naturally won't smear the lives of the tycoons like others. Moreover, they also get everything they want in the cooperation, which is a win-win result.

Although time was tight, John stayed in Riyadh a few more days. After all, it was important to save face for the wealthy patron; only in this way could more cooperation be secured. Otherwise, how could the Forever Group have developed so rapidly, and how could those haute couture garments have become so popular in the Middle East? It was all a matter of tacit understanding. During this time, John and the patron had a discussion about training and security arrangements, and both left satisfied.
Social interactions are unavoidable. The US military industry was completely baffled by Gulfstream Aerospace's actions, while John was constantly building relationships and cultivating connections with these wealthy individuals, until he had exhausted all his connections. This left many people dumbfounded, wondering what John was doing.

In the eyes of Americans, Middle Eastern tycoons are just a group of natives, and there is no need to give them face. But John is completely different from them. He takes care of these tycoons' face and gives them the utmost respect. Naturally, he can gain their recognition and tacit cooperation, allowing his company's products to expand rapidly in the tycoon's country.

Next stop, Hong Kong. The Hong Kong stock market is far from calm these days. Although the market rescue has begun, confidence in the market remains weak, and the market is depressed. During the entire stock market crash, Standard Chartered Bank has performed the best, holding a large amount of funds and frantically buying up shares at rock-bottom prices. A large portion of the shares of major Hong Kong companies have fallen into Standard Chartered Bank's hands, giving everyone a feeling of "the wolf is coming."

John had nothing to report in Hong Kong. Standard Chartered Bank had done an excellent job, exceeding its targets. He was only there to distribute bonuses; he couldn't let those who had worked so hard for Standard Chartered go unrewarded. As for the stock market crash, that was long over. The Hong Kong government had already responded, and it wasn't John's place to discuss countermeasures.

"Tianfan, our next step is to consolidate our position and focus our efforts on expansion in Asia and Europe. I believe there are many banks worth our attention after this stock market crash. We can acquire them and complete our comprehensive layout in Asia and Europe. This is our core business and we cannot afford to lose it. For a long time, we will not make any major moves. Standard Chartered Bank only needs to proceed steadily and not be reckless. We also need to do a good job in regulatory work and avoid any problems."

Hearing John's words, Yuan Tianfan nodded in agreement. This time, with careful preparation, Standard Chartered Bank's revenue was astonishing, and the stocks they bought at the bottom all had potential. It could be said that with the full cooperation of the security company, the entire power of Standard Chartered Bank was mobilized, perfectly realizing John's plan and getting everything they wanted.

Previously, I had only heard about how powerful the boss was, but this collaboration between Standard Chartered Bank and the security company demonstrates the strength of this force; it's no ordinary force.

"I understand. Will the banks continue to tighten monetary policy?"

"No need. The stock market crash is over. Now we just need to develop steadily. Everything will return to normal, and you can make the decisions. However, you need to be careful about your personal safety. The situation in Hong Kong has changed. The British have ill intentions, and the problems in Hong Kong are quite serious. Don't be careless; you only have one life!"

Upon hearing John's words, Yuan Tianfan nodded thoughtfully. Hong Kong had indeed changed and become chaotic. Personal safety was a serious concern. A wise person avoids dangerous situations, and no one wanted to risk their life.

Unfortunately, the changes in Hong Kong have not attracted the attention of those bigwigs. If they had, there would not have been those kidnappings later on. Now, even if I try to persuade them, they will not take it seriously and will just smile indifferently.

While John and Yuan Tianfan discussed Standard Chartered Bank's development, many Hong Kong tycoons were also forming small groups to discuss the stock market crash, particularly the fact that Standard Chartered Bank had bought up their company's shares at rock-bottom prices. Fortunately, Standard Chartered Bank didn't intend to control these companies; they stopped acquiring around 10%. If Standard Chartered Bank had gone all out, many of those present might have lost control of their companies.

With its abundant capital, this is the impression Hong Kong tycoons have of Standard Chartered Bank. After John's acquisition, many thought Standard Chartered would decline, but now it's the most financially powerful bank in Hong Kong; even HSBC wouldn't dare claim its funds are stronger. Hong Kong isn't large, so John's arrival didn't escape the notice of those who were interested. A little inquiry was all it took to find out about this Wall Street behemoth. Indeed, in the eyes of Hong Kong people, John is already a Wall Street giant, his influence no less than that of the top ten banks. What frightens everyone most is this young man's dazzling track record; he either doesn't act at all, or when he does, it's devastating. The recent stock market crash was no exception; Standard Chartered, having prepared, reaped enormous profits.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, after arranging things at Standard Chartered Bank with Yuan Tianfan, John and his companion paid a visit to Mr. Fok. Respect was bestowed upon him, and John, having been so courteous in his visit, naturally needed to reciprocate, demonstrating the proper demeanor of a host. Moreover, this foreigner, though young, was remarkably shrewd. He had won several confrontations with the British, and most importantly, this young man commanded respect.

Wall Street crocodiles are incredibly ruthless, and very few people can achieve fame and legendary status in the financial markets. But this foreigner has done just that, becoming one of the Wall Street crocodiles at a young age, and his every move can influence the US stock market.

After exchanging pleasantries, the conversation naturally turned to the current state of the Hong Kong market. The Hang Seng Index is performing poorly; in fact, it's arguably the worst in the world. The Hong Kong stock market has reached a point where everyone is terrified.

The topic of the stock market naturally brought up Standard Chartered's bargain-hunting activities. John smiled calmly and said, "I came here specifically for this reason. I'm just investing, and I've almost reached my holding limit. Any further increases would cause a lot of anxiety. I'm not doing short-term holdings; I'm a long-term investor. Originally, I wanted Standard Chartered to issue a statement, but then I thought that wouldn't be appropriate. I'd rather take this opportunity to discuss it. If anyone is concerned, we can arrange a time to have tea and chat. It's all up to you!"

It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried, after all, John always acted swiftly and decisively, and by the time you realized it, it was too late. However, Old Huo was still very happy to see John's statement. As for whether this foreigner John might be deceiving him, Old Huo trusted his own eyes. Besides, at their current level, no one took their words lightly, and John was no exception.

Of course, Mr. Huo was well aware of John's situation. This guy wasn't just a Wall Street crocodile; he was a true industrialist with numerous companies and substantial assets in Hong Kong. He wasn't the kind of person who would make a quick buck and run. If the Hong Kong market was affected, John would also suffer considerable losses. The largest real estate developer in Hong Kong was the Mandarin Oriental Group!
The Mandarin Oriental Group was also affected by the stock market crash, but the problem was not serious. The Mandarin Oriental Group is now a multinational conglomerate with huge assets. The Hong Kong people are aware of the group's expansion in the United States. The fact that it can raise such a large amount of funds to expand at this time shows how strong the Mandarin Oriental Group's foundation is.

Although Mandarin Oriental Group's expansion in Hong Kong has halted, its global expansion continues unabated, showing no signs of slowing down due to the stock market crash. Unfortunately, the group is not a publicly listed company. While some have tried to persuade it to go public, they have received no response; in short, they have no shortage of funds and are not afraid of competition.

"That guy went to visit the Huo family again, completely disregarding us!"

"There's nothing we can do right now. This guy is just too powerful. Standard Chartered's reserves have surpassed HSBC's. And we can't afford to mess with him now. Let's wait until the stock market crash is over. Besides, we can't push the blame for the crash onto London. We have to find a way to take responsibility ourselves. Going head-on with him right now is not a good idea. After all, he's a crocodile on Wall Street!"

"Sigh, we need to find a solution to this problem as soon as possible. The Hong Kong issue can't be delayed any longer, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to our superiors. We need to get everything settled quickly and avoid any problems!"

The Hong Kong government officials were all frantically moving around. These guys were no saints; they knew everything John did in Hong Kong. They hated someone who didn't give the government face, yet they were powerless against him. And now they had an even bigger headache: how to resolve the issue of their poor decisions during the stock market crash and find a scapegoat. In short, the fault wasn't with Britain, but with Hong Kong itself; not with the Hong Kong government, but with the Hong Kong stock market itself. As for who to find a scapegoat, these damned British had already identified their target; they just needed a little more time to brand them with a bad name! After all, this was the proper procedure, and there couldn't be the slightest mistake, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to provide a satisfactory explanation to the people of Hong Kong. In short, none of this was their fault.

(End of this chapter)