America: My Time

Chapter 649 Cooperation
Chapter 639 Cooperation

Does Western Energy have a high demand for crude oil? Indeed, quite a lot. Europe doesn't have a large demand because its own refining capacity is limited, and because it doesn't have its own oil fields, John hasn't accelerated its development in Europe. He originally wanted to take this opportunity to get involved in the North Sea oil fields, but the British didn't give John that chance. Fortunately, Ireland gave him the opportunity, otherwise John's European plans would have been affected.

Needless to say, Asia also has enormous demand, and China is no exception. Oil is the lifeblood of modern industry, so how could it not need it? It is precisely because of Western Energy's investment that China has no oil shortage. Now Western Energy is accelerating its crude oil reserves, which many people do not understand, but no one stands up to stop it! The leaders still have vision, and Western Energy's crude oil does not require foreign exchange; it is simply a result of bartering.

However, building up its own reserves is a slow process. Even though Russia has ample crude oil reserves, Australia's shipping capacity is limited, and it also needs to consume its own crude oil reserves. This is the biggest problem.

Japan's stockpiling needs to be completed as quickly as possible; otherwise, how could they make a fortune and ruin this company? South Korea's stockpiles are also among the first batch of stocks Western Energy needs to complete. Seeing the continuous flow of crude oil into Western Energy's reserves, it's impossible not to feel envious. However, Japan doesn't have that capability. They also crave such cheap crude oil, but unfortunately, John doesn't sell it externally; everything is for their own use, with the most they get a small discount on steel to meet their needs.

After agreeing on the iron ore price, John opened up the supply of crude steel from Russia to Japan. Although the price was slightly lower, Japan needed a lot, and the yen was appreciating. The yen was a hot commodity in the market at the time, and Australian shipping would naturally not let such a good thing pass by. Since they were going to sell to anyone, why not sell to these guys in Japan to get a bigger profit?

For the whole of Japan, the crude steel supplied by John was just a drop in the ocean. Japan, which was now developing at an unprecedented pace, needed an astonishing amount of steel, and such a supply could also be exchanged for the funds needed by Australian shipping.

"John, it seems you're planning to heavily invest in the petrochemical industry. Are you abandoning mining? Quantum Mining hasn't had any major gains for a long time. Is Quantum Mining short of funds? If so, we can cooperate!"

At this moment, someone couldn't help but probe John's plans in the mining industry, wanting to know about the situation of quantum mining. So much time had passed, and the development of quantum mining had indeed not made any remarkable progress, a world apart from communications.

"Of course, we lack funds. After all, my business is so big now, how could we not lack funds? But for Quantum Mining, there is no need to expand too quickly, otherwise it will impact the price of minerals and affect our own interests!"

When they heard John's words, the Japanese were dumbfounded. They hadn't expected John to answer like that, without any pretense. Japan is now one of the world's largest importers of minerals. Quantum Mining's slowdown in development was to protect ore prices, which was very unfriendly to Japan. However, they had no choice but to remain silent, since no one is willing to give up their interests.

"John, we're interested in acquiring some mines. What are your thoughts?"

"Quantum Mining has no intention of selling any of its mines. We have already cleared out most of our less important mines, which may not be enough to meet your needs. As for world-class mines, we will not sell them."

“John, we don’t want to acquire world-class mines, we just want to acquire the ordinary mines under Quantum Mining, as well as some of the smaller mining companies controlled by Quantum Mining!”

Driven by their thirst for resources, these Japanese companies still made this request. After the major mining giants joined forces to suppress Japan, their mindset changed. They wanted to control their own mines and take control of their own destiny, no longer willing to be controlled by these mining giants.

"Sure, but there's one thing I need to clarify: those small mining companies are only operating small mines, and their assets aren't as extensive as Zhu Xin thinks. If problems arise after the acquisition, it won't be Quantum Mining's fault!"

When John heard that the Japanese wanted to acquire the mines, he saw it as a good opportunity. Those less valuable mines could be sold to raise enough funds for development. Quantum Mining had no intention of acquiring mines with little mining value, which was why they had remained under the control of smaller mining companies. Now that the Japanese were interested, it would be foolish for John not to sell. Unlike other mining companies, Quantum Mining never lacked good development projects, only funds and market access. This was precisely why so many small companies were under Quantum Mining's control—to avoid a sharp drop in ore prices and impact on their own interests. Those less valuable mines used to deceive people were the targets for sale.

These guys in Japan naturally want to acquire Quantum Mining's world-class mines, but that's impossible now. Quantum Mining is no longer in its early stages, where it needs to sell world-class mines to raise funds; it's more about its own expansion and development.

“That’s natural, and we understand that those small mining companies don’t have much capital!”

"That's good. I'll have Quantum Mining provide you with a list of mines and mining companies that are up for sale. If you need anything, you can talk to Quantum Mining. I won't get involved, since I'm not an expert and don't know the details!"

Upon hearing John's words, the Japanese guys couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Not one of them believed John's 'nonsense.' He wasn't a professional; he had studied this field. Besides, if John really didn't know anything, how could quantum mining have emerged and developed so rapidly?

Quantum Mining is now a world-class giant, and no one dares to underestimate its strength. The Japanese are very familiar with John's situation and won't be 'deceived' by him. Especially in iron ore, Quantum Mining controls most of Western Australia's iron ore mines, surpassing BHP and BHP Billiton, although they haven't yet entered mining operations. Not only Australian iron ore, but also Canadian iron ore mines are under Quantum Mining's control.

Many people want to know exactly how many mines Quantum Mining controls, but unfortunately, there are no results. This is because many mining companies are controlled by offshore companies, and unless they actively expose themselves, it is difficult for anyone to know how many mines Quantum Mining actually owns. Moreover, Quantum Mining has changed now, with a portion of its shares held by various offshore companies and some investment companies. This was all preparation that John had made in advance.

It was precisely because of the changes in Quantum Mining's shareholding that those old guys felt uneasy, because it wasn't just Quantum Mining doing this; Western Energy was also undergoing a similar transformation. With the emergence of the banks and investment companies controlled by John, the shareholdings of these companies had changed, and they had all been 'invested' in by these companies.

Transferring assets is something many families have done, and John's actions are understandable. Moreover, John's actions are aboveboard, with various investment companies and funds involved. Gradually, John's own shareholding in these companies has been decreasing, especially after the stock market crash, which was particularly devastating. Before anyone could react, major resource companies such as Quantum Mining and Western Energy had already had huge amounts of shares taken away by the numerous funds and investment companies registered by John. Because these were not publicly listed companies, no one knew the details.

Some have suggested that if Quantum Mining were to be sold, John would quickly establish another mining giant, as many mining giants have developed numerous smaller mining companies that hold considerable exploration and mining rights. Unfortunately, such claims are difficult to verify, as not everyone knows which mining companies John owns.

When the Japanese guys heard that John was willing to sell, their eyes lit up. They were all looking forward to it and eager to know how powerful Quantum Mining was hidden underwater. They wanted to get a feel for Quantum Mining and at least know how powerful its hidden strength was.

Unfortunately, this was destined to disappoint them. John would only offer a small portion, a mere scrap of valuable material. Even if these guys understood a little bit about it, they wouldn't get much more. After all, John had been planning this for a long time, and it was impossible for him to figure it out completely. Most importantly, many mining companies were just trying to hide their mineral resources, blindly probing for minerals without any results. This was the most terrifying situation.

John's cooperation stirred a mix of unease and excitement within the Japanese. Was John truly desperate for money, to the point of needing to sell his mining resources? Otherwise, why would he be so accommodating to their acquisition? This left them bewildered. But the opportunity was right in front of them. If the acquisition was worthwhile and could free Japan from resource constraints, these Japanese wouldn't let it slip by. They no longer wanted to be held hostage by these mining giants! They didn't want to endure the pain of being controlled by others any longer; only mines under their own control were the best, the most suitable for Japan.

(End of this chapter)