America: My Time

Chapter 66 Counterattack
Chapter Sixty-Six Counterattack

When John stood up, Sir Michael Sandberg's expression changed. He had thought that John was young and impetuous and would fight back at all costs when he was blocked time and time again, and would participate in the bidding with a lot of money. However, he did not expect that the other party would choose to give way and leave directly before the last item was finished, without giving HSBC, the organizer, any face.

It was also because Sir Michael Sandberg had been in Hong Kong for too long and HSBC had been in a monopoly for too long that he had become arrogant and thought that everything was under his control. He never expected that his probing move would turn out like this, with the other party showing no respect for him or HSBC.

Sir Michael Sandberg forgot that face is a two-way street. Since he didn't give John any face, why should John give him any? Since HSBC had gone too far and given John such a show of force, John naturally had to respond. All of this was HSBC's own doing; they were the ones who made the 'irrational' move first, which led to this 'accident'.

HSBC can suppress Pacific Investment, no one will object, but you can't do such a thing at your own charity gala. This crosses the line. Even if this is Hong Kong, HSBC's home turf, it shouldn't be so rude!

John paid no attention to the stares of those around him and was about to leave with Ye Qianwen. Everyone around was shocked by his reaction. They had never encountered anyone who dared to show such disrespect to HSBC before.

"Mr. John is leaving?" Upon seeing John preparing to leave, Sir Michael Sandberg, as the host of the party, still had to step forward. However, he was now in a very passive position. His invited guest had been angered by HSBC's behavior and left early, which had a significant impact on HSBC. All of this was caused by his own arrogance and overconfidence, underestimating John's wisdom and decisiveness.

"I've learned a lot about HSBC's hospitality today. Since HSBC doesn't welcome us, why deceive ourselves?" John wouldn't show weakness at this moment, nor was it necessary. If he showed weakness now, it would only make people look down on him. Moreover, HSBC wasn't worth his concessions. If he couldn't even withstand HSBC, what right did he have to face those old guys in the United States?

Seeing the faint sneer on John's face, Shen Bi was furious, but he couldn't lash out. He was the one who caused all of this, and it was too late to back down now. His momentary carelessness had led to an unexpected defeat, which was the consequence of underestimating his opponent.

Youth doesn't necessarily equate to arrogance. Misjudging someone can lead to this outcome, and failing in the initial show of force means facing the pressure and bearing the consequences. The conflict between HSBC, Phoenix Group, and Pacific Investment is now out in the open, with neither side having a way out.

"What courage! Daring to confront Sir Michael Sandberg and slap HSBC in the face. Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. HSBC has lost face big time this time, and Sir Michael Sandberg is also in a difficult position to salvage the situation. This charity gala has become a joke, and I'm afraid many people will have to be more cautious in the future!"

"This has nothing to do with us. They are all foreigners. Who wins or loses is none of our business. However, this is Hong Kong, HSBC's home turf. It would be unwise to confront HSBC under these circumstances. This young man is still a bit impetuous. Taking a step back would be much better. There is no need to humiliate HSBC like this!"

"That's not how it works. Although this is Hong Kong, HSBC's home turf, we shouldn't go to extremes and leave them no face. Suppression isn't wrong, but it can't be excessive. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this situation. Besides, the other party has an American background, so there's no need for us to be afraid of HSBC!"

Different people have different opinions, and different positions lead to different choices. Not everyone at the party was optimistic about HSBC, but most people were unwilling to get involved in this conflict.

Although he had a thousand words in his heart, Shen Bi was speechless, because he knew that no matter what he said, it would be useless; no one would believe him. A mistake was a mistake, and there had to be a price to pay. Although his plan had failed this time, Shen Bi did not believe that HSBC could not handle a young upstart like John.

Shambaugh forgot one thing: HSBC is not his personal HSBC. He is just the taipan of HSBC. Once the conflict between the two parties affects the interests of HSBC, he, as the taipan, may be dismissed by the board of directors at any time. Even if the directors have their reasons, he will become the scapegoat!

Sir Michael Sandberg understood that the more he continued to argue with the other party, the greater the impact on HSBC would be. After all, his every move was being watched by everyone at the party, so it was best to end this 'farce' as soon as possible. Continuing to make trouble would only cause HSBC to suffer greater losses.

If HSBC can take such ruthless actions against John and Pacific Investments today, it will likely target everyone else present tomorrow. This forces many Hong Kong tycoons to reconsider, and no one stands up to plead for HSBC or give Sir Michael Sandberg a way out. This is a confrontation between the two sides, and none of the Hong Kong tycoons want to get involved. Amidst everyone's astonishment, John, along with Ye Qianwen and the Phoenix Group, left the charity gala with such nonchalance, completely oblivious to the stares and thoughts of the crowd.

"Boss, HSBC is too arrogant. They don't even care about the most basic etiquette in order to suppress Pacific Investment. We don't need to give them any more face. We can't touch HSBC, but we can teach other British companies a lesson!"

"There's no need, at least not now. Since they dared to do this, they must have made full preparations. This battle has only just begun. We don't need to fuss over them now. We'll have plenty of time to deal with these bastards later. Let them have their fun for now."

“Sunset Glow, Pacific Investment is off-limits, but Phoenix Group is different. The TV station can take action and keep an eye on those bastards. If they have any problems, report on them. The same goes for this party. Since they dare to go to such extremes, we can also report on their true colors and let other outsiders see what HSBC is really like.”

"Boss, there's no problem with the TV station. My concern is that other newspapers might get involved. After all, this is Hong Kong, HSBC's home turf, and many newspapers are controlled by HSBC!"

"So what? If anyone dares to get involved, let them do it. We can take this opportunity to see who our friends are and who our enemies are. Even if the entire Hong Kong newspaper industry gets involved, we are not afraid. If they want to fight, we will fight them. Phoenix Group is not just in Hong Kong, but spans Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. It is a multinational corporation. What right do they have to be our enemy!"

In the media, John didn't think he needed to care about other peers in Hong Kong, and naturally he didn't care about HSBC. He believed that without Hong Kong, HSBC was nothing.

"Sunset Glow, if those bastards dare to get involved in our battle with HSBC, then poach their people! I'd like to see who dares to oppose us! Phoenix Group is short of talent; if someone is willing to give us a chance, why should we refuse!"

Phoenix Group needs a large pool of talent to expand, and it would be ideal to seize these resources from its competitors. If anyone is truly ignorant of their place and dares to participate in this struggle, they will naturally be the best target.

"Boss, I'm afraid these people won't give us this opportunity. Even if we want to poach people, we won't get a response, after all, HSBC is behind these newspapers!"

HSBC's influence in Hong Kong is undeniable. Now, Phoenix Group is clearly not on the same side as HSBC. Under these circumstances, it is uncertain how many people will be willing to join Phoenix Group. Huang Xizhao's concerns are not without merit!
"Then let's start by expanding into television stations and film studios, strengthening their power. At least in this respect, no one is willing to be our enemy, as we control a huge cinema chain!" Phoenix Pictures, which owns cinema chains, does indeed have a huge advantage in the film industry, something that many Hong Kong film studios cannot achieve.

After a charity gala, many people in Hong Kong wanted to see HSBC make a fool of itself and witness a conflict between the two sides. However, they were wrong. John had no time to waste on a conflict with HSBC. Although he retaliated, he did not confront HSBC in its most familiar financial field. Instead, he chose the media and used its power to target HSBC and the companies that tried to obstruct John.

Although the charity gala didn't cause a major uproar, John's assertive response showed many people the confidence of this outsider, who could even disregard HSBC. This forced many Hong Kong tycoons to re-examine this American-born newcomer.

To dare to confront HSBC in Hong Kong, one must possess immense strength and resources; otherwise, such 'arrogance' would be unthinkable! Indeed, in the eyes of many Hong Kong tycoons, John's counterattack was too 'arrogant.' After all, Hong Kong is HSBC's home turf, and confronting them there would be somewhat irrational and impulsive.

(End of this chapter)