America: My Time

Chapter 688 The Dawn of the Internet Age

Chapter 678 The Dawn of the Internet Age

"Another year has passed, and I'm afraid this year won't be peaceful. Some guys have their eyes on me again. I don't know if they're just bored or if there's some other reason, but they insist on keeping an eye on me!" John shook his head as he read some of the reports in the newspaper. Although many of them were about his personal life and who the women around him were, John instinctively felt that these guys were targeting his overseas investments, always bringing up his investments in Europe.

“John, this is normal. You don’t think the confrontation with the British is over, do you? Although they have bowed their heads and admitted defeat, there will always be people who are unwilling to accept it. They can’t fight you head-on, but they can do it with these little tricks. You’ve transferred most of the investment. How can the British accept that?”

"I know, but these guys are so annoying. We finally managed to get those oil tycoons to behave themselves, and now these guys are starting to cause trouble again. If I wasn't worried about causing unnecessary trouble, I would really like to teach these guys a lesson and show them what a lesson is. They've already failed, but they still insist on being as disgusting as mad dogs!"

"This is their retaliation. You caused them considerable losses this time, so they need to vent their frustrations. These guys are all very arrogant, and some of their accusations aren't entirely unfounded. The Mandarin Oriental Group's shopping mall in San Francisco did a good job, and their strict earthquake requirements are just making them a laughingstock." Smith smiled calmly at John, clearly understanding the British mentality.

"They suffered losses, but my losses were even greater. How much did Gulfstream Aerospace lose? How much did Bentley Motors lose? How much did the semiconductor industry lose? All of this was caused by the British. If it weren't for Old Man Bush's sake, this matter wouldn't have ended like this. However, these guys better not let me get the chance, or they'll have their day. But I don't think there's anything wrong with what happened at the San Francisco shopping mall. After all, it's an earthquake zone, so being extra careful is always the right thing to do."

“You know, safety is indeed very important, but you’re being a little too tense. I know you’ve been studying geology and have your own opinions, but your opinions and your every move affect a lot of people, which is not what the White House wants to see, nor is it what the California public wants to accept.”

“I know, but the truth is only in the hands of a few. I think my thinking is right. Money can be earned back, but life is only once. Safety issues cannot be taken lightly, which is why I have always had strict standards for my properties. I don’t care what those guys think or how they see me. Those guys think I’m crazy, but in my eyes they are the fools.”

"Alright, let's not talk about these things anymore. What are your plans for the future?"

"I don't have too many ideas yet. I'd better play it safe for now. After all, the conflict with Britain has caused us a lot of losses. Some people might have some inappropriate thoughts. Once things have calmed down, I'll go to China to make a new round of investments. Compared to the British's cunning and treacherous ways, investing in China is safer and preserves its value better. At least I've never been affected in the slightest, unlike the British who are always up to something! It's ridiculous that during the negotiations with Bentley, they even wanted Bentley to acquire another British truck company. They really don't know what's good for them. If it weren't for the White House, there wouldn't have been any negotiations at all. They would have just withdrawn from Britain completely."

John had witnessed the shamelessness of the British firsthand, which strengthened his resolve to invest in China. Funds withdrawn from Japan would be channeled into China, and Europe wouldn't participate in much investment for a long time, especially in manufacturing. These guys made John uneasy. He wondered how the British would react if he dealt them another blow during the pound crisis, and what tricks they might pull.

"It's best to slow down. You're making too much of a splash right now, which isn't a good thing. It's better to keep a low profile. As for these gossip stories, don't worry about them. Just be careful with the family, at least don't make things difficult for your grandfather."

"I will, but the outcome won't be what we want. There are always some people who can't see the situation clearly and always think they can get more benefits!" John wasn't unaware of the true situation with his family. Despite receiving considerable assistance from him, they remained incredibly greedy, always wanting more. Without the help of the two major media groups, his family wouldn't be in this state now.

With the situation in the US stabilizing, and after completing acquisitions there—including Pepsi and several restaurant brands—many noticed John's increasing investment in the US. At this point, further hyping up John's overseas investments was pointless and would only backfire. However, John wasn't about to stop there. Soon, news spread that he was going to China to investigate new investment opportunities. This wasn't an enemy tactic; John intentionally leaked the information to those guys to see who would jump in. Unfortunately, the result surprised John: those guys all became more cautious, as if they sensed danger.

With the completion of the submarine communication fiber optic cable, Global Online's prospects are even more promising. Its professional services have shown financial institutions boundless potential, and they have to admit that this new technology is powerful, revealing to many the limitless future of Global Online and the immense size of the global market. While currently sharing patents, ASUS is soaring to new heights, with massive orders shocking the entire computer industry. Universities and colleges need to upgrade their systems to keep up with the times, and these incredible orders have made many envious. However, these companies must first digest the shared patents and develop their own operating and network systems, or they will have to accept the software from the dream world entirely.

ASUS directly captured the high-end personal computer market, causing Nvidia's market value to skyrocket, and the same was true for Dream World. When the Internet era arrived, everyone saw a whole new world, but now everything was in the hands of Global Online, Bell Labs, and Dream World. Although the Europeans had long anticipated the significant impact of the completion of submarine communication cables, they now realized they had underestimated this change.

Whether you use their network system or their personal computer, you'll fall behind your American counterparts, especially in the financial industry. Without Global Online's services, you won't get the information you need immediately, and you won't be able to make the right decisions in a timely manner. Although Global Online's service fees are exorbitant, they happily accept them.

When Global Online completed its global layout, the Europeans realized that they had no chance at all. It was not impossible for them to create their own network system, but there was no market for it. At least it was not as powerful and complete as Dream World and Bell Labs, let alone building the global submarine communication fiber optic cable on their own.

While ASUS personal computers were booming globally, they didn't sell very well in Japan because Japan had its own computer industry. This time, the Japanese were even more excited, feeling that the market had great potential. However, they didn't realize that their good times were numbered and that a crisis was creeping closer to them.

Nowadays, it's impossible for Japan to compete with ASUS on price. Their costs are higher than Taiwan's, so Japan is no match for ASUS in this competition. Apart from memory chips, Japan controls all the components of its personal computers, which is a testament to its strength.

At this point, Morgan looked back at John's offer for Global Online and realized it wasn't expensive at all, but rather undervalued. Morgan sighed at the sheer size of the company. Although the internet was still in its early stages, everyone could see its enormous potential.

"Jimmy, do you think I was too cautious back then? If I had agreed to John's offer at that time, would I have gotten some shares earlier?"

"That's unlikely. Back then, John clearly didn't want to sell his shares. Even if you accepted John's offer, he would have all sorts of reasons to refuse. Only when Global Online completes their layout will all this be possible. Perhaps John's plan is right. He believes that personal computer games have great potential. Look at ASUS's explosive growth now, and you'll know how terrifying that potential is. And this is just the beginning; it will get even crazier next." At this moment, Jimmy was trying to save face for his boss, while also expressing a hint of worry about the gaming world.

"Perhaps we should talk to John about the spin-off and listing of Global Online. Such a huge market will attract more people. I wonder what the situation is like for the Europeans now. Do they have the ability to develop their own network system? And those bastards at IBM, do they have any other ideas? Now Dreamworld's servers have surpassed theirs, and Dreamworld is now the industry leader. Apple is not doing well either. It can be said that the entire Silicon Valley is in a difficult situation. Only Dreamworld and Nvidia have soared to new heights. It has to be admitted that in this field, it is difficult for anyone to compete with John, this little fox. At least their vision is far superior!"

(End of this chapter)