America: My Time

Chapter 745 The action begins

Chapter 735 The Operation Begins

“Interesting, very interesting indeed. It seems those old guys Rockefeller have come up with new ideas. But that’s fine too. If the White House really chooses to give up, it will be very beneficial for Global Online Network Company. We don’t have to worry about these guys interfering with the company’s development anymore. After all, they were given opportunities before, but they gave them up themselves.” After his conversation with Morgan and Rockefeller, a sharp glint appeared in John’s eyes.

John wasn't concerned about the Global Online Network Company's affairs; what mattered was the White House's decision, and the fact that those old guys wanted to sit down and talk with him. Moreover, Morgan's words touched upon the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, which forced John to take it seriously. Although the longer it dragged on, the better for him, he didn't want a desperate situation to arise. Since Morgan and Rockefeller were willing to step in and resolve the issue, he was willing to accept it.

Time was drawing ever closer, and John felt that it was time to begin his preparations in Japan. After all, Japan had already become aware of the situation and started to react, so he needed to speed up his preparations as well. He couldn't wait for those old guys to make their move before he acted, because then he would have no advantage.

It's often said that Japan's bubble economy was caused by the Plaza Accord, which cost Japan ten or twenty years. But things aren't that simple. At least John doesn't see it that way. Judging from Japan's current reaction, these guys have realized the problem and are actively making changes. It's just that there's a kind of madness in the Japanese. They've chosen a hard landing, not a soft landing. They want to solve their problems directly with a swift and decisive approach.

This can be seen from the changes in Japan. At the end of May this year, Japan raised its discount rate from 2.5% to 3.25%, and plans to increase it to 6% within a year, while simultaneously restricting lending to real estate. This was already a signal, but the Japanese people didn't seem to care. It can only be said that they've gone mad, blinded by the myths of the stock market and the housing market. Of course, some people have also been pushing this forward, but the housing market situation is no longer relevant to John. He now owns very little real estate in Japan, only a small amount for his own use, and he can no longer see any real estate in his possession.

Now that the false prosperity is about to collapse, John naturally has to take action. Morgan and Rockefeller want to sit down and talk with him to resolve the issue of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, but they probably want to target Japan more. Those madmen on Wall Street have probably already set their sights on Japan.

Thinking of this, John picked up the phone to notify Jaguar Security to launch the operation. Time was running out; soon, the Japanese stock would plummet, and Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment should be entering the market, as should the Japanese investment companies. For safety's sake, John decided to let the security company handle everything. Standard Chartered Bank, Hurricane Investment, and his own investment company in Japan all had informants, and a slight mishap could expose their actions.

"Action! Follow the boss's instructions and begin taking over security for the three companies. Safe houses open. All operators must hand over all communication devices and are prohibited from contacting the outside world!" With John's order, Jaguar Security Company sprang into action, taking over all security work as quickly as possible. The operators who had been pre-arranged began to enter the safe houses.

When Jaguar Security Company took action, and when the operators entered the safe house, the old guys who had been watching John closely quickly noticed. This change made them all frown and feel uneasy. The talks hadn't even started, and John's side had already begun their operation—what was going on?

“Morgan, what exactly is going on? Why did John suddenly take action? What is he trying to do? It’s not just Hurricane Investments that’s taking action now; all the branches of Standard Chartered Bank are taking action, as are his investment companies in Japan. Now, all the traders at Standard Chartered Bank’s branches have entered safe houses. I want to know what exactly happened.”

When Morgan heard Rockefeller's words, he smiled calmly and said, "You were there when I was on the phone with John. You asked me what happened. Who should I ask? Do you think John would tell me such a secret? Those guys on Wall Street think John has fallen from grace and is no longer worth mentioning, so why are they so nervous? Weren't they all so arrogant before? Why are they scared now? I have no way of knowing what John is doing! I know you want me to ask him again, but I can't bring myself to do it. Let's talk about it when John gets to New York."

"Morgan, this isn't just about you alone. It concerns everyone's interests, the interests of Wall Street. We need to unite; only then can we achieve final victory!"

"Heh, your unity has nothing to do with me. Besides, those guys all think they're so great, do they need me, Morgan? In this situation, do you think it'll do any good for me to speak up? You wouldn't tell your secrets to others, would you? Don't play these petty tricks, it's completely useless. What you think is your own business, I won't get involved, and I certainly won't ask John. Alright, that's it. I still need to arrange the venue, otherwise, if any problems arise, I'll be the one to take responsibility." Morgan didn't say anything more to Rockefeller and hung up the phone directly. However, he wasn't as calm as he appeared on the phone; his expression had become unusually serious. He hadn't expected John to make such an arrangement so suddenly.

"Jimmy, do you have any news? What's that little fox John up to? Why didn't we get a word of it before? How did they manage to keep it from us?" Morgan asked his most loyal subordinate, who was in charge of gathering information about John and was the one in Morgan who knew John best.

"Boss, we hadn't received any information before. Those guys were quite lax a moment ago, but everything changed when Jaguar Security took over our security services. The safe house opened, the operators were in place, and everything was completed in a short time. By the time we realized it, it was already over. Although I don't want to admit it, John's control over these personnel is really impressive. Not a single person had any problems, and they all entered the safe house on time. The experts' analysis is that he's going to make a move on Japan. This guy is ready and is about to act."

“Even without those experts’ analysis, I knew John was going to take action against Japan, but I want to know what his plan is. We haven’t made a decision yet, and this guy is going to strike ahead of time. What did he see? What are we overlooking? That’s the key point, but those guys haven’t given us a single explanation!”

This situation wasn't limited to Morgan Stanley; it was playing out across Wall Street. There are no secrets on Wall Street. When Hurricane Investments took action, those guys already knew. Unfortunately, they couldn't lock down the other party's accounts. John had been laying the groundwork and arranging all of this since the beginning of the year, and this wasn't just happening in the United States, but globally.

Standard Chartered Bank has a well-established presence in Asia and Europe, so it is fully engaged in operations. Hurricane Investment is not just limited to the United States; its branches in the UK and Europe are also active. Their actions can be described as a ripple effect that affects the whole organization.

"Boss, should we follow suit? Although John has opened the safe house, we can all understand his actions. He must be shorting Japan. We just don't know what he's targeting. Is it the Nikkei or the yen?"

"Watch the market movements. John's every move will inevitably cause a market shift. If we do nothing now, it's not just Morgan who's watching this little fox, John. Do you think John wouldn't think of what we can think of? Don't be fooled by the nonsense on Wall Street. Even though those guys are belittling John and trying to bring him down from his financial myth, many of them will follow suit. It's better to remain still than to act rashly. Rockefeller and his group haven't made a move yet, so why should we rush in?"

Morgan's instincts told him that John was up to something, that those who wanted to make money by following him were unlikely to succeed. It would be too suspicious if John hadn't made any preparations; better safe than sorry. For such a large-scale operation, Morgan would rather earn less than act rashly before things were clear.

For small firms on Wall Street, it's easy to turn around, but for a behemoth like Morgan, it's much more difficult. A wrong choice could lead to staggering losses. At times like these, caution is paramount; there can be no carelessness or recklessness. Most importantly, John will be in New York in a few days, allowing them to sit down and discuss things. There's no need to rush into action and plunge into crisis.

Seeing his boss's cautious expression, Jimmy couldn't help but sigh. Could he be so calm if he were in the boss's position? The answer was no, because this involved huge sums of money and profits. Under the temptation of profits, he would not be able to resist getting involved and fighting for them, rather than facing everything so calmly. This was also the true thought of many of his Wall Street colleagues. Not everyone could face everything calmly.

(End of this chapter)