America: My Time

Chapter 749 Preparations Before Negotiation
Chapter 739 Preparations Before Negotiations

"One of us?" Morgan didn't think Stillman and DuPont were his own people. They were financial groups, and there were conflicts of interest between them. Faced with interests, these two might betray Morgan at any time. Morgan would only consider them his own people if he were a fool, just as these two never considered Rockefeller one of their own. They were willing to follow Rockefeller in the first place because of the benefits. They made that choice under the temptation of those benefits.

"Let me remind you, do you think you'd believe me even if I spoke up? Don't talk such ridiculous things. Even if I tried to persuade you, it wouldn't make any difference. You'd just think I'm crazy, that I'm trying to sabotage you, that I have ulterior motives. If you can't even see that yourselves, then even if I spoke up, it wouldn't make a difference. Besides, many things about the Bayard family are true. It's true that some people are dissatisfied with John's actions, and some foolish guys are eyeing John. But for the family, they know what they can and cannot do. When facing external enemies, they always stand against them. There's no reason you shouldn't know such a simple principle. The reason you haven't thought about it is because you've been blinded by self-interest."

As soon as Morgan finished speaking, DuPont and Stillman both sighed. This was the truth, and there was no need for them to hide it. Since they wanted to sit down and discuss countermeasures, there was no need to do something so foolish.

“That’s true. If you had tried to persuade us at the beginning, we wouldn’t have believed it. After all, no one would have thought that in less than ten years, John, this little fox, would have developed so quickly, and all of these were things we initially looked down on, yet they generated unimaginable profits. Games and entertainment are where John’s fortune began, and they were things we all ignored. Even those big-time capitalists only focused on media, not entertainment. No one expected that John would get to this point by relying on entertainment.”

"That's absolutely true. Even though we valued John highly back then, we never imagined they would rise to such heights with just a little help from us. It wasn't that we underestimated him; he was simply too extraordinary. By the time we realized it, it was too late. From the very beginning, this little fox, John, was always on guard against us. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen Japan as the center of his Asian investments and then steadily climbed to where he is now. Who could have imagined that he could dominate the British in Hong Kong, acquire Standard Chartered Bank, or that he would become unstoppable in the semiconductor industry? Who could have imagined that Bell Labs, which we all looked down on and were unwilling to take over, would end up in his hands?" To unleash such astonishing power? To be an enemy of such a monster is tantamount to persecuting one's own descendants. I don't believe any of Morgan's descendants can directly confront John, or even any of our next generation can stand up to this little fox. No matter how the situation develops, Morgan will choose to stand by John's side, because even if he falls, he can rise again. He has that kind of strength, and I don't believe anyone can prevent John from making a comeback. Now he has completed his global expansion. Even if we can suppress or even restrain his power in the United States, can we suppress his global power? We can't!

At this point, Morgan sighed, a slight change flashing in his eyes. He shook his head and said, "Alright, let's get back to the point. Regarding John's previous actions, regarding the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, have you two decided to stand with Morgan and resolutely side with John? You can still back out now, but once we all sit down together the day after tomorrow, there will be no chance to back out!"

"Don't worry, we won't change our minds, and we don't believe those guys' schemes. John might agree to their demands at Global Online Network Company, but any further demands are impossible. Nobody wants to go head-to-head with John in finance, and we're no exception. His financial legend isn't just empty talk; it's something he truly earned. Just like you said, nobody understands Japan better than John!"

When Morgan saw that neither DuPont nor Stillman had backed down, he breathed a sigh of relief. If only Morgan's side had stood with John, it would have been a huge pressure for him, as he would have to face pressure from other American financial groups, even if some of them didn't speak up or make any statements. But Rockefeller's group had the advantage in personnel, so he was relieved that he didn't have such worries, and things hadn't developed in the worst possible way.

In California, after arranging things there, John breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't worried at all; instead, he looked calm and relaxed, without any pressure. He had already made all the necessary preparations, and whatever those guys thought wouldn't affect his decision. Even if they really wanted to have a financial showdown with him, John wasn't afraid.

"John, when are you going to let Naoko bring the child back from Lanai? Isn't it a bit inappropriate for them to stay on Lanai to recuperate?" John's mother was a little worried that Naoko and Martin hadn't returned to California. After all, staying on Lanai had made her, as a grandmother, a little anxious, and she was also looking forward to holding her grandson.

“No rush. Let me talk to those old guys before making a decision. It wouldn’t be good to bring Naoko and Martin back right now. California is still a bit chaotic, not to mention San Francisco!” John’s words were soft, but they sounded heavy to his mother Anna. Smith also frowned. “John, you’ve been increasing security personnel all this time. Are you going to have a fight with those people? Has things really come to this point, to the point where a peaceful resolution is impossible?” Smith couldn’t help but ask. Although he had always known that John’s conflicts with Wall Street were ongoing, and that someone had been using underhanded tactics, he hadn’t expected things to develop to this point, to escalate to this state.

John didn't want Naoko and Martin to return to California; he was preparing for the worst, guarding against someone sabotaging them. This worried Smith. If things really went to this worst, things could spiral out of control, even shaking the entire United States. That would truly be a disaster.

"I don't want to see this happen either, but it's not up to me. I've been yielding and compromising, giving those guys face, even proactively helping them solve problems in the game world. But all I've gotten in return is their greed and madness. Since they're unwilling to coexist peacefully, then we have no choice but to fight. If the negotiations the day after tomorrow don't yield results, the worst-case scenario might occur. Don't worry, I've made arrangements here, and there are no problems in New York. The old man in the family has already made preparations, and I believe the White House will too. In the worst-case scenario, the one who suffers will not be me, but those greedy guys. Rules cannot be challenged. If they dare to trample on the rules, they will be attacked by all those who benefit from the rules, even if they are large conglomerates. Of course, this is just the worst-case scenario. The White House shouldn't let this happen, but I can't afford not to prepare!"

Smith could sense the murderous intent in John's words and understood that John had truly reached his limit of patience. The fact that John had made all the necessary preparations showed how long he had been preparing for this day. At this moment, Smith did not want to interfere with John's decision because he knew he could not do so, as that would only ruin John's plan.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. This time, Morgan personally invited me, and he will make the arrangements. Besides, I'm not alone; I represent the emerging forces. Don't be fooled by the arrogance of those old guys; the emerging technological forces will still choose to stand by my side, and so will Morgan. If I fall, who will be next? What will those protected by the rules think? What will the White House think? Old Bush is not like Legan."

John's confidence relieved Smith. Since Morgan was involved, there shouldn't be any major problems. Moreover, things were as John said: the rules don't allow for provocation, and whoever breaks the rules will suffer the consequences. John had already backed down and given them enough face, which everyone knew, including the White House. If those guys continued, they would have to bear the consequences.

Of course, although John spoke calmly, he was in fact extremely cautious. Jaguar Security had prepared for the worst; if anything went wrong, it would be a frenzied counterattack, a terrifying attack. At this moment, the helicopters that were supposed to be delivered to the Middle Eastern tycoons, and the GPS system that was being tested, were keeping a close eye on those old guys. If any danger arose, a frenzied crisis would erupt.

The White House and Morgan were fully aware of the immense power John wielded, but Rockefeller and his associates might not have fully grasped it. After all, John had always been wary of them, and with a single order from him, those involved in targeting him would suffer a devastating attack. They were being monitored by satellites, albeit with limited precision, but John had a general grasp of their movements. He could deliver a fatal blow at any moment, giving them no chance to retaliate. John had ample justification, and no one could object.

(End of this chapter)