America: My Time

Chapter 762 The human heart is not enough and the snake swallows the elephant.

Chapter 752 Human greed knows no bounds; a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
Two days before Christmas, Naoko and Martin finally appeared in California. Morgan quickly learned of this. Martin's appearance meant that everything was over. Although there were still some problems in Europe, they were not serious. At least those guys didn't dare to make any rash moves. At most, they would only target Standard Chartered Bank and Hurricane Investment, but those were normal business practices that the White House couldn't interfere with.

However, those Europeans are also having a headache. Doing nothing is unpleasant for them, but doing too much could easily provoke John's retaliation. The British are the best example of this. Although John has resumed his investments in Britain, the companies that left before will not return, especially those in the pharmaceutical sector. This is extremely painful for the British, as their huge investments have flowed into Ireland. How can they not be furious?

"John, are you ready? We can't refuse again this year; we have to go back to the family for Christmas!"

"There's nothing to prepare for. Although the family has sided with me this time and given me some assistance, I've also paid a considerable price. Besides, I've already said I won't get involved in family matters. There's nothing to prepare for. As long as they don't cause me any trouble, I won't have any strong reaction!"

"That's good. You can't just act on your whims now. The last incident caused too much of a stir, so it's best to tone it down. Naoko and Martin need to attend the family gathering; it's the old man's request!"

“I know. The old man told me about it when we were in New York, and I agreed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought Naoko and Martin back so quickly. I wanted to keep those old guys on edge for a while longer, to make them understand how much they have to pay for doing something wrong and how much pressure they have to bear!”

"You shouldn't be so angry. Now that the matter is settled, you should know when to stop. There's no need to keep fighting with them. It won't be good for anyone. If something unexpected happens, the consequences will be unimaginable. Don't underestimate those people. They all have powerful backing. This time you just had the upper hand and caught them breaking the rules. But if you go too far, it won't be good for you either!"

“I understand. The old man said that I will not continue to fight with them. There is no need for it. Moreover, I will not take advantage of them. I have also repaid the favor to the family. I just don’t know if they will get greedy again. After all, people are never satisfied. Even those old guys are like that. I don’t know what the situation is with the family.”

Speaking of the family, John didn't have much affection for them. If it weren't for the old man, John wouldn't have bothered talking to them at all. Offering the shares of Dream World was also a test, and the old man had already agreed. His gifting procedures weren't complete yet, so it all depended on how the family guys reacted.

The old man's intention is to groom Allen to take over the family business. After all, Allen now has this idea and is putting it into action by studying at Georgetown University. This has given the old man this idea, but it requires the support of more people, since the family is not a place where the old man can make his own decisions.

John, however, was unwilling to accept the old man's arrangement, believing that his younger brother Allen should follow his own path and did not need to participate in the family's struggle to become the next generation's successor.

"I don't know. Do you think the old man would tell me? He might talk to Allen, but he wouldn't talk to me about these things. After all, I've already given up my rights in the family." Smith looked at John with slight dissatisfaction. After all, being disliked by the old man as a father wasn't a good reputation!

"Alright, what are you two saying? Allen has his own ideas about things, and neither of you should interfere. If he is willing to take on the burden of the family, that is his own choice!" Anna looked at the father and son in front of her with some dissatisfaction, after all, they could not impose their own ideas on Allen.

“Alright, I won’t interfere. I’m just worried that Allen will be fooled by those old guys. He got the congressman deal through me. I really don’t have a high opinion of them, and I don’t think Allen can take over everything in the family. I’d rather see him develop on his own!” John said with a long sigh. He knew the family’s current situation better than his own family.

“John, you need to address your personal issues. They'll bring it up again. After all, you're too independent now, which is different from the development of a large family. That's why so many people are targeting you. Everyone else intermarries and shares shares, but you're independent, which the older generation can't accept!” “Dad, that's their business, it has nothing to do with me. Besides, I'm not afraid to go to war with them. At least Morgan will stand by my side. As for the future, I have even less to worry about. They're not a monolithic group. This is the best proof. Under the lure of profit, those guys have no bottom line. All talk of mutual support is fake; profit is their only concern. And I don't think they dare to wage a full-scale war against me!”

John was right. The old men's discontent stemmed solely from not receiving enough benefits. They weren't a united front; when their own interests were threatened, they would part ways. As for this incident, no one wanted a full-scale war with John; they couldn't afford the severe consequences.

Those old guys originally thought that no one still had the old-fashioned ideas of killing, but they were wrong. John's actions this time made them feel the atmosphere of the chaotic era once again, forcing them to act with caution!
On the day before Christmas, John's family appeared at the family gathering. It had been a long time since they last came to the family for Christmas. They had been separated from the family for many years. Although the family had not always returned, the atmosphere was different this time, and their status had changed, at least in the eyes of the family members.

"Mother, you take care of Naoko and Martin. Father, Allen, and I have to attend a meeting!" As expected, it was the usual meeting after dinner. Although John didn't want to attend, he had no reason to refuse, and since the old man had spoken, he had no chance to object. Even his father had to attend, so John's situation was predictable. In contrast, Allen, attending for the first time, seemed very excited and curious.

Once the important family members were seated in the meeting room, Elder Martin, as the patriarch, presided over the meeting, gave a brief overview of the events of the past year, and then introduced the matter of John gifting the family shares in Dream World. After that, everyone spoke!

As John had predicted, some people were still not satisfied and harbored even greater greed. They were not content with just shares in Dream World, but were eyeing shares in Global Online Network Company. They all knew how amazing the potential of a company that could attract the attention of Rockefeller and other financial groups was.

"John, if possible, I think the shares of Global Online Network Company are more suitable for family ownership than the shares of Dream World. What do you think?"

“I don’t think so. First of all, I want to say that the gift of shares to the family was something I carefully considered. Shares in Dream World can directly generate dividends, while shares in Global Online Network Company require a large investment every year. I don’t think the family has the financial resources to continuously invest in Global Online Network Company, so your idea is ridiculous!”

As John finished speaking, someone else said, "John, you're wrong to say that. James is also thinking about the family and wants to give the family a better guarantee. Besides, you don't understand the family's situation. How do you know that the family can't afford such an investment?"

"Heh, there are some things I didn't want to say, to avoid making things awkward for everyone. But since you've brought it up, I don't need to save face for you. First of all, the matter of gifting the family shares is purely a personal matter. My willingness to give up the shares of Dream World is only out of respect for the old man, and it has nothing to do with you. Moreover, I've already said that the family has no voting rights, no right to buy or sell, only the right to receive dividends. That's merely a way for me to give back to the family's resources. Now your demands make me laugh. What right do you have to make such demands? Is it because of your agreement with Mellon? Do you really think what you've done is flawless?"

“John, what do I mean by this?” At this moment, the family member had become angry, and many people had sided with him. It was clear that they were a small group, and this guy had a marriage alliance with Mellon!
"You know what I mean. Global Online Network Company is my company, and you have no right to interfere. Put away your little schemes and don't think I'm easy to fool. No matter which company's shares I give you, I will not give you voting rights, nor will I allow you to buy and sell them at will, even if you control the family business!"

“Patriarch, I also heard John’s words. If he wants to give the family shares, there can be no restrictions. Otherwise, how can the family maximize its profits? I control the family business and cannot accept such conditions. Such a gift will not help the family much, and the family does not lack such dividends. John has never truly considered the family’s interests from beginning to end. We cannot accept his demands!” At this moment, James, who had spoken earlier, spoke up again and directly complained to Old Martin.

(End of this chapter)