America: My Time

Chapter 766 Establishment of the Fund
Chapter 756 Establishment of the Fund

Just as everyone was shorting the Japanese stock market, Global Online Network Company completed its first round of financing, raising a large sum of money by directly selling 35% of its shares, and began a new round of expansion. At this time, the entire United States entered the Internet age, and under a huge plan, it was to completely establish a network presence in the United States in the shortest possible time.

Of course, with the completion of Global Online Ventures' financing, the conflict between John and those old guys was also eased. At this time, John had become a member of the Federal Reserve, and Chengxin Bank had become a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. However, John's net worth did not increase at this time, but decreased. Many shares had been transferred to funds and offshore companies. In short, John was accelerating the concealment of his assets.

Most importantly, those old guys also discovered that John's new companies in Silicon Valley were not personally owned by him, but rather cross-owned by offshore companies and fund companies, with John himself owning very few shares.

As the Spring Festival approached, John did not attend the new San Francisco party; instead, his parents represented him. The reason was simple: John needed to keep a low profile at this time and could no longer be high-profile. After all, the operation in California had made too many people wary, and acting high-profile now would only give the enemy an opportunity to plot against him and an excuse to target him.

"John, isn't it a bit too early for you to set up a family foundation?" Smith was shocked and somewhat puzzled when John made this decision. After all, John was still very young, and it was a bit too early for him to set up a family foundation so soon.

"It's not too early to say. If I don't do this, more old guys will be watching me, and it will attract more attention. After all, my personal assets are too high. If I want to go into hiding, I have to speed up the concealment of my assets. Establishing a family fund is the best choice!"

“John, you don’t have to work so hard. Arranged marriages can reduce a lot of pressure. It’s a path that many large families have to take!”

“I know, but I can’t. I have too many assets, and I’m worried that someone might take the risk. My best option is not to get married, have more children, and build my own family.” John understood this perfectly well, but he was also aware of the methods of those family members. If he were to marry into another family, many of his plans might be leaked. After all, the people around you are the hardest to guard against, especially those women from prominent families, who are all very cunning.

The more John learned about the large family, the less likely he was to marry. Otherwise, he would lose a lot of his wealth in a divorce. This was the best option, and it would also reassure the public. A playboy was more likely to be accepted by everyone. People with flaws are human, not gods. If he really went down the path of arranged marriage, he might be tricked by those guys at any time, who would elevate him to a pedestal and then destroy him.

John had to be wary of those guys who would do anything for profit. Just like the Bayard family, even members of their own family were eyeing him, so you can imagine what others would do. Therefore, John didn't believe that a marriage alliance could solve the problems he was facing.

“John, you have your own plans, and we won’t interfere with your decision. However, if you want to take this path, you will face a lot of challenges, and you only have one little Martin right now, which is far from enough!”

“I know, so I plan to resolve this matter this Spring Festival. I'll start talking to them in a few days. Some things need to be prepared for early. I don't want to become like Hughes, whose assets end up in the hands of outsiders. There are just a lot of people this time, so please don't worry about it, you and Mother!”

A swift and decisive approach is needed; preparations must be completed as soon as possible. John truly needs to prepare early. If they can accept their current status, then it's not a problem; if not, they'll have to give up. John doesn't want future issues that could ruin his plans and schemes. Once the operation in Japan is over, the division of assets needs to be accelerated. After a discussion with his parents, John begins his own arrangements!

“As expected, you still chose to refuse. Actually, I knew you wouldn't accept!” John shook his head, looking at Sophie Marceau. He didn't see anything wrong with her refusal; it would be problematic if Sophie Marceau agreed to his request. After all, as a French beauty, she valued 'freedom' highly and couldn't accept John's demands—French women are too passionate. “You should understand my decision. If I accepted your request, it would mean giving up everything, which I cannot accept!” Sophie Marceau still loved the Hollywood stage and was unwilling to give up everything, so their relationship was destined to be fruitless. John was considering the future, the inheritance of his wealth empire, while Sophie Marceau valued freedom. These two were irreconcilable, and she wouldn't give up her pursuits for John. Of course, what mattered most was that Sophie Marceau longed for a happy marriage, something John couldn't provide.

“Indeed, you have your own pursuits, and I understand!” John smiled calmly, ending the conversation. This meant that from now on, their relationship would only be a transaction of mutual benefit, and there would be no more feelings between them.
In fact, it wasn't just Sophie Marceau who felt this way; it was the same in all the subsequent conversations. No one would agree to a request without a formal status. Both Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford harbored illusions that, with their current status as supermodels, they could find a wonderful partner in the future instead of accepting John's demands!

However, there are exceptions. John hadn't really thought much about it, but Christy Turlington actually agreed, which surprised John. Although John knew that Christy Turlington would retire gracefully at the peak of her career, leaving the modeling industry to go to university and do charity work, regardless of whether she was sincere or had other motives, it was still very difficult for her to do that.

"Are you sure? This is no small matter. You still have a chance to back out now, but if you agree, you'll never have another chance. I don't want my child to be affected in any way, and I especially don't want him to be unable to take over the family assets and shoulder the family's responsibilities because of your personal issues in the future."

“I’ve thought it through very carefully. I know that Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford both declined. They both have their own ideas and feel that they have better options and better opportunities. But I think accepting is the best choice. Although beauty will fade with time, and they may worry about their future, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. There’s no need for so many concerns. I don’t think their worries are necessary!”

"Okay, you won't be disappointed. I'm not a heartless person either. Time will prove everything and show that your choice was right."

Christie Trington's surprise was just the beginning. Claudia Schiffer and Jennifer Connelly both accepted John's request. Originally, John thought he should refuse these beauties, since he hadn't given them enough guarantees. However, they made a decision that surprised John.

This is a matter of perspective. It may seem that John didn't make any promises to them, but that's not actually the case. If you learn a little about Naoko's situation, you can understand John's arrangements for the women around him and how much he values ​​his children. Little Martin is the best example. Unfortunately, not all women can see through this.

When the three women made their decisions, their lives changed. Christy Turlington voluntarily gave up her modeling career to attend university. Jennifer Connelly also changed her mind, abandoning her initial idea of ​​relying on John for opportunities with the two major media groups, and instead focusing on her studies. As for Claudia Schiffer, she left the modeling world to enter Hollywood, a choice John did not interfere with.

When John's every move was noticed by those who were paying attention, the old men couldn't help but frown. They couldn't understand what John was doing, wasting his time on these women. Was John deliberately feigning weakness, or did he have a new scheme, putting on a playboy act to seduce them, especially at this crucial time?

Japanese stocks are currently plummeting. As Wall Street perceives Japan's economy as a bubble and withdraws from the stock market, the Japanese stock market is naturally affected. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence understands that Japan's economy simply cannot support such a frenzied market. Therefore, more and more people are shorting the Japanese stock market, while Japanese retail investors remain oblivious to the problem, indulging in laughable fantasies that this is merely a temporary dip and the Japanese stock market will soon recover.

During this period, the Japanese had an almost mystical confidence in Japan's economy. Perhaps this was due to the times, or perhaps they were simply captivated by Japan's rapid economic growth and intoxicated by its era of overflowing wealth. Even as the stock market began to decline, the Japanese people failed to see the danger and continued to invest frantically in stocks and real estate, further driving up land prices and inflating the Japanese real estate bubble. John was somewhat shocked by this situation, and he remained vigilant about Japan's situation. Especially at times like these, caution was paramount; the slightest carelessness could lead to devastating consequences and unimaginable disaster.

(End of this chapter)