America: My Time

Chapter 795 Human Greed
Chapter 785 Human Greed
The Japanese breathed a sigh of relief at John's answer and looked at Akio Morita with gratitude. They were very pleased with Morita's reaction. Although they hadn't gotten the crude oil they wanted from China, getting crude oil reserves from Southeast Asia was acceptable. The quantity might be a little less, but that wasn't a problem; at least they could see the crude oil! Waiting for the Middle East would have taken too long, and even with a contract, there would still be time for transportation! As for the claim that John's trade with the Russians had stopped, that was a lie. They didn't believe it at all. It was just that John's trade with the Russians was no longer shipping to Asia, but directly to Europe, where he traded and sold directly to the Europeans.

Although the Japanese also wanted to trade with John, their previous stupidity ruined the deal. It was impossible for them to get a continuous supply of crude oil from John, and even with rising oil prices, the situation on the Russian side was not ideal.

"Mr. John, when will we be able to get the first batch of crude oil?" Although these guys were very much looking forward to the deal with John, they still couldn't let their guard down before they got the crude oil. Even though John had verbally agreed to give them a little help, they still had to be careful before it started.

"If you are all ready, you can take away the crude oil from Japan at any time, provided that you give me a price that I can accept. As you all know, oil prices are rising rapidly, and exceeding $40 is just around the corner!"

The Japanese guys naturally understood John's words. Although John was asking for an exorbitant price, their experts believed that if things continued this way, oil prices would soon exceed $40 a barrel. So they didn't think John's demands were unreasonable, but they wouldn't agree so easily either. After all, these greedy guys always wanted to minimize their own losses, so they still had some hesitation.

Seeing that these guys didn't answer him immediately, John smiled calmly and said, "If you all feel that we need time to discuss this, I can leave temporarily and give you some time to discuss it. But you need to give me a result quickly, otherwise, I'll be sorry if Taiwan and South Korea come up with a result soon!"

John's attitude is clear: he can help you guys get the crude oil you want, but he won't lower the price. It's impossible to get a freebie from John. It's cash on delivery, no other possibility. And if these guys agree too late, they might not get any more crude oil.

Seeing that these guys didn't respond, John understood their thoughts, so he got up and left, giving them time to discuss their options. If it were futures trading, a collaboration with a Middle Eastern tycoon, these guys would need more time to think. But with the crude oil reserves John currently held, they didn't have as many concerns. They were just a little hesitant about the price.

It was precisely because of these guys' greed that they didn't try to stop John when he got up to leave, but instead acquiesced. Seeing this, Akio Morita couldn't help but sigh. Those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things clearly. As the least affected party, he could see through John's thoughts more clearly and understand the predicament of Japan's petrochemical industry. They couldn't even sustain their own production for long, yet they were still haggling over crude oil prices—what was that if not foolishness? Did these guys really want to get even cheaper crude oil from this little fox, John? They were dreaming; they didn't have the audacity for that.

If these guys had more cooperation with John, or a good relationship with him, they might have a chance. But they didn't have much cooperation or a good relationship with John, and they even had a grudge against him. Under these circumstances, for them to still dream of getting cheap crude oil is just plain stupid.

He understood, but Akio Morita wouldn't say it aloud. After all, he couldn't get involved in such a matter. Saying too much would only be detrimental to him and make these guys resentful. So even though he knew that agreeing was the best choice, Akio Morita kept his mouth shut and let these guys discuss it among themselves.

The proverb "a snake trying to swallow an elephant" perfectly describes these greedy guys. They all crave more benefits without considering what they've done before. The relationship between Japan and John isn't as good as it seems. Just consider how they took away John's real estate one by one. And what did these guys do after trading Russian crude oil with John?
"Gentlemen, Mr. John has now stated his conditions: $40 per barrel for oil. Do you want it or not? Make a decision quickly. As officials, we cannot make the decision for you; it is up to you. Moreover, I personally believe Mr. John is right. You must make a decision quickly, at least tonight. Otherwise, once the situation between South Korea and Taiwan is resolved, there will be no more opportunities. Don't be fooled by Mr. John's large oil reserves in Asia; that is only for a personal company. For a country, it is insignificant, merely a drop in the ocean!"

After making these remarks, the Japanese official representative fell silent. He had said what he needed to say, and the decision was now up to them. If anyone refused, that was their own problem; the government would neither stop them nor offer assistance, at least not now. The government wouldn't easily release Japan's own oil reserves, as it would take a long time to build up such reserves, requiring even more money and effort. While the Japanese government didn't want to see the Japanese economy affected by rising oil prices, they also didn't want to get themselves into trouble. They were perfectly willing to remain unaffected, but naturally, they didn't want to be burdened.

“I think it’s barely acceptable, but we can’t accept too much. Let’s take this portion of crude oil from Japan first, and then wait and see. With this crude oil, we can at least hold out for a few more days.”

“I disagree. You may be able to insist, but we can’t. Besides, John only has so much crude oil in Japan. When it’s allocated, each company won’t get much at all. So I don’t think it’s a good suggestion. I think we should be more straightforward and get more crude oil directly. So what if we have to transport it ourselves? What’s so difficult about that? Even if it costs a little more money, let’s get the crude oil first. Otherwise, if we have nothing, we’ll have to stop production!”

“I also think it’s best to agree. Right now, there’s no market for crude oil. Even if you have the money, you can’t buy it. We’re already doing very well to be able to buy crude oil from Mr. John. We can’t push our luck and haggle over the price. Mr. John also said that if we drag this out for too long, this crude oil might become irrelevant to us. Both South Korea and Taiwan need a huge supply of crude oil. So I think we should agree and get the crude oil in hand first. As the saying goes, ‘With food in hand, one is not afraid.’ As long as we have enough crude oil in hand, we don’t need to worry about what will happen next.”

"That's true, but we can't make that decision lightly. After all, we need a huge amount of crude oil, and even at just one dollar, it's a considerable sum. I think we can talk to John about the price again, try to appeal to his emotions, and try to get a more favorable price."

"Heh, what a pipe dream, pure fantasy. How big do you think you are to get a discount from them? Do you think you can just buy whatever you want these days? You want a discount? You're lucky if you can even get the crude oil, especially since we can get it today. Who wouldn't be tempted? If you're not willing, we are."

“Well said. We also believe that agreeing sooner is a good thing for everyone. Perhaps some people have a lot of crude oil reserves, or perhaps your tankers are heading to Japan. You don’t lack crude oil, but that doesn’t mean we don’t. If you’re unwilling to accept it, you can continue to stand by and watch. But those of us who are willing to accept it can just pay for the oil directly and take it without spending too much time transporting it ourselves. Why not? Moreover, with this crude oil, we can hold out longer and wait patiently for the situation in the Middle East before making a decision. Without crude oil, we will have no choice but to stop production, and the consequences will be unimaginable!”

"Okay, that's best. Everyone can choose for themselves. Those with crude oil reserves can give up and continue to wait. Those of us without crude oil reserves can pay directly and take the oil to ensure that our production is not affected!"

"That's true, but I think you all should think it over carefully. If we all work together and need a huge amount of crude oil, we can naturally ask Mr. John for a preferential price. But if we split up, then there will be a big problem. We won't be able to lower the price at all and will only be able to buy it at a high price. A sky-high price of $40 a barrel will have a huge impact on us. I think everyone should be cautious and not rush to make a decision!"

"Heh, that's an interesting point. You're not worried, but we can't. If the talks break down, how will we maintain production? The authorities have already made it clear that they won't support us or easily activate strategic reserves. So we have no choice. We're not like you, who can wait. We can't hold on!"

(End of this chapter)