America: My Time

Chapter 803 The Greed of the Koreans

Chapter 793 The Greed of the Koreans
"We were right. John didn't show up. The deal was just arranged by those guys from the oil company. He didn't care about the deal at all. It wasn't a big deal for him. He wasn't worried about the oil supply. As long as there was a need, there would be a steady supply of oil. His deal with the Russians was still going on, but it was no longer an Asian deal, but had turned to Europe."

"What's the point of saying all this now? Even if we knew all this, we couldn't ask John to give us more oil. To be honest, it's already very kind of him to lend a helping hand. Don't you think about what those guys did before? They were all eyeing John's assets. Just look at how much John lost in those previous transactions. You must know that. So, the fact that he's still helping us now is more than enough. If we continue to pester him, it will only provoke his resentment, which is not good for either Japan or us."

“You’re right. That guy Yoshiaki Tsutsumi should be taught a lesson. That bastard is too unruly. If he continues like this, Japan will fall into an even bigger crisis. Speaking of which, Mitsui will also learn a lesson this time. Although that old guy Akio Morita has a good relationship with John, he’s too greedy, or rather, Mitsui is too greedy. He’s always eyeing John’s assets. Now look what’s happened. Akio Morita didn’t even get John’s consent before asking. They probably didn’t expect this day to come. If these guys were less greedy, this wouldn’t have happened.”

"Yes, those guys are too greedy, so this time I'm more optimistic about Sanhe. At least Sanhe has Kuroki Hitomi's help, and most importantly, Sanhe has a good relationship with John. As long as they put in a little effort, they can get oil beyond their quota. I've said before that we should maintain a good relationship with John, not focus too much on money, and not be too greedy, but unfortunately, these guys didn't listen. They didn't even consider that Japan's resources and raw materials are heavily dependent on imports, but John controls Quantum Mining, a world-class mining giant, and Western Energy. Even though it has been forced to split up, that only applies to the US part; the overseas part hasn't been greatly affected. Actually, those guys have been deceived by John's words. If John wanted to, he could sell off all his oil reserves, because the oil fields he controls can meet the needs of his own refineries, not to mention the Middle Eastern oil being continuously transported to various refineries, and the oil trade with Russia."

“You’re right, but it’s no use saying that now. Those guys’ greed has already ruined their relationship with John, so it’s impossible for them to get more support. John won’t agree, and they don’t necessarily have to trade with Japan. Europe is fine too!”

"Yes, it's too late to realize this now. Let's start arranging for oil tankers to transport the oil. The sooner we get the oil back to Japan, the more at ease we'll feel. The more reserves we have, the more confident we'll be!"

“That’s true, but that amount of oil is far from enough to meet our needs. With the oil reserves of major Japanese companies, plus John’s share, it won’t last long. I think if the oil price doesn’t come down in ten days, we should ask John for help and have him sign a contract with the Middle East to guarantee Japan’s oil supply!”

"That's two years, and it requires large orders. The losses would be significant, at least equal to our previous annual orders. Do you think the higher-ups would agree to such losses? Unless those conglomerates bear all the burden, there's absolutely no chance. However, it would be even better if we could negotiate to reduce the contract to one year."

"If it weren't for all those messy things that happened before, maybe it would be possible, but now it's almost impossible. Just from John's conversation with Akio Morita, you can see that there's already a rift between them. No one is willing to accept this situation. If it weren't for the good relationship between John and the major Japanese banks, I'm afraid we wouldn't get any help at all. So now we can only try to resolve John's dissatisfaction and find a way to turn things around."

Amidst the concerns of the Japanese, John left for South Korea to discuss oil with them. The Koreans are now aware of John's 'cooperation' with the Japanese. Of course, John intentionally let them know, partly to put pressure on South Korea, given their interesting situation: their demand for oil is constantly rising, resulting in a significant oil shortage.

“Mr. Lee, are you sure Samsung won’t have any problems taking over half of our oil reserves on its own? You know, there are more than just your oil companies in South Korea. Although you have connections, I don’t think it’s a good thing, nor do I think it’s beneficial to us. Most importantly, I have no reason to give you such help.”

When John contacted Samsung, he was shocked by their audacity. Samsung's chairman, Lee Kun-hee, seemed to have an inconceivable idea; John had no connection with Samsung, and their idea was utterly absurd. Of course, upon hearing their words, John was also astonished by Samsung's current capabilities. These guys were already playing the game of collusion between government and business, actually trying to make such a deal with John. It was far too presumptuous and overly naive.

“Mr. John, we can cooperate in all areas, from semiconductors and automobiles to ships and energy!”

"While Samsung's capabilities are commendable, these terms hold no appeal for me. In the semiconductor field, you are far inferior to Japan; if we were to cooperate, Japan would be a better fit. You also lack any absolute advantage in other areas, so I see no need for cooperation. Frankly, I cannot accept your proposal. If your South Korean officials insist on this, then our cooperation will not succeed. South Korea isn't just accepting a price of $40; other oil companies can also accept it. We've received offers from them more than once, and they are ready to finalize the deal with us at any time if we agree. I have no reason to accept your 'cooperation' invitation. The conditions you offer do not satisfy me, so our 'cooperation' cannot be achieved! Frankly, if it's about cooperation, I would prefer to cooperate with SK; they possess the technology we need, while Samsung cannot provide such technological assistance."

Seeing John's reaction, Lee Kun-hee couldn't help but sigh. Although he knew his idea was a bit crazy—to monopolize half of South Korea's oil reserves—it was too insane. But if he succeeded, Samsung wouldn't have to worry about oil. After all, the outbreak of war in the Middle East had also impacted them, just like Japan, where they were both struggling with insufficient oil supply. Without enough oil, their factories wouldn't last long.

While claiming to offer technical assistance, it was actually a way to inflate prices and extract the technology they wanted from the Koreans. SK Group has a more comprehensive presence in the petrochemical industry and stronger technological capabilities, so John preferred to obtain the technology he desired from them, since some of the technologies they possessed were not available to the Russians.

John's business with the Russians continued, and he acquired a lot of civilian technology from them. However, the Russians were still far behind in light industry, while South Korea possessed such technology. Of course, Japan also had it, but obtaining technology from the Japanese was very difficult; it was much easier with South Korea in comparison.

“Mr. John, our cooperation is still possible. Although our technology is not advanced enough, it can still solve your current problems and at least allow you to start from scratch. Moreover, you have also obtained a lot of technology through your cooperation with the Russians. We can combine the two to complete the research and development.”

"I'll think about it. After all, this takes time, and I can't make a decision in such a short time. I also need to talk to other companies and hear their terms. If it's just a matter of price, I'm not too concerned. After all, there are many people who can accept such a price. Our oil reserves are in South Korea, and we can complete the transaction at any time without wasting time or having them transport it. The time cost saved is astonishing. Moreover, even if I don't cooperate with you, I can cooperate with Japan. After all, it doesn't take much time to get from South Korea to Japan!"

John's words made the Samsung chairman sigh again. After all, South Korea, like Japan, is a country that needs to import energy. Moreover, the outbreak of the Middle East war was too sudden, and they were not prepared at all. More importantly, they did not have the same confidence as Japan. Japan had completed its oil reserves, but South Korea did not.

Throughout this transaction, John maintained absolute control. Unlike the Japanese, the Koreans didn't even have negotiating terms with John. Their strength was far inferior to the Japanese, and the Koreans were far more ignorant than their Japanese counterparts. Cooperating with them meant constantly having to guard against their sneak attacks. These guys were all too arrogant. John wasn't willing to cooperate with them much longer until these bastards completely backed down. These guys had absolutely no self-awareness, daring to swindle money from American conglomerates, while the Japanese wouldn't dare—that was the difference between the two!

(End of this chapter)