America: My Time

Chapter 855 analyzes John's strategy.
Chapter 825 Analysis of John's Plan
Although he understood the situation, Jimmy still had some concerns. He wondered if this would trigger a series of changes, or even cause fluctuations in the financial markets. After all, Hurricane Investment was too powerful, and now it was launching an attack based on its previous victories in oil futures, the Japanese stock market, and Europe. This would have a huge impact on Wall Street.

Morgan, the financial tycoon, saw right through Jimmy's thoughts and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry about what others think or how they see it. It has nothing to do with us. A crocodile needs to eat meat. Don't assume John is safe just because he's been backing down, or because Hurricane Investment isn't one of Wall Street's top ten giants. It's a ruthless financial behemoth that also needs to eat meat. When faced with provocation, its ferocious nature will be revealed. By the way, what's the situation with that little fox, John? He's been very low-key since he came back; there's been almost no media coverage. That's surprising. What's he planning this time?"

"This guy hasn't done much. He spends most of his time in San Francisco and Stanford, seemingly continuing to invest in high technology. It seems there have been some changes at those companies in Silicon Valley as well, with a lot of people being recruited from Stanford! He spends a significant portion of his time in Hollywood. Phoenix Media and Legendary Entertainment have undergone new changes, which I've heard are also related to Silicon Valley, though this hasn't been confirmed yet. I've also heard that they'll be replacing the special effects company's hardware again next summer, and the company's farm will be moved to Oregon. It seems they're continuing to increase their control over Oregon."

"No other circumstances? This is a bit unusual. Given this sly fox's methods, he shouldn't be making such a low-key preparation, unless he's plotting something again. Have those companies in Silicon Valley figured out what their main R&D directions are? We can't be completely ignorant, we can't be completely unprepared!"

"They're all internet companies or software companies, but their research focuses either on big data or is related to Hughes' global satellite positioning system. Our personnel have already confirmed that several companies are based on Hughes' global satellite positioning system, while others are involved in big data and software development. What's most frightening is that they can connect with each other. John's plan might actually come to fruition. Now Hughes controls a powerful satellite positioning system, and Bell Labs controls the internet. With the two combined, no one can rival them, at least not in new fields. These companies aren't just targeting shipping companies; they represent all of John's companies. Perhaps these Silicon Valley companies will eventually be integrated into his enterprise portfolio, marking a new beginning for John's corporate consolidation."

"If what you said is true, this is not the beginning of any integration, but a further step in his efforts to hide assets. It seems that he is now going to make a move against Phoenix Group and Legendary Entertainment, or rather, he is preparing to take the two major television networks public, and he is going to get himself involved behind the scenes! This little fox's methods and vision are too amazing. Those old guys who insist on being his enemies can only be described as making a foolish decision. They are playing with fire."

"Boss, should we continue the investigation? Those guys from Jaguar Security have already noticed our actions. If our people hadn't been so naive, we might have been caught by them. Those guys are getting more and more capable, and they're using more and more high-tech gadgets."

"Forget it, there's no need to continue. It's all out in the open now. Further investigation won't yield much. After all, those guys were prepared. It would be foolish to lose manpower! We're not like those old guys who are targeting John, that little fox. We just know about those companies, so we can't do that anymore."

It sounds simple, but it's much more difficult to actually do, and it requires a considerable price to pay. Especially at this time, there is even more pressure to face, after all, John's investment in security is astonishing, and those who know him are aware of how crazy John's arrangements in this regard are.

"There's another piece of news, I don't know if I should follow up on it, but the Mandarin Oriental Group is increasing its investment in resort hotels, and they have quite a few in the United States. They're also collaborating with Amgen's medical centers to build sanatoriums! Many people say they're crazy, that there's no market for this in the current climate. Those guys in Japan have already gone down the drain, their resort hotels have lost a huge customer base, and there are no more Japanese people waving their money around and buying like crazy."

"Foolish. He's targeting the high-end market, and he has numerous companies footing the bill. How can you say there's no market? Look at the employee satisfaction rates of those companies; you'll know how tempting this market is. However, entering this market isn't easy. Don't be fooled by how powerful those hotel groups are; they don't have as many resources as John has to utilize. At least his investment is guaranteed. But, is his high-profile move to conceal something, or is he trying to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives?"

Upon seeing this situation, Morgan immediately suspected it was another of John's schemes, another crazy and terrifying plan. He worried that John was secretly orchestrating something again. If it weren't for this unexpected turn of events, who would have known that John had laid out such a massive scheme in the United States, and who would believe that those little-known companies in Silicon Valley were all John's doing? Years of investment—this was no small matter, much less an ordinary investment. "It's not out of the question. After all, John himself has a huge customer market, and according to our investigation in Japan, the revenue from Japanese resort hotels hasn't decreased; it's still booming. Now there are similar plans in Taiwan, so many people think the Mandarin Oriental Group's move is a bit too crazy."

"There might be some madness involved, but more importantly, those guys simply can't see through John's strategy. Perhaps years later, they'll realize it's not madness, but a shrewd business. When they first started aggressively investing in shopping malls, didn't they say John was crazy? Now look at them. Leaving aside his overseas success, the profits in the US alone are enviable, and how many are involved now? And retail—when John acquired Southern Company, they all thought he was foolish. But now, the market value of a single 7-Eleven in the US far exceeds what it was then, not to mention other retail brands. Do you think John is stupid? There's an even more important issue: those guys didn't realize John's resort hotels are different. The investment isn't as staggering as some claim. He's playing the boutique game, the taste game—low investment, quick returns, high profits. Who wouldn't want that kind of investment? Those who call John crazy are either malicious, ignorant, or both. With the Mandarin Oriental Group's massive cash flow, do you think they'll feel any pressure?"

After hearing his boss's analysis, Jimmy shook his head with a wry smile and said, "No, the assets they sold in Japan alone have brought in huge profits, not to mention the amazing returns they've had in Japan over the years. Almost every Japanese guy who travels abroad has stayed at their hotels and shopped at their shopping malls. Every year, those guys provide the Mandarin Oriental Group with a huge amount of revenue."

"So don't underestimate John's strategy. That guy has a visionary foresight. The Mandarin Oriental Group is no ordinary company now, with astonishingly large assets. And all of this is thanks to the 'help' of those guys in Japan. Without them, there would be no Mandarin Oriental Group as it is today, and John wouldn't be where he is now. Selling almost all of Japan's real estate for huge profits, and then continuing to expand globally—that's incredibly clever. They're now diversified, with luxury hotels, resorts, vacation homes, shopping centers, shopping malls, advertising companies, and restaurants, all of which provide massive cash flow. Now they're stepping into a new circle, going for even higher-end health and wellness. They're trying to revitalize their medical investments and those hospitals. That's truly astonishing."

"Really? The hospitals that Amgen acquired have always been quite good, generating substantial revenue!"

“You think it’s not true, but John doesn’t think so. You think those hospitals have decent incomes, but John doesn’t see it that way. Don’t you think his hospitals rely more on employee benefits, just like resort hotels? But now he wants to change his strategy, increase vitality, and increase revenue. He’s now targeting middle- and high-income groups.”

When Jimmy heard his boss say this, he suddenly realized that John's series of plans were indeed aimed at middle-to-high-income groups. The high-end ingredients above retail, the transformation of farms, and the current health resort layout were all aimed at middle-to-high-income groups.

Although John's scheme was seen through, competing with him was not an easy task. This guy was playing the entire industry chain game, and it was integrated. He clearly intended to dominate everything, first establishing a foothold among the low- and middle-income groups, and then soaring to the top to directly target the high-end market. Moreover, he controlled the entire industry chain. No wonder he had previously acquired land and established farms; all of this was aimed at a higher-end market. This guy was too cunning and had fooled everyone.

(End of this chapter)