America: My Time

Chapter 858 Targeted Splitting
Chapter 828 Targeted Splitting
Consolidating territory requires massive amounts of capital, and continuous investment is necessary. Most importantly, it requires an industrial chain. This is no easy task. Although John already has an idea in mind, to advance it step by step, he needs to invest even more time and energy. He doesn't have that much time and energy right now, as he has more important things to do. The situation in Japan is not yet settled, and there is no decisive battle in the Middle East. Everything requires his full attention.

Christmas was fast approaching, but to John's surprise, Nakamori Akina didn't come. John had gathered them this time because there were some things to arrange, and they were also involved. But Nakamori Akina's absence surprised and puzzled John, as Akina wasn't usually like that.

"What's going on? Why didn't Akina come, and why didn't she tell me beforehand? Is there some problem in Japan again?" John frowned and asked Kuroki Hitomi. Since Naoko wasn't in Japan, she practically represented John, so many things went through her hands. John didn't believe Kuroki Hitomi wouldn't know about such an important matter. Even if it was a sudden incident, Kuroki Hitomi would find out and give him an explanation.

"The day before her departure, Akina received a call from her mother saying that there was something going on at home and she couldn't come!"

Upon hearing this, John instantly understood, shook his head, and said, "Something's wrong. I'm afraid it's about money again. It's that greedy family trying to extort money from Akina. That family is truly despicable, relentlessly exploiting Akina while everyone else wants something for nothing. It's utterly ridiculous. Oh well, let them be. If we don't make her give up completely, there will be no result; she'll only keep getting trapped in this cage of family ties."

Kuroki Hitomi and her group were well aware of Nakamori Akina's situation; in fact, almost everyone in the industry knew how greedy her family was. However, outsiders often couldn't interfere, and this time they'd brought Akina's mother into the picture, using familial ties to pressure Akina. It was clear this family was gradually eroding the familial love Akina felt. She longed for family, but this wasn't a tactic they could continue using; repeated exploitation would only hasten the end of that love.

As a mother, she may care deeply for Akina, but under the pressure of caring for more children, she will ultimately choose to sacrifice Akina. Akina is just one person, while she has many more children behind her. However, this kind of harm will be greater for Akina. Perhaps because of John's appearance, Akina's family has become a domino effect. Although Ken-on exerts pressure, Ken-on is ultimately just an agency and cannot interfere in many matters. Moreover, how could Akina refuse her mother's invitation?

"Alright, since Akina is tied up with something, let's leave her for now and arrange things later. Let's talk about your current situation. You should already be feeling the effects of the current situation in Japan. The overall environment is deteriorating step by step, and a real estate collapse is probably imminent. As the environment worsens, Japan's security situation will also worsen, and all sorts of dangers will surface. You've already experienced the stock market crash before, and this one will be even more severe. You need to be prepared for safety and not be careless in any way. Next, let's address your operational issues. You've had the winery for a while now, but you haven't been involved in its management at all, and you have very limited understanding of everything. You've almost never even been to the winery. This won't do. If this continues, the value of these prestigious wineries will be affected. The company needs consolidation. Since you're unwilling to participate in management, let's hand it over to a professional company. Originally, I wanted to give you an opportunity to get involved in operations, but it seems I was overthinking it."

John's original plan was to see which of them had the ability to take on the management of the winery, which is why he entrusted it to them. However, it now seems that these beauties have no such intention at all. Some of them don't even know what the winery looks like and are completely ignorant of what happens inside. If this continues, this asset will depreciate.

John acquired several high-quality wineries, but they haven't seen much development in recent years. This isn't referring to sales, but rather to internal management. While sales have benefited from the strong promotion by Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group, resulting in a decent market share, the neglect of internal management has created numerous problems that need addressing. If left unresolved, these issues could even affect the winery's quality, a situation John is unwilling to accept.

The biggest problem lies within themselves. John initially wanted to see if any of these beautiful women could shoulder the responsibility, but now he realizes he was wrong. This has seriously impacted the winery's development. Professional matters should be managed by professionals; not all beautiful women possess amazing management talent. Not everyone has the strength and remarkable management abilities of the "Triple Crown Princess."

The consolidation of assets involves many aspects, including future plans. John's original plan was influenced by the old guard, Rockefeller, who were all watching him closely. The original plan was no longer suitable, especially now that he wanted to advance further. The obstacles were too great; the failed acquisition of President Lines demonstrated the strength of this force. Continuing would only result in mutual destruction, necessitating a timely adjustment. The emergence of a behemoth, an industry giant, would make those old guard uneasy and pressured. John needed to break up his group, at least to reduce pressure and influence, and most importantly, to more quickly conceal his assets, moving from the limelight to the shadows.

This time, John is going to break up the Southern Group, separating everything within it. All assets outside the United States will be separated from the Southern Group, which will only manage everything within the United States. The overseas assets will be restructured, including the wineries owned by John. However, this will be done through offshore companies, since the initial acquisitions were all done through offshore companies, so this is not a problem.

Although doing so is a bit crazy and will affect the original plan, John has no choice but to do it now. Otherwise, he will only suffer losses and make those old guys like Rockefeller even more aggressive towards him, which will be very detrimental to his future expansion.

"Speak up, everyone. What are your thoughts? Who wants to take over?" John looked at the beautiful women in front of him, but no one spoke up. They all knew their own capabilities; taking over such a huge asset was beyond their ability.

“Alright, since none of you are willing to take it over, then let professionals manage it. The Southern Group will be completely split up, the liquor group will be completely separated, all liquor production and manufacturing will be integrated into a new group, and those wineries will also be integrated into it.” At this point, John paused and looked at Lee Boo-jin, the eldest princess of Samsung. He was somewhat surprised that she did not want to take over the liquor group, after all, this part of the assets was astonishingly large.

After being taken in by John, Lee Boo-jin learned everything about the man before her. She was aware of the vast assets of the Southern Group, as her assets in South Korea were based there. She also understood the strength of the liquor group, given that Australian shipping companies constantly traded with Russia. It wasn't that she didn't want to take it over, but rather that she lacked understanding of this area, so she had to give up.

“After the Southern Group is split up, the Asian side will be fully integrated, not only retail but also food processing. If you have finished your work in South Korea, you can take over this part of the assets and manage them. However, the headquarters is not in South Korea, but in Hong Kong. Think about it!” John glanced at Lee Boo-jin again. Letting her take over the management of this part of the assets should not be a big problem. A short period of chaos is acceptable. After all, he cannot hand over all the assets to professional managers. That would easily cause problems. After all, this is not a listed company.

The division into three parts is John's plan for the Southern Group. Future development will be based on individual capabilities, with no further connection between the two entities. The Southern Group in the US will gradually go public, while the liquor group and its Asian assets will remain separate, held independently by funds, investment companies, and offshore firms. John himself will only hold a small number of shares.

John had considered completely disappearing from the shareholder list, but ultimately abandoned the idea. After all, his continued presence as a shareholder after the split would be beneficial to the company's development; complete disappearance would hinder its growth. In comparison, the situation in the US wasn't too problematic, but the Asian wine group presented a significant challenge. If he were to completely disappear from the shareholder list, ambitious individuals might target the spun-off company. Without the protection of the US, unexpected events could occur. Greed is a common trait, and there's nothing greedy people wouldn't do. As long as John wasn't on the shareholder list, they might have their own agendas.

(End of this chapter)