America: My Time

Chapter 871 Scheming Against the Koreans
Chapter 841 Scheming Against the Koreans

Buying at the bottom? John has no intention of buying at the bottom, at least not now. Going to Japan to buy at the bottom right now would be foolish. Even if it's about poaching talent, it's too early now. At least let the economy collapse a bit more severely, let the bubble storm rage even more violently, and let those guys in Japan fall into even greater despair.

Offering help in times of need is what earns gratitude. Now is not the time to act, as Japan has not yet reached its more frenzied stage. The most important thing is to go to South Korea and understand the development of important investments such as shipbuilding, automobiles, aviation, and ports. After all, South Korea is still developing rapidly, and understanding the detailed situation at this time will be beneficial for one's own strategic planning.

Of course, John was also preparing to have the Mandarin Oriental Group enter South Korea, starting with a real estate investment. The South Koreans' frenzy in real estate was no less than that of the Japanese, and perhaps even surpassed it. Making a move at this time was a good choice. However, planning takes time; one cannot wait for the right opportunity to act, as that would make it easy for others to see through, which would be bad for one's reputation. John did not want to become one of those South Korean tycoons who were universally reviled. If he wanted to plunder enough profits from the pawns, he needed to plan ahead, making his plans more complete and perfect, so that no one would discover the calculations hidden behind them.

From the initial setup to the final outcome in Japan, everything was perfect, causing no harm whatsoever. The Japanese harbor no resentment towards them; in contrast, those on Wall Street became the objects of their hatred. Although the situation in Japan was largely their own doing, people didn't see it that way. They all chose to shirk responsibility, shifting the blame onto others. The current situation in Japan is actually a problem with the government; they acted too recklessly, and of course, the Japanese conglomerates acted too recklessly as well.

Japan's real estate and stock markets have both collapsed, and recovery will be difficult for a long time. Although Japan still has good opportunities, John is now more focused on strategic moves against South Korea, given their formidable situation. The 1988 Seoul Olympics caused a surge in housing prices, and when the situation threatened to spiral out of control, South Korea enacted a law allowing the government to expropriate private land for housing construction, stabilizing the situation. However, this also opened the door to future problems.

In the early 90s, there were still profits to be made, and John naturally wanted to get involved. However, he wanted to invest in shopping malls and commercial centers, since the power of the Korean conglomerates was still limited at that time. If he could make a move first, he could naturally reap sufficient profits. Investing in prime locations would also be ideal.

As for whether there would be resistance, John hadn't considered that at all. As long as the Koreans weren't stupid, they wouldn't try to outsmart him or use any tricks. Most importantly, he had invested real money, so they had no reason to refuse.

When John appeared in Seoul, South Korea, instead of Tokyo, Japan, it made those old guys ponder. Why was that? Was it really as simple as it seemed? Those old guys didn't think so. Their instincts told them that something was wrong, and a big problem at that. Who was John guarding against, playing this smokescreen?

John was unaware of the situation in the United States. He had many things to do, including understanding his investments there. Although the presence of Lee Boo-jin, the eldest daughter of Samsung, provided some understanding, he still needed to handle many things personally. After all, many investments were not simple, especially shipbuilding capabilities. After the failed acquisition of the US Presidential Steamship Company, John needed to build it himself, and this trip to China was for making such arrangements and investments. If South Korea's shipbuilding capabilities were inadequate, it would affect his plans.

Of course, even more importantly, the shipyard construction needs to be expanded, and the sooner it's done, the less money will be spent. After all, South Korea's labor costs are still relatively low, and things will be different if it's delayed for a few more years. Similarly, a better understanding of automobile manufacturing is needed. South Korean cars have already gone global, especially Daewoo, which has begun its period of rapid growth.

Compared to Bentley Motors' expansion, Daewoo Motors' expansion was the most aggressive. John had his eye on them, waiting for the final, fatal blow to swallow the Daewoo Group whole. If anyone knew John's thoughts at this point, they would think he was crazy, after all, the Daewoo Group was currently the second largest conglomerate in South Korea, and it enjoyed strong support from the government.

Of course, the reason why the Daewoo Group went bankrupt was also because the Koreans' reckless and direct approach led them to make blind acquisitions and adopt wrong strategies. Most importantly, they did not conduct risk assessments, which was the most dangerous thing.

Despite John's experience from the future, he remained cautious in assessing investment risks. His think tank staff thoroughly analyzed all the pros and cons, and combined with his memories from the future, they were able to get to where they are today. However, the Daewoo Group did not have John's abilities, nor did it prepare for risk assessment. In the end, when the economic crisis occurred, it capsized and went bankrupt.

In fact, if the Daewoo Group had been able to make a decisive move earlier, it wouldn't have been without a chance to escape. However, being hailed as a 'hero' made Kim Woo-jung arrogant, and he could never let go of that 'hero' status, which ultimately led to its downfall.

At this time, John was extremely envious of the Daewoo Group's businesses. After all, this company had been developing for many years, far surpassing John's current investments in South Korea. Daewoo hadn't yet reached its most frenzied stage; by 1993, it would be expanding aggressively, borrowing heavily to enter 110 countries, with its operations spanning almost every industry. If his plan succeeded, John could acquire Daewoo's automobile and shipbuilding businesses. As for electronics, they weren't important to him. These would become the three pillars of South Korea's future economy, and John had strength in all three areas. While his shipbuilding capabilities were still somewhat lacking, John had his sights set on Russian assets.

John has been working hard within the Russian organization, waiting for the day when it splits up so he can get the assets he wants from its corpse at the lowest possible price, including many assets outside of finance.

The Russians have a very deep pocket. Even if I only have my eye on a small part, it's enough to feed myself. As for technology, needless to say, anything useful is taken away without paying much.

As long as Russia splits, it will be the beginning of its own Asian expansion. Whether it's shipbuilding, aircraft, or energy, it will accelerate its development. At that time, there will be nothing that the split Russia cannot sell. If we're talking about squandering wealth, Russia is second to none. It's truly the kind of country that ruins itself.

The Russians have a lot of things that John envies, from large airplanes and helicopters to shipyards. After the split, as long as you have the money, buying whatever you want will be no problem. After all, John has already made arrangements. He can't say that he has everything under control, but he has almost done so.

The South Koreans aren't exactly a liability now; John needs to understand the situation there in detail. After all, the Russians won't last much longer, and if something goes wrong on the South Korean side, it will definitely affect his plans.

"Building a shopping mall? Are you serious?" Lee Boo-jin was shocked when she heard John's plan. Although the Mandarin Oriental Group was developing rapidly, its investment in South Korea was not large. Now it was going to develop shopping malls, which surprised her. After all, South Korea had not yet seen a surge in overseas investment.

“Don’t be surprised, this is the Mandarin Oriental Group’s plan. Funding isn’t a problem. In many cases, you’ll still need to step in to solve problems, as I can’t keep an eye on things here. However, the investment target is only Seoul, and it won’t be too big—at most, just a few shopping malls! Of course, you don’t need to worry too much. The Asian retail market is your focus. You only need to have a basic understanding of the shopping malls here.” With such a capable woman, John naturally wouldn’t let her be idle.

Although John's investments in South Korea cannot compare with those in China, when combined, they are equivalent to a South Korean conglomerate. Most importantly, John has marketing capabilities, including in the automotive and shipbuilding industries, which is something that South Korea itself cannot yet do.

John said this, but a smart woman wouldn't think that way. This eldest daughter of Samsung knew how large John's investments in South Korea were—comparable to Samsung's assets. Moreover, unlike Samsung, these investments had good investment opportunities. For one thing, the cars produced had already entered the North American market, leveraging Bentley Motors' sales channels. Compared to other South Korean car manufacturers, this was much faster because Bentley Motors had its own sales company and didn't need to rely on dealers.

In fact, as Bentley Motors expanded its 4S stores and gained its own sales capabilities, its development accelerated rapidly. Its sales network, covering cities across the United States, provided a good opportunity for all its car brands. This is why Korean cars were able to enter the North American market so quickly – all because Bentley Motors had its own sales channels and didn't have to rely on others.

It is precisely because Bentley controls the sales channels that its development speed is so astonishing, enabling it to complete its investment in the North American market in such a short period of time. Now, Bentley Motors has perfected its sales network, with a presence in North America, Europe, and China, which are the major sales markets.

(End of this chapter)