America: My Time

Chapter 104 Winery
Chapter 104 The Winery
Under normal circumstances, Smith's suggestion was correct; the winery's prospects were indeed not promising in the short term. However, John wasn't looking at short-term gains, but rather long-term benefits. This stemmed from the different information John had compared to his father, Smith. John saw the financial changes following the Plaza Accord, the depreciation of the dollar, and now was the most opportune time to acquire the asset! The winery wasn't as bad as imagined; perhaps Bordeaux wineries wouldn't appreciate in value in the short term, but in the long run, they were still worth investing in!

“Father, Mother, I have my own plans. I’ve said before that I’m different from others. The winery might not appreciate in value under someone else’s ownership, but it has that potential under my ownership. Now that I have Universal Pictures and NBC, Legendary Entertainment is no longer a small conglomerate, but a true media giant that can effectively promote the winery!”

"Alright, you decide for yourself!" Seeing John's persistence and unwillingness to give up, Smith could only acquiesce. Continuing to oppose him would only incite rebellion, which would be even worse. John's financial pressure wasn't as great as he'd imagined; acquiring two wineries wasn't a major problem!
“John, since you want to have more development in the winery, you can't be unprepared. You need to have a wine company, even if it's just a shell company, you must have one. This will reduce your own pressure and allow you to not waste more energy on the winery. For you, Legend Entertainment and other companies need your attention more!”

Unable to stop John from acquiring the winery, Smith chose a clever way to alleviate the pressure on John: he had John set up a wine company to help him manage the winery, thus reducing his own workload!

After a moment's thought, John nodded slightly. He did need such a company to manage the winery, but that would require him to find new managers. He was afraid he didn't have that much time, and he couldn't give up his plans for other industries because of the winery. Compared to mining, automobiles, and semiconductors, the wine industry was insignificant!
John quickly turned his attention to his father, Smith. Since his father had proposed the idea, he figured it should be handled by his father, which would make things much easier for him!

Seeing John's pleading look, Smith sighed and said, "How can you not have the energy to deal with this? Now you know how diversified your investments are. Since you understand that, why insist on continuing? The winery isn't essential to you. You need to make choices about your plans. There are many investment opportunities, but your energy is limited. Making appropriate choices will benefit you!"

John knew he had to make a choice, but with so many opportunities right in front of him, if he gave them up, he would have to pay a much higher price to get them back, or he might not even have the chance at all. Greed is something a young man can hardly let go of.

Of course, John wasn't completely unprepared. Although there was pressure, it wasn't as great as he had imagined. His own think tank was already in the works, and his secretariat team was being established!

This time, John isn't hiring one or two secretaries, but a whole team of secretaries to help him understand his companies and gain a clear understanding of them. Once his think tank and secretarial team are established, everything will no longer be a problem.

John knew his father meant well, using this opportunity to remind him not to do things beyond his capabilities. John understood his father's good intentions but wouldn't easily give up on his plans. However, when it was time to let go, he would take the initiative to do so.

“Father, I understand. I am building a secretariat and think tank, which takes time. What I lack right now is precisely time. If possible, I would also like to give up the acquisition. However, if we miss this acquisition opportunity, it will cost more and require more effort to acquire in the future. Now is the best time.”

John paused here, seemingly unconcerned about his father and mother, and continued, "If it weren't for the family gathering, I really would have gone to Bordeaux. I want more than just wineries; I also want Bentley cars and to get involved in industrial manufacturing. To be honest, I've now formed a new partnership with Morgan, having them help me acquire Gulfstream and Executive Jet. I need to expand into industrial manufacturing, and that will take time to figure out."

When John finished speaking, Smith and Anna were shocked. They had never expected John to have such a crazy idea, to expand into industrial manufacturing. This was no ordinary investment; it required a huge amount of capital and was very easy to lose.

"John, do you know what you're doing? Do you know the enormous investment and dangers required for industrial manufacturing?"

“I know, and that’s why I didn’t acquire those big companies. Instead, I started with the smallest ones. Even if I failed, I wouldn’t lose too much. If I succeeded, I would have new options. Gulfstream is just a business jet manufacturer. Investment is limited, and the pressure is low. Bentley is the same. Every industry has its highs and lows. Right now, it’s the low point for luxury goods and business jets. I want to acquire them.”

Although Legendary Entertainment and the gaming world are doing well now, I might be in big trouble when the industry experiences a downturn. I need to prepare in advance to ensure that my development is not affected and that I don't get stuck in a predicament because of an industry downturn. Therefore, I must expand into other industries, and industrial manufacturing is one of my targets! " At this point, John couldn't help but sigh, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He still didn't have enough manpower; if he had enough, his expansion would be much faster.

John had never considered the issue of funding. With his 'friendly' partnership with the Japanese bank, he could secure sufficient financial support from them. However, his lack of talent limited his development. Of course, he also needed time to mature and digest his previous gains.
John can only truly relax once Legendary Entertainment has stabilized and is free from pressure and danger. Right now, he still needs to keep an eye on Legendary Entertainment, not to mention tech companies like Dreamworld and Nvidia, which are developing more products. These two companies require him to invest a lot of energy and time.

"I hope you're right. Since you're already prepared, handle these issues carefully. I'll take care of the winery matters for you; you don't need to waste any more time and energy. Don't let a small matter like the winery affect your long-term development! However, you also need to be prepared yourself, make choices, and distinguish between primary and secondary priorities."

"I know that at this stage, we should focus on the game world, as it is an important source of funding. I have also made an agreement with Morgan Stanley that the game world will be listed in a year. During this year, we will naturally do everything we can to increase the market value of the game world. As for other matters, they will no longer be a problem once I have established my secretariat!"

After talking with his parents, John felt much more relaxed and his stress was relieved. At least he no longer had to worry about such a 'trivial' matter as the winery; his father would handle everything.

John was relieved, but Smith and Anna, his parents, were under immense pressure. They didn't want to see John continue to expand, but they couldn't stop him. They could feel John's almost obsessive determination. In this situation, forcibly stopping him would only backfire.

"Smith, John is already under a lot of pressure, and the expansion is too fast. Why are you still indulging him and condoning his expansion in industrial manufacturing?" Anna questioned angrily after John left.

“Anna, I care about John too, but we need to persuade him rationally, not forcibly stop him. He's only eighteen, and I don't want our opposition to make him more stubborn. This is a test for him. The expansion of industrial manufacturing will put pressure on John, but he's right. Every industry has its downturns. It's commendable that he has this kind of thinking at such a young age. Even if it might fail, we can't stop him. Besides, this family annual meeting is not simple; it's another choice for him, and a test.”

"Is there anything different about this family year? Could it be that someone is eyeing John's businesses?" Anna asked, a hint of anger in her eyes. As a mother, she was unwilling to accept such a situation.

"No, no one will make a move on John. Even if they do, they must keep their minds to themselves. The family rules will not change and will not be challenged. However, this time the family wants to make John the successor of this generation. If he accepts, he will have to make a choice between the family's interests and his personal interests. Accepting the identity of the family's successor, that is, the next patriarch, means taking over the family's funds and shifting from personal interests to family interests."

"What if John doesn't accept?"

"It's fine if he doesn't accept it, but he'll no longer be the family's successor and naturally won't receive the family's strong support. In the future, it's equivalent to giving up his rights in the family. What the family needs is a patriarch who puts the family at the core, not a patriarch who puts personal interests at the core. Anyone who wants to become the family's successor must make some sacrifices. The reason I didn't tell John at this time is that I didn't want him to feel any pressure, so he could face this choice without pressure. For John, the family's power isn't that important. He has his own career, and we don't need the family's power, so I don't want to put any more pressure on him!"

(End of this chapter)