America: My Time

Chapter 121 Reaching an Agreement
Chapter 121 Agreement Reached

John had no choice but to agree or refuse. He didn't want to discuss the details with these old guys anymore, nor did he want to get into endless arguments about the patent. Bell Labs was of great use to him, but to these profit-driven old guys, Bell Labs was a burden, a huge burden. They were unwilling to accept this burden, yet they wanted to gain more benefits, which was naturally impossible.

Time was passing by, and the old guys began to show resistance to John's domineering behavior. But when they saw that John still didn't react at all and really didn't care about Bell Labs' acquisition, the pressure on them gradually became heavier, forcing them to rethink their actions once again.

Once the negotiations break down, it's clear that Morgan won't intervene anymore, and they'll have to bear all the consequences themselves. John, that crazy kid, doesn't take these old guys seriously at all.

“John, we can both take a step back. There’s no need to go to such extremes! We all know how many patents Bell Labs has and how valuable they are. We can hardly agree to your demands. These patents belong to Bell Labs, which means they belong to everyone. It’s too much to ask for them all to be taken by yourself!”

"Heh, have you said enough? Since you're so reluctant, then I'll give up. You only talk about the value of Bell Labs' patents, but why don't you mention how much money it takes to maintain Bell Labs every year? If it weren't for the support of the entire Bell Corporation, such a laboratory simply couldn't have survived!" John looked at Morgan's bigwig and smiled calmly as he said this.
John's smile conveyed a sense of impending rupture, which made the old men's hearts sink. This was a big problem; this kid really had to give up on the acquisition of Bell Labs!

Just as everyone was at a loss, John spoke up again: "Was the acquisition of Motorola Semiconductor also like this? If so, it seems I came here for nothing. I hope we will have the opportunity to cooperate in the future!"

“John, you know Morgan’s attitude. We have always supported your acquisition, but things have changed now. Some people are always unwilling to accept the situation and always want more benefits. There is no problem with Morgan Motor Company, but a portion of the shares are in the hands of these people. With such an attitude, I am afraid the acquisition can only be scrapped!”

"It's fine if it's scrapped. I didn't have high hopes to begin with. Both Bell Labs and Motorola Semiconductor have too many problems. Even if Morgan wants to take action, it's impossible to get full approval. That's all for today's meeting. I'll be leaving now!" With that, John stood up and left, showing no intention of negotiating with the others any further.

“Mr. John, wait a minute, not everyone is rejecting your acquisition. DuPont agrees!”

“Mr. DuPont, this isn’t an acquisition you can simply complete on your own. Like Morgan, they’ve been pushing for this acquisition, but the result is the same—a complete waste of time. Perhaps time isn’t important to you all; you can sit down and discuss it at your leisure. But I don’t have as much time as you. My time is precious. I need to study and manage the company’s development, so I really don’t have much time to waste on this kind of acquisition. I don’t lack investment projects, and Bell Labs and Motorola Semiconductor aren’t indispensable. I’m sure you all understand that. My terms are already the best, so if you’re unwilling to accept them, it’s better if you give up. If it weren’t for our pleasant cooperation with Morgan and to give them face, I wouldn’t even be here!”

"John, give me some more face and wait a little longer. There are indeed a lot of troubles to deal with in this acquisition!" Morgan had no choice but to step forward again. DuPont had already expressed its support, and it would be difficult to explain if he did nothing.

Seeing Morgan try to persuade him to stay, John couldn't help but smile wryly and sigh softly, saying, "Fine, I'll wait a little longer. To give Morgan face, if you're willing to accept the acquisition of Motorola Semiconductor, we'll proceed as agreed. If you really can't bear to part with those profits from Bell Labs, then keep them. That would be my way of repaying Morgan. I can't let Morgan work so hard for so long without any results!"

“John, thank you for your understanding. We at Morgan will remember this favor.” With that, Morgan turned his gaze to everyone present and said in a deep voice, “Gentlemen, now is the time for you to make your decision. We at Morgan have done everything we can. Even if you don’t appreciate our favor, it’s fine. Please state your opinions!”

"Wait, since this is a meeting of everyone, we can't let the greed of a small group harm everyone's interests. I propose we vote by raising our hands, with the minority obeying the majority!" DuPont didn't want to delay any longer, otherwise this meeting would become a joke, and Bell Labs would be completely ruined in their hands. "Alright, I, Morgan, have no problem with that. This is the fairest way. Let's vote. Raise your hands if you agree to the acquisition. I'll say it again: if you don't agree, Bell Labs will be yours to take over. Those of us who agree will not bear any responsibility!"

There is no room for sentimentality among conglomerates. Once their own interests are involved, they will choose the side that is most beneficial to them. They will never sacrifice their own interests for others; self-interest is above all else.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Soon, those who had originally wanted to wait and see all raised their hands. Faced with John's assertive attitude, they all understood that if they refused to acquire the company at this time, Bell Labs would fall on their own shoulders. No one was willing to take on this huge burden, as they all knew how expensive Bell Labs was.

Although they had many patents, most of them could not be converted into profits and were considered useless. Perhaps they might generate profits in the future, but they did not know how long it would take. They were unwilling to bear the blame for these unprofitable patents, which led to this change. Those who were fickle in their opinion instantly sided with Morgan and DuPont!
In the original timeline, after the Bell Corporation was split up, Bell Labs changed hands repeatedly, and ultimately, those patents did not translate into profits. In John's plan, even after the acquisition was completed, some restrictions would be placed on Bell Labs. It was impossible to support those scientists' frenzied research indefinitely; research that did not generate profits had to be cut, otherwise he would be dragged down by Bell Labs. Bell Labs' research had to develop in the direction he needed.

"Alright, majority rule applies. The acquisition of Bell Labs is settled. Next, we'll discuss the acquisition of Motorola Semiconductor. Jimmy, you explain Morgan's proposal to everyone!"

“Okay, boss. Everyone has received our detailed report on the current situation of the US semiconductor industry. It’s very difficult. Motorola has been stuck in a slump precisely because of this huge burden of semiconductors. We need to lighten Motorola’s load. The semiconductor business must be sold. Everyone is aware of Mr. John’s requirements. The most difficult thing to deal with is the association. After our investigation, we came up with a win-win solution. Motorola’s chip research institute and patents will be sold directly to Mr. John. We will shut down the semiconductor factory and sell the factory’s equipment to Mr. John’s foundry. In this way, we can help Motorola get rid of this huge burden.”

"Great plan! Once Motorola sheds the semiconductor factory, it will be rid of this enormous burden, and its market value will recover quickly. I agree to the plan and the acquisition!"

Faced with the prospect of profit, these old guys all agreed to Morgan's plan. Motorola itself was responsible for carrying it out, and even if there was a bad reputation, it would be Motorola's management who would bear the blame. They wouldn't have to suffer the infamy. This was the best choice and an outcome that everyone could accept. As for whether the management had any thoughts on it, that was not important!
Upon hearing Jimmy's plan, John couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He had underestimated the shamelessness of conglomerates like Morgan. He wanted to shift the blame to Morgan to avoid the infamy, but Morgan was even more cunning, directly shifting the blame to Motorola's management and getting their approval right away. It has to be said that Morgan's methods were truly impressive.

Although he was overjoyed to be able to resolve the acquisition issue directly, John's face showed no joy. Instead, he sighed softly, a hint of reluctance flashing across his face! He couldn't let these old guys know his true thoughts, he couldn't let them know how much he cared about the acquisition of Bell Labs and Motorola Semiconductor!

"Mr. John, now that everything is resolved, can the acquisition proceed?" Seeing the reluctance on John's face, Jimmy, the Morgan manager, had no choice but to step forward and ask. As his subordinate, he naturally had to take the blame for his boss, and he had to take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility for something that might offend people.

"Alright, I agree to the acquisition agreement. However, as I said, I don't have much time to waste on this acquisition. If you drag it out for too long, I can only apologize, especially regarding Bell Labs. I don't have much time to wait. You all need to speed things up. If it gets too late, I can't keep waiting."

"Don't worry, John, we'll handle this perfectly. Even if we have to divest Bell Labs ahead of schedule, it won't affect your development plans. Motorola is even easier to handle; the acquisition can be completed in just one month!" To leave John no chance to refuse, Morgan made a direct guarantee, and the other old guys nodded frantically, afraid that John would regret it at the next moment and refuse the acquisition of Bell Labs!
(End of this chapter)