America: My Time

Chapter 1272 Hidden Schemes

Chapter 1262 Hidden Schemes
John's words made everyone ponder, and different people had different opinions. Christy Turlington believed that this was the opportunity she had been looking for. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't envious of Lee Boo-jin and Kikuchi Momoko, but she had been waiting for an opportunity, and now she believed the time was ripe, her eyes revealing a hint of joy and longing.

In contrast, the others seemed more indifferent. Claudia Schiffer still had no intention of making changes, content with her current life, or rather, she enjoyed the 'sense of accomplishment' under the spotlight. Jennifer Connelly nodded thoughtfully. Compared to Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington, she thought more deeply and saw things more clearly, after all, their educational backgrounds were different; she was a Stanford graduate, after all.

Most importantly, Jennifer Connelly had more contact with high society when she was in charge of the charitable foundation. What she gained was not the spotlight, but the recognition of high society. In comparison, she was much more low-key than Christy Turlington.

If we were to determine a winner among the three, Jennifer Connelly would clearly have been the one. She wasn't too eager to succeed, so her score was naturally higher. Did John give them few opportunities? Not at all. But just because you have an opportunity doesn't mean you can seize it. Opportunity favors the prepared. Initially, Jennifer Connelly did have some ambitions, wanting to be John's personal secretary, but she clearly wasn't up to the task. That experience taught her a profound lesson.

Unfortunately, Christie Turlington doesn't have that kind of experience, and her current actions are a bit too risky. If she had just been a little more cautious, things would have been different, since no one is competing with her in this matter.

Even at this point, Christie Turlington still didn't realize her own problems, nor did she think her choices were wrong; in fact, she felt she had done a good job. Although Christie Turlington was unwilling to admit it, a question lingered in her mind: why did those women in Japan and Hong Kong get more opportunities, while she couldn't, especially Lee Boo-jin and Kikuchi Momoko? This was unacceptable to her.

Christie Turlington forgot one thing: Eastern and Western women are different, their views are different, and no matter how much she tries to hide it, she can't be completely flawless. Most importantly, she doesn't have that ability. If she did, she wouldn't be rejected.

Momoko Kikuchi is studying business management and increasing her knowledge, but has Christy Turlington ever made such a choice? She is also pursuing further education, but she doesn't focus her energy on management; instead, she focuses on other things. The difference is obvious when compared to her, not to mention compared to Lee Boo-jin.

From the very beginning, Christy Turlington took the wrong path. Choosing a charitable foundation would have been fine—everything would have been perfect. But her desire to participate in the operation and management of a business was wishful thinking. Businesses are not so easy to manage, let alone a large conglomerate like Forever. Even if John gave her ample time, her chances of success were slim; she lacked the necessary knowledge.

Opportunity favors the prepared mind, and clearly Christy Turlington wasn't prepared; in fact, she lacked even Claudia Schiffer's self-awareness and self-awareness. Did John not give them enough time? Several years—if they had been willing and prepared, they could have made a difference long ago. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out that way.

"Are you also tempted?" Claudia Schiffer said calmly to Kate Beckinsale, a faint smile in her eyes. There were quite a few beautiful women sitting here, but whether they would have the last laugh was another matter.

Neither Kate Beckinsale nor Charlize Theron put any pressure on Claudia Schiffer, even though they both pursued acting careers. Compared to these two, Claudia Schiffer had some experience; she had at least studied winery management, which ended in failure.

It seems everyone is focused here, as if they all have the same status, but is that really the case? Claudia Schiffer doesn't think so. Having followed John for so long, she naturally understands his character. This is an opportunity, but also a test. She has seen those who left before: Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Sophie Marceau. These are just the ones she knows. She has also heard of those from Japan and Hong Kong.

"It's tempting! Who wouldn't be tempted by such an offer? It's the Forever Group! Even though I don't know much about the fashion industry, I know the Forever Group and Victoria's Secret are famous. Besides, we're both actors, so how could we not know about clothing? It would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted, but I know my own capabilities!" Kate Beckinsale didn't hide her thoughts at all and said it openly.

“You’re quite good. At least you know yourself. I hope you can keep going and resist all the temptations. Many times, one wrong step can lead to no turning back.” Claudia Schiffer didn’t spell it out too bluntly. Whether Kate Beckinsale understood was up to her own wisdom.

Don't be fooled by John's indifference to their ambition, ideas, or their passive acceptance of a passive approach. There are bottom lines that cannot be crossed; once those lines are broken, they're out. Was today's conversation solely about the Eternal Group? No, things aren't that simple. Perhaps there's more to the story, something they're unaware of. Claudia Schiffer is aware of what happened in Taiwan, so it's not impossible that new problems have arisen. People's hearts can change!

A hint of doubt flashed in Kate Beckinsale's eyes; she couldn't quite understand Claudia Schiffer's intentions. However, she took her words to heart and nodded thoughtfully to indicate that she understood. Although she had many questions, she knew this wasn't the time to ask; this wasn't the place for her to act recklessly.

The appearance of more than a dozen beauties must have something else going on. Judging from the current situation, these Asian beauties must have many plans, but these few are not so lucky, or rather, they have not been truly recognized. Their appearance is just an attitude, or a calculation!
Of course, this is also an opportunity; it depends on whether they can seize it. After all, opportunity favors the prepared. The outcome depends on their own choices and abilities, a point Kate Beckinsale understands well. In fact, simply being here is a form of recognition and success. Regardless of the plans behind it, remaining calm is the best option. A moment of patience brings calm, and taking a step back opens up a vast horizon. At this time, stability is more suitable than impulsiveness! In just this short time, Kate Beckinsale could tell that John was about to begin another round of restructuring and consolidation. Although she didn't understand the many calculations behind it, she knew clearly that this was not something she could interfere with, and it was best not to participate. She had no advantage over Claudia Schiffer, Jennifer Connelly, or even Charlize Theron. As for others, it goes without saying.

John's investment focus is on Asia, and he has made many more investments there. Under these circumstances, Kate Beckinsale did not think she would have any opportunities, so she remained silent and observed everything from the sidelines, viewing it all as an outsider.

Just then, Smith's voice rang out again: "John, this time do you just want to integrate media and entertainment, or do you want a complete integration? If there are really problems behind this, it would be better to cut the Gordian knot!"

"It's almost a complete integration. This Asian financial crisis isn't as simple as it seems on the surface. There are many things I can't say, and it wouldn't be good for you to know. This is the beginning of a contest, and even Morgan has been dragged in. You should understand what this means. Rockefeller has pulled out Lancelot again, bringing Morgan into the game. Things are not simple. This time, with Jimmy's arrival, I need to have a detailed talk with him. You have to give up something to gain something. Since things have come to this point, and the situation has developed to this extent, we have to make choices!"

The decision depends on John and Jimmy's communication and the reactions of those old guys. What he needs to protect are the Gulfstream Aerospace Group (a military-industrial complex), Bentley Motors, and the media group. He can't let these guys cause trouble behind his back. As for the other conglomerates, they can be spun off and listed separately.

Of course, this is contingent on those old guys showing sufficient sincerity. They can't just want to gain something without contributing anything; they have to pay a corresponding price, otherwise, he won't agree. John also felt a slight unease about the current situation. The mutual probing was becoming increasingly frantic and terrifying. John didn't know what the next step would be like, or what those guys would do!

"Think it through yourself. The impact of the Asian financial crisis is significant, and the situation in the United States is not peaceful either. Some people are already targeting you. If you continue to cause trouble, it will be detrimental to both you and them." Smith sighed as he spoke. With the constantly changing situation and John's counterattack, some people were getting restless. They were worried that the situation would get out of control, especially the oil capital led by Soros, who were afraid that the worst would happen.

Unsurprisingly, these guys once again turned to their media power and tried to use it to target John. Unfortunately for them, John was the number one media mogul in the United States, and even the world. Their attempt to overpower John in the media was wishful thinking. However, their actions did have some impact!

“I know. Although I’m not in the US, I know the situation there very well. Jaguar Security’s power is not just for show, and my reputation as a media mogul is not just for show either. Soros and his ilk are scared, and even the guys at the Federal Reserve are scared. Those bastards made great promises to me at first, but after I made the deal with them, things went wrong. I didn’t enjoy any of the benefits of being a member of the Federal Reserve; I only suffered from their oppression!”

At this point, John couldn't help but shake his head, finding the scheming of the Federal Reserve guys laughable. These guys had been plotting for so long, yet they still hadn't gotten everything they wanted, and hadn't gained any advantage from him.

“John, there’s no need for you to fight with those guys at the Fed. Stop it now, or you’ll lose face. The White House has already stepped in, what’s the point of arguing?” Anna also stepped in to persuade John. After all, the situation in the US was escalating, and even she, as his teacher, was affected, which showed how chaotic the situation was in the US.

“It’s not that I don’t want to back down, but it’s no use backing down. As long as I still control this wealth, Hurricane Investment, Integrity Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, these guys won’t stop. I had already thought of this when I joined the Federal Reserve, but I didn’t expect these guys to be so crazy. It seems that their planning in the Asian financial crisis was more sophisticated than I imagined, otherwise they wouldn’t be so impatient.”

"Brother, since you knew this would happen, why did you join the Federal Reserve? Why did you pay such a high price?" Allen asked in bewilderment, his eyes filled with incomprehension.

"You're still too young. I joined the Federal Reserve, so our conflicts are internal issues. Even if they escalate, they'll only be resolved internally. If I hadn't joined the Federal Reserve, it would be completely different. Although I'm confident I could compete with those old guys, it would be too much of a waste of time and energy. Overall, it wouldn't be worth it. And once I retire, when Martin and the others have grown up and taken over the conglomerate, all the pressure will be gone. They're only afraid of me; they don't want to see Hurricane Investment, Standard Chartered Bank, and Integrity Bank grow and expand, fearing it will threaten their interests."

As soon as John finished speaking, Allen and everyone else present were shocked. They hadn't expected John to have made such arrangements so early, foreseeing the situation after they relinquished control of the conglomerate. This made them even more astonished by John's cunning and explained why those old men were so troubled by him. John's undefeated record was terrifying, and his ruthless calculations were worrisome!

(End of this chapter)