America: My Time

Chapter 129 Morgan's Concerns

Chapter 129 Morgan's Concerns
Although semiconductors are not Motorola's core business, they remain at the forefront globally. Motorola Semiconductor's research has never ceased, and its production technology has been continuously improved. Whether in wafers or chips, Motorola Semiconductor possesses exceptional research capabilities.

Combining the strengths of Motorola and Bell Labs will inevitably unleash tremendous power, which is why many companies in Silicon Valley are worried, but they cannot stop it from happening.

Because semiconductors have such a significant impact today, they naturally attract a lot of attention, which brings various problems to their development. They can't do whatever they want; there are many hidden constraints.

Although I have many plans in mind, plans are not necessarily feasible. It is the 1980s now, and many ideas are not necessarily put into practice.

After confirming that there would be no problem returning to his home country, John turned his attention back to gold futures. He needed to be cautious during this period to prevent any unexpected events. This time, he had invested a large amount of money, and almost all the companies he could control were involved in this gold rush!

As time went on, the price of gold continued to fall at an astonishing speed, even though John was prepared for it. Before long, the price of gold fell to the level he had expected. Not wanting to make the last penny, he didn't wait for the price to hit its lowest point, but started closing his positions while it was still some distance from the bottom. With a command, investment companies began closing their positions one after another.

Hong Kong, the UK, and the US are all closing out their positions. John is naturally most concerned about the UK, as it is his hidden strength and he needs to be extra careful. Hong Kong and the US are nothing to worry about; Hong Kong is small and not worth paying attention to. The move by the US is to attract more attention and reduce the exposure of the UK.

After careful maneuvering, John closed out all his gold futures positions. Although it was only a short two days, he was under immense pressure. John spent those two days in anxiety, but thankfully everything went smoothly without any unexpected incidents or attracting attention.

After successfully closing the position, John's tense mood finally calmed down. Next, the British side needed to carefully transfer the funds and erase all traces before anyone noticed.

In contrast, Hong Kong and the United States do not need to have so many troubles. John suggested that Hong Kong continue to acquire Standard Chartered Bank shares without any restrictions, and without any concealment. It should be an open and aboveboard acquisition, with everything out in the open.

Only by making things public can Standard Chartered avoid suspicion and lower its guard. In acquiring Standard Chartered shares, they were also fighting for their own interests, demanding a place on the board with everything laid out in the open, allowing them to legitimately enter Standard Chartered's board.

"Jenny! Get in touch with Morgan for me. I need to discuss new business with Jimmy!"

With a large sum of US dollars in hand, John prepared to launch a new round of acquisitions, accelerating his expansion in apparel and retail while also putting pressure on Morgan. So much time had passed and Gulfstream was still unresolved, which greatly surprised him. How could Morgan, with its capabilities, have dragged this out for so long? This was completely contrary to Morgan's abilities! Although Bell Labs and Motorola Semiconductor were involved, that wasn't the reason!

Upon receiving the boss's request, Jenny, as the secretary, immediately sprang into action. Although she had only been in John's secretarial team for a short time, Jenny was quite capable and was able to fulfill John's requirements well. The call was connected quickly!

“Mr. John, did you come to me about the Gulfstream acquisition? Don’t worry, there will be results soon, in just two or three days at most!” Fearing that John might be dissatisfied with Morgan’s acquisition speed, Jimmy spoke first. During this time, Morgan was using all its power to gradually force Allen Paulson to accept Morgan’s terms.

“Jimmy, I’ve always trusted Morgan’s capabilities, and our cooperation has always been very pleasant. This time it’s not about the Gulfstream acquisition, but about a new business opportunity. I wonder if you can still take it on?” “Of course, no problem. For Morgan, there’s no acquisition we can’t complete. I wonder which company Mr. John wants to acquire? Do you have any special requirements regarding time and management?”

“Jimmy, you know the tire center in Oregon. I’m going to acquire this auto parts sales company, as well as the Southern Texas company. I don’t think it will be difficult for Morgan.”

"What? Mr. John, you're not mistaken, are you? You're going to acquire an auto parts sales company and a convenience store?" Jimmy was shocked when he heard John's acquisition targets. He could hardly believe his ears. From technology to retail, the leap was too big. They were not even on the same level and had no connection whatsoever.

“Jimmy, you heard me right, this is the company I’m going to acquire. If you have any questions, you can come to me. I hope Morgan can speed up the acquisition process; I need time to integrate the assets.”

Acquiring these two companies was not difficult for Morgan, but this acquisition exceeded Jimmy's expectations and was fundamentally different from John's previous plans. John had previously invested in entertainment and technology, but now he had expanded into retail industries such as auto parts and convenience stores.

Regardless, the client's demands must be met. For a business like Morgan's, this is not difficult. Since this young man is interested in the acquisition, then let's proceed. However, all of this needs to be reported to my boss. I don't understand what kind of scheme John, this crazy kid, is setting up, but my boss will definitely see through it.

Whatever John, that madman, might be thinking, we must satisfy him now and not let him feel the slightest bit of resentment. Morgan has always wanted to take over the listing of the game world, as well as the listing of the other companies under John's control.

"What's wrong with Jimmy now, that made you rush to see me?" Seeing his subordinate's expression, Morgan frowned, worried that something had happened that might affect his plans.

“Boss, I received an acquisition request from John. This time he’s venturing into new areas again, asking us to help him acquire Oregon Tire Center, an auto parts company, and Southern Company, a convenience store company. I really don’t understand why he keeps venturing into new areas. Even if he wants to expand, wouldn’t it be better to do it on the existing foundation? This kind of diversified investment is not good for him!”

"Hmph, what do you know? It may seem foolish to you, but that's just your perspective as a mortal. A genius or even a prodigy sees it differently. The tire center is related to his investigation into automobiles. It seems he really intends to enter the automotive industry. But we're overthinking it. He might not be planning to manufacture cars in the US, but rather to focus on parts sales. As for the Southern Company, it seems he intends to get involved in the retail market. Clothing, food, transportation—this kid's ambitions are quite large; he wants to have it all!"

"Boss, it can't be like this, can it? This requires a huge investment, and he doesn't have the talent pool for it. I think if he continues to diversify his investments like this, he'll definitely run into a crisis. Once he runs into financial problems, he'll be in big trouble!"

"I actually hope that this kid will run into such trouble, preferably a failed investment that forces him to accelerate the pace of the game's launch. But this kid isn't stupid. If he dares to do this, he must have his own plan. What seems impossible to you may not be so for him. So far, he hasn't had a single failed investment."

“Boss, I admit that John is indeed a genius and his methods are very powerful, but his debts are too great. This acquisition will undoubtedly lead to more debt. I just don’t understand how those banks in Japan can trust him so much and dare to lend him such a huge amount of money. Aren’t they afraid of losing everything?”

"Debt is not a problem, as long as the companies he acquires can continue to develop and have sufficient cash flow, none of this will be a problem. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've seen this guy's shrewd side. His acquisitions are not as simple as they seem. This time, they are all in the retail industry, and the retail industry has the largest cash flow. With such a huge cash flow and good sales performance, how could this be a failed investment?"

"Cash flow, retail... I think I understand now. No wonder this kid dares to diversify his investments so much. Although his Forever Group is only newly established and appears to be a clothing company, it's actually related to retail. This kid has always been controlling his investments and keeping cash on hand. As long as there's enough cash flow, and with good expansion and development, the market value will inevitably increase significantly, so debt isn't a problem for him!" In an instant, Jimmy seemed to understand John's strategy, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes!
(End of this chapter)