America: My Time

Chapter 1418 Becoming Vigilant
Chapter 1408 A Vigilance Arises
Was the Koreans' choice foolish? Actually, it wasn't foolish at all. They didn't have enough energy or foreign exchange, which would have been a disaster for them. Those power plants were just a burden to them, so they had to make the decision to abandon them. At least the power plants could continue to operate under John's control, since John controlled a huge amount of resources. In their view, this was a win-win situation.

In fact, John deserves some credit for South Korea's current predicament. If it weren't for John's intervention, his control over many of South Korea's assets, and his increased investment in key production areas that led to greater energy and electricity consumption, South Korea would be in its current predicament, forcing them to make this decision.

"It seems we have to make a new choice. The previous plan has to be changed again. I thought those Koreans would bring out companies like electronics and home appliances, but now they've made this decision. It's true that plans can't keep up with changes. No matter how well I plan, I might not succeed!" Thinking of this, John sighed again. Since the plan has run into problems, we have to adapt and change accordingly.

After making the decision, John said in a deep voice, "Tell them to get ready. Asia Energy will contact them soon. I have other matters to attend to. If they are truly interested in the deal, then send someone to Beijing, China, and I will talk to them!"

At this moment, although John was very tempted, he did not intend to go to the Koreans in person. After all, the Koreans were not good people. Their arrogance was well-known. If he gave them face, these guys would cause trouble again. So it was better to be a little cold to avoid these guys causing trouble for him, which would be a waste of his precious time!
As John pushed through the asset restructuring, previously inconspicuous funds and offshore companies surfaced. While not all of them, they were gradually taking control of John's assets. If it weren't for the lure of profit, those old guys in the US would probably have already gotten restless.

Although many offshore companies had been exposed before, John's scale of operations this time still shocked many people, especially Oil Pacific Capital, who were all stunned by John's methods. Many people knew that John wanted to transfer assets, but they did not expect him to do it so recklessly.

"Won't something unexpected happen if you don't come and talk to them? After all, this is energy and electricity." John's words surprised Lee Boo-jin. In her opinion, this was a valuable asset. How could John not be interested?

"There's no need for that. Asia Energy will have the results and conduct a thorough assessment. As for whether they genuinely want to do business with me and get out of their predicament, they need to show sincerity. If they don't even have that much sincerity, what's the point of talking? They don't think I'm unaware of South Korea's current situation. They're forced to make this decision. They don't have enough energy. If they don't cooperate with me, I'm afraid South Korea's power supply will be disrupted in a short time! If it comes to that, South Korea's situation will be even worse, and they'll have to pay a much higher price! You don't need to give them any special treatment. They're begging us now, not the other way around. If they're unwilling, I have other options. I believe it won't be long before those guys in Japan and those old fogies in the US are tempted!"

Upon hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin was first taken aback, then suddenly realized that she had been deceived by those people. This was not an equal exchange at all; the initiative was not in the hands of the Koreans. It wasn't her who was anxious, but those guys. After figuring this out, a cold smile appeared on Lee Boo-jin's face. Being schemed against by her own family weighed heavily on her heart, and she lost all hope in them.

In the Lee family of Samsung, all kinship is fake; all they care about is profit. After that last bit of illusion was extinguished, Lee Boo-jin no longer had any illusions about her family, nor did she have any sympathy for the Koreans. After all, these guys had schemed against her, and if she didn't react, they would only take advantage of her!

"Okay, I understand. I will make those who plotted against me pay the price!"

Although they were on the phone, John could hear the anger in Lee Boo-jin's voice on the other end. He smiled calmly and said, "You don't need to argue with them. That's business. Their choice wasn't wrong. You don't really think the Lee family at Samsung can control everything and drive all of this. Under pressure from everyone, they have no choice but to compromise. You don't need to be angry about it. Just do your job well. Nothing else matters!"

Although Lee Boo-jin was furious, John didn't believe she could truly sever all family ties. If family ties were so easy to sever, it wouldn't be normal. Just look at Nakamori Akina's situation to see how terrible the entanglement of family ties can be. Even after being betrayed and schemed against time and time again, she still couldn't completely sever those ties. Lee Boo-jin's situation was much better than Nakamori Akina's. She might be a little agitated in the heat of the moment, but she would regret it afterward.

John had experienced something similar himself. If he could truly sever ties with his family, he would have done so long ago. But the connection remained, and it wasn't something he could simply do in a fit of anger. It was a situation of lingering attachments; even after seeing through their true colors, it wasn't so easy to let go. He could only try to ignore their existence. In this world, many things are beyond our control!
"I want to do my best, but trouble just keeps coming my way!" Lee Boo-jin sighed softly, saying helplessly. She was a smart woman, and she understood that family ties weren't so easy to sever, at least not for her!

"Follow your heart, don't pursue anything excessively, don't pay attention to their opinions, just be yourself!"

That's true, but things aren't always as simple as just saying them. John often finds himself in situations beyond his control and has to do things he doesn't want to do. That's life.

After hanging up the phone, John shook his head and sighed softly. He had planned to outmaneuver the Koreans, but he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. John knew how rapidly and powerful the Korean electronics and semiconductor industry would become in the future, so he intended to act in advance, but things didn't go as he planned.

John's reason for investing heavily in heavy industry in South Korea is that he doesn't want to be taken advantage of by those guys in Japan. After all, after the bubble economy, Japanese companies started engaging in rampant counterfeiting, and John doesn't trust their capabilities. That's why John is investing heavily in heavy industry in South Korea, which is also why he is reducing Nissan's production and placing parts in China. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be too severe!
Although time is of the essence, he cannot rush into anything and needs to plan carefully, otherwise it will affect his grand plan. When Russia collapsed, John obtained sufficient technology from them, and after the collapse, Russia was even more cooperative, allowing John to obtain even more technology from them. It was precisely because of this advanced technology that Gulfstream Aerospace developed so rapidly, and that there was so much development in the steel and heavy industry. Although John relinquished a lot of assets, it does not mean that his plans in the heavy industry will be affected. The assets in the United States were relinquished, but some technology had already been transferred out, as well as technology from Europe, plus the technology from Russia. As long as he has enough time to lay the groundwork in the heavy industry, there will be almost no obstacles.

However, this decision by the Koreans has put some pressure on John. He is wondering whether he should separate out the Koreans' capabilities to continue his heavy industry plan. After all, this is a rare opportunity, and if he misses it, he will have to pay a much higher price to rebuild it.

John didn't want to be under too much pressure in the limited time available, but the unexpected turn of events in the plan had a significant impact. If the Koreans hadn't been so arrogant and those guys in the US hadn't been targeting them, he would have had time to adjust gradually. But since all of this had happened, John had to carefully consider the gains and losses!

Suddenly, a thought flashed through John's mind: "This matter may not be as simple as it seems on the surface. Could it be a scheme by those guys in the United States? They have seen through my plans in the electronics and home appliances sector and want to stop me. Or are they worried that I will use the power of the Koreans to re-enter the semiconductor field?"

John's suspicions can't be blamed on him; rather, it's the reaction of those old guys in the US that's problematic, and the sudden change in the Koreans that's suspicious. That's why he has these worries and fears that behind it all lies the schemes and plans of those enemies.

The closer we get to this crucial moment, the more cautious we must be. We cannot afford to be careless in the slightest. Otherwise, a single mistake could be devastating. If our plans with the Koreans fall apart, it will have a significant impact on our entire scheme. This is not the situation John envisions!

Although he had investments in both Taiwan and China, the impact on China was too great. Even a slight increase in investment had already drawn negative reactions. If he continued to invest more funds and high-tech research, the situation in the US would likely escalate dramatically. John never dared to be negligent with those old guys, because they were constantly watching his every move and would seize any opportunity to deliver a fatal blow!
I thought that my expansion in media and entertainment, along with the Asian financial crisis, would make those old guys in the US lower their guard and focus their energy on these areas. But now it seems I might have been wrong. Those old guys were not affected. They have never let their guard down. I was scheming against these old guys, but I was also being watched by them. The slightest mistake could bring devastating damage to my plans!

John did consider further asset restructuring to divert the old men's attention, but ultimately gave up. Fighting these old foxes was futile; since they had their eyes on his overseas assets, it was impossible to distract them through such means.

“It’s also possible that my reaction to the Asian financial crisis was too mild, which aroused the suspicion of these old guys and made them more vigilant. Otherwise, these old guys shouldn’t have reacted so much!” Whether it was the situation in South Korea or the situation in the United States, John had to be cautious.

John's decades of experience taught him that even the slightest mistake at this crucial moment could have dire consequences, so he now had to be cautious and devise a strategy. Why did things happen so 'coincidentally'? Morgan had only been in the US for a short time, and problems had already arisen on the Korean side, with perfectly plausible reasons, showing no apparent wrongdoing on the surface. The more he pondered this situation, the more terrifying it became, leading John to suspect that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Given the Koreans' arrogance, would they so easily make such a decision, entrusting him with such a vital asset?

Perhaps he was being paranoid, but the business world is like a battlefield, and John dared not be careless or negligent in such matters. Otherwise, he would be the one to suffer. If there were deeper schemes behind this involving those old guys like Rockefeller, he could easily fall into their trap and be ambushed by them!

John needed to be cautious as long as he had doubts. It was right of him not to go to the Koreans; only in this way could he probe whether there was a conspiracy or a scheme behind it! It would be best if there were none. If there were, the other party would definitely leave some clues so that he could be on guard! Human hearts are unpredictable, especially when doing business with these treacherous and cunning people. Naturally, one must be even more careful. Moreover, the current situation is also problematic, with many things coming together, making the impact even more terrifying.

Seeing John deep in thought, Zeng Li didn't disturb him, and gradually loosened the pressure on her hands. She understood that she couldn't disrupt John's train of thought at this moment. For a big shot like John, the first decision he made had a huge impact, especially on such an important matter. Disrupting John's train of thought would have serious consequences.

After a long while, John let out a long sigh, a faint look of seriousness flashing in his eyes. Now that things had come to this, he had to prepare for the worst to prevent the enemy from plotting against him. Since the Koreans had run into trouble, the Japanese would have to come in handy. He would use their strength to test those old guys and to advance his plans.

(End of this chapter)