America: My Time

Chapter 162 Peace of mind
Chapter 162 Peace of mind

"Boss, this investment from China is likely to cause quite a stir. No matter how many excuses we have, we will inevitably face attacks from the United Auto Workers and the media. Employment is a major issue in the US right now, and our enemies will not ignore it. We need to prepare in advance!"

"I know all that you're saying, but we have to do it. The market here is huge, and it would be foolish of us to give up this valuable opportunity. So what if it's the United Auto Workers? If they want to start a war, are we afraid of them? The compromises we made before were just to save face for them. If they don't take that face back, we have nothing to say. As for the media issue, that's even easier to resolve. As long as we don't care, they can't do anything to us. Bentley is registered in Britain, not the United States. We have no obligation to help those bastards solve their problems. Bentley doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of AMC."

If those bastards really go too far, we have other strategies. We can move forward with our next plan and acquire Polaris Industries to shut those Auto Workers bastards up. We won't concern ourselves with anything else. They're begging us, not us, and we have no obligation to take responsibility for them! This situation wouldn't have happened if those bastards hadn't been so lenient with the Auto Workers union.”

"That's true, but I'm afraid someone might be plotting against us behind our backs. Such situations happen all the time, and boss, your relationship with the media isn't good either. It's perfectly normal for someone to kick you when you're down!"

"I do hope someone steps forward and lets us see who our friends and enemies are. Those old guys better not cause me trouble at this time, or the consequences will be unbearable for them. I still remember the Bell Labs incident! Don't worry about the US for now. Get the European factory sorted out first. We don't have that much time to waste. Since the British haven't given us a satisfactory answer yet, we don't need to give them any face. If there are any results with Duff Trucks, just leave the factory there. I believe the Netherlands will be very happy. You can also contact the Netherlands and get them to take action to help us complete the acquisition of Duff as soon as possible. We can't keep the Middle Eastern tycoons waiting too long; if it takes too long, something unexpected will happen!"

"Don't worry, boss, we've already finalized the deal with the Middle East, there won't be any problems. The only issue is with the acquisition in Japan; Mitsuoka Motors isn't willing to sell to us!"

"Let's put the Japan aspect aside for now. After the investment here is completed, I'll contact Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Mitsui Bank, and Mitsubishi Bank to ask them to help us resolve this issue. Sales absolutely cannot have any problems. We don't have much time left. Japan's economy is developing rapidly, and car sales are about to boom. We can't miss this opportunity; we can't let ourselves be held hostage!" John hadn't expected that the seemingly easiest acquisition of Japan would run into problems, but it wasn't a major issue; it could be resolved!

"Boss, if there's no response from the British side, do we really have to move our headquarters?"

"It depends on their choice. I don't want to do this, but I have no other choice. We can't show weakness this time, or countless enemies will pounce on us. We also need to prepare for the European sales issue. We may not be able to fully launch the car sales yet, but we need to prepare for the sales of parts early! If Britain takes any action, you can let me know. If they really want to resolve the conflict, they must pay the price and show some appreciation. Otherwise, our future investments in Britain and in other countries will be in trouble, and that's no small matter!"

Britain's current situation is also not ideal. If its credibility is questioned, it will have a significant impact on it, so the pressure they are under is enormous. If their rivals seize this opportunity, it could easily lead to a situation they don't want to see. John believes that this situation cannot continue to develop, and the consequences would be unbearable for them. Once their development is hindered, they will be in big trouble.

“Yes, boss, I understand. What should we do if Britain wants to settle with us before Duff Trucks makes a decision? It's most beneficial for us to keep the factory in Britain; it will also reduce our burden and pressure!” In Mary Barra's mind, the manufacturing center in Europe should ideally remain in Britain, not the Netherlands. She also believed that Britain would act soon; this matter couldn't be delayed. The longer it dragged on, the worse it would be for them. They absolutely couldn't accept the worst-case scenario!
"Do you think the British will compromise before we reach an agreement with DAF Trucks? They're incredibly arrogant and don't take us seriously at all!" John thought Mary Barra's suggestion was unlikely. The British were always arrogant and wouldn't compromise so quickly, and the Netherlands weren't stupid. If they wanted to attract Bentley Group to invest in building a factory, the acquisition of DAF Trucks was a necessary condition. They couldn't afford to delay and give the British time to compromise!
"Yes, even if they are unwilling to bow down, external forces will force them to. They have no choice. We can wait, but they cannot, especially with the outbreak in the United States. Those bastards will be even more restless and will have to compromise with us!"

“Alright, if they really do compromise, and before reaching an agreement with DAF Trucks, we can continue with our original investment plan. After all, time is of the essence for us, and the Middle East is extremely important, affecting the development of the entire group. We can't keep them waiting too long. We must ship the goods to them before the end of the year, and that's only possible if we build a factory in England!”

Faced with the bigger picture, John had no choice but to compromise. He couldn't interfere too much with Bentley's development; after all, Mary Barra was Bentley's CEO, and he couldn't refuse to compromise when necessary. He also had other investments in Britain, and turning against the British wouldn't be a good thing. While John was agonizing over this, the British were also in a bind. Someone had to take the blame for such a major incident, but who would do it was a crucial question. The government would definitely not take the blame, so after much deliberation, they decided that Hong Kong would have to shoulder the responsibility, resolve the conflict with Bentley, and calm the public down.

John was investigating how many hidden forces were behind this incident. When the results came out, he was quite surprised. He had originally thought that some old American guys were involved, but that wasn't the case. He had been overthinking it. The main culprits were HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank.

John could understand if it were HSBC, since he had thwarted HSBC's plans and there was a conflict between them. But why would Standard Chartered do this? What benefit would it bring them? All the finances of his Hong Kong businesses were handled by Standard Chartered! After reading the explanation, John sighed. Standard Chartered was worried about his acquisition, which was why they made such a big move and chose to join forces with HSBC to screw him over.

"HSBC and Standard Chartered, I'll remember this grudge. You'll pay for it someday. And this hatred gives me a reason to acquire Standard Chartered!"

After learning the whole story, John quickly let it go and left everything to Mary Barra to handle. He knew he couldn't take revenge yet and needed to be patient, but that day wouldn't be long. A new storm was brewing, and when that day came, those bastards would know what pain was.

As John put everything aside, Mary Barra's prediction proved correct: DAF Trucks of the Netherlands indeed missed its chance. Perhaps they were unwilling to accept the Bentley Group's acquisition and harbored some resistance. Before DAF Trucks could respond, the British side approached Mary Barra, absolving themselves of all responsibility and making it clear that the entire affair had nothing to do with the British.

Although everyone knew the reason, since the British had bowed their heads and were willing to speed up the sale of Leyland vans and give the green light to the construction of Bentley Group's car manufacturing center, Mary Barra agreed immediately after contacting John. This was not the time to haggle with the British; Bentley Group needed to hurry up and meet the construction schedule so as not to affect cooperation with the Middle East.

When Mary Barra signed the contract with the British on behalf of the Bentley Group, the whole of Europe and America was shocked. No one expected the British to react so quickly, nor did they expect the Netherlands to be so incompetent, failing to seize the opportunity that was presented to them.

Has the feud between the two sides truly ended? No, it was merely a compromise. In order to put some pressure on the British, John got NBC and RTV to take action and give the matter full coverage, which led to the current outcome.

This matter came and went quickly. After the two sides reached a settlement, John continued his travels, exploring the streets and alleys of Beijing. He didn't like staying in hotels, and after learning more about investment issues in China, John submitted an application for permanent residency and purchased property in Beijing!

At that time, real estate in Huajing was very cheap. Many of the tourist attractions that would later become tourist attractions didn't even exist; they were all abandoned, so acquiring them wasn't difficult. In the early 1980s, courtyard houses weren't valuable; apartment buildings were. Everyone hoped to live in an apartment building, not a courtyard house. There wasn't much resistance in terms of acquisition, and a large investor like John wouldn't let such a small matter cause problems.

(End of this chapter)