America: My Time

Chapter 163 Talent Reserve
Chapter 163 Talent Reserves

John didn't interfere with the subsequent investments, leaving everything to his secretarial team to conduct the initial selection. John and Naoko left their mark on the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Just as they were enjoying themselves, more good news came from the United States: Quantum Mining had yielded results from its exploration in Alaska—a world-class gold vein.

Although all of this was within John's expectations—after all, he had chosen the location himself, and it was indeed a real gold mining area—he still had some worries before the results were available. He feared that the surveyors might not have fully explored the reserves of the mine, which could affect his ability to sell the gold. Fortunately, everything went very smoothly.

The emergence of such a world-class gold mine immediately attracted countless eyes. Mining giants were eager to acquire it because, after all the reserves were discovered, Quantum Mining sent them all the information about the mining area. Japan was not spared either, and their intention was clear: to sell.

The sale of a world-class gold mine involves a massive amount of money. Even if there is an intention to sell, mining giants need time to raise funds in order to get a high price. So I'm not in a hurry at all. This is a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Who wouldn't be tempted?

If anyone was still worried about John's funding, once this world-class gold mine came out, no one was worried anymore. Even if some people thought John's investment was too crazy and the expansion too fast, which would put pressure on the cash flow, especially after the investment in China and Britain, many people were pessimistic. But now no one says that anymore. If there is a shortage of funds, selling this gold mine will solve everything.

Despite receiving this good news, John was not in a hurry to return to the United States to take charge. Instead, he continued his investment journey. To meet the needs of 7-Eleven convenience stores, he needed to establish a sufficiently large production base in China, and now was the perfect time to invest.

This will take time and more talent. Talent reserves are our biggest weakness. Moreover, the factory is in China, so everything has to start from scratch. The time and effort required will be staggering. Fortunately, with the strong support of China, our investment plan has not been hindered.

More than ten days have passed, and John has toured all of Huajing and acquired properties, including a plot of land in the Shichahai scenic area. Although Huajing has many famous properties, such as the Prince's Mansion and the Prince's Mansion, John did not acquire them. It was not suitable for him; his status was not suited for such acquisitions.

John was deeply moved by the strong support he received on their first collaboration; such sincerity would surely move anyone. While investing, John carefully calculated his own resources to prevent cash flow problems. With the discovery of the gold mine, funding was no longer an issue, allowing him to operate more freely. The garment factory was located in Suzhou, where the conditions were the best and export was convenient. Food processing remained in Beijing. The 'Orion' food factory wasn't limited to Beijing; there was also one in Suzhou, though this one primarily focused on juice.
Relaxed, John began to wander through the antique markets of Huajing, making large purchases of antiques he liked. If it weren't for the tour guide's guidance during his visit to Panjiayuan, he would have forgotten about antique collecting!

Almost everything in Huajing is done. If there's anything to worry about, it's that the property in Shichahai needs renovation, but I don't need to worry about that. Everything has been handed over to the 'Orion' food factory in Huajing. As for the investments in Shanghai and Suzhou, although I have a secretarial team with me, I still need to go and take a look myself.

Before leaving Beijing, John didn't forget about the international students. They were due to start school after the summer, and if China didn't expedite the process, it might affect their enrollment. It was because of these students that John had a brief meeting with Tsinghua University, followed by a tour of the campus. Before leaving, John left a check for one million US dollars as a token of his support for education!

The plane landed slowly at Shanghai Airport. After a brief exchange with the people who came to greet him, John learned about the investment situation in Shanghai and the construction of the factory through the staff's introduction. Although only a little over ten days had passed, construction had already started in Shanghai, and the equipment from the United States had already been shipped.

Having communicated with the Shanghai side, John breathed a sigh of relief. Everything went very smoothly, requiring almost no effort on his part. He could say that this cooperation with China had been very rewarding. If he had harbored any slight concerns before investing, those concerns had now vanished.

The factory construction is proceeding smoothly, all thanks to the efforts and dedication of the Chinese side. There's no need to worry about cooperating with such a legitimate government; they are trustworthy. If it were the British, things would definitely be much more complicated. After leaving the airport, they proceeded directly to the Shanghai International Hotel. After checking in and resting briefly, John and his group were led to a large conference room where the Shanghai delegation met with John.
The treatment of foreign businesses in China during this period was truly exceptional, so much so that John was somewhat embarrassed. Almost any problem could be resolved quickly, and even those who initially had reservations changed their minds. Such an investment environment left them speechless, as they had never encountered anything like it before. A traditional Shanghai-style banquet ensured that John and his group thoroughly enjoyed themselves. After the banquet, they chatted and rested in small groups, discussing the itinerary for the next few days, which needed to be finalized by their secretarial team. The specifics required their attention; John's manpower in China was insufficient. Without the strong support and assistance from China, it would have been difficult to manage such a large operation, especially with so many investments concentrated in this short period.

This also highlights the significant problem of insufficient resources. For John, talent has always been a major constraint on his development. Even with extensive preparations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, the lack of manpower remains a major issue once all investments are completed. Although he has many ideas and is willing to make other investments, he truly lacks the capability. It's not a matter of funds, but rather a shortage of talent, which reveals his inadequate expansion capabilities.

Investing in China is not the same as investing overseas, nor is it like investing in the US where you can hire headhunters to poach talent. Everything needs to be prepared by yourself. However, this investment will inevitably cultivate a large pool of talent. Recruitment directives have been issued to allocate the maximum number of positions and build the most comprehensive talent reserve!
Talent reserves will be a solid foundation for future investments. Before establishing a strong talent pool, I will not expand recklessly. Joint ventures are fine, but wholly-owned subsidiaries are simply beyond my capabilities and not even a possibility.

After dinner, John was pulled aside by Mayor Liu, and the group found a quiet place to sit down, brewed a pot of tea, and drank it together. There weren't so many people around, so it was quite relaxed and comfortable.

“Mr. John, although this is our first meeting, I have heard so much about the great achievements you have made in Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that you are so young.”

"Mr. Liu, you're too kind. I was just lucky," John replied with a smile as he sipped his tea. This was actually the truth. He was indeed lucky. If the conglomerate hadn't been at its weakest point, it wouldn't have been able to expand so rapidly. It was just a pity that his banking capabilities were insufficient; otherwise, he could have easily become a new small conglomerate.

"Mr. John, you're from Japan, right? How big do you think the economic development and infrastructure in Shanghai are compared to those in the US and Japan? And how should we address these issues and accelerate our own development?"

"This is a big question, and I don't know much about it myself. I can only share my own opinion so that you can have some reference for it!"

"Please speak," Liu Shengsheng said seriously, putting down his teacup.

"Japan's economy has developed very rapidly, which I personally believe is largely due to their corporate management and their systems. In contrast, the United States has not performed well economically in recent years; otherwise, so many American companies wouldn't be relocating overseas. Everyone is struggling to withstand the pressure and influence from labor unions and the high labor costs. All of this can be resolved well in Asia. If China can seize the opportunity to attract these companies, even just a small portion would be beneficial, allowing many people to see the advantages here."

Regarding infrastructure, my knowledge is limited, and my experience is also limited. The only areas I can speak to are transportation and schools. In terms of transportation, Japan is geographically small and has very few highways; there are usually only two roads leading in each direction, so it cannot be used as a reference. The United States, on the other hand, has a very developed highway system, forming a powerful road network that facilitates the transport of goods and the exchange of people between cities very conveniently and quickly. If you need a reference point for transportation, it's better to use the United States as an example. "To get rich, build roads first." Without a good transportation environment, economic development is severely hampered, and attracting investment is even more crucial!
The issue of schools is quite significant, encompassing not only basic education but also top universities. A nation cannot be strong without strong science and technology, and universities are the source of that technology. Many businesses rely on universities during their development. Whether it's NVIDIA or Dreamworld, they have maintained excellent collaborations with universities throughout their growth. It's fair to say that the achievements of NVIDIA and Dreamworld today are inseparable from the support of universities.

(End of this chapter)