America: My Time

Chapter 237: Shocking changes in the United States
Chapter 237: Shock in the United States

"John, this is really hard to refuse. Gaumont Pictures asked me to talk to you!"

Upon hearing his uncle's words, John instantly understood why Sophie Marceau was there—it was all because of Gaumont. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to talk to them now!
“Uncle, it’s not that I’m unwilling to talk to them, but there’s no time and no point. This big battle has nothing to do with Gaumont, and they don’t need to get involved. It’s not good for anyone. Most importantly, they can’t give Legendary Entertainment everything they want. If Warner Bros. or Disney are really willing to back down, then they should show sincerity instead of this ridiculous peace talk. Now that they’ve fired the first shot, it’s not up to them to decide when it ends!”

“Mr. John, is it necessary to go to such extremes?” Sophie Marceau had to speak up at this point, because she was representing Gaumont, and John’s reaction was unacceptable to her.

“It’s necessary. This isn’t a war between Gaumont and Hollywood, but a major internal battle within Hollywood itself. Gaumont has no reason to get involved. Warner Bros. is a Hollywood giant, and Legendary Entertainment is also a Hollywood giant. Standing on the opposite side of Legendary Entertainment will not benefit Gaumont at all. Even if we meet, it won’t lead to anything. It’s better if we don’t meet at all, so that everyone can save face!” Even with a beautiful woman in front of him, John would not compromise or change his decision.

Although Gaumont is a giant in the French film industry, that doesn't mean John will compromise. Honey traps have no effect on him; he's seen plenty of Japanese honey traps and is now capable of resisting. However, Warner's actions indirectly show that his every move is under their watchful eyes, so security needs to be strengthened further.

Soon the feast was served, and everyone tacitly stopped talking about it. Although she had been rejected, Sophie Marceau, the French man's eternal love, felt a little strange in the face of John's firm attitude. She had never encountered such a clean and decisive rejection before, and the man in front of her was not much older than her, yet he possessed an unbelievable maturity and rationality. At the same time, it aroused her curiosity, and she wanted to know everything about this man.

After the grand meal, John, guided by his uncle, and his security personnel began their trip to Greater Paris to check out the properties his uncle had recommended in the 7th arrondissement.

On the way, John sat with his uncle, while the two beautiful women sat in another car. At this moment, Sophie Marceau spoke up, "Emmanuelle, who is this Mr. John?"

“The owner of Legendary Entertainment in the US, you may not be familiar with this name, but you should know Universal Pictures. He is the boss behind it, a Hollywood tycoon and a game tycoon. As for more details, I don’t know, but in short, he is a very powerful guy! Little girl, why are you tempted?” Emmanuelle chuckled and teased Sophie.

Emmanuelle's words made Sophie Marceau blush slightly. She felt a little flustered in front of this caring older sister, but she was indeed somewhat attracted to this man.

"Sophie, if you have an idea, then go for it bravely. Don't look down on him because he's young, and don't take our previous conversation to heart. The matter of Gaumont Pictures has nothing to do with you. This is normal business behavior and has nothing to do with us!"

During the discussion, they soon arrived at the 7th arrondissement and met with the real estate company. John was very satisfied with the seven-story building; it had all the necessary amenities, and security was guaranteed—everything pleased him. The contract was quickly signed, and this mansion became John's home in Greater Paris.

The real estate agents were shocked by the presence of such a wealthy customer, and Emmanuelle and Sophie witnessed what a tycoon was like, buying such a mansion on a whim without any time for consideration.

After all the property formalities were completed, it was already evening. John could only continue to entertain his brother-in-law Justin and the two beauties, since they had followed him all afternoon and he had to show his appreciation.

Just as John was discussing property management with his uncle, his secretarial team rushed in and said, "Boss, urgent news from the US! There's been an accident at the Jeep factory in Detroit. A worker riot caused a fire, and the factory in Detroit has been severely damaged!"

Upon hearing this, John's expression turned serious. It seemed his plan was correct. If the auto workers couldn't get a response from the United Auto Workers and the city of Detroit, they would turn their attention to the Jeep factory and try to take it over.

"How much of Jeep's important equipment was transferred, and what were the losses?"

"Boss, the report from Jeep says that most of the equipment has already been transferred to Mexico, with only a small portion remaining that hasn't been moved yet!"

"That's good. Leave everything to Ms. Mary Barra. This time, we will not compromise and we will make those bastards give us an explanation. Go ahead and tell Ms. Mary Barra that I will be returning to the United States soon!"

After dismissing his secretary, John couldn't help but smile wryly. He said, "Uncle, it seems I can't stay in Paris any longer. Something big has happened in the US—a fire at the Jeep factory. I have to rush back to handle it. I'll need your help with the property situation; please arrange a suitable housekeeper. If possible, it would be best if you moved there yourself." At this moment, John's uncle, Justin, also looked troubled. He had overheard the conversation and understood that John's time was truly urgent; he needed to return to the US quickly, as this was no small matter. A car factory was far more important than the property or the Gaumont affair.

"Don't worry, go back home. I'll take care of things here!"

"That's good. I'll leave everything to you, Uncle. When you have time, could you also keep an eye out for champagne houses near Paris? If you don't know anything about it, you can ask Grandpa for help. Originally, this was something I was supposed to handle myself, but now I can only ask you for help!"

“John, at a time like this, you still have the mind to acquire wineries? Don’t you already have two wineries? There’s no need to continue acquiring more!”

"Don't worry, Uncle, I know what I'm doing. You don't need to worry about the winery either; someone will handle everything. You just need to keep an eye on things for me!"

John's decision to continue acquiring wineries at this time was not primarily for investment purposes, but rather to mislead those old-timers in the US, to lower their guard, and to let them know that he would not continue expanding in the US but would instead invest abroad, thus reducing their vigilance.

John's idea was good, but whether he could pull it off was another matter entirely. After all, those old guys were all incredibly cunning and wouldn't easily trust John. Moreover, the previous battle in Hong Kong had made them even more wary.

"Okay, leave the information about the wineries you want to visit, and I'll keep an eye out for them for you. But I don't really know much about wineries, and as you know, I have absolutely no interest in them. It's best to let the professionals handle it!"

John also wanted to do this, but he didn't really have the right people for the job, and this acquisition wouldn't be completed in a short time; he needed to wait for financing so he had enough funds on hand. This time, he was going to enter the wine industry and make a big move. The goals were mostly set, but there were a few minor issues that needed to be addressed.

"Uncle, don't worry. You're just helping me find out some information. The real issues will be handled by professionals, so it won't put you in a difficult position. However, Grandma intends to return to China next year. Do you have time? If you do, let's go back with her. After all these years, she must be longing to see her homeland again."

"Okay, I'll make time to go back with her, but do you even have the time?"

"Yes, I plan to apply for graduation next year. I've basically completed all the required credits, and I know I can apply for graduation before the summer break. As you know, I don't have much time left to study at school!"

"John, do you think your parents will agree?"

"I've already discussed it with them. After graduation, I'll continue to audit classes at Stanford, but I won't focus on the school anymore; instead, I'll focus on business management! Make sure you make all the necessary arrangements before summer break, and whatever you do, make sure nothing happens!"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it. But you might encounter other problems, like this one, which forced you to cut your trip short and return to the US!"

Hearing this, John couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. Who caused such a big incident? Besides, I can't keep dragging this out in the US. I have to give everyone an explanation. School starts soon, and I have to go back to continue my studies!"

John takes his studies very seriously. Although a diploma is not important to him now, he can't let his parents down. Moreover, the school has the knowledge he needs. Otherwise, John wouldn't have stayed on to audit classes after graduation. Learning more knowledge is very important to him.

Only by having sufficient knowledge reserves can one achieve greater development in future business endeavors. The amount of knowledge one possesses determines one's future achievements. Without sufficient knowledge reserves, even if an opportunity is presented to you, you will not be able to seize it and will only waste it. Moreover, without sufficient knowledge, it may be difficult to understand the information you have memorized.

(End of this chapter)