America: My Time

Chapter 551 Lockheed
Chapter 551 Lockheed

"John, if Morgan is interested in selling Grumman Aircraft Company, do you have any thoughts?"

As soon as Morgan finished speaking, John's expression changed drastically, and he frowned. Was this a test, or was Morgan facing its own development crisis and wanting to make changes by selling off the military industry at its peak?

"I don't have any particular thoughts. Grumman is indeed very powerful, but it's not suitable for Gulfstream Aerospace. In comparison, I prefer Lockheed Aircraft. They have the qualifications Gulfstream Aerospace wants: the manufacturing and R&D data for large aircraft, which Grumman doesn't possess. However, it's impossible to acquire them now. The California consortium won't agree, and I don't want to spend too much money, since my focus is only on the civilian market."

Morgan was skeptical of John's words. Lockheed was indeed a better fit for Gulfstream Aerospace than Grumman, but he didn't believe John had no ideas at all. After all, if Gulfstream Aerospace acquired Grumman, it would become a major player in the defense industry!
Morgan smiled calmly and said, "John, does Grumman have absolutely no interest in Gulfstream Aerospace? Does Grumman have no products that appeal to you? If you acquire Grumman, given your relationship with Middle Eastern tycoons, you could easily sell the 'Tomcat' to them. The tycoons are never short of money."

"It would be a lie to say we have no interest in Grumman Aircraft Company. The Tomcat is indeed very good, but selling it to Middle Eastern tycoons is impossible. Those guys would fight tooth and nail to stop it, and the military would also have a hard time getting it approved. Most importantly, we don't have enough funds to acquire it! We've already reached an agreement with Lockheed Aircraft Company and obtained the large aircraft data and production technology we wanted, so an acquisition isn't necessary for us. If we really want to complete our military industry development, I'd prefer to acquire Lockheed's Skunk Works!"

With insufficient funds, Morgan Stanley wouldn't believe it either. Hurricane Investment now controls a large amount of capital, and Standard Chartered and the Japanese have made amazing profits. Moreover, if John wanted to acquire it, he could continue to rely on the power of the Japanese banks. Now the initiative is in the hands of this little fox, John, and the Japanese have lost their chance.

“John, if you’re interested in developing the military industry, Morgan might be able to help you contact Lockheed Aircraft and see if they’re interested in selling. The California consortium might not care about such a sale. Things aren’t as complicated as you think; it’s just a matter of price.”

At this moment, John couldn't help but have a thought: perhaps he was overthinking things. If he could see through it, how could those old guys in the conglomerate not? Everyone knew the state of the military industry. It seemed to be doing very well now, but after so many years of glory, with the weakening of the Russians, those old guys were all looking for a way out. The old guy McFeeler seemed to be reluctant to give up on the military industry before, but perhaps that was just a facade. This old guy was deliberately trying to lure him into developing in the military industry.

Upon closer reflection, John couldn't believe that the Rockefeller Group hadn't made preparations or engaged in behind-the-scenes deals with other financial groups before McDonnell Douglas was sold to Boeing and Martin merged with Lockheed. However, John was also very interested in Morgan's proposal. Acquiring Lockheed would directly improve Gulfstream Aerospace, putting it on par with Boeing.

“Then I’ll have to trouble Morgan!” John quickly nodded, accepting Morgan’s offer. Regardless of success, it was a good option for him, at least a chance to gauge the other party’s intentions. The interests in the military industry weren’t as vast as they would be later, so acquiring Lockheed Martin was a viable choice. Of course, the price would be high, a fact John understood; such acquisitions of military enterprises always involved other deals.

If Morgan wants to increase his influence in the military-industrial complex, he naturally has to make an equal deal. Morgan's idea is probably driven by his own motives. Someone wants to erode his interests. It's just unknown what Morgan wants to gain or what the California consortium wants. At this moment, John is very clear that Morgan must have communicated with the California consortium, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a move or had such an idea.

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. There's no need for me to explore the secrets behind this now. Whatever Morgan and the California consortium's intentions are, as long as they take action, everything will be resolved. There's no need for me to rush to find out!
After obtaining John's consent, Morgan quickly got up and parted ways with John. John was not surprised by this situation; he would have been surprised and puzzled if Morgan had not made any move.

"Boss, won't doing this arouse suspicion from that little fox, John?" "Do you think that little fox won't be suspicious if we do nothing? Besides, you've heard his opinions on the military industry. Actually, it's not just him who sees the problem; we all see it. The Russians can't hold out much longer. This isn't just John's opinion; many economic experts share this view. It's just that they don't understand the true situation within the Russians and can't pinpoint the exact timeframe. You think that old fox Rockefeller really cares about McDonnell Douglas and Martin? You're wrong. That's never been Rockefeller's focus. Oil and finance are their focus. Even that little fox, John, knows about McDonnell Douglas's situation. Rockefeller and his team don't understand, but they're just reluctant to give it up because there are still considerable interests involved in the confrontation with the Russians!"

Soon, Morgan sat down with the head of the California consortium. "It seems Morgan has convinced that little fox John. Now we need to consider how to make the deal!"

"That's right. John is indeed interested in developing the military industry, but his focus is still on civilian applications. He wants to compete for the large aircraft market. Moreover, Lockheed and Gulfstream Aerospace are quite complementary, which can accelerate their research and development. However, it will not be easy for us to complete the deal. We need to think carefully about what is the easiest to obtain."

"Right now, the most profitable company in John's hands is Game World. Although a portion of it has been divested to deal with anti-monopoly measures, it is still the most valuable company in John's hands. However, making such a deal is not an easy thing. It requires Morgan's help, after all, this is to kick this little guy out of Game World."

"You want the game world, but you should know how big the problems are. I can't guarantee that John will make such a decision to make this deal with you. After all, your demands are too crazy. We all know how much profit and potential the game world has. Kicking John out is not an easy thing. It means you want 51% of the shares. I don't think Lockheed is worth that price now. Compared with the development of military enterprises, the development of the game world is more valuable. You are making things difficult for me."

Morgan wasn't stupid. When he heard the California consortium's demands, he quickly realized these bastards were after him, trying to team up with him to kick John out of the game. This was a bit too crazy. Unless he was an idiot, he wouldn't make such a choice. The benefits he gained from John far outweighed those from the California consortium, at least for Morgan.

"Don't worry, we won't let you down. We don't want to team up with Morgan to kick John out. Rather, we can team up with Japan. Most importantly, I don't see any problem with that. Lockheed Aircraft is the best fit for Gulfstream Aerospace and can fully meet their needs and development."

"Hehe, how much profit do you make? How amazing is the profit of the game world? And this has been going on for several years in a row, with profits increasing every year. This year is no exception. But everyone knows what the situation is with Lockheed. Its value is not as high as that of the game world. Moreover, if John wants to acquire it, it will be a full acquisition of Lockheed, not just a merger. Can you do that? I don't want any trouble to arise."

"Don't worry, we won't make things difficult for Morgan. Besides, the game world isn't John's core business, at least not in his mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given those guys in Japan such a big profit. Most importantly, this isn't just the idea of ​​our California consortium, but the idea of ​​the majority of semiconductor companies in the United States. If we can't control the game world, we'll have to pay a much higher price to suppress the Japanese semiconductor industry. We're not entirely acting in our own interests, but more for the United States. Our decision has also been approved by the White House!"

At this point, Morgan understood perfectly well what the California consortium was thinking. They already controlled Intel, so they were confident in expanding and strengthening the gaming industry. Moreover, if this deal succeeded, the impact on them would be unimaginable; they would be free from all pressure and become one of the giants in the semiconductor industry.

"Alright, I'll do my best. I can't guarantee success, but if you want to complete the deal, you'll have to negotiate yourselves and offer more benefits. Otherwise, Morgan won't be able to help. After all, your deal isn't equitable. The market value of the game world is recovering rapidly, while Lockheed Martin hasn't. Most importantly, the other party holds Lockheed Martin's stock, which is the most troublesome thing. Don't be fooled by the previous agreement; there's no definite time for the sale!"

(End of this chapter)