America: My Time

Chapter 594 Investment Negotiation
Chapter 584 Investment Negotiation

John handed over the technology licensing issue to Bell Labs, as he didn't have the time or energy to deal with such a trivial matter. However, this time Bell Labs wasn't just focusing on wafer technology licensing, but also on communication technology, intensifying its competition for market share. Network communication technology was also under rapid development, with accelerated research and development.

By the time word of the Wall Street insider party reached more people the next day, John had already boarded his private jet and left New York for San Francisco. He didn't want to stay in New York and deal with those Wall Street crocodiles; those guys were no good, and staying in New York would only make them uneasy and worry about what he might do.

"He's gone. John left New York early this morning. He seems to be very cautious, not giving the enemy any chance, and also reassuring everyone, telling his Wall Street colleagues that he has no plans. Impressive, truly impressive, so cunning at such a young age!" Morgan exclaimed in admiration upon learning from Jimmy that John had left New York, a hint of apprehension creeping into his eyes. This was something not everyone could do.

This scenario plays out repeatedly on Wall Street. After learning that John had left New York, these guys breathed a sigh of relief, certain that John had no ulterior motives or new plans.

Time flies. After returning to San Francisco, John didn't continue his travels. Instead, he stayed put, attending classes at Stanford whenever he had time, living a very comfortable life. However, the situation in Hollywood was escalating. Those guys were determined to seize more profits, plunging Hollywood into a state of stagnation. No film studio dared to start new projects, fearing problems, and existing projects were being accelerated.

Fortunately, the problems in Hollywood didn't affect San Francisco, and John had no intention of interfering; he was simply observing the situation. However, at this time, both Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were outwardly relaxed but inwardly cautious. Externally, they remained indifferent to the screenwriters' demands, while internally accelerating their efforts and carefully guarding against the schemes of those with ulterior motives.

Before they knew it, it was already 88. During Christmas and New Year's, John's family was still alone in San Francisco, not going to their family, because the conflict there had reached a fever pitch.

As the Spring Festival approached, John's family received another invitation. However, this year was somewhat unexpected, as Cherie Chung and the others did not come, as they all wanted to spend the holiday with their own families. This made John sigh.

John was already very familiar with parties. Although it was always the same routine, and the attendees didn't change much from year to year, it was hard to refuse such an invitation. After all, this was a society based on personal relationships, and people valued reciprocity.

"Mr. John, are you sure you want to build a 6-inch wafer fab in China?" Not long after John and Naoko sat down, the Consul General appeared and, after exchanging pleasantries, went straight to asking John about this matter.

With Morgan's help and the encouragement of others, the white house finally approved the wafer fab project. After all, they already had 8-inch wafer technology, and it was also a honeymoon period between the two countries, so John's proposal could be passed smoothly and approved by the white house.

"Yes, that's right. I've already obtained the White House's permission, and the lithography machine issue has also been approved by the White House and Europe. ASML will provide sufficient machines as quickly as possible. However, we need a new campus, not an expansion of the existing one. We need to communicate this with you to avoid any unnecessary trouble! If you have no problems, we will speed things up and complete the construction of the wafer fab and chip factory in the shortest possible time."

That's right, John wants to build a new production line in China to prepare for the next phase of his plan. Communicating with the Chinese side in advance is to ensure the project proceeds smoothly and avoid problems, because he understands that such an opportunity is extremely rare and will be hard to come by again if missed. A wafer fab is nothing special, but a lithography machine is different. Currently, ASML's lithography machines haven't attracted much attention from the US and Europe, so this is the easiest time to complete the construction of a chip factory in China.

It was precisely because of John's earlier warning, and because ASML, after being acquired by Bell Labs, supplied its lithography machines to its own companies and didn't have the same reputation as Japan, that they were able to obtain the license smoothly. Of course, the lobbying of public relations personnel also played a crucial role; without their efforts, success would not have been possible.

"China welcomes such investment and will do its utmost to ensure the construction of the factory. There is no problem with the investment from the Mandarin Oriental Group, but the details will have to be negotiated by them!" "That's natural. As a Hong Kong company, it's inevitable for the Mandarin Oriental Group to expand northward. We don't ask for any preferential treatment, just fairness. As a multinational corporation, the Chinese market is a very important part of our business."

The Consul General is well aware of just how powerful the Mandarin Oriental Group is today. It is a true multinational corporation and the largest real estate group in Hong Kong, with vast assets in Europe and Asia. After the stock market crash, the Mandarin Oriental Group's investment in the United States was astonishing.

“Mr. John, we have another request. Could we restart negotiations regarding the transfer of Merck’s hepatitis B vaccine technology?” After Amgen acquired Merck, many things had to be put on hold, because Merck was now wholly owned and no longer a publicly traded company, and Amgen had not yet completed its integration of the pharmaceutical sector, which would take time.

Following the stock market crash, Amgen received strong support from John, with Hurricane Investment and Standard Chartered Bank providing full assistance to help it grow rapidly. The best approach, of course, was acquisition; they had targets in Asia, the United States, and Europe. However, acquiring these pharmaceutical companies would require time to integrate them, a feat Amgen lacked the resources for. This necessitated rebuilding a new group entity, which brought negotiations between China and Merck to a standstill.

“This is not a problem. I will inform them to continue. In fact, this is a problem caused by excessive acquisitions. Now the pharmaceutical group needs to be reorganized, so many things have to be put aside for the time being. I also understand the situation in China. Merck will transfer the technology for $1. As for other matters, you need to negotiate with Merck. I personally do not know much about the pharmaceutical industry!” At this moment, John remembered Merck’s transfer of hepatitis B vaccine technology to China. Although he did not know the situation, for a pharmaceutical giant like Merck, since it was a charitable aid, why not be generous?

With its frenzied expansion, Amgen has already gained some fame in the pharmaceutical field. However, this fame does not come from its own assets. To date, Amgen does not own any real estate. All its fame comes from its aggressive expansion and acquisitions. Taking advantage of the stock market crash, Amgen has acquired several pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, other pharmaceutical companies, and even pharmaceutical companies in Japan and Taiwan.

It was precisely because of John's frenzied expansion that those people in the United States didn't care about Gulfstream Aerospace's acquisition in the UK. At least John shouldered the 'responsibility' that an American should bear. This series of acquisitions stabilized the US stock market. Although in the eyes of those guys on Wall Street, this was taking advantage of the situation and buying at the bottom, you have to admit that it was precisely because of this frenzied bottom-fishing behavior that the US stock market was stabilized.

The Consul General was astonished when he heard John's words. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly; he had only intended to restart negotiations, but hadn't anticipated such an unexpected gain. He had no doubt about John's promises; John's reputation was impeccable, and his investments in China were always kept, without any underhanded dealings.

In John's view, China today is brimming with opportunities; any investment can be profitable, and if done well, even greater profits are possible in the future. There's no need to resort to underhanded tactics. It's precisely because John holds this mindset that his businesses in China have always operated smoothly without any problems.

John and the Consul General were constantly exchanging ideas about investing in China. Due to the stock market crash, many groups were expanding rapidly, which would inevitably affect many things, including China. With the outbreak of the stock market crash, the food factories that John had invested in in China were also operating at full capacity, increasing their supply to 7-Eleven, so that 7-Eleven could sweep across North America, seize the market, and make other convenience stores unable to compete with its price advantage.

Even the Dollar Tree brand has gradually gained fame. Its low prices have made Dollar Tree popular among the lower classes in the United States. During the stock market crash, the stock prices of other companies fell, but the brand value of 7-Eleven and Dollar Tree rose. Unfortunately, it is not a publicly listed company, but a private company, and outsiders have no idea about the company's profits.

Currently, John's factories in Asia are operating at full capacity, operating on a low-profit, high-volume model – the best strategy. This is why these factories are enjoying good profits, with demand exceeding supply for food, beverages, and alcohol. With the rapid expansion of 7-Eleven, Costco, and Dollar Tree, even if trade with Russia ceases in the future, it won't affect the continued development of these factories. Furthermore, John is constantly forging trade relationships with wealthy Middle Eastern businesses and even with companies in Africa, where he also uses a barter system.

(End of this chapter)