America: My Time

Chapter 663 Counterattack
Chapter 653 Counterattack

"Dad, since the Middle Eastern tycoons are developing so rapidly, doesn't the White House intend to stop them at all? Isn't that a bit unreasonable? And aren't those guys under our protection? Won't John's actions disrupt the balance between the two sides and affect our plans?"

"Hmph, you think the White House wouldn't have thought of something that even you could think of? But there's no need for it at all, because the situation in the Middle East is far from ideal, and we need to strengthen their forces. Moreover, there will be even greater support soon. The more those guys jump around, the more they will be suppressed. That little fox John is already preparing to increase 'assistance' to the Middle East. Lockheed is a subsidiary of Gulfstream, and they have already reported to the military that they will develop a multi-role fighter jet more suitable for the Middle Eastern environment for the Middle Eastern tycoons. What do you think their reaction will be when this news comes out!"

"No way, John's gone mad! That's going to cross those guys' bottom line!"

"There's no bottom line. How much restriction do you think we have on the sale of weapons to Middle Eastern tycoons? They're directly cooperating with Middle Eastern tycoons, developing weapons specifically for them, and they've already received Congressional approval. Most importantly, the research and development funding is entirely borne by the Middle Eastern tycoons. It's a customized solution. That's what Lockheed has changed!"

"Those big spenders are really rich; they're capable of doing things like this. But didn't Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and other companies even want to compete for this partnership? Why did they just give it up so easily?"

"How could that be? They just failed because the Middle Eastern tycoons were more willing to trust John, that little fox, and Gulfstream Aerospace. After all, their cooperation was better! Of course, the most important thing is the information issue. The network system provided by Dreamworld is easier to integrate with the equipment provided by Lockheed, unleashing greater power. The Middle Eastern tycoons have already confirmed this, and their drone program has gained their approval! Today, Gulfstream Aerospace is truly perfect, without any weaknesses, and its capabilities are also very impressive, advancing in both civilian and military fields!"

"You should spend more time with John, that little fox. It will benefit you in the future. If he stands behind you, the power of the two major media groups will be the best guarantee. Now this little fox has truly grown up and is a force that no one dares to underestimate. He has demonstrated the meaning of 'using someone else to achieve your own goals' to the fullest extent. Gulfstream Aerospace is the best example of this."

Everyone knows the situation at Hughes Space, how much the Middle Eastern tycoons paid for it, and what about those guys in Japan. If it weren't for the pressure from the White House, those guys in Japan probably wouldn't have withdrawn from Hughes Space's global satellite positioning system. And now Hughes Space is rapidly improving this system, accumulating more valuable experience for the next project, and also verifying more technical issues.

Although it was extremely costly, Hughes Aerospace itself did not invest much; it relied on external forces to complete the project. The current cooperation with Middle Eastern tycoons is no exception, which is why other companies are envious.

"By the way, what is this little fox doing now? This guy hasn't shown his face even once since he returned to the United States!"

"While studying at Stanford, this guy almost always stayed hidden there!"

With the start of the school year approaching, John has been hiding at Stanford, avoiding reporters and not giving them a chance. The more he does this, the more people want to interview him. It's worth noting that Nvidia's collaboration with Japan is escalating, and seeing that Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media haven't retaliated, they've become even more brazen.

“John, it’s not good that you keep avoiding them and Nvidia doesn’t react at all. Those guys will become more and more arrogant, which is bad for your reputation. You can’t go on like this!” Smith, as John’s father, advised him. With the constant attacks from the media, many people know how amazing the assets John controls are. Even though John has already started transferring assets, the assets he controls are still enormous, which makes many people uneasy.

"It's alright, I know what those guys are trying to do. With so many media groups attacking us, if we list all the people controlling them, we can calm everything down. They're attacking me for not controlling American media, but these oil tycoons control even more media. Only when all these guys come forward can I retaliate and let the American public know how serious the oil tycoons' encroachment on America is, causing even greater panic. Compared to that, my existence will be insignificant!" "Okay, it's good that you understand. But you also need to speed up the asset transfer. At least you shouldn't control too many assets yourself; diversifying them into funds and investment companies is the best option!"

"I know this will take time, after all, it all requires a legitimate reason. Like Western Energy and Quantum Mining, even if someone knows, they can't say anything. Now I'm more interested in how many 'enemies' exist. Those guys in Europe are being persuaded. Western Energy's expansion in Britain is facing resistance, and the North Sea oil field project has had to be temporarily shelved. If it weren't for the change of heart in Ireland, it would have seriously affected Western Energy's layout in Europe. Since those guys have made such a move of crossing the river and burning the bridge, I can't just sit idly by. The pharmaceutical research originally intended for investment in Britain will be moved to Ireland, the castle renovation originally intended for investment in Britain will also be temporarily shelved and redirected to Ireland, and even the Mandarin Oriental Group will temporarily abandon its investment in Britain. I really want to know how those guys will react when all this happens."

John was involved in the real economy, and the British hadn't even fully secured John's investment before they started to abandon him. This naturally affected subsequent investments, and it wasn't just John's investment that was affected, but also the investments of Middle Eastern tycoons. Even John was abandoned by the British, so how could the Middle Eastern tycoons not be worried?

Although John isn't in a rush to take action against the British right now, they'll soon be affected. Many corporations will move their European headquarters to Ireland instead of the originally planned location in England. Even Bentley Motors' headquarters will be relocated. This is John's attitude—to teach those guys a lesson.

Of course, doing this will also affect John's development in Europe and the company's own development, but it is necessary to do it. Although there will be some losses, they are all within an acceptable range. If the British are not taught a lesson, this kind of thing will happen in various European countries. Only when the British know what pain is, will they behave.

Many plans that were originally supposed to be based in Britain now need to be moved. Information and game development will be relocated. John won't abandon his European and energy plans just because of the sudden changes in Britain. Besides, Britain is just the beginning. Although it's been hindered, it doesn't mean it's over. Norway in Northern Europe is the main focus. It just needs to be put on hold for now, waiting for the right opportunity.

Although the British market is not small, it doesn't mean John has to put up with the British. When the pharmaceutical group expanded in Ireland, the British were dumbfounded. This was an investment that was originally planned to be in Britain, but now it was directly transferred to Ireland. What shocked them even more was that this time the Bentley Group did not consult them at all, but directly moved its headquarters to Ireland. Even though the management was still in Britain, the headquarters had moved!

This change stunned the British, and it was just the beginning. Many investments that were originally planned for Britain were halted and relocated. This change not only stunned Britain, but also the whole of Europe. The British automotive revival was made possible by the vigorous development of the Bentley Motors Group, but now these guys' actions of crossing the river and burning the bridge have angered John. This call to halt investment instantly changed the situation in Britain. Many companies that were originally planning to invest in Britain stopped, especially the Middle Eastern tycoons, whose reactions were even more intense.

Trying to find someone to mediate? It's completely useless. John won't accept it this time. ARM will only have research and development left, and all production will be done by Nokia. The expansion of aircraft manufacturing has also been put on hold. A series of changes have made the British realize what it means to be slapped in the face, and have them understand that John doesn't necessarily have to rely on Britain.

"This can't go on any longer. We must change things as soon as possible, otherwise not only will Britain's reputation be damaged, but the economy will also fall into trouble again. Foreign investment has stopped, and they are all suspicious of us. This time the impact is too great. I don't care what you think, we must solve this problem quickly!"

Unfortunately, this was not something the British could decide, and this time it was too late for them to make amends. The investments started quickly, and they had originally hoped that Britain could solve the Fokker aircraft problem, but now the British were also having problems, which forced Gulfstream Aerospace to suspend its development plans in Europe.

Downing Street's anger couldn't affect John, but it put immense pressure on those within Britain. They were trying to stop John's encroachment on Britain, but they were facing his counterattack. Although they had successfully prevented John from acquiring privatized companies and from cooperating with the North Sea oil fields, the pressure was no longer on John, but on them. Bentley Motors was a huge help to Britain's exports, and orders from Middle Eastern tycoons and major mining companies had revived Britain's automotive industry. But now, things had changed. Leyland was cutting production, and this news stunned the British even more, because Scania would increase production.

(End of this chapter)