America: My Time

Chapter 819 Favors

Chapter 809 Social Interactions

Okay, that's exactly what John wanted to hear. It wasn't that John was forcing them to accept his 'good intentions,' but rather that these guys insisted on cooperating with him, and that he wouldn't be held responsible for anything that happened in the future.

Although he was overjoyed, John's expression remained unchanged. He shook his head and said, "Gentlemen, I cannot understand your decision. You could have used the war reserves to hold out for a while longer, and with the oil I have here, you could have held on for several more months. There's no need to rush. This is the oil deal I discussed with Mr. Morita. The shares have already been marked. Please take a look."

As he spoke, John handed the distribution plan he had prepared beforehand to the Japanese official presenter. This surprised everyone; they hadn't expected John to hand over the information to the official representative first. Although the Japanese presenters were somewhat prepared, knowing that John would have already made the distribution, they hadn't expected him to be so direct, leaving them no chance to speak.

“Mr. John, we have no problem with your allocation plan, but it seems to me that this plan is somewhat related to your loans in these banks in Japan!” Being able to sit here as the official representative of Japan, he is naturally very clear about John’s situation in Japan, and he is also aware of John’s loans in major banks in Japan.

"This was a last resort for me. After all, Japan has a huge need for oil right now, and so many people have come to me for help. I didn't know what else to do, so in the end, I could only resort to this most basic method!"

Not believing John's explanation was the dumbest approach; it reflected his attitude towards Japan: you reap what you sow, and without effort, there is no reward. However, while everyone understood this, no one dared to voice it, as it would only create awkwardness for everyone. John's behavior pleased the Japanese officials, who felt their previous efforts had been worthwhile, and that John was someone they should try to win over.

Some were happy, some were sad. The Japanese guys all had different feelings about this outcome. When they received John's distribution plan, they all sighed inwardly. In this distribution of profits, John hadn't lost anyone. Anyone who had made contact or had dealings with him received a share, more or less. As for those who hadn't acted and had been observing, they naturally got nothing.

This is how social interactions work, and it's clear that John had secretly made preparations all along. However, this outcome is also a good thing for them; at least John didn't disappoint them. He's not a selfish guy; he's incredibly devoted to his friends and the women around him, which is what they admire most about him. They themselves couldn't have done that.

"If everyone has no objections, then this matter is settled. As for your one-year contracts, it would be best if the official body intervened and standardized the allocation. After all, the larger the order placed at this time, the easier it is to succeed. How you allocate the funds is your own business, and I will not be involved. Of course, if you have other methods, you can arrange them yourselves. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, I will give you a result within three days."

Is three days a long time? Not at all. These guys can accept it. John's words have further convinced them that someone among the Middle Eastern tycoons is profiting from the price difference, or that they are intentionally setting up such a company to conduct shady deals so that their successors can reap huge profits.

"We have no objections, we'll just follow Mr. John's arrangements!" These guys naturally didn't dare to have any objections; they didn't have that right. If they could cooperate with the Middle Eastern tycoon, they wouldn't need to be subservient to John. Besides, even if the Middle Eastern tycoon made some arrangements, it wasn't something they could get involved in. Without connections, you would still be turned away.

Society is all about personal relationships. These guys in Japan don't have the same close bond as John and the Middle Eastern tycoons. Look at how John's companies are always ready to help when the situation in the Middle East changes. As long as it's available and for sale, it's all readily available. They even send professionals to guide the Middle Eastern tycoons on modifying their civilian Black Hawk helicopters for military purposes, and even directly contract out their logistics and maintenance. The service is so attentive that it's truly remarkable.

Faced with such a 'genuine' friend, it would be suspicious if the Middle Eastern tycoon didn't reciprocate. Reciprocity is the key to long-term success, and the Middle Eastern tycoon certainly understands this. In short, John skillfully navigated the upheavals in the Middle East, maximizing the use of all available resources. Countless people were astonished by John's methods, especially the older generation in the US. They were all deeply shocked by his tactics. It wasn't that the Americans didn't want to offer strong support to the tycoon or use the opportunity to cultivate closer relations, but they couldn't act as decisively as John, directly siding with the Middle Eastern tycoon, completely disregarding the thoughts and feelings of the Arabs. He openly and honestly stood on the side of the Middle Eastern tycoon, something others couldn't do. Because they were always 'neutral,' their self-proclaimed neutrality was actually a veiled bias towards the Arabs, making it difficult for them to gain the Middle Eastern tycoon's approval.

John is completely different. After partnering with Middle Eastern tycoons, he sided entirely with them, ignoring the opinions and pressures of the oil people. Now, the American public knows John's stance on this matter, and no one thinks there's anything wrong with what he's doing. For the American people, profit is paramount. Look at the huge orders and enormous profits John receives from Middle Eastern tycoons every year. Only a fool would side with the oil people. If they were in John's shoes, they would make the same choice. That's their thinking.

Once the 'cooperation' between the Middle Eastern tycoons and John is exposed again, many people will be even more tempted. After all, many people have suffered significant losses because of this war, especially those whose orders were forced to be suspended due to the outbreak of war. They will be even more envious, but it is impossible for them to get the same treatment as John.

Seeing the reactions of the Japanese, John smiled faintly: "It's good that everyone has no objections. However, I still want to advise you all to wait a little longer, or better yet, to activate your strategic reserves first, so that you have more time to observe. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. To be honest, I myself don't know when this crisis will end, after all, the situation over there is too chaotic!"

As he spoke, John couldn't help but sigh softly. He once again offered a small piece of advice to everyone. John was well aware of the situation in the Middle East. However, if he wanted to scheme against these guys in Japan, he had to make the act even more perfect, preferably flawless, so that these guys wouldn't have any hostility. Otherwise, many unnecessary accidents would occur if he wanted to get everything he wanted from them.

The more he pleases them now, the more opportune it will be for him to act and acquire talent once Japan's economic bubble bursts and Japan is forced to relinquish some assets and its extensive research and development. At that time, no one will stand up against him, and that's exactly what John wants.

Of course, John is currently just working step by step in this direction, constantly trying to improve things and be on good terms with these guys. At least he won't show any malice or dissatisfaction at this time, and a win-win situation is the best outcome.

“Mr. John, we would like to wait a little longer, but time does not allow it, the current situation in Japan does not allow it, and we cannot use our strategic reserves. Those reserves were hard-won by Japan. If we use them and other problems arise, the consequences will be even more serious. Moreover, strategic reserves cannot be completed in one or two years. Like the reserves you have made, they have taken a long time. We dare not take such a risk.”

The Japanese are right. They really can't afford to take that risk. If they use up their strategic reserves, they might be able to get through the current crisis, but who can guarantee that there won't be other crises in the future? And once they're all used up, it would take a huge amount of manpower and resources to rebuild the reserves. The government won't take such a risk.

John understood the concerns of the Japanese, so he nodded and said, "I understand, and I can empathize. After all, your perspective is different from mine. You see everything from a holistic viewpoint, while I'm only considering the immediate crisis. So you're right. I just feel that making this decision at this time will come at a significant cost, especially since this is the peak of oil prices. If we could wait a little longer, perhaps the price of oil would drop, and you could mitigate some of your losses. Although it's only a short year, you might only receive one-fifth, or even less, of the oil in the first six months. And who can guarantee what the price of oil will be like in the second six months?"

John's words reflected what the Japanese were thinking. They knew how much this contract would affect them and what losses they would suffer, but they had no choice but to bear the consequences, even though they knew it would put them under pressure. After all, the bigger picture had to take precedence.

(End of this chapter)