America: My Time

Chapter 846 Grumman

Chapter 836 Grumman
Faced with the prospect of profit, Morgan also compromised. As long as he could secure John's order, he was willing to accept anything. He understood that since John had made such an arrangement, this deal was likely not simple and would definitely be a big one. Therefore, he was full of confidence and no one could stand in Morgan's way of making money. This was the source of Morgan's confidence.

"Okay, boss, I'll do that. But do you have any other ideas? After all, this is a rare opportunity."

"That's all. John, that little fox, isn't stupid. Besides, we can't be ignorant and ask for too much, otherwise even the best relationship will run into problems. It's true that we pursue benefits, but we can't go too far. A win-win situation is the best outcome. You just need to do everything I've arranged!"

Although John is now in need of Morgan's help, Morgan is not complacent or arrogant, believing that John cannot do without Morgan and that a win-win situation is the best outcome. He is well aware that such a large-scale cooperation will not last if only one party benefits, which is why he warned Jimmy.

Unless John intervenes, once a large-scale project is involved, no amount of concealment will help; everything will eventually be exposed. For Morgan, the only option is to delay the exposure as much as possible, and John thinks the same way. They both understand that once the integration or the plan begins, there will be no way to hide it anymore. Those old guys aren't fools; they can't be completely oblivious. Besides, the White House isn't just for show; if they want to know, they can, after all, they control the power of the nation.

Of course, using the power of the state to monitor a tycoon like John is a taboo, but that doesn't mean those guys wouldn't dare to do it. Moreover, the US has been under the control of the US for quite some time, and no one knows how inflated these guys have become. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Rockefeller Group and other financial groups support John; that's only because they have no other choice. They need to rely on the power of the US and, more importantly, they need John to end the Russians.

After the Gulf War ends and Russia falls, the elephant will lose its chance. Smart people can see the situation clearly and understand that the donkey will replace the elephant. After all, the United States cannot be controlled by the elephant forever, and the financial groups also know how to maintain balance. They dare not let the elephant become the only dominant force.

Morgan was preparing, and when the old guys like Rockefeller learned of the information Pan Am had deliberately leaked, they all became nervous. Just as Morgan and Jimmy had discussed, they were all worried about Pan Am's expansion and how the expansion of Star Alliance would affect their own interests. The biggest concern now was for Rockefeller and First Citibank. The Rockefeller Group controlled many airlines in the United States, while First Citibank controlled Boeing, and these were the companies most likely to be impacted. It would be strange if they had no worries at all.

However, Pan Am's news left these guys somewhat helpless. Their focus was now on Russia and the Middle East, and this was a forced outcome due to an unexpected early move. If John had followed his original schedule, there wouldn't have been any problems.

Although those old guys all wanted to know what John was up to, none of them had the energy to do so. Moreover, John hadn't returned to the United States but was in Taiwan, making it even more difficult for them to reach him. No matter how worried they were, they could only endure it, since it was just news and Pan Am hadn't acknowledged it or even started cooperating with Star Alliance.

Although John devised the plan for Star Alliance, he was not the one who actually carried it out; it was Pan Am itself. Pan Am now has the confidence to do so, and they do indeed control powerful resources.

"Jimmy, sit down. I never expected you to be pushed to this extent, even going to Lanai Island. The situation in the US is so dangerous that even Morgan is going to be affected. To be honest, I was shocked when I heard about your itinerary, and even doubted its authenticity at one point!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, Pan Am has caused quite a stir. You've been hiding out there the whole time, and now quite a few people are shocked by the news about Pan Am. It's not just in the US; it's caused quite a stir in Europe as well. I don't believe you don't know how those guys in France are reacting."

“What they think is beyond my control, and even if they object, what can they do to stop Pan Am? Interests determine everything, and those airlines will naturally side with me for their own benefit. You don’t really think joining Star Alliance comes without any cost, do you?” John didn’t care about Jimmy’s probing at all. Since he had already done it, there was no need to hide it, at least not now. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to talk to Jimmy so calmly, and wouldn’t even avoid the beautiful woman beside him, just talking about everything like this.

“Okay, I admit you have a point. But what kind of collaboration do you want with me this time?” Jimmy didn’t want to continue this topic and went straight to asking John about the project he wanted to work on with Morgan. John smiled calmly and said, “I need Morgan to help me acquire the President Line, and I need it done quickly, preferably before the end of the year. I wonder if Morgan can accept this acquisition offer? There’s not much time left, and it’s going to be quite difficult!”

"No problem. There's nothing Morgan can't do if the client needs it. Rest assured, we've been working together for so long, there will absolutely be no issues, and the acquisition price won't exceed the normal range. However, there's one thing I don't understand: you already have Australian shipping and have invested in other shipping companies, so why are you acquiring President Lines?"

"There's no point in hiding it. The Russians can't hold out for much longer by consolidating shipping. I need to prepare in advance. After losing its cooperation with the Russians, Australian shipping needs to change. Acquiring the US President Lines is the beginning. To be honest, if it weren't for the unexpected events in Taiwan, this acquisition would have had to wait. The situation here has disrupted my plans, so I have to bring it forward. That's why I had to ask Morgan to step in."

"John, I wonder if you'd be interested in acquiring Grumman Aircraft Company?"

When Jimmy mentioned Grumman Aircraft Company, John didn't react excitedly. He calmly said, "What, you want to sell it again? I remember you wanted to sell it when I acquired Lockheed. Why do you want to sell it again now? These days, the stock prices of military companies are rising!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. Some people feel the profits are a bit low, so they want to sell their shares. You know the stock prices of military companies are rising right now, so these guys naturally want to cash out at a high price. If you're willing, we'll sell all our shares. If you're willing, we can also exchange them for shares, using Pan Am shares!"

"That's interesting. To be honest, I didn't expect you to have such thoughts. However, Grumman is not important to Gulfstream Aerospace now, and it's not even that tempting. The Tomcat is good, but without the Russians, it's probably not far from being phased out. You could say that acquiring it now would be an overvalued acquisition, and the value isn't that great!"

Pointing out flaws is a sign of a genuine desire to do business. Jimmy isn't afraid of John pointing out flaws; he's afraid of John remaining silent. Just opening up means a deal is possible. As long as John understands Grumman, there's a chance to bring them together.

“John, are you sure you want to give up the acquisition? This time we’re not just talking, we really want to sell. If you refuse, we’ll find it another buyer. This isn’t just one person’s decision, it’s a collective one. Faced with pressure from Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed, nobody wants to continue investing.”

“Jimmy, you should understand that if I were to acquire it—no, to be precise, if Gulfstream Aerospace were to acquire it—we would need a full takeover, which is no easy task. Moreover, given the current inflated prices, we would be at a disadvantage. As for the share swap you mentioned, while I have no problem with it, there's something you might not know. Pan Am's plans are far from small. Once integration begins, it will be a massive undertaking. I can even tell you that the Presidential Steamship is part of the plan. This project is not as simple as you think. Of course, if Morgan Stanley is interested in participating, Pan Am can offer a portion of its shares. However, I must warn you in advance that the shareholding structure of overseas airlines can change, so you should think carefully.”

"John, could you tell me what the integrated Pan Am group would look like? I'd like to have something to report back to. In principle, we won't refuse, but we'd like to know the details."

"To put it simply, you should be familiar with the Global Positioning System (GPS). Pan Am is integrating air transport, and Australian shipping will be integrating sea transport. We have already passed the GPS testing for maritime transport, and there is also the integration of a land transport company. However, all of this will take time. Eventually, they will become a group company, but the group company will not be listed on the stock exchange. The three major subsidiaries under it will be listed. As for how to decide, that is up to you. I can tell you that once this integration is completed, it will be a huge logistics and transportation group spanning air, sea, and land, achieving resource sharing. At that time, it will be a behemoth, a giant in the transportation industry, with a model like Bell Labs."

(End of this chapter)