America: My Time

Chapter 861 Christmas Gift
Chapter 831 Christmas Gifts

"These are the gifts I've prepared for you all. Choose whichever you like!" John said to the group after receiving a portable safe from the Jaguar Security personnel. When it was opened, it was filled with a dazzling display of precious gems, their alluring light causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

"John, where did you get so many gems, and all of such high quality?" Anna, the mother, asked after seeing the dazzling gems in the safe. Such high-quality gems are rare.

"I have some from Africa and Southeast Asia. These are the best pieces I kept. You can choose for yourselves!" John only collects the finest gems. He knows how rapidly diamonds will depreciate in value, and he won't keep anything that isn't top-quality; he'll sell it off immediately. This is why John chose to sell Quantum Mining's diamond mine in Canada.

Diamonds are not necessities, and their value is not as great as one might imagine. What John values ​​are precious metal mines, those mines that occupy an important position in industry. Therefore, in the development of Quantum Mining, diamond mines and gemstone mines are no longer the focus; instead, copper and gold mines are prioritized. As for those less valuable mines, they are for sale and are not the focus of the mining industry.

As for the gems John brought out, most of them came from Indian treasures, and this was only a part of them. Most of them had already entered the market. As for the gold, it had all been recast, and only a few pieces were preserved. Those were all very valuable works of art, and they would slowly flow into the market as the price of antiques increased in the future.

As soon as John finished speaking, all the beauties were captivated by the enchanting gemstone. Even Smith took a few extra glances, and Allen also had the idea of ​​collecting a few.

Seeing Allen's expression, John smiled calmly and said, "If you want it, just take it yourself. There's nothing to worry about. Besides, it's nothing. Don't be fooled by its value. It's just a rock. If these gems are put on the market, the price of gems will fluctuate quickly. Don't be deceived by those guys. They're not that valuable; they're just being artificially hyped up."

The beautiful women had no interest in John's words. Their eyes were fixed on those glittering gems, and John's words were unacceptable to them. This is why some people bind women to dragons.

“John, you’re wrong. How could such gemstones depreciate? Besides, gemstones are very rare. If these gemstones are properly processed, they are extremely valuable. Even if you put them all on the market, they wouldn’t make a ripple.”

Upon hearing Jennifer Connelly's words, John shook his head and said, "You're completely wrong to think that way. The world's gem mines are controlled by a coalition that tacitly suppresses the output, which is why this situation exists. Otherwise, Quantum Mining wouldn't have sold off all of Canada's diamond mines, because we simply don't need that many gems! If you're going to buy jewelry in the future, it's best not to buy the smaller ones, as they will definitely depreciate in value."

Unfortunately, John's words didn't resonate with the beautiful women before him. Seeing their reactions, John shook his head with a wry smile; talking about jewelry with these beauties was pointless. In John's view, collecting precious wood was more valuable than collecting diamonds; wood would appreciate in value, while diamonds would only depreciate. Diamonds were currently overvalued, and current cutting techniques were inadequate. The value of a gemstone lay in its size, purity, and the quality of its cut.

"After you've made your selections, you can have them designed by the jewelry companies under the Forever Group, according to your own preferences. I'll put in a good word with them!" John wasn't too concerned about jewelry, but it was an industry with incredibly high profits, especially for famous jewelry companies, whose profits were frighteningly high.

In his trade in Southeast Asia, John not only acquired rare gemstones but also raw jadeite at very low prices. However, John collected all of these raw jadeite stones, making it a worthwhile investment, and their appreciation rate was astonishing.

In fact, a large portion of John's annual profits from his investments in China is used for acquisitions, including baijiu (Chinese liquor), jade, and other items that appreciate in value. He has a massive wine cellar on Lanai Island, similar storage facilities in Hong Kong, and, needless to say, in Taiwan. Since John purchased property there, he has been continuously collecting such items. It can be said that John built huge wine cellars on all his properties during renovations, storing renowned wines from around the world.

“John, haven’t you ever thought about handing these gems over to jewelry companies? With the capabilities of the Forever Group, they could easily turn them into a huge amount of cash.” Smith asked with some doubt. After all, the Forever Group controls one of the world’s three largest jewelry companies, and it would be easy for them to turn these treasures into luxury goods. “Of course I’ve thought about it, but I can’t do it. They already have quite a few gems. You know, we can get a lot of gems from Africa and Southeast Asia every year, so those jewelry companies are not short of gems.”

The inventories of the major jewelry companies are increasing every year, but what they hold are high-quality gemstones, not ordinary ones. In dealings with these companies, John prefers gold to gemstones. As for gold, John wants as much as he can get; the banks could swallow it all.

In terms of gold reserves, John believes that Standard Chartered Bank, Sinochem Bank, and East West Bank would all shock those banking giants. Their vaults hold unimaginable gold reserves, which account for most of Quantum Mining's gold exports over the years, as well as its harvests in Africa. It is precisely because of such large gold reserves that they have such a strong financial foundation.

John was dumbfounded as he watched the beautiful women evaluate the gems one by one. Was it really necessary to have so many gems? And he hadn't intended to take them back after taking them out. He thought the selection would end quickly, but it showed no signs of ending. Half an hour had passed, and they were still discussing it.

"This is insane! I can't believe they have so much energy. Luckily, this is only a part of it. If they saw all the gems, they probably wouldn't be able to sleep all night and would be discussing them like crazy." John shook his head as he spoke; he hadn't expected this situation.

“John, you have such gems? Have you built such a large business in Africa and Southeast Asia?” Smith was shocked to hear John’s words. This was only a part of the story, which showed how amazing John’s business in these two places was.

"In terms of income, it's indeed considerable, but it's mostly just bartering. There aren't many opportunities to actually use US dollars. In contrast, the Middle Eastern tycoons are where Jaguar Security's main revenue comes from, which is why I'm keeping an eye on things there. This isn't a small matter; it concerns the future development of Gulfstream Aerospace and Bentley Motors. If things go well, there will be many orders, so I can't afford to be careless. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be severe! I'm also counting on them to give Hughes' GPS a big boost and seize market share. After all, GPS is already under accelerated development. If we don't act quickly to seize the market, it will seriously impact Hughes Aerospace once those guys finish. Next year is crucial; I'm afraid I won't have much time left in the US!"

At this point, John couldn't help but sigh. Once the major war broke out in the Middle East, he would be even busier. He would need to be involved in the strategic deployments in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, not to mention other aspects. As for the United States, although John also had some plans, he wouldn't need to devote too much energy to them.

"Just keep that in mind. If possible, don't get too entangled with those oil tycoons. Those guys aren't good people and will have a significant impact on you, since they all have a lot of assets!"

“I know, but I don’t think they have any influence on me. In fact, I think that standing on the opposite side of them is the best choice for myself. At least I can gain the recognition of the Middle Eastern tycoons and the trust of most countries in the Middle East. In comparison, the troubles brought by those oil capitalists are insignificant. After all, I have no interests in Israel. I can’t give up my relationship with the Middle Eastern tycoons and give up those huge interests just because they oppose me. I’m not like Rockefeller and Morgan, who can move forward and backward at will. I don’t have their kind of resources!”

It wasn't that John lacked the resources, but rather that he was unwilling to accept it. If he controlled the Bayard family, it wouldn't be a problem, but he gave it up, unwilling to let those guys encroach on his interests. However, once John takes control of Oregon, the situation will change, and he will have ample confidence to face anything.

All fear stems from insufficient firepower. With enough firepower, I have nothing to fear. But this strength needs to be accumulated step by step. The power of Jaguar Security Company alone is far from enough. I also need the support of the US government and the power of a state! Only by completely controlling the power of Oregon can I truly stand at the top and be compared with families like Rockefeller and Morgan, without any fear or having to compromise because of their actions.

(End of this chapter)