America: My Time

Chapter 944 Views on Neon
Chapter 914 Views on Neon

The Middle Eastern tycoons control not only money but also oil. If they had just been a little more assertive, things wouldn't be like this now. After exchanging ideas with the tycoons, John sighed. These guys had really squandered a winning hand. He wondered if they would even listen to his advice. However, he had said everything he needed to say. If these guys still didn't cooperate, there was nothing John could do. After all, it was impossible for him to take action personally at this point.

Soon, John, the tycoon, received a number of orders. Whether they could succeed was another matter. After all, the situation in the Middle East was not something he could control. Despite the strength of Jaguar Security Company, they were only helping the Middle Eastern tycoon, not directly manipulating him to start a war.

The Middle Eastern tycoons didn't stay in China for long and left quickly. John didn't know what they thought or thought, but he had already given them the opportunity, and whether they could seize it depended on their own abilities.

However, after John saw off the Middle Eastern tycoons, other people soon came to him to discuss economic issues. With the uproar caused by the oil capital, John's record as the god of finance was once again brought up, and the entire financial circle was reviewing John's crazy achievements, which made those guys interested in John again.

"Economic problems can't be explained in just a few words. The situation in Europe is not simple. It's not just their own problems, but also largely caused by the collapse of Russia. To be honest, those guys were all too arrogant and self-righteous, but they didn't even realize the problem. If they didn't suffer, who would? You could say they're just like Japan back then, all of them have lost their way."

When John mentioned Japan, the Chinese staff's eyes lit up. They knew how badly Japan was doing; the bursting of the bubble had caused Japan heavy losses. Many people believed that Japan should be able to recover quickly, given its economic size. However, this was not the case. Japan was still being hit, and the situation was getting worse. Now, quite a few banks in Japan were in trouble!

"Mr. John, many people say that you know more about Japan than they do themselves. Could you talk about the situation in Japan?" It's important to understand that European investment in China isn't very high these days, but Japanese investment is constantly increasing. This makes the Chinese staff very curious about John's views on Japan.

John smiled calmly and said, "Of course, but I'm just sharing my thoughts, and you can just listen! It seems like Japan was screwed over by those guys on Wall Street, but their biggest problem is themselves. In my opinion, those guys were too crazy, or more accurately, too gambling and too arrogant. They clearly had more opportunities in the 1980s, but they gave them all up. If their current crisis is caused by the Plaza Accord, why didn't Germany have a problem? To put it bluntly, it's still their own problem. I don't know what those guys were thinking. Before they deliberately burst the bubble, I warned them more than once, but they didn't take it seriously. Perhaps that's their confidence."

"So, Mr. John doesn't think highly of Japan's current approach?"

"I do not have a high opinion of them. These guys are too risky gamblers, and while they seem to be actively bursting the bubble to stabilize themselves, they are actually ignoring the most important issue: the problems of the Japanese themselves. From what I know of Japan, they are both arrogant and insecure, and prone to getting stuck on minor issues, swinging from one extreme to another. Of course, I'm talking about ordinary people, not the elites, but Japan's current economy is not something that the elites can control; it's controlled by ordinary Japanese people. If China intends to attract foreign investment, Japanese capital is a good option."

“Mr. John, it seems you haven’t reduced your investment in Japan. If you don’t have a good view of them, why are you increasing your investment? Isn’t that a bit contradictory?” At this moment, the Chinese personnel felt that John’s words were somewhat contradictory, but they did not think that John was intentionally deceiving them. If he were to do so, it would be easy to be exposed.

"I'm not optimistic about Japan's economy, but that doesn't mean Japan has no opportunities. Japan still has many good markets, and their shift from one extreme to another will create many new opportunities. The more extravagant the Japanese consumption was before, the more cautious they will be next. If ordinary Japanese people are unwilling to consume, do you think their economy can recover? It's impossible. In my opinion, as long as the fear of ordinary Japanese people cannot be eliminated, their economy will stagnate for a long time. As for my investment in Japan, it's not in manufacturing or luxury goods, but in entertainment and services, so I'm not worried about their economy stagnating."

Upon hearing John's words, some people frowned. Not everyone understood John's intention, nor did everyone grasp just how insane the entertainment industry's development had become. Perhaps these individuals didn't place much importance on the entertainment industry; only those who truly understood it knew its staggering economic value!
"Mr. John, does the entertainment industry really have such great development potential that it makes you so focused, investing so much energy and money, and making so many strategic moves?" "I am indeed very optimistic about the entertainment industry, especially in a country like Japan with strong intellectual property protection. I believe Japan's anime and manga culture has great potential, so I will increase investment in this area to create a hub for anime and manga culture. In contrast, for a long time, Japan's manufacturing industry, and even its semiconductor industry, have been impacted. Capital outflow is their only way out. If they cling to Japan, those conglomerates will only face ruin!"

John paused here, giving everyone time to process his words. However, many disagreed with his assessment. The world knew how powerful Japan's semiconductor industry was, and John's pronouncements at this time were unacceptable to many. How could a former semiconductor industry leader fall so easily? But John had more faith in his own judgment, after all, this was how things would turn out.

"Speaking of which, it's not just Japan that's experiencing an outflow of manufacturing; the US is doing the same thing. As production costs continue to rise, companies that don't relocate will face certain death. Putting aside everything else, labor costs alone are enough to give companies in both Japan and the US a headache. Japan is a bit better off, at least its employees are still willing to work hard, but the US is completely different."

At this moment, John shook his head. If only those American workers had worked a little harder, he wouldn't have faced so much pressure and so many setbacks, allowing those oil-rich capitalists to constantly use this as an excuse to target him. The reason John didn't want to complete semiconductor manufacturing in the US, but instead chose Taiwan or China, was because those workers were like lords; one wrong move could plunge the company into trouble and crisis.

John never underestimated the cunning and treachery of oil capitalists. If these bastards were to target him and incite his company's employees to stage a major strike, he would be in deep trouble, and it could easily plunge his company into crisis. But such a situation would not occur in Taiwan or China. As long as the money is right, it is not a problem! However, in the United States, even if those guys are paid overtime, no one will work overtime. That is the difference.

Look at Taiwan's production and manufacturing. They operate on three shifts, and no one complains. Everyone cooperates with the company's arrangements. But if this were in the United States, it would be unthinkable. If a factory were built in the United States and they were to produce global navigation systems, the difference would be even greater. It would be impossible to support Ford, GM, and Toyota, let alone Bentley Motors itself.

However, Taiwan's factories can now meet the needs of the four major automakers, and they are continuing to expand their production scale. It won't be long before factories are also being built in China. This issue is no longer a problem for the White House. No matter how much the oil-rich capital tries to sabotage them, the old man doesn't want to continue being enemies with John, and doesn't want the old man to clash with John.

Now that the White House has agreed, it's not just about navigation systems; even lithography machines are continuing to be shipped to China. While they aren't ASML's most advanced, they are far superior to the lithography machines currently used in Chinese factories. Seizing every opportunity to expand their factories in China—this has been John's ongoing strategy.

It won't be long before the US releases a simplified navigation system targeting mid-to-low-end cars to continue capturing market share. With factories in China, they can fully meet market demand. Of course, this will take time, as global navigation companies are already establishing a presence in Europe.

John's current plan is to retreat in order to advance. Since he can no longer continue to fight against the oilfield capital, after all, he still has to give face to the Federal Reserve, and there is also pressure from Wall Street. The oilfield capital has considerable power on Wall Street, and John does not want to start a war with these guys, so retreating is inevitable.

John has now fled to China, which can be considered a significant concession to Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. While many know John has substantial investments in Asia, achieving this level of success is remarkable; at least Oil Pacific Capital hasn't done so, and those guys are still making things difficult for him and targeting him!

(End of this chapter)