America: My Time

Chapter 113 Worry
Chapter 113 Worries

After a long separation, John and Naoko were filled with boundless passion. For men, women are the best way to relieve stress, which is one of the reasons why the Wolf of Wall Street was so wild and indulgent.

After relaxing, John inquired about Naoko's situation and learned about Legendary Records' plans for her. John hugged Naoko and sighed softly, "They're wrong. These people are completely mistaken. For you, developing in Europe and America isn't the focus. Your foundation is in Japan; Japan is everything to your career. Only after you've firmly established yourself in Japan can you devote some energy to developing in Europe and America, and even then, it will only be a minor involvement to build your reputation. Just like my previous plan for you, you can't be impatient for quick success in Europe and America; that won't work. Europe and America have a serious xenophobia. Don't easily enter the market without good enough work; doing so will only waste the little fame you've earned!"

"Is it that serious? Didn't your previous two singles sell very well?" Naoko asked with some doubt. She wasn't aware of how strong the exclusion of Western music was, and how few Asian singers could enter the Western music market. Naoko's two singles had also sold over a million copies, which was impressive even in Japan, so it gave some people at the record company something to think about.

82 was a magical year for Naoko Nao. Not only did she have two million-selling singles in Japan, but she also had two singles that surpassed one million sales in Europe and America, which had a huge impact on the entire Japanese record market. When people looked at Naoko Nao's singles, they were even more shocked to find that they were all written by John. Many people wanted to invite John, but they had to give up when they learned his identity. How could the boss of Legendary Entertainment write songs for them?

"It's more serious than you think. Putting aside everything else, the quality of the work itself is a huge problem. It's very difficult for Japanese musicians to produce works that are recognized in Europe and America. There's a difference between European and American music and Japanese music. It's very difficult for Japanese works to become popular in Europe and America. Most importantly, there's the current environment. There are huge problems with trade between Japan and the United States. Under the guidance of certain people, there's an undercurrent in the United States targeting Japan. It's almost impossible for you to achieve great success in the United States."

John's words were true; this was indeed the situation in the United States today. Naoko was unaware of this, and neither were the people in Japan. It wasn't that they were stupid, but rather arrogant. At this time, Japan's economic boom had made its people incredibly arrogant. Only a few officials and conglomerates truly understood Japan's predicament, and they all had their own agendas!
Before the trade dispute between Japan and the United States is resolved, Naoko's attempt to enter the US record industry is a joke. Her previous success was due to John's cheating and his fame. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for her to achieve success in the United States!

Even if the trade dispute is resolved, Europe and America will still reject Asian singers, making it extremely difficult to achieve success in these markets—that's human nature. It's not that Naoko's singing skills are lacking in the Western record market, but rather that the US harbors a hostile attitude towards Japan. In fact, this attitude isn't limited to Japan; Americans hold the same view towards all Asians, and the same applies to Europe, as evidenced by their own development.

During the bubble economy era, Japanese people went on a buying spree around the world, snapping up all the luxury goods in Europe. Europeans, on the other hand, looked down on and even mocked the Japanese. But when the bubble ended and no more Japanese people came to buy their luxury goods, they started to look forward to it again. In their hearts, they couldn't stand seeing others do well. Their so-called freedom was only for themselves, not for others.

"Alright, don't worry about these things, I'll take care of it!" Looking at Naoko's shocked face, John couldn't help but sigh. He was still too soft-hearted; he wasn't a heartless scumbag who could bring himself to make Naoko give up her singing career.

John had originally planned to stay in Los Angeles until the Spring Festival before returning to San Francisco, but a call from his mother, Anna, the very next day forced him to abandon that plan and return to San Francisco. The reason was that the Consulate General in San Francisco was hosting a reception for Chinese people and overseas Chinese, and had invited John's mother, Anna, who was unable to attend, so John was asked to attend in her place.

Things all happened at once, which troubled John. He originally wanted to hide in Los Angeles to rest for a while, but now he had to end it early. After some thought, he took Naoko back to San Francisco.

John's parents weren't surprised when he brought Naoko home. As parents, they weren't unaware of John's situation; they knew all about his activities in Japan. Moreover, Americans didn't seem to care much about such matters of the heart. In American and even European universities, relationships between men and women were practically rampant, especially in the 1970s and 80s when things were even more outrageous, with countercultures forming a powerful trend! John's parents had never intended to restrict his relationships. If John hadn't given up his inheritance rights, he would have faced many problems with dating and marriage. Family rules were in place, leaving John with no choice. But now, all of that was no longer a problem.

Compared to their parents' indifference, John's younger brother and sister were quite curious about why their brother had brought home a girlfriend. Their eyes were filled with doubt and confusion as they looked at Naoko. In their memory, this was the first time their brother had brought a girlfriend home. In their minds, their brother was almost a workaholic and a study fanatic.

"Mom, is it appropriate for me to attend this kind of party? Wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate? After all, you were invited, so wouldn't it be impolite for me to go?"

“It’s alright. I’ve already made arrangements with them. In previous years, your father and I went together, but this year we both had things to do and couldn’t get away. Besides, it’s hard to refuse a party like this. If we’re busy, you can take our place. Don’t just think about work all the time; you need to relax a bit. This is a good opportunity to take your girlfriend to broaden her horizons. Maybe you can even make some new friends.”

Making friends? John didn't feel he needed such an opportunity to make friends, but since his mother said so, he could only accept it and understood her intention: to give him some time to relax!
"Alright, I'll take Naoko to this party. I hope it won't have any impact. After all, the elders in my family have been keeping an eye on me. I wonder how they'll react if they find out I'm attending a party like this."

“John, don’t use that sarcastic tone. They are your elders. Even if there are big disagreements, don’t be so rude!” Smith frowned at John’s words. He knew that John was being sarcastic and dissatisfied with the elders in the family.

"I don't want to do this either, but I really want to know how they will react. I hope they won't do anything to put me in a difficult position or interfere with my personal life!"

At this moment, John wanted to test his family's reaction and see what the elders would do to see if it would affect his life. He didn't want to see them interfere with his freedom of life!
"No, the family might be unhappy with your actions, but they will definitely not interfere with your choices. You have already given up your inheritance rights, so they have no reason to interfere with your life. At most, they will just offer some advice, but they won't do anything unexpected. After all, the family rules cannot be broken."

"I hope so too, but I'm afraid some people won't think that way. Self-interest can be a powerful motivator, and there's always a small group of people who can't see the bigger picture or recognize reality. I also don't want any conflict with my family. They gave me tremendous help at the beginning of my career, and I remember all those kindnesses. But I sincerely hope they won't interfere with my choices, let alone my life. I hope they can understand each other's difficulties, live peacefully, and avoid any disputes!"

Although John gave up his inheritance rights, the benefits he reaped were too great, and some people still had other ideas and wanted to use other means to gain advantages from him. His marriage was a good platform, especially those stubborn elders in the family, who would definitely try to achieve some exchange of benefits by interfering in his marriage!

This wasn't John overthinking things; it was a decision driven by self-interest. Even if he gave up his inheritance and chose to start his own business, the interests he embodied were too great, and his family wouldn't let go easily. Especially after he lost the family's support, some people would have inappropriate ideas!
(End of this chapter)