America: My Time

Chapter 156 The Temptation of Going Public

Chapter 156 The Temptation of Going Public
"Gentlemen, our cooperation is about to begin. I hope to get your help to achieve a win-win situation. The Southern Company will be completely handed over to Mitsui Bank. The expansion of the Oriental Mandarin Group will require the assistance of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank to coordinate relationships with all parties. After all, some unnecessary troubles will inevitably be encountered in the expansion of resort hotels, which will require the assistance of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank. In comparison, the expansion of the US property is the easiest. There are almost no problems. As long as there is enough capital, everything will be fine!"

Upon hearing John's words, the staff from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and Mitsubishi Bank exchanged glances. They were all incredibly envious of Mitsui Bank's good fortune in securing such a large profit, which they attributed to the friendly relationship between Sony and John—at least that's how they saw it!

"We can't let Mitsui continue to be so smug. We must deepen our relationship with John!" This was the shared sentiment of both Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and Mitsubishi Bank. Neither of them wanted Mitsui to come out on top. This time, Mitsui's gains were far greater than those of both of them, which made them feel very unbalanced.

Profits bound John closely to Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank. Driven by these interests, these three major Japanese banks would undoubtedly provide full support for John's expansion in Japan. Even if they had disagreements, it wouldn't affect John's expansion; they wouldn't oppose their own interests. Of course, the benefits John offered were astonishing, but this wasn't all; it was just the beginning!
"Ladies and gentlemen, the game world will be released after the New Year. If any of you are interested, you can start preparing in advance!"

John wants to bring in Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank to boost the market value of the game world. This is also a way of generating profits. How could these three major Japanese banks not know how popular the game world is? If there is an investment opportunity, why wouldn't they seize it? Most importantly, John's reputation is guaranteed. This can be seen from Sony, which has benefited greatly from the game world. Not only Sony, but the other two Japanese companies have also benefited.

Because of John's guaranteed credit, he also had extraordinary financing capabilities in the Japanese banking industry. No one doubted his ability to repay, nor did anyone doubt John's credit.

"Mr. John, will your other companies also go public?"

"That's natural. Most companies choose to go public after completing their initial expansion, and Southern Company is no exception. Once it has completed its layout in North America and Asia, it will choose to go public."

To the Bank of Japan, 7-Eleven in Japan was insignificant, but to John, it was crucial, as it was vital to his entertainment strategy. 7-Eleven sold everything, from records to weekly magazines; acquiring it would address Phoenix Media's biggest weakness.

Despite making numerous preparations for this collaboration, John still felt immense pressure working with these Japanese tycoons. Fortunately, everything was progressing according to plan without any major unexpected events. After finalizing the agreements with the three major Japanese banks, John returned to the reception. However, neither the three major banks nor the other participating companies were interested in the reception; their primary focus was on the investment.

With the partnerships secured with Japan's three major banks, John's plans in Japan have temporarily come to an end. What he needs now is the work of professionals, and it's also time to consider returning to China!

By this time, the party was drawing to a close. Those who had actually invested in the event were eager to return and prepare, having no interest in the celebration. For those who had hoped to profit from it, the bigwigs had left; what was the point of staying? So, when John emerged, the party was nearly over, leaving only a few entertainment industry figures. This was a party hosted by the First Industrial Bank, and since the bigwigs hadn't yet spoken, they naturally wanted to stay. The other entertainment figures, of course, were busy networking and building relationships.

These people involved in the entertainment industry have formed numerous small circles and cliques, which are quite obvious. Naoko has also formed a small clique, but it consists of only some idols!
"It seems that Japan is also very pragmatic. The First Bank of Japan, Mitsubishi Bank, and Mitsui Bank have not yet left the market, but those who want to make a profit are starting to leave one after another to make their own preparations. Profit is indeed the greatest motivation!" Although John thought this in his heart, he did not show it, but just smiled slightly.

As John came down from upstairs, the people in the reception hall noticed him and looked over. However, most of them did not recognize John or know his identity; only a few knew something about him.

John paid no attention to the stares of these people. They were not on the same level, and these people were not qualified to approach and communicate with John. Whether they knew the situation or not, no one stepped forward. They all understood one thing: anyone who could come down from upstairs was a big shot, not on their level. Moreover, John was a foreigner, so even if they wanted to curry favor, they knew there was no chance whatsoever!

When John arrived at Naoko's group, there were a few more people than when he left. To his surprise, Riko hadn't left. Akio Morita had already left the meeting room; normally he should have gone back to prepare. Why was Riko still there? "Hasn't Mr. Morita left yet?" John asked Riko, puzzled.
“They’ve already left!” Riko immediately stood up and answered.

Upon hearing this, John instantly understood. This was yet another favor. Whether it was Riko's own insistence on staying or Akio Morita's instruction, he still owed her a favor! Clearly, the other party was worried that something might happen to Naoko, and that Naoko lacked the experience to handle emergencies, so they stayed to look after her!

Could something unexpected happen at the party hosted by the First Industrial Bank? It's hard to say. It has happened before, and Riko has experienced it firsthand. So it's reasonable for her to stay and accompany Naoko for safety reasons. Besides, with Riko and Akio Morita's shrewdness, how could they miss such an opportunity to build relationships!
Having already secured the favor, Riko knew when to back down and naturally chose to leave. She had only stayed for Naoko's sake, so now was the time to depart. Thus, she immediately bid farewell to Naoko and John.

After Riko left, he lingered for a while, gave some instructions to Yoshiko Koizumi, and then left with Naoko. Naoko's departure shocked the idols. Not everyone present knew of John's existence. Although many knew that Naoko had someone backing her, they didn't know it was a foreigner, an American, a powerful American. This caused a huge shock to many.

On his way home, John felt only one thing: exhaustion. Communicating with those Japanese bankers was no easy task. Fortunately, everything went very smoothly, even to his surprise, far exceeding his plans. He hadn't imagined such a frenzied expansion, starting simultaneously in both the US and Japan.

Whether it's Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Mitsui Bank, or Mitsubishi Bank, they will all give their all. Although Mitsubishi Bank will gain the least, this is their first contact with John, and they will certainly do their utmost for future cooperation. Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank is even more so, with more lucrative offers ahead. Mitsui Bank, on the other hand, faces greater pressure. Acquiring 7-Eleven in Japan is no easy task and will take time, but they understand that this is something they must face. If they can't even handle this 'small matter' properly, how can they convince John of their capabilities?

After the party, not only John was tired, but Naoko was also tired. However, Naoko's tiredness was different from John's. John was tired from the mental strain of business intrigue, while Naoko was tired from the pressure of the event. Although it wasn't her first time attending such a party, Naoko still hadn't gotten used to it. Back at home, both of them were able to relax.

"Any other plans for the next period of time?" John asked Naoko beside him while they were in the hot spring.

For a normal idol singer, being busy is perfectly normal. However, Naoko has now moved beyond being an idol singer, and with John's help, she has a much easier time than other idols of her generation.

"There are no important plans, we're just preparing for the next single!"

"It's good that there are no arrangements. Give me your passport tomorrow, and I'll have someone make the arrangements. Two days later, after I've settled things here, you'll come with me to China!" John needed two days to make some quick arrangements in Japan before flying directly to China. This was an agreement he had already made.

Although there are still many things to deal with in Japan, such a large investment and such a crazy expansion have a lot of things to handle, in the end, it is decided to put them aside for the time being. This is not something that can be dealt with in a short time, and the biggest troubles have been handed over to the partners in Japan to handle. The things that need to be dealt with by oneself are not too important.

Naoko never knew how to refuse John's requests, nor would she. Even though she knew that going to China with John would mean working overtime to finish the next single, she wouldn't ask. For her, every moment with John was precious! A kind-hearted person who always thinks of others is more likely to gain recognition, and Naoko was such a kind-hearted person, not knowing what it meant to refuse.

(End of this chapter)