America: My Time

Chapter 182 Morita Akio’s doubts

Chapter 182 Morita Akio’s doubts
"I can't interfere with matters concerning the agency; that's between you and them, and you both need to reach an understanding. As for resources, it's not a big deal. Just talk to Naoko if you need anything, and both TV Tokyo and Phoenix TV will provide some support!"

As soon as John finished speaking, Hideki Saijo was about to get up to thank him, but John stopped him, waving his hand gently and saying, "No need for that. It was just a small favor for me. That's all. If you need any other help, you can ask Naoko!"

The suppression from the agency was a big deal and a source of pressure for Hideki Saijo, but John thought it was nothing. Both TV Tokyo and Phoenix Group had enough resources, and it wouldn't be a big deal to give some of them to Hideki Saijo. Elite agencies couldn't possibly consume so many resources.

John also believed that as long as TV Tokyo and Phoenix Group responded, it wouldn't be long before Yunying would give up suppressing Hideki Saijo. Yunying had also received some resources from TV Tokyo and Phoenix Group through Elite Agency. As long as they weren't fools, they would naturally understand John's attitude behind this matter.

John considered Hideki Saijo's incident as just a minor incident and quickly forgot about it. The First Bank of Japan was not hosting such a party for him to relax. Before long, the bigwigs from various factions would appear, and that would be another big battle!
Previously, Naoko had been in China with John, and after returning to Japan, she was busy recording an album and had no time to learn about things in Japan. Taking this opportunity, she chatted with Yoshie Kashiwabara, which eased the somewhat awkward atmosphere and made everyone less reserved.

Unfortunately, this period of peace did not last long. As the organizers of the party, the people from the First Industrial Bank were naturally aware of what was happening at the event. After John and Naoko appeared, they naturally found out and reacted accordingly.

Not long after they sat down, Akio Morita, a Sony executive whom John was very familiar with, appeared in his line of sight with Ms. Riko, walking towards John and Naoko. The appearance of the bigwigs naturally caused a reaction from the people at the party, who quickly made way for Akio Morita and Riko.

"John, why didn't you come upstairs to meet everyone? You know, there are quite a few things at Universal Studios that we need to sit down and discuss how to handle!" Akio Morita greeted John with a smile, then sat down without paying any attention to the people around him.

"Mr. Morita is here too. Naoko just came to say hello to a familiar friend. As for matters concerning Universal Studios, that's something for the professionals to discuss. My presence there wouldn't make any difference. Phoenix Group and Universal are only responsible for oversight. How to build it is up to you all. Surely today's banquet isn't just about Universal Studios!"

"Of course not. As you know, Universal Studios has a lot of things to deal with, but it's not a big deal. Today's issue is about mining. Do you know how much impact the sale of three world-class mines at once has on the mining market? Everyone wants to know more, and as the mine owner, you naturally deserve everyone's attention!"

"I'm not too clear on the details of the mine. I've been investigating investment projects in China, so I don't know the situation in the US. But the mine information has already been sent to the major mining companies, so there shouldn't be any problems. The highest bidder wins, and there won't be any changes!"

“John, I still don’t quite understand. You didn’t need to sell all three world-class mines. Even if you didn’t have enough funds, you could have taken out a bank loan. You could have even sold two mines and kept one to operate yourself. That would have brought you greater profits and also helped you resolve a lot of trouble!”

“Normally, that's how it is, but the current situation isn't normal. Quantum Mining simply doesn't have the resources, the manpower, or the experience to develop mines. Moreover, for Quantum Mining, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Rather than spending a lot of energy and time on mining, it's better to sell directly and get the funds they need. This choice was made out of necessity; the US doesn't have workers like those in Japan, so Quantum Mining's development focus isn't in the US. This sale was part of the original plan, but we didn't expect such a large gain. Selling these three mines will give Quantum Mining more funds for its own development!” John didn't deceive Akio Morita about Quantum Mining, directly stating some of the facts. It's impossible to lie about such things; it would be easily exposed. Rushing into mining without sufficient human resources would definitely come at a significant cost. Mining is no easy task, and US workers and unions are not easy to deal with, not much weaker than the Automotive Association. John understood that lacking experience, a well-established organization, and skilled personnel would only lead to enormous costs. In such a situation, it was far more efficient and less stressful to sell the mine than to waste time and energy mining it. As for collaborating with other mining companies, John hadn't even considered that; it would only complicate matters further.

Different perspectives lead to different viewpoints. In Akio Morita's view, John's decision was somewhat wasteful, but for John, it was the most suitable option. Selling the mines was the most advantageous choice for him, and having such a large sum of money would play a crucial role in his own development, something that mining three mines could not provide!

Akio Morita did not pursue the issue of the mine further. He had obtained the information he wanted and there was no need to delve deeper. Doing so would only displease John, since it was a company secret.

“John, I have another question. This is on behalf of those banks. The proceeds from the sale of three world-class mines are not a small amount. Will you use them to repay previous loans? You know, they all have this concern. No bank wants to lose such a valuable client as you!”

"As expected, that old bastard Akio Morita is here again because of the bank loan. It seems that these banks in Japan don't want me to repay the loan early, and they are all worried about their own interests being harmed. But that's fine, I have no such intention at all. I will not repay the loan early. I'm not that stupid!"

Thinking of this, John smiled calmly and said, "Early repayment is not an option. Quantum Mining also needs to develop, and this money will naturally be used for the company's own development. If Quantum Mining had enough funds and resources, these three world-class mines wouldn't have been completely sold off. Development is the most important thing. As for the funds raised for financing and listing, they will have even more uses. I don't think early repayment is a good choice! There are many good investment opportunities now, and I feel that my funds are too little. If I had enough funds, I would have invested more, and things wouldn't be like this in Japan now!"

Upon hearing John's answer, Akio Morita breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the situation he had worried about had not occurred. However, when John mentioned investment opportunities, Akio Morita's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "John, when it comes to investment, you are indeed very capable. You have an admirable foresight, and every investment you make yields amazing results! I wonder what your views are on the current semiconductor industry and the development of the semiconductor market. The situation in the United States is not good right now."

"The semiconductor industry is a good investment with broad prospects, you should understand that. If I didn't have enough confidence in it, I wouldn't be investing in Taiwan. However, Japan is facing a lot of pressure. The entire US semiconductor industry is currently in trouble, and all manufacturers are under pressure from the US government. It's not just the semiconductor industry, the automotive industry is also facing this, with car smashing incidents constantly taking place in the US. You need to pay close attention and make appropriate compromises. Many people are now using tariffs as leverage, and if the tariffs change, you'll be in big trouble!"

John sighed, shook his head, and continued, "The situation in the United States is indeed very bad, especially in the semiconductor industry, which is facing numerous difficulties. Labor costs are too high, research costs are too high, which is almost entirely detrimental to the development of enterprises. This is why I chose to locate the silicon wafer fab in Taiwan and China! There is also a reason why I did not choose Japan. If the US semiconductor industry is destroyed, it will not be good for you. The big stick of trade deficit could fall at any time!"

Was John trying to kindly remind Akio Morita and Japan? No, he wasn't being kind; he was just stating the facts. Even if John said all that and gave these warnings, the Japanese wouldn't react in time because they're too greedy, and the environment in Japan is vastly different from that in the US! In the US, companies must go public once they reach a certain stage of development, even if they have ample funds. This is about profit sharing. But in Japan, there's no such thing.

In the US, power and influence are ingrained. If a company can't compete with you in business, they'll use their power and influence to pressure you and force you to compromise. John understood this perfectly. These Japanese companies only saw how to conquer the US market, but they didn't see the danger behind it. Perhaps they saw it, but they didn't care. Profit blinded them, making them reckless and desperate to plunder everything they wanted from the US!
(End of this chapter)