America: My Time

Chapter 230 Hayao Miyazaki

Chapter 230 Hayao Miyazaki

In the living room, five beautiful women who had spent the day playing accompanied John. Hitomi Kuroki was gently massaging his legs from the front, while Naoko was massaging him from behind. At the same time, the women were chatting about the day's events, discussing trivial things like which clothes looked good and which cosmetics were effective.

John, meanwhile, was resting with his eyes closed. The five beauties could enjoy themselves, but he couldn't. He had a lot to deal with and needed to communicate with old foxes like Akio Morita. After all, once the real estate investment started, John would have even more to handle. Although the real estate was placed within the Cultural Oriental Group, each landmark building required a large investment, and there were many issues arising from communicating with various parties in Japan.

After a moment, John felt a sweet fragrance in his ear, and the pressure of the massage changed. He reached out and hugged her back, feeling a warm, smooth touch. When John opened his eyes, he found that the person behind him had changed; it was no longer Naoko, but Ye Qianwen, and the person in front of him had changed to Nakamori Akina.

"Alright, you don't need to crowd around me anymore. You can chat. But I want to remind you that even if you're shopping, you must not leave the bodyguards' sight. It's not safe during this time, so please listen to the bodyguards as much as possible and don't think they're in your way. They are trained and will do their best to ensure your safety without affecting your lives."

I'm not worried about Naoko and the others' safety. After all, they've had a long time to get to know their bodyguards. But you two are new to them, so it might feel a little inconvenient and you'll need time to adjust. However, they were all assigned to Naoko's group. Once the issues in the US are resolved, you'll be assigned your own bodyguards, giving you time to familiarize yourselves with them. With time, you'll naturally adapt!

John took personal security very seriously. Naoko, Ye Qianwen, and Chung Chuh-hung were already familiar with the situation, but the newly joined Kuroki Hitomi and Nakamori Akina were somewhat uncomfortable. Although Nakamori Akina, as an idol, had assistants, none of them were as close as these bodyguards, and Kuroki Hitomi was even less so.

Naoko, who had been with John the longest, knew that John valued the safety of his family very much. Not only were there security personnel around them, but there were even more security personnel around the family members in the United States. Both Naoko and Ye Qianwen had experienced this and truly knew how much John valued security!

Don't be fooled by Japan's claims of safety; it's all just a facade. Japan isn't as safe as you might think. Countless vengeful spirits haunt Tokyo Bay, and the number of missing persons each year is staggering. As for celebrity stalking, that's even more common. Idols like Akina Nakamori and Naoko Naoko deserve extra attention, and Hitomi Kuroki is no exception! Just the attack on Seiko Matsuda alone is enough to raise anyone's alarm bells—that's a crazy act committed in broad daylight! John is so concerned about Japan's safety because he knows about its problems.

John's leniency towards the five beautiful women around him was a statement, and also a test of the Japanese. Although the storm had gradually subsided, John had no idea whether those guys had other ideas or would make a comeback. Most importantly, John didn't trust these guys at all, especially Toshiba. It seemed they had been used and schemed against by those Americans, but in John's view, it was all a lie. It was all intentional on the part of those bastards. Perhaps those Americans who thought they had everything planned were the ones being used, manipulated by Toshiba and the even more cunning Japanese bastards. It only appeared that the Japanese had suffered losses, but it was all deliberate.

Everything seems to be going well now. Those guys don't seem to want to continue being his enemies and have managed to control the media well, which relieves John. He doesn't have much time to stay in Japan right now. If there are still problems in Japan, he'll be in big trouble, and it will affect his plans in Hong Kong.

With this shift in perspective, John has some new ideas for his Hong Kong strategy. He wants to test the waters with his newly established investment company in Japan, hoping it might become a new weapon in his arsenal. It could be a trump card to launch a surprise attack on HSBC and Standard Chartered. As long as things go smoothly in Japan, he will have ample funds at his disposal.

Only once the turmoil in Japan subsides can he obtain more funds from Japanese banks for investment or to launch attacks against HSBC and Standard Chartered, allowing his various plans to proceed smoothly. However, all of this depends on developments in Hong Kong. If nothing happens there, even the best plans will be useless. Timing is the key to everything; without it, his calculations will remain merely on paper.

As Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media's counterattacks grew stronger, Warner Music was not only facing obstacles in the record industry, but also in various other areas, suffering a joint attack from Phoenix Media and Legendary Entertainment. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were even joining forces to crush Warner Music in the film industry. This frenzied battle made some people in Japan have some ideas. Some small companies even intended to join Phoenix Media. Matsumoto Taro received such a request.

Hayao Miyazaki visited Phoenix Comics and Animation, seeking support from the Phoenix Group to establish his own studio. Matsumoto Taro was quite surprised by this sudden request. While Phoenix Animation wasn't yet a major player, it wasn't weak either, possessing its own production capabilities. Naturally, he was somewhat taken aback by Miyazaki's request. Generally, this wouldn't happen within the Phoenix Group, given its relatively limited resources. However, after discussions, no agreement was reached. Matsumoto Taro's demands were unacceptable to Miyazaki; Phoenix Animation wanted a 70% investment, exceeding Miyazaki's financial capacity. Ultimately, Matsumoto Taro had to report to his boss. Although he was the CEO, company rules couldn't be arbitrarily broken. However, Miyazaki was a well-known talent, so Matsumoto Taro could only report and leave everything to John's decision.

If it were anyone else, John would have refused without a second thought. But Miyazaki is different. He is an extremely talented person. Since he approached Phoenix Comics and Animation, he must have been sincere. Otherwise, why would he choose Phoenix Comics and Animation when there are so many entertainment-related companies in Japan?

John had no intention of delaying this matter. Due to his identity and the previous turmoil, John decided to talk to the animation master Hayao Miyazaki at home. If he could successfully persuade him to join Phoenix Animation, there wouldn't be too many problems with the animation film industry in Japan.

Since it was a private meeting, there weren't many formalities. Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, and Akina Nakamori were all present, but Sally Yeh and Cherie Chung chose to avoid it, since they weren't Japanese and such exchanges wouldn't be of much use to them.

When Miyazaki saw Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, and Akina Nakamori, he didn't show much change. As someone in the industry, he had heard of tycoon John and was aware of the ongoing power struggle. The fact that Warner Bros. was suffering such a crushing defeat demonstrates just how shrewd this tycoon was.

"Mr. Miyazaki, please forgive me for inviting you here so abruptly!" John showed the animation master the respect due to him, without a trace of arrogance.

"Mr. John, you flatter us. I wonder if you can accept our suggestion?" Miyazaki Hayao seemed a little anxious at this moment, perhaps because he was eager to create and didn't have enough time! At this time, he should have already been creating 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,' which was also his most famous work.

"I don't think the issue of studio shares is the focus of our argument. The reason you're asking for 40% of the shares is because you're worried that Phoenix Animation will interfere with your creative process. You don't need to worry about that. Phoenix Animation will not interfere with your creative process; you'll have complete control over everything. We can also compromise on the shareholding; we can give you 35% of the shares. This is the maximum condition that Phoenix Group can accept."

"Mr. John, after joining Phoenix Group, will I really not be interfered with by the group or the animation department?"

"That's natural. If you're worried, we can write it in the contract. Our demand for a large shareholding isn't because we want to control its development, but rather to provide more assistance. Phoenix Group also has its own animation production team. If we can't control the absolute shares, we can't explain it to the team within the group. As you know, distribution requires a significant investment, which requires the group's strength, not only its own but also cooperation with Legendary Entertainment. Such cooperation will inevitably increase Phoenix Group's own burden."

John paused slightly at this point, giving Miyazaki time to process the information. These matters couldn't be rushed; Miyazaki needed time to consider things carefully before making a decision. John was confident Miyazaki would agree, as no other Japanese company could match Phoenix Media's capabilities and offer such significant support. If Miyazaki's goal was solely Japan, he wouldn't have approached Phoenix Comics & Animation; he would have directly approached other Japanese film studios. The fact that Miyazaki chose Phoenix Comics & Animation indicated his ambition extended beyond Japan to the entire world. In terms of global distribution, no Japanese film studio could match Phoenix Media's scale, possessing its own theaters and distribution channels.

“I agree with Mr. John’s suggestion. As long as the group does not interfere with the creative process, I am willing to accept the share allocation plan.”

(End of this chapter)