America: My Time

Chapter 533 People’s hearts are unpredictable
Chapter 533 The Human Heart Is Unpredictable

Kuroki Hitomi is wrong about one thing. The smaller properties in Tokyo will eventually be sold off as the Japanese real estate market expands further. Although John doesn't care about this investment, he still needs to recoup his costs. This investment still needs to yield a return. In the end, the value of the Tokyo properties will shrink by more than half!

John wasn't short of money, but he couldn't let those Japanese devils profit from him for nothing. He couldn't let his investment go unreturned. Clearing out most of his Tokyo real estate was part of the plan. He had to get as much benefit as he could from this bubble era without any mercy. These guys didn't deserve his sympathy.

Kuroki Hitomi didn't offer much explanation to Kikuchi Momoko. After Kikuchi Momoko selected several properties, Kuroki Hitomi took her on a tour of them without offering any opinions. Everything was left to Kikuchi Momoko's discretion. Perhaps this was a trivial matter in Kuroki Hitomi's eyes, but it was not necessarily so for Kikuchi Momoko.

It's a very simple question. John didn't make any arrangements for Kikuchi Momoko, at least not in terms of security. It's unclear what his intentions or calculations were, so Kuroki Hitomi didn't dare to get too involved, lest the value of the real estate be questioned in the future and she would be blamed. Kuroki Hitomi was very cautious when it came to matters of interest, so as not to leave herself with unnecessary trouble.

Human relationships are not easily tested, especially when it comes to interests. Not all real estate is the same value. Among the properties in Tokyo, there are still significant differences in value. In matters involving interests, Kuroki Hitomi is very cautious. She only helped the other party choose a large area, and then Kikuchi Momoko made all the decisions herself. After all, each large area has the most valuable properties, and whether or not she can get her hands on them depends on Kikuchi Momoko's own abilities.

Hitomi Kuroki understood that this was just the beginning. Soon, she would not only be facing Momoko Kikuchi, but perhaps other beauties as well. Under these circumstances, she needed to be cautious to avoid doing more harm than good and incurring resentment. Her good intentions might not be rewarded, and the other party might even take it for granted.

After thoroughly investigating the properties, Kikuchi Momoko finally made her choice, which relieved Kuroki Hitomi. The properties were all fully furnished and ready to move in, so Kuroki Hitomi didn't need to worry about anything else. As for cars, there were cars in the garage, though they were all Japanese brands, but at least arrangements had been made. Housekeeping was also arranged; a single phone call would solve everything. Most housekeeping companies in Tokyo have shady connections, so there was no need to worry about service quality or privacy issues. No one would be so foolish as to do something they couldn't afford the consequences!

"Sister Akiko, let me treat you to dinner!" Although a little tired, Kikuchi Momoko still politely invited Kuroki Hitomi to dinner to express her gratitude. She wasn't foolish enough to think that Kuroki Hitomi was obligated to do this. Kuroki Hitomi could have easily made a phone call and arranged for someone else to do it; there was no need for her to personally intervene.

"No need, as long as you're satisfied. I should go back now; you have a lot of things to take care of, so I won't keep you any longer. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, let me know as soon as possible, and we can look at other places!" Although she could feel the kindness of her little sister Kikuchi Momoko, Kuroki Hitomi still declined. Now was not the time for too much contact.

While Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi were busy choosing properties, John also called Chisato Moritaka and her agent to his office. Normally, such a small matter wouldn't require his personal involvement; the president could have handled it. However, in order to involve many enemies, John decided to step in personally. After all, his time was limited, and Black Monday was fast approaching. He needed to accelerate his preparations to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Sit down, everyone. Tell me what you're thinking. I don't believe you're unaware of the company's arrangements. How could you choose such a foolish path? You're idols; even if you want to forge your own path, you can't be so foolish. Look at your choices! What are they? Even following the most orthodox idol path wouldn't have led to this. You've wasted a whole year. Do you know how precious that wasted time is? The idol market has undergone a dramatic change, and the upcoming situation is even more unfavorable for idol development. What do you plan to do now?"

"We'll follow the company's arrangements!" Before Moritaka Chisato could even speak, her manager preemptively answered. Facing the boss's anger, she could only bear it alone; she couldn't let the young Moritaka Chisato suffer. "That's good. I need to see a change in you tomorrow!" John didn't make things too difficult for her in this matter. Such a thing wasn't something a manager would dare to do; it was clearly Moritaka Chisato's own idea. Her self-righteousness had wasted a whole year of her precious time, and even with the company's resources, she hadn't made a single ripple.

John waved for Chisato Moritaka and her agent to leave. If they were unwilling to accept the company's arrangements, then there was no choice but to give up. After all, someone who couldn't see the situation clearly wasn't worth the company's effort. In contrast, employees like Miho Nakayama were the ones the company liked the most. They obeyed the company's arrangements without any resistance. Perhaps this was because of their different backgrounds, which led to different thoughts on the company's arrangements.

Because of her family situation, Miho Nakayama didn't want to suffer from poverty anymore, so she would seize every opportunity to climb up the ladder, follow the company's arrangements, strive for more resources, and gain the company's recognition. However, Chisato Moritaka came from a better background, and her family was also in the industry, so she had her own ideas and wouldn't turn back until she hit a wall. It was precisely because of her inexplicable confidence that she wasted a year. This year was precious, and now idols need to pay a much higher price if they want to achieve great success, which is a result that most agencies cannot afford.

Although Elite Agency has abundant resources, the competition for top-tier resources is still fierce. Moritaka Chisato's failure put her at a disadvantage in the subsequent resource competition, which made her manager feel uneasy.

"Qianli, you can no longer ignore the company's arrangements. You've witnessed the cruelty of this industry in the past year. You've been doing things your own way, but to no avail. You haven't even made a ripple, let alone a small spark. The resources the company has invested are unacceptable to other firms, yet you've gained nothing. If you continue like this, you'll only be sidelined by the company, and it will be difficult for you to find another firm. Even elite firms can't make you famous, so what firm would be willing to take you on? Take my advice: stop being so self-righteous. This industry isn't as simple as you think, nor is it something you can influence. Following the company's arrangements is the best choice. If you continue like this, you'll only sink deeper into obscurity. You had so much freedom before because of a single sentence from the big boss, and now the big boss is angry. If you continue like this, you'll only harm yourself. Follow the company's arrangements, make changes, and start making changes tomorrow."

At this point, the agent paused, shook her head, and continued, "Qianli, no matter how much you resist, you have to think about your future. You don't have many resources left. You can't get top-tier resources anymore. You're not the girl who just entered the industry anymore. You should understand how cruel this industry is. If possible, you'd better satisfy the big boss tomorrow, otherwise you have no hope at all. In fact, you'd better make changes today so that the big boss can see them."

Change isn't too difficult for Chisato Moritaka; she can do it quickly if she agrees. It's just a matter of her own choice. The manager doesn't want to force a girl; she needs to face it herself. If she insists on not changing, there's nothing the manager can do but give up. Originally, she was happy to become Chisato Moritaka's manager, but a year has worn down her patience. It's fair to say that of all the artists in the agency, Chisato Moritaka is the most rebellious.

Seeing that Moritaka Chisato was still somewhat hesitant, the manager couldn't help but sigh, shake his head, and say, "I know you're not open-minded, but this is the entertainment industry. If you can't even do this much, you shouldn't stay in this industry. There will be no results. So many people would kill for this opportunity, yet you're wasting it recklessly. It just shows that you're too naive and too self-righteous. You're not as strong as you think. A year should have made me realize this!"

"I'll change, I'll make changes right now!" Sengoku Chisato also realized that she wasn't that strong, and that she was too naive. Although there weren't many harsh words from the agency now, she knew that she was not well-liked because she had not followed the company's arrangements. If she had succeeded, everything would have been fine, and the company could have tolerated her. But she hadn't succeeded, and she had been wasting the company's resources for nothing, which was not a good thing.

Hearing this, the agent nodded slightly and said, "Then make an example of it. The dressing room is over there. Go and make your changes so that the big boss can see them. Time is running out for you. If you don't get recognition, you won't have any future. Opportunities won't always be there waiting for you. If you don't fight for them, you'll get nothing!"

(End of this chapter)