America: My Time

Chapter 54 Expansion
Chapter Fifty-Four Expansion
After completing his inspection and planning in Europe, John flew to Hong Kong to make more thorough arrangements for the Hong Kong market. Pacific Investment is his most important investment in Hong Kong. Although it has few employees, it bears a heavy responsibility and is his important eyes and ears to keep abreast of the Hong Kong market!

The Hong Kong market is very important, so I have to be cautious. In the short few days I had, I learned about and made arrangements for the development of the Phoenix Group, which was John's public shield in Hong Kong!

In the coming years, I will not withdraw any funds from RTV. The TV station's revenue will be used entirely for its own development. As for Phoenix Pictures, there will be a special fund. Phoenix Cinema's revenue will continue to be invested in the expansion of the cinema chain and the acquisition of cinema chains in Southeast Asia. If there is insufficient funds, there will also be a special fund. This is a guarantee to Hong Kong Phoenix Group.

John also made arrangements for finance. Financial oversight is essential. With one company after another, he had long intended to establish his own finance company to oversee the financial affairs of all companies in order to prevent major financial incidents. All of this started in Hong Kong!
After finalizing his plans for Hong Kong, John returned to Tokyo. He needed a clear answer from Akio Morita regarding whether Tokyo Television could be acquired. This matter couldn't be delayed any longer; he didn't have that much time.

The explosion of the gaming world not only generated a massive cash flow for the gaming industry but also allowed John to borrow more funds from Neon Bank. At this point, no one doubted his ability to repay; the booming gaming world, Legends, and toys made all banks see this as a high-quality asset.

Following the phenomenal success of the legendary toys, Phoenix Comics and Animation were eager to enter the toy market and develop their own IPs. After a meeting, Taro Matsumoto raised this point. Phoenix Comics was now a global phenomenon, selling millions of copies of its weekly magazine, and its fame rivaled that of Transformers. Furthermore, more and more companies wanted to advertise in the weekly, so a decision needed to be made quickly!

Matsumoto Taro suggested developing the IPs under Phoenix Comics, and John strongly agreed.

"Matsumoto, are you sure our animation company can shoulder this heavy responsibility? This is no small matter. If the first shot fails, it will be a fatal blow to Phoenix Comics and the animation company. We need to treat this risk with caution!"

"Boss, don't worry. With the booming sales of our comics company, our animation company has also developed rapidly, attracting a large number of talented people. Today, our animation company has undergone a qualitative transformation. Perhaps it can't compare to the top animation companies, but it's not much weaker than them. At most, it just takes a little longer!"

"Time is not an issue; the most important thing is quality. As long as the animation quality is good, spending a little more time is acceptable. After all, we are just starting out and need time to explore. If we are short-staffed, we will continue to expand. We need more talent reserves. The comic company's IPs need to be fully utilized, and the existing talent is clearly insufficient. If the animated series is a hit, we can also consider producing an animated film!"

The animation market has immense potential, as evidenced by the subsequent box office performance in Japan, where anime films almost completely dominated the charts. This demonstrates the strength of Japanese animated films, making early investment a logical step. In fact, this can also be applied to Hollywood, where blockbusters have become almost entirely based on comic book adaptations, with Marvel's IPs being the most prominent example!

"With the boss's support, I believe we will definitely succeed, but what should we do about the advertising?"

"Advertising isn't a big problem. Phoenix Comics now has absolute control. We don't need to beg anyone; instead, others will come to us. We can hold an advertising bidding process. For each product, we'll select only one company and let them compete for it. I believe advertising revenue will become another major pillar of the weekly comics magazine!"

Phoenix Comics Weekly boasts a readership in the tens of millions, spanning the globe, unmatched by other Japanese comic book companies. In advertising bidding, the comics weekly holds absolute initiative, especially in the electronics and beverage sectors, where fierce competition is expected.

Once advertising revenue is enabled, Phoenix Comics and Animation will not require additional investment. On the contrary, it will continuously provide John with a strong cash flow for the expansion of other companies, such as Tsutaya.

On her first day in Tokyo, Naoko wasn't in the city; she was out promoting her album, releasing two singles, which put her under a lot of pressure. However, the album sales were impressive. The single, a collaboration with Hideki Saijo, nearly reached the million-seller mark, becoming Naoko's best-selling single. With the combined fame of the two artists and the quality of the song itself, a million-seller was no problem. Her second single, "First Love," also sold well, propelling her career forward and bringing John's name to the forefront of the Japanese record industry, making a significant impact on the music scene with his lyrics and compositions. It was these two singles that allowed Naoko to gradually break free from the constraints of being an idol, no longer confined to idol songs, and to carve out a new path for herself.

Soaking in the hot spring, John quietly pondered his next move in Japan. With Phoenix Comics as its backing, Tsutaya's development wouldn't be a major problem, but Tsutaya alone couldn't satisfy his ambitions in the Japanese real estate market. He needed more methods to acquire Japanese real estate and wage a frenzied plundering war during the bubble economy!
“If Akio Morita cannot persuade the Japanese side, I need to abandon the acquisition of TV Tokyo and invest the funds in real estate expansion. I need to make a large number of acquisitions before the real estate market explodes. The backup plan also needs to be accelerated!” After a moment, John began to think about his own security. Although it had only been a few months, his net worth had increased many times over, and he needed to make new preparations for his security. A few bodyguards were no longer enough to meet his security needs.

This reminded John of the ancient profession of mercenary. As his wealth continued to grow, and with those damned conglomerates and old fogies eyeing him, he needed to have enough deterrent power, and force was the best option.

After careful consideration, he once again made a request to his family, saying that he needed their support to recruit trustworthy people and build his own armed force, 'Jaguar Security Company'.

When John expressed his idea, his father, Smith, was taken aback at first, but then agreed. John's net worth has been rising again and again, attracting a lot of attention. Without strong security, there would be danger. Using his own security company would be the safest option, and he could not entrust his safety to outsiders.

This topic cannot be discussed in detail over the phone; it is a very sensitive issue. John suddenly realized his own safety was at stake, which is why he hurriedly sought help from his father and family to complete the preparations as quickly as possible, ideally with everything settled by the time he returned to the United States.

An initial investment of twenty million US dollars is still a significant burden, even though my current funds aren't too tight. I'll need to take out a bank loan to ease the financial strain. Not all funds can be withdrawn from the game world, as that would affect its development. A little extra debt isn't a major issue for me; I can afford it.

The funds would come from Japanese banks, of course. American banks were not even on my radar, as their interest rates were unacceptable. Borrowing US dollars from Japan was the most suitable option.

However, this time he needs not just a little bit of money, but a huge amount of money. He needs to continue to expand his Japanese assets and increase his investment in Japanese real estate. One Tsutaya is far from enough. He also needs to make arrangements in other areas. The retail industry is a good choice.

This time, his target is large shopping malls and shopping centers, preparing for the prosperity of the bubble era.

Will there be financial pressure from rapid expansion? No, I can use the method of further reducing the pressure to continue expanding. As long as the real estate market in Japan continues to grow, I won't be under any pressure. Moreover, the profitable investments in retail, large shopping malls, and shopping centers are enough to cover the loan interest!

The main reason for this choice was that these were all commercial real estate properties, which would be the easiest to sell before the bubble burst and wouldn't be tied up in my hands. Of course, I never intended to make a last-minute profit; I only wanted to sell these assets before the bubble burst!
Without any pressure, John used the most rational mindset to constantly think about the future of Japan, which industries to target, and how to carefully consider each industry without being careless. Otherwise, when the bubble era arrives, it may become a hidden danger for him!

The neon lights of the bubble era were at their most prosperous, and also their most frenzied. During this period, countless people waved their banknotes and consumed money recklessly, and we can still see glimpses of this today.

Japan at this time had already demonstrated formidable consumer power, and its demand for high-end talent was consistently high, with fierce competition for talent constantly unfolding at Japanese universities. Fortunately, I wasn't one of those top-tier R&D companies; otherwise, recruiting enough talent from Japan would have been extremely difficult!

(End of this chapter)