America: My Time

Chapter 568 Morita Akio’s visit
Chapter 558: Morita Akio’s visit

"Has the feeling changed in just a few days?" When John and Naoko arrived in Tokyo, they found that the atmosphere in Tokyo had changed. When John returned to his residence in Tokyo, phone calls rang one after another. The Japanese banks were already impatient and eager to know John's true thoughts.

Of course, there are also Japanese semiconductor companies, and even Sony, Hitachi and Panasonic. They are all worried about their own situation. After all, the game world is no longer John's company. The previous contract manufacturers had some problems. These three companies have been making a lot of money every year through contract manufacturing, and none of them want to give it up easily.

“Mr. Morita, aren’t you being a little too hasty? Now that I’m in Tokyo, I’ll give you all an answer. There’s no need for you to be in such a rush. Even if there are plans in the game world, they’ll take time!” John couldn’t help but sigh when he saw the old man, Akio Morita, appear.

"John, I can't help but be anxious. Your transaction is happening too fast, and I feel immense pressure!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. I'd like to take it slow, ideally wait until next year to get the dividends first, but they won't give me that chance, and there's also the pressure from the White House. I have no choice but to act quickly. To be honest, this trip to Tokyo is to prepare for what's to come, at least to have a discussion with you. Next year, the Mandarin Oriental Group will start selling its real estate in Japan. If Sony is interested, we can discuss it in advance. The timing will be around the summer. I'm not only interested in selling the Mandarin Oriental Group, but also my shares in Japan Universal Online. So this trip is just to let everyone know so you can be prepared. You're under a lot of pressure, and so am I. If I could, I wouldn't want to bear this pressure, but there's nothing I can do. Even with such a high price, there are still people causing trouble."

“John, you’ve made up your mind to sell all these properties and shares. This is no small matter. Neon Global Meridian pays out a lot of dividends every year. Isn’t it a shame to give it up like this?”

"There's nothing we can do about it. With the full-scale expansion, I need funds for many things. If I don't sell these assets, it will be difficult to cope with the expansion. After all, we don't know when the stocks we hold will recover to their original prices. So we can only make the worst-case scenario plan. And you know, some people's scheming makes me uneasy."

Akio Morita knew exactly what their scheme was. He sighed and said, "Those guys were too crazy, but now it's all over. I believe they won't have any more unrealistic ideas, so you don't need to worry too much!"

"How can I not be worried? The pressure in the US is immense, and now Japan is facing similar issues. This will significantly impact my overseas expansion. Many of my original plans need to be rearranged. Therefore, I need to communicate with everyone regarding the sale of real estate here to avoid affecting the development of real estate in Japan."

"John is saying that besides theme park properties like Universal Studios, all of Mandarin Oriental Group's properties are going to be sold, including hotels?" At this moment, Akio Morita couldn't help but frown. Although he had heard John say this before, he still had a little doubt when he actually faced it.

"Yes, it's not just the Mandarin Oriental Group; other companies also need to sell some of their real estate. This sudden stock market crash has had a significant impact on luxury brands. Forever Group also needs to sell some of its real estate to alleviate its financial pressure and reduce its debt. The stock market crash has had a significant impact on all industries. I have to prepare for the worst and try my best to reduce debt and ease the pressure on the company! To be honest, if things continue like this, I'm worried that Forever Group will fall into crisis and be unable to repay its debts!"

"Impossible! The Eternal Group is doing very well in Japan, with numerous orders from major companies!"

"The situation here in Japan is indeed good, but there are problems in Europe and the United States, which is the most troublesome thing. If the stock market cannot recover quickly, I'm afraid next year will be another dangerous year, and I need to be prepared. However, there is not much of a problem with these real estate properties, since they are all small properties and easy to sell."

When the Forever Group was expanding, John gave instructions that all real estate must be located in the most prosperous areas, so selling real estate was not a difficult task for the Forever Group! In John's plan, the Forever Group would close half of its luxury stores in exchange for development funds!
John's real estate holdings in Japan are astounding. While the Mandarin Oriental Group and the Eternal Group are publicly visible, the Phoenix Group also owns a significant amount of real estate, and there are many other hidden properties as well. Although John told Akio Morita that he would begin selling next summer, this is merely a ostensible sale. In reality, once the Japanese real estate market recovers and continues to appreciate, the Phoenix Group will gradually liquidate its holdings and begin consolidating its capital. "John, given your immense financial pressure, why are you even considering early loan repayment? Even if it's to reduce debt, there's no need for this. I think you should talk to the banks. Use your resources wisely; there's no need to pay such a high price for a moment of impulsiveness. It's not worth it!" At this moment, Akio Morita began to speak on behalf of the Japanese banks. After understanding John's expansionist intentions, Akio Morita saw this as an opportunity to persuade John to abandon the chance for early repayment.

“Mr. Morita, you should understand that this is not a trivial matter. If the company's debt is not within the safe limit, problems can easily arise. Moreover, I do not trust Japan Bank. Their previous actions have made me worried. I do not want to suffer a fatal blow from the betrayal of my allies while expanding aggressively. Even if it means slowing down the expansion, we cannot allow ourselves to run into problems!”

Seeing John's persistence, Akio Morita sighed. Once trust is broken, it is difficult to restore it, not to mention that John has hundreds of billions of dollars in loans with Japan Bank. Such a huge amount of loans means that even the slightest problem can affect the normal development of the company. John's choice is not wrong.

"John, how many days can you stay in Tokyo? If possible, let's sit down and have a good talk. Although you no longer control the game world, what are your thoughts on the development of the game industry?" At this moment, Akio Morita turned the conversation to the game industry, which was something that Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic were all eager to know. They all wanted to know how to develop the industry next, since the three of them had now completed the layout of their own game companies.

"I don't have any ideas about the gaming industry. I think it should still be connected to personal computers, but unfortunately, the guys in the gaming world are against it, which prevents me from even having a chance to try. However, I can understand their thinking. The gaming world's platform is very important, and losing this platform would have a significant impact on the gaming world. If Sony is interested, they can look into it. Right now, I have no ideas and no energy to deal with these things."

Upon hearing John's suggestion, Akio Morita was taken aback. Wasn't this proposal a bit too crazy? How could a personal computer be connected to games? Besides, they weren't even the same thing.

John and Akio Morita were discussing important matters in Japan, while Naoko and Riko were talking about the changes in Japan and the current situation. From Riko, Naoko learned something that surprised her: she had successfully entered the Japan Composers Association. However, this news came a little late, as Naoko had already retired.

"Retirement is good for you. However, the Composers Association still needs to take a stance, which is also a way to leave yourself some way out!" As she said this, Riko couldn't help but sigh. With the outbreak of the stock market crash and the impact on Japan, countless artists who relied on powerful figures suffered heavy losses.

Japan is a crazy country. When the big bosses are unhappy, they vent their anger on their underlings. Riko, who has been in this industry for many years, naturally knows more about the secrets that are unknown to others. She knows more about the abnormal treatment that the artists receive, especially in the circles of the big bosses. The big bosses of the Japanese banks all have endless worries, which leads to more unknown secrets and causes the changes that have occurred in Riko.

Normally, these celebrities who curry favor with powerful figures don't face any problems; they enjoy dignity and even receive considerable resources. However, they also bear the pressure from these powerful figures, which is the situation now. Riko was aware of Naoko's retirement, and not only Riko but Hitachi was also aware, as Naoko had a contract with them. Therefore, her retirement required resolving these issues, which were matters for the agency. It was precisely because of some minor issues related to other advertising agreements with Hitachi that people learned of Naoko's decision.

"Thank you for the reminder, Riko. I will make time to visit the Composers Association. With this recognition, I can completely let go of my obsession. At least I won't have so much pressure in the future, and I won't need to run around doing all sorts of appearances. I can choose the lifestyle I want. It's just that we will have fewer opportunities to meet in the future. I'm afraid I will have to live in the United States for a while!"

(End of this chapter)