America: My Time

Chapter 607 Private Issues
Chapter 597 Personal Issues

Originally, due to contracts, Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic were restricted from entering the game console development industry. Now they are finally free from this constraint. It has to be said that those old guys not only regained the semiconductor market, but also unshackled Japan, allowing them to invest in game console development.

While the Japanese developers may not be as advanced as the game world in terms of research and development capabilities, that doesn't mean they can't surpass it. If the game world is even slightly careless, the Japanese could easily succeed. This is the situation John least wants to see; if the Japanese are allowed to operate freely, the game world's position will be threatened.

"Forget it, this has nothing to do with me!" John quickly shook his head, no longer thinking about the issue. Now that Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic had reached an agreement, many game companies would face the impact of Japan. Game consoles aren't difficult to manufacture; the only limitation to their development is chips, and Japan is not weak in this area.

Now that the gaming world has changed hands, Nvidia's chip supply has encountered some problems. Those old guys don't want to buy Nvidia's chips and are using Intel's chips instead. Although there is a clear difference, those old guys are determined to break free from Nvidia's control and take everything into their own hands.

In short, these old guys are completely indifferent to the growing pains in the gaming world for the sake of profit. In their view, as long as Intel has enough market share, it will definitely be able to catch up with Nvidia and regain its position as the chip leader. Some of these old guys even have the idea of ​​reuniting Intel.

They were the ones who separated, and now they are the ones who want to reunite. It's all driven by interests. Now that they have so many trump cards, those old guys feel that continuing to split Intel up like this is not good for the company's development, nor is it good for the distribution of profits. Unfortunately, they haven't reached a conclusion yet.

"You should still manage the funds from the sale of the property. Temporarily transfer them to the investment company and have them open an account for you. All future funds will be held in this account!" John didn't pay much attention when Kuroki Hitomi mentioned the funds from the sale of the Tokyo property. Although this amount of money was not a small sum for an individual, it was nothing for a company. As for letting Kuroki Hitomi invest it, that was impossible. She didn't have that kind of ability. It was best to have it managed by the investment company.

With the intervention of Mandarin Oriental Group and Bell Labs, as well as some changes at Phoenix Group, John's real estate holdings in Japan have gradually decreased. Some assets that are not of much use to the company are being divested and sold off, including his karaoke shares and nightclubs and dance halls in Japan.

Phoenix Group is accumulating funds at an astonishing speed. To John's surprise, there are quite a few such assets. These assets do not bring much profit to the group each year; they all become employee benefits. However, at John's request, they are being sold off. Now is the easiest time to sell them. If it is delayed any longer, there will be problems. Moreover, the value of selling them now will increase significantly, since Japan is currently in a crazy bubble era.

"Akiko, are you sure you don't want to take over these assets?" John's original plan was to retain some assets, but to separate them from the Phoenix Group. He would keep one or two karaoke bars and a nightclub in Tokyo, and some of the izakayas would be retained as employee benefits, but they would no longer be managed by the Phoenix Group!
"No, I don't have that much energy. I'm already struggling to manage our existing assets. Why not leave it to Akina or Naoko?" At this point, Kuroki Hitomi turned her attention to Akina and Naoko. Unfortunately, both of them declined, unwilling to take over. Compared to Kuroki Hitomi, they lacked experience.

"Then let the Mandarin Oriental Group manage it. If that doesn't work, we can turn it into a brand and sell it directly next year!" Integrating these assets into a brand and then packaging and selling it before the Japanese bubble bursts is a good option, potentially yielding substantial profits. Selling it now would result in significant losses, as this isn't the most frenzied period in Japan. John wouldn't be in such a hurry to sell these assets if he weren't worried about future crises affecting his overall plans. In fact, John has practically emptied the Mandarin Oriental Group's real estate holdings in Japan this time.

The Japanese stock market continues to rise, and the yen is steadily appreciating. Contrary to expectations, the funds haven't been used to repay loans or completely withdrawn from Japan. Instead, a portion has flowed into the Japanese stock market, while another portion has been invested in yen. Less than a third of the funds have been transferred out of Japan and into the United States.

The Japanese didn't learn from the US stock market crash. They recovered quickly after the crash, and stock prices continued to rise. The market value of some of the stocks John's investment company acquired during the crash was soaring. The entire Japanese stock market was booming, as if every company was making money. It seemed like anyone who invested in the stock market was guaranteed to profit; the Nikkei index was skyrocketing.

In the midst of economic prosperity and a soaring stock market, the Japanese are completely intoxicated, losing all rationality and pouring into the stock market and real estate. Japanese banks are also issuing loans at an alarming rate, accelerating the growth of the Japanese bubble and leading them step by step into the abyss of destruction. Of course, this booming Japanese economy also represents an ice age for idols. Just as John predicted, Japanese idols have entered a period of stagnation, and the record industry is in a slump. This situation has intensified competition among Japanese idols, with major talent agencies employing every trick in the book to desperately vie for resources.

If some people were skeptical of Elite Entertainment's changes before, they now have to admit that Elite Entertainment made the right choice. They transitioned to idol management much earlier than others, gained more survival skills, and are now part of Phoenix Group, so they don't have to worry about resources. Therefore, they were not greatly affected by the Ice Age.

"Zhaozi, how is Elite Agency doing?" John asked about the agency again. With the integration of Phoenix Group, Eastern elements will soon penetrate into Hollywood. In order to capture the Japanese market, it is natural to add Japanese elements and personnel to increase the two groups' box office revenue in Japan.

"It went relatively smoothly. At least during the idol ice age, they weren't too affected. Their timely transition to the film and television industry allowed them to maintain their popularity, which is much better than other agencies. I learned this from Momoko Kikuchi. Right now, the idol market in Japan is almost on the verge of collapse, and many agencies are worried that the idol market will be destroyed. Even Johnny's is being hit quite hard; someone is targeting them!"

Johnny & Associates still holds a high position in the Japanese idol industry. With the current ice age in the idol market, female idols are the most affected, so it's understandable that some agencies are eyeing male idols. This naturally leads to conflict with Johnny & Associates. Nowadays, almost all agencies in Japan have dark forces at play, so it's perfectly normal for them to clash and target each other. The struggle for profit is the most intense.

“As long as it doesn’t affect the Elite Agency, we don’t need to pay attention to those guys. Just be a little careful! Akina, have you resolved your issues with Kenon?” At this moment, John turned his gaze to Nakamori Akina. The contract was about to expire, and it would be best if they could part ways peacefully to avoid future troubles. After all, Kenon had a lot of dirt on her. It was because Akina and her friends were so greedy that they left behind so much leverage.

John didn't believe that Ken-On would willingly give up Nakamori Akina, their cash cow. Moreover, with Nakamori Akina around, it would be easier to cooperate with Phoenix Group and share a lot of resources. Especially during this ice age for idols, Nakamori Akina's importance to Ken-On was even more prominent.

"No, we haven't discussed the contract yet. The firm doesn't seem to be in a hurry!"

John was somewhat surprised by this answer, as it was different from what he had expected. How could Ken-on be so calm? Did they really want to give up Nakamori Akina, their cash cow, or did they want to use a peaceful breakup to strengthen their cooperation with Phoenix Group?
"You can decide this yourself. You don't necessarily have to join the Elite Agency, and you don't need to think about that. Just do what you think is right!" The Elite Agency is no longer what it used to be, and it doesn't need Akina Nakamori as its leader.

For Phoenix Media today, having top idols is not important, because Phoenix Media has already established a global presence and is looking to the world. It no longer focuses its energy on the Japanese market, but rather on the North American market. The acquisition of Paramount Pictures and the global cinema chain layout have given Phoenix Media enough confidence to face anything.

Phoenix Media is now more focused on global expansion. They are interested in the Japanese film market, the Japanese comics market, and the publishing market. The Japanese idol market is not worth paying too much attention to. During the idol ice age, the influence of those idols has been weakened. Nowadays, Elite Entertainment is also shifting its focus to bands, increasing its investment in bands and the rock market. In fact, Elite Entertainment has no plans to recruit or train new talents this year.

(End of this chapter)