America: My Time

Chapter 611 Market Pressures

Chapter 601 Market Pressure
"Mr. Morita, tell me about your conversation with that little fox, John. You've seen it all; we're at a disadvantage. They don't want to give us a chance. Now we want to know what information you have!"

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Akio Morita, putting him under immense pressure. What good news could he possibly have? These guys clearly knew about the tacit understanding between Quantum Mining and the major mining giants, yet they wanted him to test John, this little fox. Wasn't this just making him look foolish?

"I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but what I know is what John said before: they are truly determined to sever ties with Japan. If we insist on doing so, we will eventually have to part ways. Now is the time for you all to make a decision."

"Aren't these bastards afraid that we'll compromise with the Americans and give concessions to the American steel giants?"

"They are not afraid because they control not only the price of iron ore, but also the pricing power of other minerals. It's not normal that none of you have discovered copper mines. As long as we dare to break with them, we will suffer their counterattack. At that time, we will not be able to get other ores from them. We cannot compete with these guys in terms of resources. They have an absolute advantage. We will have no choice but to compromise on the price of iron ore!"

"That's right, we have no choice but to compromise now. We can't let this matter affect the overall economic development of Japan. As you all know, things are interconnected; if we become constrained by mineral resources, Japan's economy will collapse, and the cost will be even greater. Our reserves won't last long." At this point, the Japanese government had no choice but to step forward and make a statement. If they continued to delay like this, Japan would fall into an even greater crisis.

The idea that John would give concessions to Japan is wishful thinking. With such a good opportunity to profit from the chaos, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. John would never do something as foolish as sacrificing himself to save others.

After leaving the corner, John didn't go over to interrupt Naoko and the others' conversation. Instead, he casually chose a corner to sit down. He knew that the Japanese wouldn't last long and would eventually give in, because they had never had the upper hand. If it weren't for the deal between Australian shipping and the Russians, the Japanese would have given up long ago.

Many people at the party were keeping an eye on John, this big shot. Previously, with Akio Morita accompanying him, they dared not disturb him. But now that John had temporarily separated from these big shots, some people had ideas, and soon some took action.

Then, Hanami Kaku of Ken-On took the initiative to walk towards John. The idol market in Japan is now in a period of stagnation, which is putting considerable pressure on Ken-On and making their situation somewhat difficult. Relying solely on Nakamori Akina's connections is not enough to support Ken-On's development, after all, Ken-On is no longer the small company it used to be.

"Mr. John, I am Hanami Kagami from Ken-On!" Hanami Kagami stepped forward and handed over his business card. Although he had met John before, he didn't think that a big shot like John would remember him.

"President Hanami Kagami, I remember you. Koizumi Yoshiko introduced us. Please sit down! Let's talk about this!"

John also had some thoughts about Hanami Hek's appearance. There were many things that were difficult for him to handle, but with Hanami Hek, the president of Ken-On, it was much easier. This way, he wouldn't have to waste his energy on those trivial matters.

After taking their seats, Hanami Kagami began to speak: "Although Mr. John's guidance had put Ken-on on guard, this idol scandal came too quickly, so quickly that we didn't even have a chance to react. The idol market has directly entered an ice age. Now, all the major agencies in Japan are in a difficult situation, and even Johnny's has been greatly affected. Although they have been trying to cover it up, there are no secrets in this world. So I'd like to see if I can get some help from Mr. John so that Ken-on can get through this difficult time."

Is Ken-On in a big predicament? Actually, not that big. Their biggest problem isn't the arrival of an idol slump, but rather Nakamori Akina's contract expiring. They don't know what to do with Ken-On, and they have their concerns, since Nakamori Akina is John's woman, making many tactics ineffective. This puts them in a dilemma. "You can go see Koizumi Yoshiko; she can offer some help. Phoenix Group is currently undergoing restructuring, and many things are temporarily on hold, so some impact is to be expected. Things will get better after this adjustment period. Don't worry, Phoenix Group won't take control of everything; that's impossible. Although Phoenix Group has its own agency, it's merely a means to protect its own interests, not a guarantee of support."

John paused at this point, then continued, "Now that we've seen President Hanami Kagami, I'd also like to ask about your plans for Akina. Her contract seems to be expiring soon. What are your thoughts on this? Let me make it clear first: Elite Agency will not interfere with Akina's affairs, and we don't lack idols like Akina as pillars. In fact, her development would be better if she stayed at Ken-On rather than joined Elite Agency."

Upon hearing John's words, Hanami Kagami's heart stirred. She understood John's intention and his concerns. Nakamori Akina was important to Ken-On, but not to Elite Agency. The current Elite Agency didn't care about idols at all; otherwise, they wouldn't have let Naoko retire. Even with several advertising contracts, Naoko had retired. This bigwig was more concerned about the family behind Nakamori Akina.

Hanami Kagami was also having a bit of a headache about that greedy family, but compared to the profits Nakamori Akina had generated, this trouble was nothing, and they were prepared for it. If Nakamori Akina were to join the elite agency, many of their methods would be unnecessary. After all, no matter how crazy that greedy family was, they were still Nakamori Akina's family, which would make the agency wary.

"We've already made arrangements for Akina's situation. However, we're currently dealing with the impact of idol Hyoga, so we're not in a rush to discuss contract renewal with Akina. We'll talk to her about it soon!"

It's so refreshing to talk to smart people. You don't need to spell it out, and they'll understand your intentions and make the best decision. With Ken-on around, Nakamori Akina can avoid a lot of trouble, especially from her greedy family.

"That's good. You can discuss the time with Akina yourselves. I won't ask any more questions. I trust Chairman Hanami Kagami."

Just as John and Hanami Kagami finished discussing Nakamori Akina's matter, another person approached. This time it was Suo Ikuo from the Burning Group. With the rapid development of the Japanese economy, the influence of such dark forces on agencies is growing, and these guys' influence on the entertainment industry is constantly increasing. The Burning Group has also been significantly affected by the sudden idol ice age. However, Suo Ikuo has now set his sights on Johnny's, and the two agencies are constantly fighting, a struggle that is gradually affecting major television stations.

When Suoh Ikuo appeared, Hanami Kagami's eyes clearly flashed with unease. She looked down on his background, and she wasn't afraid of the fire element for Ken-on, since Ken-on was backed by the Sasagawa family. Even if Suoh Ikuo had a lot of guts, he wouldn't dare to mess with them. However, Ken-on also wouldn't actively offend someone like Suoh Ikuo, as it wouldn't benefit her, and these guys all possessed a lot of information.

In the entertainment industry, it's difficult to keep a celebrity's personal information from the other party. Those guys have too many informants, and offending them would be a losing proposition. So, on the surface, they would all give Suoh Ikuo face, and even cooperate with him in some way.

"Sit down, sit down and talk!" After Suoh Ikuo waved his hand to greet him, John also casually gestured for him to sit down. With the integration of Phoenix Group, it has also had some impact on the major agencies in Japan. After all, even TV Tokyo itself will be affected during the integration period, not to mention those artists.

Those with ability and connections can take the initiative to ask for help. It's completely different for those without connections. Moreover, the pressure is even greater for newly debuted idols. Nowadays, TV Tokyo is not the poorest of the five major TV stations. On the contrary, TV Tokyo is already very powerful, especially after it controlled two major music festivals. It has become so powerful that all the major agencies have to curry favor with it. Now that the music festival is approaching, many people have started to think about this!
Where there are people, there is a social dynamic. Japanese idols are currently facing difficulties, so naturally, they have to do their best to find resources for their idols. The "Burning" idol group includes Kyoko Koizumi and other idols, which requires more resources. However, the current idol ice age has forced them to search for resources everywhere.

Phoenix Group is the focus of many people's attention. After all, Phoenix Group is now a behemoth, a multinational media and entertainment group with enormous resources. However, they cannot digest so many resources on their own, which naturally attracts the attention of many agencies. Originally, John had put in a good word for them, and Burning Group had received a lot of benefits. However, with the integration of Phoenix Group, they have also been affected in this regard. So, like Hua Jianhe, this guy took the initiative to seek help. He believed that as long as John had a word, things would be much easier to handle. This was much better and more convenient than negotiating with the various factions in Phoenix Group himself. Now Phoenix Group has also split into many factions.

(End of this chapter)