America: My Time

Chapter 801 Persuasion
Chapter 791 Persuasion

Before this, John would make all the necessary preparations. He wouldn't need to actively contact these guys; instead, he would let them willingly fall into his trap and become his prey. It would all be unrelated to him. These Japanese guys would be the ones who actively sought to cooperate with him, not the other way around. It was they who begged him to cooperate or deliberately harmed him. Rather, they would eagerly join the game and fall into the pit he had prepared for them.

Is there pressure? It would be a lie to say there isn't, but it's also not true that there's a lot of pressure. After all, John had everything planned out long ago, and everything was under control. Most importantly, John is no longer the inexperienced man he once was. Although the impact of this oil crisis is significant, John doesn't feel much pressure, at least not with those guys in Japan. He'll take whatever he can get away with.

John wasn't under much pressure, but the women around him were a different story. Even though John had tried to reassure Hitomi on the way back, she wasn't truly at ease; a faint worry still lingered in her eyes. In contrast, Naoko was remarkably calm. Perhaps all she cared about now was Martin, and nothing else mattered. Since Martin came into her life, Naoko had changed a lot.

As soon as John finished making the arrangements, Naoko left, not caring at all about how much the oil crisis would affect Japan, nor whether anyone would come to her for help. Since John said it didn't matter, she believed him and couldn't refuse, so she decided to give them a chance.

Seeing Naoko's hurried manner, John couldn't help but shake his head, sighed to Kuroki Hitomi, and smiled, "Do you feel that Naoko has changed? This is life. You don't need to worry about anything, you don't need to have so many thoughts. You are the same. Learn to adapt to everything. Too much pressure will only make you fall into greater confusion. When you let go of everything, your life will truly begin!"

John felt that the women around him were still living in the ridiculous constraints of Japan. Akina Nakamori was like that, Hitomi Kuroki was like that, and so were the others; they were all too concerned about what others thought. "Don't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering." John understood all too well the immense pressure these beautiful women faced.

Hitomi Kuroki emerged, as did Momoko Kikuchi, but Akina Nakamori, Chisato Moritaka, Miho Nakayama, and Yasuko Sawaguchi remained silent. They were still burdened by many concerns, too concerned about what others thought. Whether it was their social standing, gossip, or anything else, they all carried a burden in their hearts.

Everyone says money is evil, yet everyone is desperately trying to get their hands on it. They say beautiful women are trouble, but everyone wants them, especially in Japan, where it was even more rampant during the bubble economy era. It's impossible that these beautiful women had no feelings for Naoko; the allure of money was irresistible, which is why John made such an arrangement.

"Come here!" John reached out to Akina. If there was one beauty who suffered the most, it was Akina. Her kindness had always been taken advantage of by her family. Even though John had given Ken-on some instructions, her greedy family members always tried to extort benefits from Akina. These greedy guys had long forgotten how much Akina had paid.

When Akina came to his side, John hugged her. Although the matter was long over, the impact was still there. John could feel it, and so could everyone else. Otherwise, Kuroki Hitomi wouldn't have brought it up on the way back. It was because Kuroki Hitomi was worried that something unexpected might happen.

“Akina, you’re living too hard. You care too much about other people. You need to learn to let go. If you really can’t let go, then choose to run away. Although running away is shameful, it’s useful. If you really don’t know how to face them, then try to let go of everything here. You don’t need to care about Ken-on. If you continue like this, you’ll drag yourself down.” Although Akina had a shapely figure, she had lost a lot of weight since John first met her.

When Sachiko heard John 'lecturing' Akina, she quickly lowered her head, as if worried she would be scolded too, but she didn't try to hide. John said in a deep voice, "Sachiko, you don't need to hide. You're no different from Akina. She's tired because of her heart, and you're 'stupid' because of your actions. I don't object to your liking for music, but you can't let music affect your health. I don't want you to make the same mistake again, understand?"

Could John get Sachiko Kamachi to listen to him? It would be difficult. He could only try his best, as she had her own ideas and pursuits. Unless there were major problems, John didn't want to stop her, just like with Akina Nakamori. He knew Akina would have a hard time leaving her family, but he couldn't help but try to persuade her. In comparison, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Miho Nakayama, and Chisato Moritaka were in better situations; at least they didn't have as many problems. There's nothing wrong with liking money; it's actually quite normal. As Japanese people, they are very familiar with this industry and understand its cruelty. Riko, in particular, is a good example, making them even more worried about their future lives—which is only natural. John didn't see anything wrong with Miho Nakayama's relentless work ethic and unwillingness to rest, focusing solely on making money. Yasuko Sawaguchi's unwillingness to give up acting was also for her future. Chisato Moritaka didn't feel that way yet, but she deeply understood the changes her new identity brought about.

"Akiko, are you coming to Korea with me the day after tomorrow, or staying in Tokyo?"

"I think I'll stay. I'm worried about them, lest something unexpected happens!" Although Hitomi Kuroki really wanted to leave Tokyo with John to avoid this turmoil, she ultimately gave up because she knew that she could only hide for a while, not forever. Moreover, she was genuinely worried about what might happen to the others, which would have a huge impact.

"Alright, I'll feel more at ease if you stay. Sachiko is the one with the most free time, so you can come with me to Korea the day after tomorrow. If you encounter anything you can't refuse, just agree to it first, and I'll deal with it when I get back. There's no need for any pressure! Go and rest, Momoko and Akiko, stay here!"

When everyone else went back to rest, John couldn't help but sigh, shook his head and said, "I was just trying to persuade them not to feel pressured or have any worries, but I still have some concerns myself. You and Momo should keep a close eye on them and make sure nothing happens to them, especially Akina. Even if her family does something again, there's no need to worry about it. If I wasn't worried that she was too sensitive, I would have taken her away!"

“I understand, there’s nothing we can do about it. That family is just too greedy and too stupid!” Kuroki Hitomi was also shocked by the greed of Akina and her friends. That family was a real problem for her, let alone Akina, who was caught up in it. However, she also understood John’s thoughts. If Akina were to leave Japan now, it might really cause her to have some reservations. After all, Akina was still too sensitive and couldn’t handle any more stimulation.

"It's good that you understand. I can feel at ease with you here. Peach, what do you think? Although I am willing to see your efforts, I don't want you to have so much pressure. You are just like the original Akiko now, which is why I gave you the opportunity to choose. Do you want to continue to participate in the management of the company, or do you want to gradually let go of everything like Akiko and just be a figurehead? You don't need to care about what I think. Just do what you want."

Is Kikuchi Momoko of much use? Actually, she wouldn't be of much help to John. Once the group is on track, even if Kikuchi Momoko were involved in management, she wouldn't have much impact. Her greatest contribution would only be her understanding of the company. Of course, if she could let go of everything like Kuroki Hitomi, it wouldn't have any effect.

"Don't rush to give me an answer. You have time to think. I just don't want you to live too hard. To be honest, all of you are too tired and think too much. Although you haven't been with me for very long, I don't want you to continue like this. After all, it's rare that you can let go of everything."

By relinquishing her idol status, Kikuchi Momoko essentially entrusted her future to John. Even though she still had some concerns and wanted to prepare herself, or rather, to make herself valuable, John was very happy and satisfied with her taking this step. After all, this was something that Nakayama Miho, Sawaguchi Yasuko, and Moritaka Chisato hadn't done. As for Kamachi Sachiko and Nakamori Akina, it was a different story. One valued music too much, bordering on naiveté; the other valued family too much, bordering on kindness. This is why they were caught in their own struggles. Without experiencing profound hardship, it would be difficult for either of them to let go.

Although John didn't care about Miho Nakayama and Yasuko Sawaguchi's worries—after all, they were concerned about their future—his indifference didn't mean he was indifferent to Momoko Kikuchi's trust. A little more concern was normal, and John hadn't hidden this from Hitomi Kuroki. He was telling Momoko Kikuchi not to overthink things, to just follow her heart. This wasn't just something he said casually; it was his true feeling. Whether she would listen was up to her. After all, John couldn't force this beautiful woman to accept his good intentions; everyone's pursuits were different, and he couldn't impose his own ideas on her.

(End of this chapter)