America: My Time

Chapter 894 Ten Years of Agreement
Chapter 864 The Ten-Year Agreement

Now that Toyota has intervened, John can no longer hold back and it's time to act; after all, he doesn't have much time to waste. Having established good relations with the authorities, he no longer needs to worry, and he believes Mitsui will also handle things well. Given enough time, he can still complete his semiconductor project!

Expansion, expansion, and more expansion—that's John's next move. He needs to be prepared for expansion in shipping, especially in the ports of Japan, which presents the best opportunity. And as long as the authorities don't intervene, no one else will likely stop him. The express delivery industry is another investment opportunity.

With the bursting of Japan's real estate bubble and the resulting mass unemployment, investing in the courier industry would naturally face little resistance and would likely lead to rapid success. At this juncture, John certainly didn't want his plans to go wrong. Therefore, although he readily accepted the beautiful Norika Fujiwara, he still needed to be cautious and remind Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi of his concerns, as she was different from them.

As to what's different, it's up to Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi to figure it out themselves. This reminder is also to remind them to pay more attention in secret. John dares not be careless or negligent towards the Mitsui conglomerate, and he also dares not underestimate the methods of the Japanese government. Underestimating these guys will only lead to his own downfall.

Many men have suffered at the hands of women, including Bill Gates of Microsoft. John doesn't want to fall into such a crisis. Just because those beauties didn't have any problems before doesn't mean that Norika Fujiwara is without fault, especially during this special period. John needs to be even more careful.

Splitting up assets involves many things to handle, and the slightest carelessness could lead to falling into the enemy's trap. Moreover, John doesn't trust Mitsui, so caution is always the best policy.

John was pleased to see Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi nod thoughtfully. There were some things he couldn't say too obviously; he had to let them think about them and understand them themselves. It was impossible to rely on his guidance for everything, and such things couldn't be spoken aloud, or at least not explained too thoroughly.

"It seems you all understand, which puts my mind at ease. At least you don't need to worry too much about Yasuko and Miho's situation. Let them be. If they think leaving is a good thing, then let them be. As for Miho's situation at the agency, don't worry about it. Don't put all these things on your shoulders. They have their own choices!"

John truly knew nothing about the women around him. If you thought that, you'd be sorely mistaken. With security personnel protecting them, how could John be completely unaware? He simply chose not to interfere. Why wasn't Fujiwara Norika paired with him? After all, she hadn't passed his test. John wasn't willing to waste too much energy on a woman whose potential problems were unknown, at least not for now.

“But…” Kuroki Hitomi wanted to explain for Sawaguchi Yasuko, after all, she had a good relationship with Sawaguchi Yasuko and did not want to lose this younger sister, and she did not think that Sawaguchi Yasuko’s concerns were valid.

“You’re overthinking it. I’m not a heartless person, nor would I do anything heartless. If she really wants to leave, let her have the same time as Norika Fujiwara. Ten years. If she still wants to leave after ten years, then let them leave.”

The ten-year promise, though only made to Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi, is a new test for Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. If they do it, their relationship will be severed, which is not what they want to see, but they are powerless to change it, since they chose their own path.

So many years have passed, yet they still harbor such wariness and worries, or rather, a lingering sense of vigilance remains in their hearts; they haven't truly felt at ease, and that is the biggest problem. Kuroki Hitomi felt this most acutely, having had similar thoughts and worries herself, but quickly realizing she was overthinking it. However, Sawaguchi Yasuko and Nakayama Miho were different.

Without trust, there is no future. John began to have some thoughts at this point; after all, no one wants to endlessly waste their time and energy on such matters. Decisiveness is crucial; hesitation is never a good thing. If it weren't for past relationships, John would have let go long ago. Were there problems with Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama's choices? Perhaps not from their perspective, given the situation in Japan. Their worries about their future are understandable. However, their reluctance to invest emotionally and take the first step towards trust is the problem. They weren't wrong, and neither was John; it wasn't their own fault, but rather a consequence of the prevailing circumstances.

"Does it really have to come to this? They're just worried about their future, afraid that all their investment will end up being nothing. This kind of situation happens far too often in Japan. For those tycoons, women like us are just playthings and pawns in their hands, not worth mentioning at all. When you get old and lose your looks, you'll be abandoned. If you have children, it's okay, you can still have a decent life, but if you don't, the end is very tragic."

At this moment, Hitomi Kuroki's expression became somewhat agitated. She had personally experienced such pressure, so she could understand Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama's reactions. Although it took a little longer, she did not think there was anything wrong with the two of them.

“Yes, that’s the norm in Japan. How do you know I won’t abandon you?” John smiled calmly and pulled Kuroki Hitomi into his arms. Being loyal is a good thing; at least it means the chances of betrayal are small. The fact that Kuroki Hitomi is so nervous means she’s at least not a problem with her personality.

"You wouldn't. If you were like those tycoons in Japan, you wouldn't have tolerated Akina time and time again. Even after such a big incident, you didn't abandon her, and neither did Yasuko and the others. If it were any other tycoon, they would probably have been abandoned long ago. Beautiful women are not uncommon in Japan!"

In truth, beautiful women are never scarce in any country. Hitomi Kuroki is well aware of this, as is Momoko Kikuchi. In comparison, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama have experienced too little and faced too little pressure. Because of the protection of the elite agency and the patronage of John, they've forgotten the darkness within the industry. If they were to lose that protection, their situation would be dire. Their beauty is their gift, but also the source of their troubles. Without John's protection and the elite agency's safeguards, they would face countless predators, and their fate would be predictable.

Ten years—it's called a test, but once you reach this stage, it means you're already out. Even if you stay, it's hard to gain John's approval. Put yourself in their shoes; if they're not willing to invest their true feelings, how can they expect genuine treatment? They're just too naive and foolish. They've never been equals with John, never on the same level. Perhaps John's kindness made them forget their true situation and become arrogant!

"Alright, let them decide for themselves. Don't interfere; forcibly interfering is pointless. You can't represent them, and you can't possibly understand their thoughts! Tell them what I've said and let them decide for themselves. Don't tell anyone else and let them be affected. Your kindness is commendable, but there are some things you can't change. This is all I can do. If they could change even half as much as you, I wouldn't have made this decision. From the beginning until now, they haven't changed at all, and they haven't even proactively talked to me about any of this. Trust is relative; you should understand that. It's best to cut things off quickly. Ten years of protection is the last bit of help I can give them."

Women dress up for those they love. Although Miho Nakayama and Yasuko Sawaguchi performed well, did they really know their own preferences? Not necessarily. More often than not, they were just approaching it with a transactional mentality, which is completely different from others. Perhaps they didn't realize it themselves, but John did.

As time went on, their situation didn't improve or change, so naturally they didn't gain anything. John tried to resolve things time and time again, but to no avail. Since they weren't willing to move on, there was no need to waste his time and energy. Instead of wasting his energy on them, he should focus on other people, like Sachiko Kamachi, Akina Nakamori, and Hitomi Kuroki.

Although Akina Nakamori was burdened by John, she kept changing and was a kind person. More importantly, she was willing to believe in John and change herself. Compared to Akina Nakamori, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama were in much better situations, but John didn't see any changes in them, which was the difference.

You're unwilling to change yourself, yet you expect others to take care of you and treat you well. You're just overthinking it. Even if you're beautiful, it won't work. In Japan, women already have a low social status, so this kind of insistence is foolish. They may think it's their dignity, but that dignity isn't real!
(End of this chapter)