America: My Time

Chapter 903 Neon's Suspicion

Chapter 873 Neon's Suspicion

"It's a small matter, don't worry about it. The resources are useless anyway, they've been given to whoever they want. You know what's going on with Ken-On. Besides, the situation in Japan has changed; it's starting to get chaotic. Although I don't care about them, I still don't want any trouble. Please let them know!"

Suoh Ikuo was well aware of Ken-On's situation; that guy had received a considerable amount of resources from Phoenix Media, and even benefited from Naoko's friends and others. In the eyes of many in Japan, elite agencies were solely for cultivating elites; if you weren't capable enough, they wouldn't waste their time and energy. However, many also knew that Phoenix Media and Legendary Entertainment were quite hostile towards Johnny & Associates, and had essentially never collaborated with them.

What is the reason? Everyone knows it. Regarding the Kuroki Hitomi incident, although it seems like the matter is over, the two major media groups simply do not cooperate with them, and John's brands also do not cooperate with them much, at least not with Mary's faction. Suoh Ikuo is very clear about this. Moreover, those international brands in Japan almost never cooperate with Johnny & Associates, for the simple reason that they are afraid of being targeted by Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group.

It can only be said that these guys are overthinking things. They didn't have such an idea, and Hitomi Kuroki never made such an arrangement. However, since no one made such an arrangement, everyone reacted instinctively, which is why Johnny's Entertainment's development didn't take off and was significantly affected.

"Mr. John, please rest assured, I will do my best. I believe no one wants to cause trouble for themselves, and the authorities will not allow them to cause trouble. This is not the first time they have been warned!" Suoh Ikuo said without hesitation, as if afraid that John would misunderstand the security situation in Japan if he was late.

Suo Ikuo's behavior convinced John that this guy was another pawn arranged by the authorities, expressing that there would be no problem with the safety of Japan, that no one would disturb his company, and that no one would stop his investment plans in Japan. The authorities would protect John.

John knows exactly what's going on in Japan, given that he's based in Tokyo and has been cultivating his presence there for many years. He's well aware of the situation. Having Suo Ikuo step in at this point is the best course of action—it saves him face while simultaneously expressing goodwill!

John nodded and said, "I believe in your abilities, and I also believe in the abilities of the Japanese government. They won't let us investors be subjected to unnecessary danger. However, if the overall environment in Japan continues to deteriorate like this, it will have a significant impact on economic development. Moreover, during the real estate bubble period, bank loans were problematic, and I'm afraid there are problems with countless banks. You also need to be cautious and at least keep your money in those truly large banks!"

Upon hearing John's reminder, Suoh Ikuo nodded thoughtfully. Japan's current situation was very unfavorable, and the fact that a big shot like John had spoken up clearly indicated that the situation of major financial institutions was also dangerous. Suoh Ikuo was also aware of John's identity and status; he was a giant on Wall Street!
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. John. I will pay attention!" At this moment, Suoh Ikuo lowered his posture even further. He was naturally flattered that such a big shot was willing to remind him.

"Mr. Morita, what did Mr. John say? Could you lend us a hand? You know that all of us car companies are being affected right now!" Mitsubishi was getting anxious, as the current situation was very unfavorable for them.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but Mr. John is also powerless to do so. You are all aware of the production situation in Taiwan. It simply cannot meet market demand. Bentley itself is having some difficulties. Even after expanding production capacity, it is not possible to simultaneously satisfy Ford, GM, and Toyota. Moreover, we cannot completely ignore the situation in Europe. Therefore, the products we can offer are limited. This is the result I know."

"Didn't you mention contract manufacturing or investing in a factory in Japan? Japan is a major car-producing country, and we have a huge demand." At this point, Nissan was also getting anxious. After all, delaying any longer would not be good for them, as it would affect their development and could even lead to greater losses in the future.

"Do you think I'm that unreliable? I've asked you all, and this is simply impossible. Mr. John has enemies in the US, and do you think such an investment can succeed? We can't even get past the White House in the US. You all know how high our production costs are. Even if we were to invest in building a factory, the US would have lower costs than us!"

When Akio Morita said those words, it shattered their illusions and caused immediate pain for Japanese car companies. They knew that the longer this dragged on, the more damage would be done to their development of luxury car brands, and the greater the pressure they would face. "Is there really no way? This concerns the life and death of our Japanese car companies. Shouldn't Toyota step forward and share its navigation system with us so that we can all get through this together?"

"Heh, that's ridiculous. Why should we share the benefits with you? We have no such obligation!" Toyota didn't hesitate to reject these guys' laughable claims. What did their survival have to do with Toyota? Besides, if they went bankrupt, Toyota's market would be even bigger.

"Mr. Morita, doesn't Mr. John have thought of a solution? The supply shortage will also affect his own interests." At this point, the Japanese officials had to speak up. After all, the gazes of the big names in the automotive industry, such as Mitsubishi and Hitachi, were not easy to bear and put considerable pressure on them. Moreover, if these car companies really went bankrupt, it would be a huge blow to Japan and might even plunge Japan into a huge trouble.

"You all have spoken with Mr. John, and you should understand that the larger the market gap, the more beneficial it is for Mr. John. After all, Bentley Motors Group will not be affected and may even benefit greatly. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. In short, I haven't gained anything, and your ideas have fallen through. If you have any ideas, you can take action yourselves. Otherwise, we can only hope that the factories in Taiwan can produce navigation devices that meet market demand. Moreover, it's currently a luxury car, but I'm afraid it will soon enter the mid-range market, or even the low-end market. After all, the development speed of semiconductor chips is very fast. The research and development speed of Nvidia and Bell Labs is too fast."

Sony is aware of the semiconductor chip industry, especially the massive investments made by Nvidia and Bell Labs. As a member of the semiconductor industry, Sony is well aware of all this, and they also feel considerable pressure, since Sony's personal computers use Nvidia chips and its Dreamworld software.

"If that's the case, the impact on us will become increasingly significant. As long as the US GPS system doesn't successfully form a network, we'll have to rely on Hughes' global positioning system. Even if the GPS system does form a network, it will take time to develop and there are patent issues. So for a long time, the global navigation system will be dominated by one company."

"Damn it, should we sue them for their monopoly and force them to break it up?"

"Haha, that's ridiculous. How can you sue them for monopoly? They're a new company, a newly established company, and their products have just entered the market. Besides, do you think the Americans care about our opinions? As long as Ford and GM aren't affected, they won't care at all. I even suspect that this is something the Americans themselves came up with, and Mr. John was just forced to accept it. After all, they think that this will allow GM and Ford to regain the North American market. Fortunately, Toyota has a ticket to enter the market, otherwise we would be in more trouble and face even greater pressure!"

"That's right. The Americans are indeed capable of doing something like this. Our Japanese cars are gaining more and more market share in North America, not to mention Europe, whose market share in North America is also considerable. It's impossible for the Americans not to have their own ideas. It's quite possible that they're launching this counterattack now."

"No, we absolutely cannot let the Americans' conspiracy succeed, otherwise it will be a catastrophic blow to Japanese car companies. We should join forces with the Europeans to fight back. We cannot let the Americans impact our market share. The semiconductor chip industry has already suffered a significant blow. If the car companies are also severely damaged, the consequences will be serious. We must take control of our own destiny!"

Haha, even at this point, these guys still haven't taken control of their own destiny. From the moment John's plan unfolded, their fate was no longer in their own hands, and they had to endure a lot of pressure and shocks.

"Stop acting recklessly. What do we have to control our own destiny? Do we even have that technology? Do you think the Americans would allow us to master it? If you want to go crazy, then go ahead, but Toyota won't go crazy with you. We don't want our own interests to be affected because of you!"

"Toyota, you are too selfish. This is not just a matter for your company, but for the entire Japanese automotive industry. Can't you make a small sacrifice for the Japanese automotive industry? Do you really have to insist on parting ways with us?"

(End of this chapter)