America: My Time

Chapter 91 A Sudden Accident

Chapter Ninety-One: A Sudden Accident

If Naoko were merely a secret lover like those other celebrities, Riko might not have cared, nor would she have put so much effort into teaching Naoko. After all, their statuses and positions were different. Riko knew how favored Naoko was. Every time John visited Akio Morita, he would bring Naoko along, and he even bought her property in Tokyo, providing her with a place to live, and giving her shares in TV Tokyo. All of this demonstrated Naoko's importance in John's heart, which is why Riko was willing to diligently teach Naoko how to handle these small matters!

During the conversation, new guests began to perform on the stage in the hall. Riko and Naoko watched the performance on the stage, while looking forward to the appearance of Yoshie Kashiwabara and Seiko Matsuda. They no longer felt so bored. Their relationship had also changed due to the previous changes and became more harmonious!
During this time, Naoko glanced at John several times, only to see that the atmosphere there was still lively, with everyone talking. From their faces, it was clear they were discussing serious business. These bigwigs didn't care about anything else at the party or who the performers were; for them, business was the most important thing.

"Don't overthink it. Men's affairs are none of our business. They have their own important matters to attend to. We just need to wait patiently!" As she spoke, Riko continued to impart her experience to Naoko, explaining that people of different statuses have different needs at such large parties.

Those big shots talk about important matters, while ordinary company executives come to build relationships and expand their networks. As for those small and medium-sized enterprises who sneak in, they are naturally looking for opportunities. Almost no one cares who the guest performers are; to them, the guest performers are just decorations.

This is the truth. At such large-scale banquets, people are never concerned about who the performers are, but rather what the big shots are doing, whether they have the opportunity to gain the big shots' favor, and whether they have the opportunity to participate in the big shots' plans in order to benefit themselves and grow stronger!

Of course, things aren't always absolute. There are always some opportunists at the party, trying to find connections and benefits. They're all small fry, unnoticed. Like the beautiful women accompanying the big shots—these are the kinds of people who find it very difficult to integrate into Meijin's circle. Riko's situation is slightly better, but even then, joining Meijin's circle is difficult; her status remains a major issue. In Japan, status is extremely important!
Although on the surface Naoko and Riko appear no different, Riko is acutely aware of the vast difference in their status. In Akio Morita's eyes, Riko is merely a dispensable lover, perhaps able to help him with some minor matters, but he doesn't care much about her. Naoko, on the other hand, is very much liked by John, especially for such an important event; the fact that he brought Naoko along speaks volumes about his attitude towards her!

Soon, Yoshie Kashiwabara and Seiko Matsuda's performance ended. At Naoko's invitation, Yoshie Kashiwabara did not leave in a hurry. Instead, she changed her clothes and walked towards the corner where Naoko and Riko were. Yoshie Kashiwabara's movement also made Seiko Matsuda see Naoko and Riko in the corner, so she followed Yoshie Kashiwabara and walked towards Naoko and Riko!
Naoko and Riko, hiding in the corner, would normally go unnoticed. However, when Yoshie Kashiwabara and Seiko Matsuda walked over, some people couldn't help but look at them. Perhaps because all three were idols, some mistook them for guest performers. For the big shots, connections were paramount; they wouldn't care. But for ordinary people, it was a completely different story, and some saw an opportunity!
"Fanghui-chan, Seiko-chan!" Naoko greeted them. Although Seiko Matsuda had come uninvited, Naoko was still very enthusiastic and did not show any dissatisfaction because of it.

Compared to Naoko's enthusiasm, Riko didn't care about Yoshie Kashiwabara and Seiko Matsuda at all. Even though they were very famous, Riko didn't care about them at all. The only person she cared about was Naoko. This was not only because of Akio Morita's instructions, but also because Riko cared about Naoko, this kind-hearted little sister.

Although Riko's reaction was indifferent, those who could appear at this party naturally had different identities. Matsuda Seiko and Kashiwabara Yoshie did not react. The four beauties sitting together, even if they were just in a corner, would attract attention.

Just as the four beauties were having a pleasant conversation, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Naoko and the others and said, "Ms. Matsuda Seiko, Ms. Kawai Naoko, Ms. Kashiwabara Yoshie, would you mind moving in for a chat? Mr. Koizumi, the butler of Dentsu, would like to invite you to sit down!"

Riko was furious at the sudden appearance of this Dentsu guy. If he had only invited Seiko Matsuda and Yoshie Kashiwabara, nothing would have happened and Riko wouldn't have cared. But this bastard even invited Naoko, which made Riko extremely angry!
"Get out! You're not welcome here!" Riko's face darkened, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes. Riko knew immediately that this person was a newcomer at Dentsu; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to speak so arrogantly to her without even recognizing her. Riko had Akio Morita and Sony behind her. No one would be foolish enough to make enemies of Akio Morita and Sony over a woman, and now it wasn't just Sony and Akio Morita who were being humiliated, but also John, and even the First Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank—this party was hosted by the First Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank!
Faced with Riko's assertiveness, the Dentsu man was dumbfounded. He never expected that the invitation, which should have been a sure thing, would be met with such a rebuttal. This sudden slap in the face left him in a dilemma!

The main reason for this farce was that Riko was sitting deep in the corner. The Dentsu butler, Koizumi, only saw Matsuda Seiko, Kashiwabara Yoshie, and Naoko, and did not notice Riko's presence. Otherwise, this farce would not have happened. But all of this had already happened!
The gathering of Japan's three major idols was already eye-catching, but the sudden appearance of this Dentsu man drew even more attention. Although Riko's voice wasn't loud and no one else heard her, the appearance of this Dentsu man still attracted some people's attention.

Dentsu is the largest advertising company in Japan, and idol stars are their cash cows that cannot be offended. So this Dentsu guy never thought he would fail before making the invitation!
"What are you still standing here for? Get out of here and don't bother us!" Riko frowned and gently scolded the Dentsu man, not wanting to attract more attention at the party and disrupt it.

Riko's assertiveness shocked both Seiko Matsuda and Yoshie Kashiwabara, but they remained silent. Although they didn't know Riko's identity, her ability to disregard the Dentsu man was enough to demonstrate her powerful background. Naoko wasn't surprised either. She knew Riko's identity and wouldn't care about the Dentsu man. Besides, this was a party hosted by the Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank; no one would dare to act recklessly here.

"Alright, I've got it. I hope you won't regret this!" Faced with Riko's assertive attitude, the Dentsu man had no choice but to back down. He dared not cause trouble at the party hosted by the First Industrial Bank. The consequences would be unbearable for him and for the Dentsu steward behind him. In front of the First Industrial Bank, they were nothing more than ants!

Upon hearing the Dentsu man's threat, Riko's expression instantly turned gloomy and terrifying. Although her identity was nothing special, it was not something that a mere Dentsu man could threaten. Tonight's party was hosted by Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank, and almost all the attendees were big shots from various industries in Japan. A mere Dentsu butler was not worth mentioning, let alone this Dentsu man in front of her!
"What's wrong? What happened?" Suddenly, a deep voice rang out. John had just finished talking with those big shots and was about to relax. Talking with such a group of old foxes had put him under immense pressure, but noticing that Naoko was acting strangely, he walked over and saw this scene before him!
"Mr. John, it's nothing, just a small misunderstanding!" Although Riko hated the Dentsu guy in front of her, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. She didn't mention the jerk's threat, but wanted to cover it up. After all, this was a party hosted by the First Industrial Bank, and Riko needed to handle it carefully.

"It's good that you're alright. Please take care of Naoko!"

"Mr. John, you're too kind. It's what I should do!" Riko dared not be careless in front of John. Even though John was very young, his aura was incredibly powerful, and Riko also knew John's identity. If this man was angered, the party would be in big trouble, and someone would have to step forward to take responsibility. This Dentsu guy was naturally the best scapegoat.

If things escalate, it won't be good for Riko either. It will be difficult for her to regain Akio Morita's approval. If she can't even handle such a small matter, what will Akio Morita think of her?

At this moment, the Dentsu man, who had just been making threats, realized something was wrong and quickly left, not daring to even look at Riko, fearing that things would escalate and he wouldn't be able to bear the serious consequences. A foreigner sitting and talking with a big shot—his status was obvious; Naoko had clearly come with him. Only then did the Dentsu man realize the enormity of his actions! Thankfully, Riko didn't stoop to his level, otherwise things would have been much worse.

(End of this chapter)