America: My Time

Chapter 969 Neon's Initiative

Chapter 939 Neon's Initiative
When John returned to his Tokyo residence, he hadn't rested for long when Japanese people came knocking on his door. This time, however, they weren't the people John knew, but rather Japanese government officials. After all, Japan's situation was quite bad right now, and if Japan's car exports were affected by other factors, it would be a crisis for Japan's economic recovery.

However, the old man Akio Morita was still among these people. It seems that this old man has had a lot of communication with the Japanese government. Perhaps the government also needs Akio Morita to get closer to John. Although this was just an ordinary meeting and a preliminary negotiation, the Japanese guys were under a lot of pressure. They were not as relaxed as John.

"John, we're so sorry to disturb your rest at this hour. We had no choice but to come. We've received many requests from car companies, so we had to take the liberty of bothering you!" Akio Morita apologized, as such behavior was considered extremely impolite in Japan, but they had no other option.

“Mr. Morita, we’re old friends, there’s no need to be so concerned. I understand your difficulties. To be honest, I’m in a difficult position too. You know the situation in the US, and there are problems in Europe as well. All of this puts a lot of pressure on me, and I have to deal with it. If it weren’t for your invitation, I would have needed some more time to come to Japan.”

At this point, John still gave Akio Morita and the Japanese government face, and did not accuse anyone of targeting his investments in Japan. After all, it was just a minor incident, and talking about it would only make everyone feel awkward. Most importantly, these Japanese guys value their reputation very much. Directly slapping them in the face would make them resentful and ruin his plans in Japan. So, by giving them some face, he could also ensure that his investments in Japan would not be affected!

"Thank you for your understanding. To be honest, I didn't want to do this either. I've tried to dissuade people from acting in the shadows, and even the authorities have taken action, cracking down on those groups that interfered with your investments more than once, but to no avail. The changes in the Japanese economy have made those guys even more reckless!" Akio Morita didn't wait for John to explain the troubles Japan was facing before he took the initiative to reveal everything, and even spoke up for the authorities, shifting all the blame onto those shady groups!

“I understand. Actually, it’s not a big deal. That little problem is nothing. It’s just that meeting the needs of Japan is possible, but it’s not that I’m intentionally refusing. It’s just that I genuinely can’t do it. You know ASML’s situation. It will take time for lithography machines to resume production. And this major incident has also affected production in Taiwan. The original plan to increase production as quickly as possible has to be put on hold. We’re using these people to support ASML’s resumption of production. Under these circumstances, there’s an even bigger shortage! As for the low- and mid-range products in China, although they’re operating on three shifts, it still can’t meet market demand. I’m under even more pressure in the US.”

"Mr. John, we understand what you're saying, but we still want to ask you to provide as much support as possible to Japan!" At this point, the Japanese official representative spoke up, instead of Akio Morita. After all, they couldn't let Akio Morita do everything. It was already difficult enough for him to show his face, and it would be a bit of bullying to put all the pressure on him. Akio Morita didn't owe those guys anything!

"I can only do my best. Even if I give up the orders in Europe, I still can't meet the demand in Japan. Your production capacity is too large, and there is demand from logistics companies and taxi companies in the United States and Europe. Just these guys' orders are a big problem, and it will take a long time to meet them!"

Actually, John had a better way to solve these problems, but he didn't do it. It was something that could be done simply by installing a locator, but locators only cost a few dollars. A GPS navigator was the best choice, as it would bring him several times the profit.

"Mr. John, why don't we choose a time to sit down and discuss this together?"

As soon as Akio Morita finished speaking, John smiled calmly and nodded, saying, "Alright, but there's one thing I still need to clarify: my cooperation with Toyota will not be affected. Unless Toyota cancels its orders, we will not affect Toyota's orders, but will fulfill them as soon as possible. I hope you can understand this."

"We will negotiate this with Toyota, and it won't affect Mr. John's cooperation with Toyota!" At this point, the Japanese officials understood John's meaning. They wouldn't put John in a difficult position; they would only negotiate with Toyota. The outcome was none of John's concern; it was their own business. "That's for the best! This time in Japan, we also intend to promote cooperation between the two sides. I believe you all know about my investments in China. I think we can conduct a trial in Japan. Currently, Japanese real estate prices are still falling, and there's no sign of it stopping. So, I've come up with a plan. If there are no problems in Japan, I'm interested in acquiring real estate in Akihabara's electronics district for renovation, as a small experiment. What do you all think?"

Now that the official Japanese representatives had appeared, John naturally seized the opportunity to make his 'request,' or rather, his conditions. Of course, the Japanese were aware of this investment project; after all, it had been under investigation for some time, and its feasibility was still unknown, at least in their eyes. Moreover, many people in Akihabara's electronics district were willing to sell their real estate.

With Japanese real estate prices continuing to fall and no hope of recovery in sight, these guys are hoping someone will take over their properties, even if it's cheap. After all, there's no hope right now, and if they don't sell, they'll just be stuck with them forever!

“Mr. John, as you know, our government has always been willing to accept your investment. We will not stand in the way of the acquisition. As for how the merchants choose and which real estate companies choose, we cannot influence that!”

“I understand, but such an investment cannot afford the slightest mistake. Therefore, we will not make a move unless we can acquire the entire project. After all, we need the overall design and layout. If someone is unwilling to sell, it will affect the progress and outcome of the entire project. I believe the real estate company will not refuse, since there is currently no hope for a recovery in the Japanese real estate market. If our project succeeds, everything will be completely different, and the real estate market may see a rebound. Of course, if someone refuses, that's fine too. We can abandon Tokyo and choose other cities, but the results won't be as good, since Tokyo is the center of Japan!”

John's words resonated with the officials and even with Akio Morita. If real estate prices could recover, even just commercial real estate, it would be good for them and alleviate their current situation. If real estate prices continued to fall, it would push more real estate companies into dire straits. Large real estate companies might be able to hold on, but small and medium-sized companies would go bankrupt, and the consequences would be too severe!

Commercial real estate has always been an investment for John. Now that the bubble crisis in Japan is intensifying, many commercial real estate properties are in trouble. This is the best time to acquire them. After all, the more they fall, the more willing they will be to sell. And without comparison, there is no harm done.

Even if Akihabara's electronics district succeeds, it won't have a significant impact if I act now. The Great Hanshin Earthquake will hit shortly after I'm done, causing Japan's economy to plummet and real estate prices to fall back to their original levels. There are more and more bankruptcies and financial scandals in Japan right now, and John doesn't believe these companies are worth getting entangled with me for such a small amount of profit.

The Mandarin Oriental Group has now launched a new round of investigations in major cities across Japan, looking into the real estate of commercial streets. The entire country is now in a state of stagnation, with no one willing to take over real estate, even commercial real estate. This is because the real estate bubble was too crazy before, and the reaction of the Japanese was even more crazy afterward, which directly caused their real estate to collapse. It will be harder than climbing to heaven to recover.

Of course, commercial real estate still has value. If there are no problems, John intends to take back the commercial real estate he sold, and even wants to develop more commercial real estate. However, this requires planning and preparation in advance. How to seize the wealth of Japan is what John has been preparing for.

John previously profited handsomely from the bursting of the bubble economy, and now returning to the Japanese commercial real estate market is the perfect move. After all, Japan's commercial real estate market still holds potential. Compared to the frenzied expansion of 7-Eleven convenience stores, John is now eyeing commercial centers and other real estate developments. The opportunity is right in front of him; not seizing it would be foolish. Moreover, now is the ideal time to negotiate with the Japanese; he won't appear to be taking advantage of the situation, yet he can gain their approval and more support!
(End of this chapter)