America: My Time

Chapter 973 The Beginning of the Plan

Chapter 943 The Beginning of the Plan

"Are you feeling too tired? If you feel you can't hold on any longer, there's nothing wrong with giving up this burden!" When John saw that Kikuchi Momoko looked exhausted after a day's work, and even had a hint of hesitation in her eyes, he couldn't help but shake his head. With Kuroki Hitomi's example in mind, he understood that things might not go as he wished. These beauties might not have the same abilities as Lee Boo-jin, nor the same conviction. After all, they were not on the same path, so there was a huge difference in their resilience in this regard, and even in their abilities.

Before Kikuchi Momoko could speak, John then said to Kamachi Sachiko and Moritaka Chisato, "The same goes for you. If you feel tired, you can give up, or even choose to rest more. There's no need to bear this pressure. Take your time to think things through. There's no need to rush to answer! As for those social obligations, you don't need to care too much. If you don't want to accept them, just refuse them directly. There's no need to have so many concerns. You need to learn to adapt to your current changed status!"

In just one day, Kikuchi Momoko, Moritaka Chisato, and Kamachi Sachiko all received numerous requests from 'friends' asking them to intercede on their behalf. Especially after their conversations with Riko, they felt a slight pressure and unease. Although Riko didn't make any demands of them, only asking for information, they all sensed a sense of helplessness in her.

Riko didn't just invite Kikuchi Momoko out for a meeting; she invited all three of them together for a chat. From Riko herself and their conversation, they could sense the changes in her and understand how much the bubble crisis had affected Japan. Even Riko was affected and impacted, let alone ordinary people.

When Kikuchi Momoko tried to tell John about Riko's situation, John shook his head and said, "There's no need for me to tell you about your conversation. You can make your own decisions. Besides, Riko is a very good person, and you don't need to worry that she'll scheme against you. At most, she's just asking you for some information, which is no big deal. You didn't know much before, but Akiko and Naoko know very well, so you don't need to worry too much. As long as it's not a matter of principle, you don't need to have too many concerns!"

That being said, this is no small matter in Japan, and they are not able to adapt to it in a short time. Most importantly, Kikuchi Momoko discovered a problem: Sawaguchi Yasuko, Nakayama Miho, and Fujiwara Norihisa did not have this problem, and they did not even receive such requests or favors. It is obvious that they are really out of the game. Even the Japanese guys understand this. Although no one will target them, how long can this last?
With John's protection, they wouldn't face any difficult situations. Even if they were out of the picture, as long as it wasn't out in the open, no one would target them. However, they would no longer gain recognition from many people, and even many resources would no longer be available to them. That's just how reality is, especially in Japan. After all, women have a very low status in Japan, so once people realize they've been out of the picture, the treatment and attitude they receive will completely change. In fact, Miho Nakayama and Yasuko Sawaguchi are looked down upon even more than Norika Fujiwara!

Call them naive, though; these three were all taking the opportunity to make money and gain benefits. But call them clever, though; they didn't pay attention to John's schedule, and didn't even have close contact with people like Kikuchi Momoko and Moritaka Chisato. They didn't show up immediately when John arrived in Tokyo, but instead focused their attention on their so-called 'career'.

The reason why they were seen through is probably because of their foolish decision. If they had been more careful and hadn't made such a basic mistake, they wouldn't have been seen through. In the eyes of the Japanese, they are out of the game. Even if they are not out of the game yet, they have already lost their influence. Therefore, they can no longer gain everyone's recognition and have no chance to be asked for anything. Their status and position have plummeted!
In fact, this is the cruelty of the Japanese high society. For those guys in Japan, once a woman falls out of favor, no one will care about her, and her status will plummet. Even if she hasn't lost the protection of the big boss for the time being, no one will care about her because that's the cruel reality!
Many people thought they were too stupid. Given their status, even if they asked for leave, they would be refused or prevented by the agency. But they didn't do that. So, because of their attitude, even Riko didn't choose to communicate with them. There was absolutely no value in them.

This situation also alerted the Japanese, who felt that John had changed and was no longer the person they initially knew; he had become 'mature,' a change they didn't want to see, as it meant their influence over John would weaken further. Sachiko Kamachi's decision didn't surprise John; she was the first to make a decision, unwilling to give up and wanting to continue. Chisato Moritaka felt the same way, as she still hadn't given up her idol status, which remained a considerable temptation. In contrast, Momoko Kikuchi seemed much more 'mature.'

From Naoko Kawai to Hitomi Kuroki, and then looking at the three beauties from Taiwan, she realized that she didn't need to work so hard. She was far inferior to those professionals in terms of ability. Even with assistance, the difference was still significant, and she needed to put in much more effort. Even though the intermediary service was only for a short time, it made her realize the gap between herself and Lee Boo-jin, the eldest daughter of Samsung. If she really wanted to catch up and become a successful entrepreneur, she would need to put in a lot of effort. Her knowledge and abilities were far behind.

At this moment, Kikuchi Momoko also had a vague guess in her heart that the reason why Kuroki Hitomi chose to let go after a period of time was because of her lack of ability or even too much pressure. After all, every decision has huge benefits, and making the wrong decision will result in many losses, which is too much pressure for them!
"Momoko, don't rush into a decision. Even if you really decide to give up, you'll need to accept some asset management, at least the real estate will be your responsibility!" It's not that John can't find a professional manager, but it's safer to have someone from his own side in this regard. Most importantly, he needs to convince those guys in Japan. If he completely lets go of Kikuchi Momoko, those guys in Japan will have even worse ideas, which will affect many of his plans!
John paused for a moment, then continued, "As for Yasuko Sawaguchi and the others, you don't need to pay too much attention to them. They chose their own paths, and they should have known what they would face when they made their decisions. Moreover, as long as I don't express my opinion, they won't be under external pressure. You will also be in charge of Riko's situation. Akiko and Naoko have both chosen to let go, so you will be responsible for maintaining this relationship. This is also a good opportunity for you."

John doesn't want to part ways with that old guy Akio Morita anymore; maintaining a superficial relationship is still necessary. After all, John is still planning for the long term. As the Japanese economy continues to stagnate, the Japanese government will take action with zero interest rates, which will be a good opportunity for John to get low-interest loans from Japan.

If his relationship with the various parties in Japan becomes too strained, it will be difficult to get such a loan from the Japanese bank. After all, those guys aren't stupid, so it's still necessary to maintain a 'good persona'. That's why John didn't refuse the requests from those Japanese guys; it's all for future opportunities.

John can foresee the future situation in Japan, but the Japanese don't. So as long as John 'performs' a good enough persona, he will naturally have such opportunities in the future. Moreover, John's investments in Japan are constantly increasing, which makes those guys very happy. Not to mention that John has brought up the Akihabara project, the real estate recovery plan, the tourism industry proposal, and many other investments in Japan.

Such a 'friendly' friend naturally pleased the Japanese. Although they had previously offered some resistance to John's expansion, their actions were limited to underhanded, clandestine forces, having nothing to do with their company—at least on the surface! The Japanese were scheming against John, unaware that he was also scheming against them. Their methods were far inferior to John's; they lacked his 'foresight' to see the future and understand Japan's prospects. Given this information asymmetry, John naturally needed to gain the upper hand in his scheming against the Japanese, seizing the initiative and the upper hand.

Just like now, John wants the Mandarin Oriental Group to take back its shopping malls in Japan. At this point, if anyone can't hold on and wants to sell, John will naturally take over. From a long-term perspective, these are projects with huge profits. Losing a little now is nothing. Moreover, taking over at this time will make it easier to gain the approval of many people. It will make those guys feel that John is their friend and willing to take the risk of taking over these properties with no hope, even though the shopping malls are currently in a slump.

(End of this chapter)