America: My Time

Chapter 990 The Final Test
Chapter 980 The Final Test
"What? John, you can't be joking!" Upon hearing John's words, Akio Morita immediately tensed up. The fact that the Cultural Oriental Group was going to rebel against Japan would be a disaster for Japanese real estate, which worried him greatly.

"How could I joke about this? I would never joke like this. I mean it. Judging from the performance of these people tonight, I really can't see any hope for Japan. If they continue with this attitude, I believe Japan will not see any hope for the next ten years. They have not found the key to the problem at all, and they will not listen to any advice. So I am not optimistic about the development of Japan!"

That single sentence, "I'm not optimistic," instantly increased Akio Morita's pressure, making him feel an immense weight descend upon him. From John's expression, Morita could tell it was true, and this only intensified his unease and fear. If anyone else had said such a thing, Morita wouldn't have cared, but coming from John, "Autumn Sun Island" was a different story!

Before Akio Morita could speak, John smiled calmly and said, "Alright, let's leave it at that. I don't want to have any more exchanges. Let's relax and stop talking about these topics. I'm too tired tonight. Communicating with those guys was too mentally taxing. To be honest, tonight's party was more tiring than the previous exchanges with the automotive industry!"

When John said this, Akio Morita could only sigh and nod in agreement. Although it hadn't come to the point of falling out, Akio Morita knew that after tonight, his relationship with John would have cooled down a bit. Favors are fleeting, and he had already used up a lot of them this time!
“Alright, let’s relax. I haven’t relaxed in a long time either. Ever since the real estate bubble burst, I’ve been under immense pressure. It’s not just me; all companies in Japan are under the same pressure. To be honest, I’m even more tired than you are. If I could let go, I really would!” Akio Morita sighed and took the opportunity to complain to John. But the more he did this, the more John sneered inwardly.

If this trip to Japan hadn't involved so much scheming, John would have given Akio Morita some face. Unfortunately, these Japanese guys were too calculating this time, making John want to have no further interaction with them.

"Let go when it's time. I don't think you need to hold on so tightly. If it were me, I wouldn't do that!"

"I also want to let go, but things aren't that easy. Sometimes you have no choice. However, I heard that Elite Records is going to make some changes and increase investment. Is it worth it? Although I believe everything you say, the record market is recovering rapidly, but resources are limited. Otherwise, rock music wouldn't be so popular. The reason is that the investment is small. At least for major TV stations and record companies, they don't need the high investment required for idol shows!"

"Change is necessary, and increased investment is also necessary. This is not a big problem. We want not only the Japanese market, but also the Asian record market. Under such circumstances, changes are naturally necessary! However, this is not a big deal and there is nothing to pay attention to. In comparison, I would rather increase investment in animation and give full play to the IP advantages of Phoenix Comics. The animation industry is the focus of Phoenix Group. Unfortunately, this takes time to hone. Even after more than ten years, there are still some shortcomings in animation."

Before he knew it, John had been drawn into a conversation about entertainment by the old man Akio Morita. John didn't mind, though, since that was the reason Morita had stayed; the guy wouldn't be chatting with him for nothing.

"Is it really necessary to invest so much in animation? Although Phoenix Media started with animation, it is now a global media and entertainment giant. Compared to that, film and music are much better, and there are also games!"

Hearing this, John couldn't help but smile. Akio Morita was indeed waiting for him. He was worried about him competing with them in games. Currently, the Japanese still held the advantage in console games, hence their concerns. However, John hadn't given up on these kinds of games, only his development had been slow.

"Yes, specialization is the best approach. In Japan, we will focus on anime as the main focus, while film, music, and games will only be supplementary. In terms of games, we will focus more on online games, taking a route that integrates single-player games and online games. This is more suitable for our development needs, since we have limited energy and cannot develop in all aspects."

Upon hearing John's words, Akio Morita breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he was also worried that John would return to the game market to compete with them. Most importantly, the patents for the game console were now in the hands of the other party, which was the most troublesome thing and could directly cause Sony's own game console development to fail.

As John and Akio Morita sat alone, no longer discussing those mentally taxing issues, many others were also whispering amongst themselves. After all, this party was no ordinary affair, and they were somewhat shocked by John's reaction. "Gentlemen," John said, "I think we should make a change. We are no longer dealing with the easygoing Mr. John of the past. I don't know what you all think, but in my opinion, he has changed. Just look at the changes in the women around him tonight; everything has changed."

"Indeed, everything has changed, but some people are still unwilling to accept it. Wasn't that previous exchange the best proof? And tonight is no exception. Look at the changes in the women around him. Naoko, Akina Nakamori, and Hitomi Kuroki haven't returned to Japan. That's the biggest problem. And look at the situation of Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. And look at the others. It's obvious that everything has changed. I wonder if Akio Morita can bring us any more good news! To be honest, after these conversations tonight, my heart is very heavy, and I believe you all feel the same way."

These guys were naturally disheartened and uneasy that they hadn't anticipated John's scheme. They had truly believed everything was under their control, that John was still as easy to talk to as ever. But the situation had long since changed. The honey trap was no longer effective, and they couldn't use it now.

"There's no other way. We can only take it one step at a time. I know many people think our decision is problematic, but we have to do it. This is our only chance!"

"I'm afraid that when all this happens, you won't get everything you want. The Americans are untrustworthy, and neither are the oil and gas giants. Do you really think they will back down on iron ore prices, or do you really think that doing so can revive our manufacturing industry? I don't think so. Doing so will cause us to lose a sincere friend!"

"Then tell me what we should do. Don't be fooled by John's promises; can they really meet our needs? Moreover, by cooperating with the American navigation company, we can obtain production authorization and take control of everything instead of being manipulated by others. I believe you all know the choice!"

"Heh, the benefits go to Mitsui. It's called cooperation, but what benefits can we get? Nothing. So we won't join. At most, we'll remain neutral. However, I hope Mitsui has truly thought everything through and prepared for the worst. This is no joke; if something goes wrong, the consequences will be severe!"

"We have no choice; this is our only chance. We don't want to be held hostage!"

Japan's internal structure is not monolithic. Those who did not benefit from Mitsui were unwilling to stand with it. However, they had no choice but to cooperate with it under the persuasion of the Japanese government. After all, it is safer to have the technology and production lines in their own hands. Therefore, some people were willing to cooperate with Mitsui, and Mitsubishi was one of them!

"Alright, now we're at a loss and have no choice but to act. This is all we can do in this matter. As for what problems might arise later, we'll deal with that later. Besides, I don't think John will give up the Japanese market! I don't think everything he says is true either. If he really didn't have a good outlook on our real estate market, why would he be doing the Akihabara project and acquiring so many commercial properties? So don't be fooled, everyone. He just wants to buy at the bottom!"

"Buying the dip, is that your opinion?" Many people were confused by this statement. What kind of buying the dip is this? Is there any good news about the Japanese real estate market, or is there any good news about the Japanese economy? No, nothing at all. How can this be considered buying the dip? Moreover, Japanese real estate prices are still falling. Although the real estate market near Akihabara has stabilized, this is only temporary. It will continue to fall until there is a clear outcome.

In fact, many people think John is right. Public opinion has changed, which they did not expect. Now it is unlikely that they can break public opinion and regain confidence in the Japanese economy. It has taken too long, which is the most troublesome problem. The most important thing is that Japan has only heard news of bankruptcy and no good news. People's hearts are being worn down little by little.

If they had been prepared earlier, things might not have turned out this way. If they had been more cautious, things wouldn't have turned out this way either. It's too late to say anything now, not to mention that they also have internal conflicts and disputes, which makes it even more impossible to change everything, reverse the current situation, and bring everything back to 'normal'!
(End of this chapter)