America: My Time

Chapter 992: Soft-hearted?

Chapter 982 Soft-hearted?
Whether it was because Miho Nakayama and Yasuko Sawaguchi hadn't expected it, or because they were unwilling to back down, in Riko's opinion, if the two of them had taken the initiative to sit down and chat with any of Momoko Kikuchi's friends, such an accident wouldn't have happened, their situation wouldn't have been completely exposed, and such an awkward situation wouldn't have occurred.

Although she wanted to ask several times, Riko eventually gave up. It was not easy for her to bring up such a thing, and even well-intentioned advice and reminders could easily provoke the other party's dissatisfaction!
"Sometimes it's important to let go of your pride and burdens. Don't overthink things, and don't think you're so important. In many cases, accidents happen because of your own arrogance. You should be more careful. If there's nothing else, you should leave with Mr. John after the party. There's not much time left before the party ends, and some people have already started leaving. Don't make any more mistakes!"

Riko understood why Akio Morita had given her that advice. He was worried that these two 'fools' were too stupid and might cause trouble after the party, making Sony take the blame and leaving Akio Morita unable to explain himself to John. After all, it was just a rumor, and John hadn't said anything. So if Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama had problems at this time, it would be a slap in the face to John, and Akio Morita would have to give John an explanation. This was not the outcome Akio Morita wanted to see.

Neon wasn't a monolithic entity, and even within Mitsui, things weren't entirely united. Akio Morita naturally dared not be careless, especially in this situation where mistakes were unacceptable. After all, it had happened before, and if another problem arose, he truly wouldn't be able to explain himself to John, and the nature of the matter would change. At this moment, under these circumstances, Akio Morita was unwilling to take the blame for someone else, and besides, the old man couldn't possibly be completely unaware of everything!
Upon hearing Riko's reminder, Yasuko Sawaguchi's expression changed slightly. She immediately realized the danger behind it. She had been careless and made another mistake that she shouldn't have made. These repeated mistakes had put her and Miho Nakayama in danger.

"Thank you for the reminder, Riko-nee. I didn't expect Miho and I to make another mistake we shouldn't have. We still haven't adapted to these changes!" Sawaguchi Yasuko sighed deeply. She now realized that she and Nakayama Miho were being watched, even manipulated. She had just been discussing this with Nakayama Miho, unaware that they had already fallen into someone else's trap. She also understood why her 'friends' at tonight's party had been so cold and indifferent; there was a reason behind it!

"It's good that you understand. You should bow your head when you need to. Don't worry about saving face. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be more cruel than you imagine. As someone who's been there, I advise you to be cautious. Don't have any resistance or any thoughts you shouldn't have. This is Japan. In the eyes of those 'adults,' we are just 'pawns'!"

Riko is absolutely right. In the eyes of those big shots, they are just pawns. It's a pity that Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama didn't realize this, otherwise they wouldn't have ended up like this! Look at Akina Nakamori, it's because she has weaknesses and hidden dangers that she is schemed against time and time again. But this situation did not happen to Naoko.

Perhaps because of the current environment and the interests involved with John, some people might have some ideas and make some tests. However, under normal circumstances, no one would dare to be so obvious. But now the other party has made a move. What is the reason? Is it just that the big boss behind the scenes is issuing a provocation? No, that's not the case. This is just a small test.

Don't underestimate this small test; such situations are dangerous signals. Over the years, Riko has witnessed countless similar occurrences, and those who were used as pawns after such tests have met tragic ends. For entertainers who have lost their protection, life is extremely dangerous.

Riko could imagine that if this test didn't go well, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama would face increasing pressure, and their status in the industry would be affected. They might have plenty of resources in elite agencies, but in the Japanese entertainment industry, their status would decline, and they might not even get many resources. That's the harsh reality.

Of course, this is the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, their situation would be dangerous, especially for Yasuko Sawaguchi. Riko knows very well how arrogant and crazy Yoshiaki Tsutsumi of Seibu is! If something goes wrong, she will be finished. Even if Yoshiaki Tsutsumi might pay some price, the consequences would be something Yasuko Sawaguchi cannot afford!

Whether face or safety is more important is a choice between Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. It's already quite remarkable that Riko was willing to remind them of this. Doing anything more is impossible, at least not now. Riko doesn't dare to do such a thing, and she can't bear the serious consequences.

John's conversation with the old man Akio Morita quickly came to an end, and quite a few "interested parties" had already left. Whether they had truly left was hard to say, but their departure signified the party's approaching conclusion. Therefore, Akio Morita had no choice but to end his "conversation" with John, letting those men verify their suspicions and ideas. Akio Morita didn't want to make enemies of those who had orchestrated this over such a trivial matter; such a thing wouldn't happen to him! Seeing Akio Morita leave, John couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He knew perfectly well what these guys were plotting, and he had been observing everything that had happened at the party. Just as John was finding the Japanese guys' insidious schemes laughable, Momoko Kikuchi appeared before him!
Kikuchi Momoko saw everything that happened at the party and naturally understood the underlying issues. She didn't want to see Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama get into trouble, as it wouldn't be good for her either. After all, if something like this happened, she could easily be affected, so she wanted to offer some reminders to prevent the worst from happening!

Before Kikuchi Momoko could speak, John said, "Momoko, go and tell the others to leave together. The party is over. Tell them to take care of their things and come with us!"

Upon hearing this, Kikuchi Momoko was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on her face, and she immediately nodded and said, "I'll go and inform them right away!"

John shook his head at Kikuchi Momoko's reaction. If even she could see through the scheme behind the party, how could he not? He wouldn't give those guys any further reason or opportunity to test him. He didn't have time to get entangled with them; it was best to thwart their schemes!
After Kikuchi Momoko finished communicating, the guy behind the scenes sighed. This was not the result he wanted to see, but he knew he couldn't make a move anymore, or it would be dangerous. His scheme had been seen through. It wasn't the right time to test John's strength, at least not now!

When they received the notification from Kikuchi Momoko, Sawaguchi Yasuko and Nakayama Miho were both taken aback, and even Riko, who hadn't left yet, was surprised, not expecting this outcome. She hadn't anticipated that Sawaguchi Yasuko and Nakayama Miho would be so lucky, able to receive protection even after making a 'mistake'.

If it were anyone else, they would think that John was only doing this to save face, but Riko didn't think that way. In this situation, she also needed to report to that old man, Akio Morita, otherwise she would be punished if something went wrong!
And so, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama left with John. Although they didn't get in the same car, they didn't go back to their own residence either. Instead, they followed John to his current residence. After what had happened at the party, even if Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama were foolish, they would understand what to do at this moment!
If they were foolish enough to go home on their own, they would be courting death. If something went wrong, they couldn't blame anyone else but themselves for being stupid. Fortunately, that didn't happen; they saw through the immense danger behind it all.

After John left, Riko went to see Akio Morita and told him everything in detail, especially everything that Momoko Kikuchi had said when she appeared. She didn't want to miss a single word, because if something bad happened because she hadn't explained things clearly, she couldn't bear the consequences.

"That's interesting. Is it for the sake of saving face, or has he 'gone soft-hearted' again? Riko, which do you think it is?" After hearing Riko's words, Akio Morita shook his head and sighed, while his gaze fell on Riko.

"They must be soft-hearted. After all, all we know are rumors, and their only evidence is that Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama didn't go to see Mr. John immediately. That can't be taken seriously at all!"

"Soft-hearted? I'm afraid not. Perhaps John has his own calculations. After all, he has seen through the other party's schemes, so it's normal for him to react. Perhaps his actions are a warning to those who want to scheme against him. As for how effective they will be, we don't know. We'll have to see how things develop!" With that, Akio Morita shook his head and sighed. His opinion differed from Riko's.

(End of this chapter)