America: My Time

Chapter 995 Sincerity and Hypocrisy

Chapter 985 Sincerity and Hypocrisy
It's often said that the business world is a battlefield, and competitors are enemies! In reality, truly smart companies never fight alone. This is certainly true of the Japanese. Whether it's Japanese cars, semiconductors, or home appliances, they haven't operated in isolation; they've always collaborated. They've even preferred bankruptcy liquidation to engaging in price wars with their rivals. However, Toyota's recent changes have infuriated other Japanese car companies, leading to internal disagreements.

Do these Japanese guys not know this is John's scheme? No, they know it perfectly well, even Toyota itself knows it, but it doesn't matter to them. This is John's open conspiracy, he's not afraid of you knowing, and he's explained it all clearly: his own production capacity is insufficient, and his cooperation with Toyota is 'pleasant,' so he will only help Toyota.

While it may seem that no one is engaging in a price war, conflicts between them have surfaced under this unique environment. This led to the betrayal of John by Toyota and Mitsui. They knew how serious the consequences of their actions would be, but they had no choice but to do so, as there were greater interests at stake.

John was aware of the betrayal by these guys from Japan, but even knowing that, he wouldn't expose them. Instead, he continued to give Toyota more benefits so that he could make more money. The more Toyota took now, the heavier the price they would pay when they betrayed John, and it might even affect the entire country of Japan.

Akio Morita, that old fox, understood how terrible the consequences of betrayal could be. That's why he wanted to know everything about John's handling of Yasuko Sawano and Miho Nakayama. He didn't want to bear that infamy, to be accused of being dishonest and ungrateful. Morita knew perfectly well how terrible the impact of a bad reputation could be. Whether in Europe and America, or in Asia and Africa, everyone wanted a trustworthy and loyal partner, not a dishonest, treacherous, and ungrateful person.

They knew that John's strong support for Toyota was problematic, and a big one at that, but they still accepted it because of the potential benefits. The moment Toyota accepted it, it fell into John's trap. Now, unless Toyota is willing to continue cooperating with John and not consider Mitsui, which is impossible, they will be in a terrible crisis.

John knew perfectly well what those Japanese guys wanted to know and get from him, and he was also well aware of the tricks they played at the party. Since these Japanese guys wanted him to be a loyal person, how could he refuse? Naturally, he would cooperate with them and give them everything they wanted.

"Riko, are you sure things are resolved so easily?" When he learned from Riko that John had let Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama go so easily, Akio Morita was filled with doubt. Wasn't John supposed to have changed? How could this be the result? Could it be that everything he knew before was false information?

“It is indeed true. I have spoken with Yasuko Sawaguchi about this myself, and there are no problems. However, Norika Fujiwara is still excluded and not accepted by them. I think there is a problem with that.”

"It's understandable that they'd reject them. Do you think Naoko and Hitomi Kuroki would accept more companions? Besides, Norika Fujiwara's situation is completely different from theirs. It's only natural that they would reject her." Not only Akio Morita thought this way, but Toyota's side also thought so. Moreover, Norika Fujiwara wasn't entirely unfazed by John's past relationship; at least during John's time in Tokyo, he had interacted with this beauty. On the surface, John didn't treat her any differently, so most people believed it wasn't John's problem, but rather the problem of women like Momoko Kikuchi. After all, male chauvinism is prevalent in Japan, and no one would take such trivial matters too seriously, especially since Toyota had gotten the benefits they wanted!

This contest has only just begun. What happens next depends on the reaction of these guys from Japan. John has made all the arrangements for them and is just waiting for them to make their move!

"Sit down, don't be so tense. I called you here to talk to you about something. Continuing like this isn't good for anyone. Admittedly, I could abandon you, but that would be too heartless. It's good to have some compassion; we can't be too ruthless." As soon as John finished speaking, Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama both breathed a sigh of relief. Although John had forgiven them before, they still felt uneasy and afraid. Before truly facing danger, they always felt that Japan was safe, and that they were safe. But after experiencing so many things, they realized how insignificant and ridiculous they were, how crazy and terrifying this industry was. In the face of capital and power, they were like ants.

Seeing their reactions, John smiled calmly and said, "Do you know why I forgave you?"

Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama had also pondered this question. Was it beauty? No, they wouldn't think that way. To think that would be foolish. The "last beauty of the Showa era" was just flattery; it was a joke in the face of capital and power. For a big shot like John, what kind of beauty couldn't he find? He only needed to ask, and countless beauties would come to him willingly. He had no shortage of beautiful women. So they shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

"I have some selfish motives, and also some sentimental considerations. The selfish motive is that you still have some value to me. What kind of value? You don't need to know. It's a tragedy if a person has no value to me. The sentimental consideration is that, no matter what, you've followed me for so long and haven't made any fundamental mistakes, so I should still give you the opportunities you deserve. I called you here today just to explain a few things, otherwise you two will keep getting stuck on this, which isn't good for either of you."

John paused, giving the two women some time to calm down, before continuing, "It's always best to be sincere. Leaving aside long-term matters, in interpersonal relationships, everyone wants a sincere friend, someone who won't betray you, even in business partnerships. Friendships may seem insignificant to many, but they become crucial at times. Sincerity is a prerequisite, understand?"

What do you understand? Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama were completely baffled and couldn't understand, so they both shook their heads!

Seeing the two beauties' reactions, John shook his head and said, "You should spend more time reading books instead of keeping your sights on your small circle. To be honest, you have professional skills, but your vision, mindset, and wisdom are far behind. Perhaps you don't understand why I value Naoko, Akina, Sachiko, and Hitomi Kuroki. Ultimately, it comes down to sincerity. Even after all that happened to Akina, I never abandoned her—it's all about sincerity. Naoko, since following me, has never doubted me; she believes almost everything I say. She has a very peaceful mindset and is very sincere. I see the qualities of a Yamato Nadeshiko in her. Akina is the same; sincerity has never disappeared from her, even..." She herself has always been prone to getting stuck on details, but she has never truly lost her sincerity. Sachiko is the same; perhaps in your eyes she's a bit stubborn, a bit foolish, but she's still very sincere. As for Kuroki Hitomi, she initially had the same sense of crisis as you, but her choice was smarter—she threw herself into management. She also had better intuition, made changes, let go of her reservations, and truly became sincere! To be honest, your reactions aren't really anything special. This is related to your environment. Japan is essentially a rather hypocritical country. Your consistent philosophy is not to bother others, but how can anyone truly achieve that? If someone could, it would be hypocritical. So you've always lived in a hypocritical environment.

John's words shocked Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. Neither of them had expected to hear such a thing. John's assessment of Japan was shocking. Weren't the Japanese hypocritical? As Japanese themselves, they naturally understood how hypocritical Japan was, especially in the workplace, where the hypocrisy was terrifying. Sincerity was almost nonexistent in Japan; even sincerity was often absent from family members. That's Japan—always deceiving themselves. Or perhaps this was the brainwashing instilled by those at the top of the pyramid in Japan, a way to better control them.

Such control methods have both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are also obvious. Why was Japan able to develop so rapidly after the war? On the one hand, it was the help from the United States, and on the other hand, it was this hypocritical brainwashing that allowed them to accumulate capital quickly. The disadvantages are also obvious. The whole country is hypocritical, and sincerity is nowhere to be seen. Almost all Japanese people are sick, mentally ill, so their suicide rate is so high, especially since they value face even more.

When a large portion of a nation's population suffers from mental illness, it can lead to boundless disasters when a crisis occurs. The bursting of the real estate bubble and the resulting impact and changes on the Japanese people are a prime example, driving them from one extreme to another. The root cause lies in their ridiculous hypocrisy.

(End of this chapter)