America: My Time

Chapter 996 The Shocking Change in the Market

Chapter 986 The Shocking Change in the Market
John's words had a great impact on Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama, even overturning their beliefs. After all, not disturbing others was a rule they had learned since childhood, but John made it sound like this, calling it hypocrisy.

"My requirements for you are actually very simple: 'sincerity.' Don't always be suspicious of your own people, always on guard against this and that. This isn't a good thing, and I can't accept it. They say women dress up for those they want to please, and I've felt that in Naoko, Sachiko, and even Chisato and Momoko. But I've never seen that in you. Everything you do feels professional, fake, and hypocritical. Think about it. I'm giving you time and a chance to change, and I hope to see results. If you can't do it, then our relationship is over. I don't have the energy or time to cater to your feelings!"

Was John's statement harsh? Not at all. At least he pointed out the problems with Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. If they were with those big shots in Japan, they would have been kicked out long ago. They really think they're so great. In the face of capital and power, they are just ants. No one cares about their feelings. Unfortunately, they have never realized their own problems and always think they are doing the right thing. In fact, they are the most foolish ones.

The reason why that old man Akio Morita was so eager to understand John's reaction was still about sincerity and friendship. Business tycoons and political elites prefer to befriend sincere people because these people won't betray them, abandon them after helping them, or kick them when they're down; they'll lend a hand in times of trouble. But in reality, such people are rare. The trials of society have made everyone hypocritical.

This is their last chance. If Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama still can't seize it and make changes, then they will lose everything, even their ten years. When John put it this way, they had no way out. Expecting a powerful businessman to care about their feelings or even tolerate their little tantrums was a joke. For a tycoon, women are never in short supply; they are readily available. If they can't even accept this, they have no future. The true nature of Japanese women is nowhere to be seen in these two.

Both Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama displayed foolish behavior, as did Norika Fujiwara. She too treated her beauty as a weapon, as capital. In front of powerful figures, this is utterly laughable. If Fujiwara had been more honest and open about her situation, things wouldn't be like this. However, she also failed to recognize her own shortcomings, naturally leading to her exclusion. Unlike Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama, who at least had no ill intentions and posed no harm to others, Fujiwara was entirely different, hence her rejection.
Perhaps in many people's eyes, Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, and Sachiko Kamachi are all foolish—not competing or vying for anything, even voluntarily giving up so much wealth and status. But it's not that they're foolish; it's those who are self-righteous who are foolish. Without their sincerity, how could they have earned John's approval? Beauty alone is a joke!
In high society, sincerity is highly valued because everyone appreciates having such a friend, as it serves as a safety net for themselves and their families. The higher one climbs, the more cautious one becomes, making numerous contingency plans for oneself and one's descendants. This explains why the cooperation between John and Morgan went so smoothly, and why the American financial groups did not exclude John, even Rockefeller held back. In short, it was John's 'sincerity' and John's 'reputation'.

Look at the situation after the collapse of Russia. Why was John so popular in Russia, Russia II, and other divided countries? Why did the trade with Russia continue? It was because of John's 'integrity'. No one was worried that John would deceive them. This is the best weapon, an invincible weapon!

Unfortunately, many people, after calming down and analyzing the situation carefully, can understand all of this, but they would never do it themselves. Just like John's help to Toyota, although it was an open scheme with its own calculations, everything was out in the open and it was also beneficial to Toyota. So people can only remember John's good deeds, not the possible scheming behind it, otherwise you will be despised!

Business warfare is like a battlefield. No one goes without a plan. So no matter how brilliant John's schemes are, all people see are the benefits Toyota gains. If Toyota doesn't appreciate John's kindness, it will be looked down upon. No matter how much you analyze the calculations behind it, no one will accept it. If you do that, you will only gain people's resentment and contempt, or even rejection.

Everything has two sides. If you reap the benefits, you must bear the responsibility. You can't expect to get all the benefits and avoid any consequences; such a "good deal" doesn't exist and wouldn't be accepted in the business world! While John was talking with Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama, Momoko Kikuchi came in and told John the news she had received, awaiting his decision. Kikuchi felt that such an important matter was beyond her ability to handle! Although she knew John was talking with Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama, she still came in to inform them; she understood the importance and urgency of the matter.
"Someone's entered the fray. I didn't expect there to be such reckless individuals in Japan, daring to enter at this time and under these circumstances! Well, that's fine. If they don't court death, they won't die. I hope they won't regret it later! For now, let's ignore everything and continue as usual. We'll stop once we've secured the commercial real estate we've reserved. If they really have the ability to revive the market, then we'll sell our assets. There's no reason not to make money when there's an opportunity!"

John was somewhat surprised when he learned that some of those guys in Japan had re-entered the real estate market. He hadn't expected there to be fools in Japan who thought their acquisitions were bargain hunting for real estate. It was almost unbelievable. However, upon closer reflection, it made sense. After all, this was Japan, and these guys always had a gambler's mentality at their core. He just wondered how many people would fall into the trap this time, and how many would end up on the rooftop.

John doesn't care about the Dead Sea situation with these Japanese guys. If they can revitalize Japan's commercial real estate market, the Mandarin Oriental Group can sell off its assets at any time with enough profit and then withdraw again. The more of these guys who die, the better. Whether there are oil-based capital or European backers behind them is hard to say, after all, John and these guys are now enemies, even mortal enemies, since they disapprove of John's friendship with Middle Eastern tycoons.

Was it unexpected? It was a little unexpected, but it didn't surprise John too much. After all, these Japanese guys were capable of anything. It was perfectly normal for them to betray their friends to protect themselves, especially since there were American conglomerates behind it. So John wasn't too concerned about their reactions. In fact, this was exactly the situation John wanted. If these guys didn't take action, his plan would be wasted.

Kikuchi Momoko said with some concern, "However, I'm worried that it will be difficult to sell our properties. After all, although housing prices have rebounded somewhat, there aren't many transactions, and the market seems to be all talk and no action!"

Hearing this, John smiled calmly: "Don't worry, sell if you can, and hold on if you can't. Now that someone's entering the market, that's a good thing. You don't need to feel any pressure. We're just watching how the market changes. This is a minor matter; the real big thing hasn't happened yet. Just keep an eye on everything here!"

In John's eyes, this was indeed a minor matter. With the amount of real estate he had acquired, it was insignificant. Whether the price surged or plummeted, it wouldn't have a major impact. His layout in Japan was complete; everything now depended on the reactions of those Japanese companies. However, these companies wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Toshiba had already obtained products from the American navigation company and received their technical support. With Toshiba's capabilities, it would soon have considerable production capacity.

John was completely unconcerned about these guys' products; everything was under his control. The Japanese had initially been wary, worried about a surge in production capacity in Taiwan and China, but they were unaware of John's plan. Even if Japan had sufficient production capacity to meet the needs of the Japanese automaker, could their product quality compare to global satellite navigation companies? Absolutely not. Their chips couldn't compare to Nvidia, their storage lagged behind ASUS, and their software optimization was even worse! Most importantly, John had prepared a trump card for them, waiting to be unleashed at the crucial moment to deliver a fatal blow!
How long will it take for the storm to break out in Japan? John thinks it will be no more than three months, or even less. After all, those guys are vying for the navigation device market, especially the Japanese guys who have already secretly reached an agreement and are plotting against John and global satellite navigation companies!

(End of this chapter)