America: My Time

Chapter 1059 Insidious Scheme

Chapter 1049 Insidious Scheme

While it's desirable and advantageous to be on both sides, more often than not, it results in pleasing neither. Akio Morita, that old guy, wants to maximize his profits, but such a situation is rare. After all, not everyone can achieve this, and balancing the pros and cons is difficult. If John hadn't been so accommodating and trying to extract more benefits from Japan, he wouldn't have received such courtesy, nor would he have given those Japanese guys any face. Do they really think John has no temper? His friendliness is ultimately about self-interest.

Akio Morita himself understood all of this, but he didn't care, or rather, he believed he could handle it, which was why he was so certain. As for who was behind it all, perhaps Toyota was just the visible entity, and Akio Morita didn't want to discuss that matter further.

"Alright, that's enough for you to know about this. Don't have any contact with her. Just pretend she never existed. Even if she comes to you, don't offer any help. Many things are beyond your control. Her life or death has nothing to do with you. She chose this path herself, and she has to bear the consequences herself, no matter how bitter or difficult. When she made this decision, she should have understood the pressure and danger behind it. You can talk to the other people around John without any problem, but not her!" Akio Morita's words were cold, but also very realistic. He was absolutely right. This was not something Riko could interfere with, and even Akio Morita didn't want to get involved.

Don't be fooled by Akio Morita's use of women; he only did it to get closer to her. But with Norika Fujiwara, he saw a different possibility—a potentially endless trouble. He didn't want to get himself into that mess, nor did he want to damage his relationship with John. So, he naturally kept his distance from such things.

"I understand!" Riko wasn't stupid. For Akio Morita to remind her so earnestly, it was clear how much trouble was behind this matter. Moreover, in her opinion, the other party had already failed, and such a failure would end badly. Even if John didn't care, she wouldn't have a good outcome. Perhaps Tokyo Bay was her final destination.

In Riko's view, if the other party were even slightly intelligent, they would realize how perilous their situation was, understand that their ridiculous scheme had failed, and need to find a way out. John was the best choice; even if she took the initiative, it was better than becoming a pawn and ending up in a tragic state. Getting involved in such a matter rashly was too dangerous, beyond the control of a woman like her. Moreover, it was far too difficult for a woman without social experience to accomplish all this; even someone as experienced as Riko wouldn't dare accept such a task.

However, Riko also understood that this was Japan; many things couldn't be refused simply because you wanted to, and in many situations, you were powerless to change your circumstances. Many people were able to realize this in time, while many others couldn't, just as she herself had followed Akio Morita back then—she had no choice. Similarly, Naoko's situation was the same, as were Hitomi Kuroki and Akina Nakamori's. Under the oppression of those conglomerates, they had no power to resist and had no choice but to accept it.

Although Riko understood all of this, she didn't approve of Norika Fujiwara's reaction, because she failed to see the danger behind it all, and her ignorant and foolish behavior would likely backfire soon. As someone with experience, Riko knew all too well how serious the consequences of making the wrong choice could be; she knew plenty of women like her who had ended up in Tokyo Bay!
Making mistakes requires taking responsibility and paying the price. Minor mistakes can be mitigated, as seen in the cases of Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama. Although they made mistakes, they woke up in time, and this time their efforts will be rewarded. A smart person could see at a glance that they were bait placed in Japan by John; if they succeeded, they could change their fate, and clearly they succeeded. However, major mistakes have no possibility of reversal, as is the case with Norika Fujiwara. She will pay the price for her foolishness.

Why did this happen? Was it solely due to the oppression of the conglomerate? No, not entirely. It was more her own foolishness. She was blinded by the conditions offered by the conglomerate, seeing only the benefits of success and not the devastation of failure. Of course, the conglomerate, or anyone else, would never tell her about the dangers involved; they would only use various means to persuade her. This wasn't the first time Riko had encountered such a situation; she had even experienced it herself.

Riko knew perfectly well what Naoko's situation was like back then, and she was even involved. Naoko was simply very lucky and had excellent character, so she had the last laugh and ended up like this. But Riko didn't believe that Norika Fujiwara would have the last laugh; instead, she believed she would pay a heavy price—this was the consequence of greed and ignorance.

Just as Riko was lost in thought, Akio Morita's voice rang out: "Don't you think my decision is a bit cold-blooded and heartless, that I shouldn't have made such a decision? After all, the other party was also arranged by someone with good intentions. As a member of Japan, shouldn't I give her some help? So that she can get out of her predicament and have another chance!"

"No, I didn't think that way. I just wonder why she couldn't see the danger behind it all, why she was so foolish to think she could influence Mr. John. Although she's physically excellent, she didn't consider that such men aren't unheard of. After all, with Mr. John's status, what kind of woman couldn't he find? So I don't understand what she was thinking!" "Heh, what was she thinking? She was blinded by that temptation, even influenced by her past experiences. Her ambitions were sky-high, but her fate was as fragile as paper—that perfectly describes a woman like her. What was supposed to be an opportunity turned into a disaster in her hands. Don't be fooled by her problems and scheming; that scheming wasn't danger, it was opportunity. Unfortunately, she didn't seize the opportunity and only saw that laughable temptation."

Akio Morita's words tore through Riko's heart like a sharp blade, leaving her feeling incredibly heavy-hearted. This was the truth; if Norika Fujiwara had shown even a shred of vigilance or caution, the situation wouldn't have turned out this way. This was the price of youth, the price of greed.

"Remember, under no circumstances should you have any contact with her, and don't try to influence the women around John, or you'll know the consequences!" Akio Morita seemed worried that Riko would do something foolish, so he warned her again. It was astonishing that such a situation was coming from this old man, Akio Morita.

Even without Akio Morita's further warning, Riko wouldn't have done anything so foolish, wouldn't have risked her life. As someone who had been through it all, she deeply understood the danger behind it. Even a big shot like Akio Morita was very wary of it, so how could a weak woman like her dare to do something so foolish? Even if she had a good relationship with Naoko and the others, if she really got into such a situation, she would be doomed.

Countless people in Japan are now watching John, Akio Morita, and even Riko. After all, Riko is a very capable assistant to Akio Morita, and she also has a good relationship with the women around John. Anyone with a little knowledge of the situation knows that Riko has received some benefits from the internet cafe alliance. To these bigwigs, those benefits are insignificant, but what they value is not the profit, but the personal connections behind it.

Why did only Riko get such a good thing, while others didn't? That's because of connections. Having such connections means that Riko is valuable, and it is precisely because she is valuable that she can continue to stay by the side of that old guy, Akio Morita. Moreover, this makes many people want to learn some secrets from Riko.

Although Akio Morita is an obstacle, as long as it doesn't go too far and doesn't cross his bottom line, and it's just about using interactions between women to achieve this, it's not a big deal. After all, such methods are too common in Japan. The old guys in Japan wouldn't be able to see how serious Norika Fujiwara's problems are, and even smart people can see it, since everything is too obvious.

This is why Norika Fujiwara isn't favored by them, and even Toyota doesn't seem to care. Perhaps the scheme behind this isn't Toyota's doing; they're merely acting passively. Of course, some have wondered if it's Mitsui's doing, but no one dares to be certain. After all, there's a huge conspiracy and great danger behind him, and smart people naturally don't want to know too much. Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing; it can even cost you your life!

Because everyone understands this, Norika Fujiwara hasn't changed at all. Even though she desperately wants to change everything and enter high society, she's rejected. Even at school, not everyone is willing to accept her—that's reality. No one is willing to risk offending a big shot like John for her sake.

No matter what schemes Norika Fujiwara has behind her, intelligent people don't want to know or understand them. They keep their distance. Only some fools will flock to Norika Fujiwara like moths to a flame and have in-depth contact with her. These people are either her contacts or just stupid idiots!

(End of this chapter)