America: My Time

Chapter 1159 The Neon Panic

Chapter 1149 The Neon Panic
The turmoil escalated to the point of being out of control. Even if Sony wanted to surrender, it wouldn't work; John wouldn't accept it. And no one could say John's actions were wrong; it was all their own doing. If they hadn't been so greedy, this situation wouldn't have arisen. Sony's men had always believed that Akio Morita was too kind. He could have done things himself, but he insisted on cooperating with John and sharing the profits. Now, wanting to monopolize the profits, they had directly plunged themselves into an even greater crisis. They thought themselves clever, unaware of the hidden motives behind everything. Perhaps they knew, but they chose to pretend not to, because self-interest is a powerful motivator!
Just as John had guessed, and as Lee Boo-jin had feared, those guys in Japan really had no bottom line. When they saw that John didn't react at all, they all got excited and started to act frantically. Under the lure of profit, they didn't hesitate at all and began to frantically poach customers from 7-Eleven convenience stores and internet cafes, acting completely arrogant.

"Damn it, what are those bastards at Sony trying to do? Don't they know the consequences of their actions? They're so short-sighted! After Akio Morita retired, Sony has become what it is today!"

"It's no use saying all this now. Those guys don't care about the overall interests of Japan. They only care about themselves. Now these guys are no longer willing to compromise. They only fight for their own interests. We have warned them, but these guys don't take it seriously at all. Moreover, they have even come to think like the Koreans, believing that John will never give up the Japanese market. So they are not willing to make any compromises. That's their thinking!"

"Didn't those bastards from Mitsui try to persuade them? And aren't they worried about John targeting them in North America? Don't they know how big Sony's market is in North America? Or do they think John can't shake their market share in North America? Or are these guys also cooperating with those bastards in the US?"

"They must have already cooperated with those bastards in the US, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen to start a big fight at this time, and with such obvious actions. We just don't understand why John hasn't reacted at all. If he had made adjustments in time, we could understand, and the situation would have stabilized quickly. But his lack of reaction is very abnormal. I'm worried that the stupid actions of Sony and his buddies will give John enough excuse to target Japan."

"Not only that, those guys are also bringing up TV Tokyo. I don't believe they don't know about our agreement with John. These bastards are trying to drag us into this. I'm even worried that someone might be targeting Japan's energy sector. If this causes problems with our energy cooperation with John, the consequences will be severe. That's energy right under our noses, which could save us a lot of money and give us cheap energy to use, reducing public resentment. We can't afford not to be prepared for this!"

“That makes sense. If such a problem were to occur, we would be in serious trouble. We know the dire situation the Koreans are in. If John cuts off our energy cooperation, the problem will be severe!”

"It shouldn't be like that. After all, there are considerable interests involved, and we are not powerless to stop this cooperation, especially since Asian Energy has taken out a significant loan in this investment."

"Perhaps it's because those guys at Sony saw this that they dared to act recklessly and chose to do something so crazy at this time, dragging us all into the mess and making me face John's wrath."

"We should try to talk to John. If things continue like this, I'm worried there will be bigger problems. I don't think Sony has a good chance in this contest. They're ruining the goodwill that Akio Morita left them. If those Koreans seize the opportunity and pull the cooperation back, we'll be in big trouble!"

Sakhalin Island's energy resources are limited, making it impossible to handle too much output. If problems arise in this area, the consequences will be severe, which is what the Japanese authorities are most worried about. However, they have found that it is now difficult to find someone to mediate. Naoko and Hitomi Kuroki have both left Japan, making it impossible for them to communicate with John.

“Those two guys, Norio Ohga and Nobuyuki Idei, are going to put Sony in danger. Perhaps we should ask Akio Morita to step in. After all, he is still the honorary chairman. Sony has such a big problem, he can’t just turn a blind eye!”

"It's useless to approach Akio Morita now. He's already exhausted all his connections. If Sony has another incident like this, he'll have even less influence. And don't you think John's failure to intervene and his letting things run rampant is an attempt to completely destroy any remaining goodwill? Never underestimate John's abilities. In the eyes of Oga Kio and Idei Nobuyuki, only immediate gains are visible, not long-term benefits. I believe something will happen soon, and when that moment arrives, it will be too late for them to regret it!" "These two guys won't listen to any advice right now, and we can't get them to accept our demands. We can only take it one step at a time and hope everything develops in our favor."

While the Japanese government was struggling with the situation, the conglomerates didn't react much. In their eyes, John wouldn't give up Japan's energy market for such a small matter as Sony. Moreover, such a large investment had already begun, and it wasn't something that could be stopped so easily. If such a situation did occur, their losses wouldn't be too great, but John's losses would be significant.

With John ignoring the issue, the Japanese internet cafe alliance was rapidly collapsing, with franchisees leaving one after another. Soon, the Japanese internet cafe alliance had very few stores left. However, things were not as simple as Sony and the others had imagined. The market they had seized was not as lucrative as they had thought. Just as John had guessed, consumers were not satisfied. They wanted to operate their own platform, which would require a considerable investment, and there were also many conflicts over the division of profits.

In contrast, the retail sector is not too serious. Although many franchisees have left 7-Eleven, the discount stores have not been greatly affected because they are controlled by the retail company itself. So, while there is an impact on retail, the problem is not too serious. It's just that a small number of franchisees have disappeared, making 7-Eleven no longer the largest convenience store chain in Japan, and causing some loss to 7-Eleven's profits.

Problems arose in Japan, and soon Southeast Asia followed suit. Sure enough, some unscrupulous individuals were behind it all. The situation in Japan quickly became known to the Southeast Asian countries, and soon a major problem arose at 7-Eleven convenience stores. Those guys started causing trouble, wanting even more benefits.

The proverb "a snake trying to swallow an elephant" perfectly describes these guys. When it comes to profit, they have no scruples and don't care at all. Their previous development was achieved by leveraging the 7-Eleven convenience store platform.

"See? This is human nature, this is human greed. They've all come, and they're willing to offer any conditions. Do they really think we're philanthropists? What a bunch of greedy bastards! Since they're doing this, we'll grant their wish. Fu Zhen, it's your turn to step in. From now on, gradually liquidate all our assets in Southeast Asia. Sell off everything except the processing plants, and get all the profits we want. They want independence? Then give them that chance!"

Upon hearing John's words, Lee Boo-jin sighed. The worst-case scenario had indeed occurred, and everything was developing in a ridiculous direction. Those guys were truly greedy, wanting the entire 7-Eleven asset in their country. Didn't these fools see that behind this profit lay an even more terrifying network? Even if they obtained the 7-Eleven assets, what difference would it make? The production plants and suppliers were still not under their control.

“Okay, I will handle everything, but we really have to withdraw from Southeast Asia. If we do, it will be difficult for us to go back, and this market will be given to others for nothing!” Lee Boo-jin was still a little reluctant and reluctant to give up this asset.

"If they want it, then give it to them. Not only will I give them these assets, but I will give them all my other assets in Southeast Asia, as long as they can offer enough price. Go ahead, don't worry, everything will be fine. You just need to shift your development focus. There won't be any problems in the British Isles. This much capital is enough for us to grow and expand there!"

Seeing John's calm expression, Lee Boo-jin understood that there was no room for further discussion. Everything had to proceed according to John's plan. She just didn't know how much of an impact this would have on the entire 7-Eleven convenience store chain, or whether it would affect markets in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. As for South Korea, the problem wasn't significant, and no one would be foolish enough to target 7-Eleven or its retail operations at this time. After all, South Korea's external demand was enormous, and they didn't have cheap goods suppliers like 7-Eleven!
(End of this chapter)