America: My Time

Chapter 1179 Giving Akio Morita Face

Chapter 1169 Giving Akio Morita Face
"Akio Morita has intervened?" When John heard Momoko Kikuchi's words, he couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that old man Akio Morita had really been dragged into this again. But what reason did he give for intervening in this matter this time? If it was just an apology, it would lack sincerity. If it was a favor, then this guy had used up all his favors!
"No, but Riko-nee received a request, and now even Sachiko and Nanako have received requests from Sony!"

"As expected, this really was Akio Morita's doing. Only this guy could manipulate people's hearts to this extent. I know what happened, so don't worry. There's no need for Riko to feel any pressure. Let's leave it at that. Have Riko tell Sony that this is the last time. I'm giving Akio Morita face, but there won't be any chance like this next time!"

John is no longer the young man he once was. Years of experience have given him a deep understanding of human nature. He naturally understands the intention behind Akio Morita's actions, but such calculations are futile. Akio Morita is now indebted to John, and John will not give him a chance to refuse.

If Akio Morita hadn't intervened, John wouldn't have been pushing Sony and Panasonic so hard at this time. He couldn't do it himself. Even if he controlled the retail channels, businesses need to make money. The quality of Sony and Panasonic's products was undeniable; no one could resist something that was both high-quality and inexpensive. He could suppress them temporarily, but if this continued, it would also affect the retail businesses. So now that Akio Morita had presented him with an opportunity, he naturally had to seize it.

Of course, once John stops, those guys in Japan will naturally understand what's going on, and his image will be further enhanced, making them think that John is a 'good guy' who values ​​relationships. Even when that old guy Akio Morita has exhausted all his connections, just having someone like Riko intervene is enough to gain John's approval. This image will be elevated, moving those guys in Japan and reducing a lot of trouble for their upcoming plans!
Soon, things changed in North America, Europe, and Asia. The pressure on Sony and Panasonic disappeared. Upon hearing this, Akio Morita couldn't help but sigh. He also learned the message Riko had passed on to Norio Ohga and Nobuyuki Idei. He truly owed them a huge favor; even if John hadn't said anything, those guys in Japan would have known. This time, John had really given him a huge break, sparing not only Sony but also Panasonic!

"Well done, John! Your generosity has truly exceeded my expectations. It seems everyone has underestimated you. However, I'm afraid you can never get this favor back. I'm already an old man!" Soon, Akio Morita shook his head, a faint trace of disappointment flashing in his eyes. Why didn't his descendants have someone like John?

Although John couldn't get a favor back from that old man Akio Morita, the existence of that favor could bring John many more benefits, and the hidden benefits would be astonishingly large. Although Akio Morita understood this, he wouldn't stop it, nor could he. If any gossip got out, it wouldn't be good for him, nor for Sony.

"It's over? Are you sure John's suppression of us is over?" Matsushita's side was shocked. They knew their own situation well. They were very clear about how much they had offended John. Even though they had tried to persuade Nakamori Akina, it hadn't been very effective. But now that it was over, how could they not be shocked!
"It's definitely over. It's over with Sony too. I heard that Akio Morita stepped in and owed John a favor!"

"Heh, a favor? Do you think Akio Morita can repay this favor now? That's just an excuse. I have to say, that old guy Akio Morita has a really sharp eye. We owe Akio Morita a favor now, which we'll have to repay to his descendants in the future."

Now that Akio Morita has retired, favors can't fall on him; they can only be passed on to his descendants. The people at Panasonic understand this. As for Sony, there's no connection whatsoever. Even if there were, the people at Panasonic wouldn't admit it now. They'd only place the favor on Akio Morita personally, or even on Riko and others, not on Sony. Personal favors are easy to repay, but corporate favors are not. These guys are perfectly clear on how to choose!
After the storm subsided, it was already May. Sachiko Kamachi's new single "Forever" was being filmed in the United States. John couldn't understand what these Japanese guys were thinking. Why were they so willing to come to the United States to film? This wasn't the bubble economy era anymore, and it wasn't like Japan lacked the equipment or the talent.

However, this is the norm. It's not just Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media that are like this; other music companies in Japan are the same. When the record industry is experiencing a strong resurgence, record companies don't care about a little bit of money and are willing to pay more.

At this time, under the arrangement of Phoenix Cinemas, Titanic was released worldwide. Meanwhile, Soros and his cronies had already begun to take action and start making their plans. John paid no attention to any of this; this was the result he wanted.

Soon, the big ship began its legendary journey. Although John's intervention led to its early release, it didn't change its fate. Initially, it didn't achieve the blockbuster everyone expected, but rather a lackluster performance. Yes, for such a massive investment, the results were rather mediocre, with many even predicting a failure. However, these predictions were quickly proven wrong. The box office didn't plummet as they feared, but steadily increased, defying the trend. With a global release, it quickly achieved a result that satisfied Legendary Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, and the heavy pressure on Cameron gradually dissipated.

Faced with pessimism from the public and a poor start, Cameron was under the most pressure because he knew how many people he had offended during the filming of the aerial project. If it weren't for John, the big boss, keeping him in check, he probably would have been replaced long ago. But in the end, even John, the big boss, couldn't stand his persistence.

If this project had failed, Cameron knew in his heart that it would have been the end of his directing career, and no one would have asked him to direct anymore. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not happen, which relieved him.

As the legend of the big ship began, the winds of Hollywood shifted again. Everyone started praising Cameron, ignoring his many flaws. However, they had no further ambitions. The reason was simple: they all knew the crazy things Cameron was doing in this project. Not everyone could do what John did and give Cameron such great trust.

Even Time Warner wouldn't dare to just make a decision on a project with Cameron on a whim. If something goes wrong, the consequences won't be easy to resolve. Everyone is well aware of this. So now Cameron is just praising the project, but no one is urging him to start a new one.

Even Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and MGM Studios stopped working with Cameron, which shows how bad his reputation was. Producers practically avoided him; no one was willing to risk their future!
As the ship sailed smoothly, John shifted his focus, awaiting the arrival of the Southeast Asian financial crisis and the moves of Soros and his ilk. Although no immediate signs of trouble had emerged, John was closely monitoring every action of Soros and his associates. As the Federal Reserve's henchman, Soros wasn't acting alone; whenever he made a move, the entire Wall Street would be backing him.

At this time, not only were Soros and his ilk making frantic preparations, but John was also making numerous preparations. His previously laid-out plan was proceeding smoothly. Compared to Soros and his ilk, John's preparations were more thorough and more effective. Without alerting anyone, all the funds were ready to be deployed.

John's principle is to never fire the first shot himself. He insists that Soros be the one to take the lead. John doesn't want to be seen as a financial speculator or bear a bad reputation. He's willing to earn less, but he absolutely cannot have a bad reputation. If anyone has to be infamous, it has to be Soros, just like the other financial groups in the US.

Don't be fooled by Soros's flamboyant actions; he's just a henchman, a henchman thrust into the open. The financial giants in the US are all preparing, poised to strike, and Hurricane Investment is no exception. However, Hurricane Investment is following John's plan: absolutely no sticking out, no firing shots, just quietly entering the village!
Given the current situation, John doesn't want to stay in the US any longer. As soon as Soros makes a move, his own plans will follow, and many people will come knocking on his door. This is not the outcome John wants. He doesn't want to get entangled with those old guys; they are not good people, and he doesn't want to get involved.

At this moment, John thought of Japan. It was time to go there and build up his image, and also to visit Akio Morita, that old guy. Although he had retired, he still had influence. John wanted to see how Japan would react!

(End of this chapter)