America: My Time

Chapter 1180 Reunion with Akio Morita
Chapter 1107 Reunion with Akio Morita

John's reason for going to Japan was quite good: he used Nissan as a shield. Nissan has undergone many transformations, including a shift in its parts procurement, with most of the work now done in China and the US. This shift has been met with considerable discussion within Japan, as Nissan is a major Japanese automaker, and losing these orders would put enormous pressure on parts manufacturers.

However, although John's stated reason for visiting Nissan was to inspect the company, many people believed that he was there for Japan's energy strategy. Now that Asian energy has completed the oil pipeline to Japan and started supplying it, how could John possibly ignore such a significant matter, or have no thoughts about it at all?

Many people have already seen through the energy strategy and John's grand plans. So when John went to Japan, they immediately doubted his reasons, seeing them as mere excuses and that his real purpose was something else entirely. What in Japan could John possibly value? The answer is Asian Energy. Once the supply from Japan begins, funds will flow back to Asian Energy, and at that point, Asian Energy will have no worries about its cash flow.

Unfortunately, these guys were overthinking it. John was focused on the Asian economic crisis and was preparing to take control of Asia, using Soros's influence to get everything he wanted from South Korea and Japan, while also teaching those guys in Southeast Asia a lesson, letting them know how terrible the consequences would be if they tried to scheme against him.

At this time, those guys in Southeast Asia still felt that they had gotten everything they wanted from John, and that they had obtained a promising and high-quality asset. The reason they had this illusion was because John had not yet ordered the supply to be cut off. As soon as John made a ruthless decision to cut off their supplies, these guys would know why the flowers were so red.

"Momoko, come with me to Morita-san's house. We're in Japan, we have to see him!" While it would be best to bring Naoko along to see Akio Morita, since it was Morita who orchestrated this, and regardless of his motives, Naoko still owes him a favor. However, Naoko isn't currently living in Japan but in China, leaving John with no choice but to choose Kikuchi Momoko, as she's his chosen representative in Japan.

Riko also went with John and Kikuchi Momoko. In any case, that old guy Akio Morita still made an arrangement for Riko in the end. Moreover, without Akio Morita's influence, she would not have been able to get together with Kikuchi Momoko. Therefore, Riko had to show her gratitude in every way.

Everyone hopes their friends and acquaintances are loyal and kind, not ungrateful. Therefore, Riko couldn't refuse; doing so would be incredibly foolish! At the same time, she understood that John and Momoko Kikuchi had good intentions in bringing her along. If this visit became known to outsiders, Riko's future would be much easier. At least people would be more considerate of Akio Morita and John and refrain from causing her trouble. In short, as long as Riko didn't do anything outrageous, generally no one would bother her.

“Mr. Morita. Long time no see, you look quite well!” John smiled faintly when he saw Akio Morita. Meeting an 'old friend' naturally brought a sense of ease. John and Akio Morita had known each other for over a decade, though Akio Morita now looked much older.

Most importantly, John knew that this old guy didn't have many years left to live. If he could create some character traits for him, that would be a good thing and would also make good use of the old guy.

"John, I didn't expect you to come see me. To be honest, I'm the one who's wronged you. Sony caused such a huge mess and such serious consequences. I can only say that my choice of successor was flawed. My judgment wasn't good enough, and he caused you trouble. If it weren't for our past relationship, this matter wouldn't have ended so easily!" At this moment, the old man Akio Morita adopted a very humble attitude and apologized to John immediately.

"It's nothing. Given our friendship, I can't push things too far for your sake. It's just that I don't understand where I offended them. Not long after you retired, they started targeting me directly, and they've made things completely out of control. To be honest, I really hate them. If it weren't for your intervention, this matter wouldn't have ended like this. You know how much I've lost. My entire Southeast Asian operations have collapsed, forcing me to go to Europe to open up new markets."

“I understand your difficulties. To be honest, it’s not entirely their fault. They are also victims. The United States and oil capital are behind this. They just couldn’t refuse!” John said dismissively, “Heh, I know. It’s just the lure of profit. They were tempted by the benefits those guys offered, so they made this betrayal. They just didn’t expect those guys to be so ungrateful. They didn’t give them anything they wanted. They became pawns in their hands and henchmen.”

"Yes, I warned those two guys long ago not to be tempted by profits and not to get involved in the struggles in the United States. That's not something they should be involved in, but they still couldn't resist the temptation and made this wrong choice." As he spoke, Akio Morita couldn't help but sigh. He was also very annoyed with Norio Ohga and Nobuyuki Idei, but now everything was out of his control. Sony was no longer something he could completely control.

"Actually, you don't need to cover for those people. Is it just a matter of the US and oil? I don't think so. There are also people in Japan who want to target me. Otherwise, things wouldn't have escalated so much, there wouldn't be people making moves in Southeast Asia, and the internet cafe alliance wouldn't have faced such difficulties in Japan. I'm not here to talk to you about these guys, nor am I trying to target them. There's no need for that. You and I both know how hypocritical those guys are, and they will pay a heavy price for their stupidity."

“You’re right. You can’t do something wrong without paying the price. Sony is like that, Panasonic is like that, and those people are no exception. But you didn’t come to Japan for this, did you? It’s not about Nissan either. You came for Asia Energy. Actually, many people have already thought of this. Once Asia Energy’s supply to Japan starts, the cash flow problem can be solved, and Asia Energy’s biggest weakness will also be remedied.”

"That's definitely one of the reasons. I was worried that those guys might have connections with some people in the US and cause trouble over this matter, so I had to make a trip here to make sure there wouldn't be any problems. Of course, I also made the worst-case scenario preparations. If someone really insists on causing trouble, then we'll have to give up. The oil pipeline in China is almost finished, so if there are any problems in Japan, they'll be able to go all out."

"John, since you know that some people don't want to see you build that oil pipeline, why do you insist on doing it? Investing so much money, and such a long pipeline, didn't you ever consider the possibility of failure?" Akio Morita asked John with a puzzled look. This was actually a question that many people wanted to know, not just Akio Morita's!
"I have no choice. The global market is only so big. If I choose the Europeans, I will face a lot of resistance. In comparison, China is the best choice. Not only can it enable Asian energy resources to circulate quickly there, but it can also gain a high-quality customer. I don't believe you can't see China's huge potential. With China's market, do you think it will be terrifying in the future? Even if I face some pressure now, I will not give up. After all, this is a huge amount of profit!"

When John brought up the Chinese market and its benefits, Akio Morita nodded in agreement. The reason Sony entered China was precisely for its huge market, but they arrived a little late because their initial target was North America and Europe, not China.

“John, I personally understand your thinking, but many people will not understand or be willing to accept it. You can start the project smoothly this time, but even if this oil pipeline is completed in the future, there will be considerable troubles. You should be careful.”

John wasn't surprised when he heard Akio Morita's words. It would have been a problem if Morita hadn't reminded him. It was in Morita's interest to remind him, because once he spoke up, he could get closer to John and even slightly repair the relationship between Sony and John.

However, Akio Morita was overthinking things. John wasn't too concerned about any of this, because his own plans were far more ambitious and far-reaching than that old man's. John wasn't after short-term gains, but long-term benefits. That old man, Akio Morita, couldn't have imagined how powerful China would become, or how terrifying its market would be! As long as his plan succeeded, John would be invincible in China and would have an absolute advantage in the petrochemical industry. That's the importance of resources.

(End of this chapter)