America: My Time

Chapter 1224 Arrangement
Chapter 1214 Arrangements

Where there's profit, there's competition; no one wants to give up what they've already gained, and these old guys in Japan are no exception. However, they lack long-term vision, haven't recognized their own limitations, and lack resources. Although they've been planning for years, they've consistently faced external attacks. In contrast, Quantum Mining and Asian Energy haven't faced as much pressure or resistance; while not exactly smooth sailing, they've also experienced relatively calm and uneventful times.

Japan's influence is far less than that of the United States, and John's status always deters many from acting recklessly. Of course, in the Japanese conglomerate's overseas resource acquisitions, much of the resistance comes from John, or more accurately, from his offshore funds. Those guys think Quantum Mining is simply absorbing its previous assets, but they're overthinking it. John has hidden power and precognitive abilities; naturally, he wants to keep those world-class mines under his control.

As Quantum Mining also made some moves, John gradually disappeared from the public eye, leading many to believe that Quantum Mining was no longer entirely John's business, but that other people had joined in. After all, the names of those offshore companies were enough to say it all, except that these offshore companies all belonged to John.

The US suspects John lured the Japanese conglomerates into the fray, while the Japanese suspect the US conglomerates reached an agreement with John. This is a complicated situation that's impossible to explain, and no one has ever doubted John's willingness to share profits; after all, the numerous IPOs of his conglomerates speak for themselves.

“Next, you need to put aside everything else and focus your attention on ‘Sei-shin Bank.’ At the very least, you need to have sufficient oversight capabilities to know the bank’s fund movements at any time!” After the integration of ‘Sei-shin Bank’ was completed, John made this decision directly, asking Kikuchi Momoko to put aside her other matters and concentrate on ‘Sei-shin Bank’.

Although John's plan succeeded this time, and he got everything he wanted, many compromises were made behind the scenes. Many businesses had to be abandoned, especially the securities business, which 'New Bank' took over very little of. In contrast, the bank's deposit business was not affected.

The guys in Japan weren't optimistic about the current storage business, but that was John's goal. Because this venture had succeeded, John needed someone he could completely trust to oversee the bank's cash flow.

“But I have no experience in this area and know nothing about banking operations. I’m afraid I’ll mess things up if I take over ‘Seishin Bank’!” Kikuchi Momoko said with a worried expression. Although she also longed to take over ‘Seishin Bank’, she felt that she lacked the ability to handle the position.
"I don't need you to manage 'New Life Bank,' I just need you to supervise it, keep track of the bank's cash flow, and prevent anyone from manipulating it. All you need to do is supervise the bank's systems and keep a close eye on the cash flow. As for the professional matters, leave them to the professionals. 'New Life Bank' has integrated too many assets right now, and it will be difficult to stabilize in a short period of time, so I need someone I can completely trust to do this."

When John put it that way, Momoko Kikuchi naturally understood what she should do. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll put down what I'm doing now. But, Riko-nee, are you going to come with me to the 'New Life Bank'?"

"Let her go. With her insight and methods, she should be able to help you a lot; this is no small matter. If you don't have someone you can trust in the bank, it will be difficult to get things done. Remember, your job is to supervise, not to interfere with the bank's operations. If you discover anything, notify me immediately!"

'Seijin Bank' is a crucial channel for John to obtain funds from Japan in the future. John won't let such a good opportunity pass him by. With the Japanese government's frenzied spending, Japan will soon enter an era of astonishingly low interest rates, which will also lead to Japan's massive overseas investments. John is now positioning himself in advance, waiting for the era of low interest rates to arrive!

Soon, the Japanese government could no longer hold on. With the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis, the pressure on Japan would become even more severe, forcing it to adopt loose monetary policies. Its own intervention was merely a matter of time.

"I will come up with a plan for the bank shares as soon as possible, so you don't need to worry about anything!" John had already made preparations and arrangements regarding the share issue. After all, 'Seishin Bank' would take over the business of all his companies in Japan. With such a huge cash flow as support, as long as there are no major problems, it will definitely have amazing development.

Pre-arranged shareholding division is essential to avoid future conflicts of interest. It's precisely to prevent such a situation that John told Kikuchi Momoko so directly. John's name won't appear regarding the shareholding details, but the fund company will undoubtedly hold the majority of the shares.

Staying hidden behind the scenes is what John has always been doing, and the same applies to 'New Life Bank'—at least outwardly, there can be no connection between them and him. Even if those guys in Japan know what's going on, John will insist on doing this, otherwise his assets would be too staggering. This is where Martin Jr.'s and John's children's personal funds come in handy, each holding a portion of the shares. Of course, this also puts those guys in Japan at ease; otherwise, given their cunning, who knows what kind of schemes and plots await him.

"What should we do about the official invitation to the cocktail party?" Kikuchi Momoko brought up another headache for John. The invitation was from the Japanese government, and he hadn't originally planned to have any deeper exchanges with these Japanese guys. He was just going to take the benefits and leave. As long as 'Seishin Bank' quickly got back to normal, he would leave Tokyo and go to South Korea. Things there couldn't be delayed any longer, or something unexpected might happen.

“Let’s go. Let Akiko and Nanako come back. There are some things we need to show, otherwise people will feel uneasy!” John shook his head as he said this. Naoko had already returned to Kyoto, and Nakamori Akina had been in Australia and rarely returned to Japan. It was because her family was too greedy.

Of course, there were also some shady characters behind this family, but John didn't bother with them. If everything were brought to light, it wouldn't be good for anyone, so it was better to remain oblivious.

The saying "a man's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant" applies here. These guys in Japan are all eyeing John, wanting to take back the assets he acquired from them. They had this idea when Nissan started making a profit, but unfortunately, they had no chance. Nissan's profits are still thanks to Bentley's presence in the European and American markets. Similarly, as a result of streamlining its operations, Nissan now sources its parts from the Bentley Group. This isn't just the case for Nissan; the same applies to South Korea.

It is precisely because of this supply system that they were not impacted by the Asian financial crisis, faring much better than other Japanese car companies. And it is precisely because of this that those Japanese guys have become greedy again.

In the eyes of these Japanese guys, John possesses high-quality assets: oil refineries, chemical plants, pharmaceuticals, retail, clothing and cosmetics, automobiles, media and entertainment. They covet all of these, but they can't do anything about it. John's status makes them hesitant to act rashly, and John is no longer as easy to talk to as he used to be.

After Akio Morita retired, John's relationship with Japan clearly changed, and John spent less and less time in Japan. All of this indicated that John's attitude towards them was changing. As the Japanese guys discussed when they were devising a plan, they had brought this all upon themselves. If they had been more sincere, things wouldn't have come to this point. But how could those greedy Japanese zaibatsu possibly do that?

Both are convenience stores, but 7-Eleven has made a comeback and quickly caught up with Sony. The reason is obvious: Sony acquired 7-Eleven outright, but just a few years later, 7-Eleven has returned to its former glory. Why is this? It's not just a management issue, but also a resource supply problem.

Behind 7-Eleven convenience stores are massive factories, with production facilities spread across Asia, which allowed 7-Eleven to recover quickly. Sony, however, doesn't have that kind of strength; achieving such a layout is no easy feat. Most importantly, 7-Eleven has markets not only in Asia but also in North America and Europe, ensuring the factories can operate normally.

Japan's economy is now declining again, and the public's reaction is predictable. Luxury goods are no longer their goal; affordable 7-Eleven convenience stores are their loyal choice. From now on, Japan will be trapped in a vicious cycle of low desire and apathy. If they had any hope of turning things around before, that hope has vanished since the Asian financial crisis. Public morale is dead; even the best policies will be ineffective!

Japan is facing not only the problem of an aging population, but also many other problems, especially the problem of people's hearts and minds. Some people could not accept John's statement and did not believe that the Japanese people would go from one extreme to the other, but reality has slapped them in the face.

(End of this chapter)