America: My Time

Chapter 1274 The Pressure Behind Everything

Chapter 1264 The Pressure Behind Everything

Seeing Christy Turlington's reaction, Claudia Schiffer shook her head, as if she didn't take his words to heart. With her intelligence, she sensed something was amiss with today's situation, but she didn't say anything more, after all, John must have his reasons for doing this.

Is it normal for Kate Beckinsale and Charlize Theron to appear? And is it normal for Zeng Li, a beautiful woman she's never known before, to appear? In her opinion, it's not normal. This is sending a signal to the outside world. She even feels that John's plan is more sophisticated than she thought. At this time, it's best not to do anything that shouldn't be done.

Just as Claudia Schiffer was deep in thought, John's voice rang out: "Claudia, are you still going to stick with acting? Have you ever thought about learning management?"

When John's voice rang out, Claudia Schiffer paused, then shook her head and said, "That's not the life I want. It's too tiring. I'm happy with my life now; this is what I want!"

John was slightly taken aback. Although it was expected, Claudia Schiffer's reaction still left John with a slight sense of disappointment. What was to come would not be so simple. Once those old guys like Rockefeller got moving, their power would be formidable and would bring him considerable benefits.

"Fine, if you don't want to, then so be it!" At this moment, John was also feeling a bit depressed. He still lacked people he could trust. After all, the changes in the media and entertainment industry would require him to have more manpower, people he could trust.

Claudia Schiffer's rejection surprised the group of beauties. Although John didn't specify what kind of opportunity it was, everyone understood it was in the media and entertainment industry, as he had mentioned it before. It was clear John was aiming to expand his influence in Europe and America; otherwise, he wouldn't have rejected Claudia Schiffer.

At this moment, John sighed again. He still needed to talk to his uncle; his uncle was the only one he could really squeeze out. As if his wish had come true, the phone rang just as John was pondering this.

When he answered the phone, his uncle's voice came through: "John, has your mother arrived in the capital yet? Has she mentioned my matter? You'd better cover for me!"

Upon hearing the voice, John smiled faintly. At that moment, everyone stopped talking to avoid disturbing John. Anyone who could reach John's private satellite phone at this time was clearly someone of high status.

"Uncle, Mother has already arrived in Beijing. We were just talking about your situation. You can't pin this blame on me. I haven't affected you at all. Don't use me as a shield. Think about how you're going to explain things during the summer break. I can't help you. I can't handle this kind of pressure!"

"John, only you can help me now. If you can help me get through this, I'll agree to any conditions you set!"

“Seriously, this is no joke. If you can really do this, I'll agree. Otherwise, forget it. I don't want to bear the wrath of my grandmother and mother. You should know how terrible that is!” At this moment, John's smile widened, and he looked very happy.

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you?" Even though Justin knew there was a trap, he still agreed. After all, he didn't have much time left and really didn't want to be pressured to get married.

"Okay, it's a deal. I need to ask you for a favor now. You will take full control of all affairs of Elite Brokerage in Europe. I need to make some changes to the staff there. Can you do that?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible, I can't do it!" Justin on the other end of the phone was shocked by John's conditions. If he agreed to John's terms, how could he continue to live a carefree life!

"If you can't do it, then find me someone capable of taking over. I believe you can do it. If you can't even handle this, then there's nothing I can do. You'll have to take responsibility for your own actions!"

"Okay, you win. I'll help you, but you know this requires preparation beforehand, so you'd better think it through."

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. The management over there needs to be reshuffled, and I need to further integrate the group!" John knew what his uncle was worried about, after all, this was no small matter.

"Alright, I'll get back to you as soon as possible, but you also need to keep an eye on my affairs, and don't forget about them!"

"I know, don't worry. As long as you do this well, I'll handle things with Grandma and Mother for you. Hurry up!" John could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The problem in Europe was over; now it was the problem in the US, and this time things were going to be even more chaotic than before. If those old guys made a move, they would definitely unleash a major attack.

“Phew! Thank goodness I didn’t accept, or I might have had to go back to Europe!” Claudia Schiffer breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had been frightened by John’s earlier suggestion. “You’re overthinking it. John wouldn’t do that. If I’m not mistaken, he needs someone to take control of the elite talent agency in the US. He’s making preparations in case something goes wrong with Victoria’s Secret!” Christie Turlington immediately understood. Clearly, there were problems with the elite talent agency in the US, otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a hurry to arrange personnel.

“That won’t work either. Elite Talent’s headquarters are in New York, not Hollywood. I don’t want to go to New York.” Claudia Schiffer still felt she was right and that refusing was not the best decision.

"You can't be an actress forever, and you still haven't made any progress. You're still just a pretty face. Is there any point in continuing like this? Why don't you take this opportunity to change direction? Even if you don't want to take over the management company, you can make other choices. This consolidation is quite significant. Haven't you thought about the future?"

"What do I have to think about? At worst, I'll just lie down like them. I don't believe you don't know about Jennifer Connelly's situation. She's living a much more comfortable life than you. If I have a baby, I'll just lie down too. There's nothing wrong with that!"

When Christie Turlington heard Claudia Schiffer's words, he was completely disgusted. What kind of people are these? Why do they all want to learn from others and just give up? Don't these guys have any ambition at all?
However, upon seeing Lee Boo-jin and Momoko Kikuchi, Christie Turlington regained her energy. She couldn't be like them; lying down wasn't for her. But she didn't notice the flicker of hesitation in Claudia Schiffer's eyes. If she truly wanted to lie down, she wouldn't have persisted. Perhaps she had her own thoughts, or perhaps even Christie Turlington herself had her own.

Soon the beauties dispersed, and John shook his head. Only Zeng Li remained, as she wasn't very familiar with the area. This was her first time visiting this courtyard house! John wouldn't have come here if there hadn't been so many people; it was just too spacious.

"Sit down, don't be nervous. I brought you here today just so you can meet my parents. There's no problem with my mother, but you still need to meet my parents and let them get to know me. As for the others, it's up to you whether you want to interact with them or not. There's no need to put yourself in a difficult position. You might be wondering why I made this choice and feel some pressure, but things aren't as serious as you think. In the past, it was always in the United States, but this year is different. It has to be in China, and this year is different from previous years because we are in the midst of the Asian financial crisis. Many things will be over-interpreted."

At this point, John couldn't help but sigh. If he could, he wouldn't want to cause such a commotion, as it wasn't a good thing. But now he had no choice. Otherwise, the Americans, the Japanese, even the Koreans would have different opinions, and even the Europeans would have their own thoughts.

John was indeed a womanizer, but no normal man is immune to infidelity; the saying "money corrupts men" is absolutely true. However, for someone of John's status and position, everything becomes different, especially with many people watching him, making every move subject to speculation.

Now, whether it's Japan or South Korea, they're all watching him closely, even plotting against him. Not to mention those guys in the US and Europe. As soon as those old fogies like Rockefeller make a move, everything will change. He has to be cautious and careful, or he'll pay a heavy price.

"Since we're here today, I'll talk to you about this. I'm sure you've noticed the differences between them. Let's start with Japan. Each of them has some connection to a Japanese conglomerate. If they didn't participate, someone would have to take responsibility. This doesn't mean they have a huge connection with those conglomerates; it just means they've all had dealings with them in the past."

At this point, John couldn't help but sigh softly, as if he had returned to more than ten years ago, his mind filled with many thoughts, and a slight change appeared in his eyes.

"I believe you have some understanding of the people in Japan, but you may not know much about Japan itself. The Japanese entertainment industry is more terrifying and cruel than you imagine. Hong Kong and China are nothing compared to Japan and South Korea. Naoko was my first woman. To be honest, back when I was working with Akio Morita, she was given to me as a gift. Beautiful female PR people are perfectly normal there."

When Zeng Li heard John's words, she was utterly shocked; it all seemed unbelievable to her.

"Shocking, isn't it? This is reality. Debuting as an idol means you have the lowest status among Japanese entertainers, and you're also the most exploited. Naoko is alright; at least she was mentally prepared. Kuroki Hitomi was pushed out without any preparation. In the eyes of the conglomerates, they had no choice but to accept her, because once you're targeted, there's no way out. Once you're involved in this industry, there's no way out unless you lose your value. Kuroki Hitomi is relatively fortunate; Nakamori Akina is the most tragic one. She seems to be forced by the conglomerates, but actually, she was forced by her family, betrayed by her relatives, and constantly leeched off by them. Can you imagine how difficult her situation is? Can you feel her despair?"

At this point, John shook his head and sighed. He didn't really want to bring it all up, but for some reason, he wanted to vent his frustration and pressure. It would be a lie to say he wasn't under pressure from the scheming of Rockefeller and his ilk, but he couldn't show it.

"Isn't anyone going to resist?" Zeng Li asked cautiously.

"Resistance? You're too naive. What do you think they are compared to the powerful conglomerates? Do you think they can stand up to these all-powerful corporations? Don't think too highly of them. They'll do anything for profit. Although Hong Kong and Taiwan aren't oppressed by conglomerates, they're plagued by organized crime. The glory of Hong Kong cinema was fueled by them. Their current decline is also their fault. Back then, no matter how big a star you were, you had to face their oppression. If you have time, you can try to get to know them. They're not as difficult to approach as you think."

"You really don't care about our choices?"

"What's there to worry about? Everyone has their own thoughts and decisions, and I won't interfere. You can rest assured about that. Even if you don't want to go down this path in the future, it's not a problem if you want to give up. Look at Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, Misue, Zhang Yuyan, and Sunny, they all chose to give up. One more person like you won't make a difference. Don't put pressure on yourself. The study abroad arrangements are all set. There are no problems with Stanford, and your mother is also a professor at Stanford. She can take care of things whenever she wants. Let her go there early next summer to get used to the environment."

Actually, there were some things John didn't say. The reason he chose Zeng Li instead of Li Bingbing wasn't because he looked down on Li Bingbing, but because he was in a difficult position. Too many people were watching him. If he gave those old guys an excuse, he believed the US would cause trouble again, especially those oil tycoons. If he gave them an excuse, they would definitely make things difficult for him; those guys were cunning and ruthless. This was also why Charlize Theron and Kate Beckinsale were present. Every move he made was being over-analyzed, and many people were waiting for him to make a mistake. Therefore, he had to be cautious and careful in everything he did, lest he bring unnecessary trouble upon himself!

(End of this chapter)