America: My Time

Chapter 1317 Boundless Pressure

Chapter 1307 Boundless Pressure

In response to Riko's words, Momoko Kikuchi nodded and said, "You're right. I was too arrogant. I am the least advantageous person among us. The only thing I can do is to work hard. My previous thoughts were indeed very bad."

As she spoke, Momoko Kikuchi shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. But soon, a determined look appeared in her eyes. Only by understanding herself could she make the most advantageous decision. She did not want to follow in the footsteps of Yasuko Sawaguchi and the others, and she did not want to be manipulated by others.

In Japan, social classes are already rigid, and it's very difficult for them to change their status. Kikuchi Momoko, as an idol, is well aware of this. Now, her only chance is to follow John and be his woman, even without a formal title, because her current status is enough.

"Momoko, you've forgotten the most important thing, child! No matter how hard you try, it's just a matter of ability, but the child is different. You're not Lee Boo-jin, there's no need to compare yourself to her. Your starting points are completely different, so the gap between you is huge. Don't make a wrong decision because of a moment of excitement, that's not a good thing! Is there a conflict of interest between you and her? You're not on the same path as her, her business acumen far surpasses yours, there's no need for you to compete with her strengths using your weaknesses. The child is the most reliable, look at the changes in Naoko and the others, you should understand this! Can your efforts bring you all that? Don't get things wrong, you should learn from Kuroki Hitomi."

At this point, Riko sighed, then shook her head and said, "If it were for my personal benefit, I would naturally want you to supervise everything at 'Seishin Bank' so that I could have a better future. But I can't be so selfish as to guide you in that direction. You deserve a better future!"

Although Riko felt a pang of admiration, she was likely not entirely without ulterior motives. Her actions would earn her Kikuchi Momoko's gratitude—a friend willing to sacrifice herself for others was incredibly rare. Riko was far more adept at understanding people than Kikuchi Momoko; she hadn't followed Morita Akio for nothing. While she hadn't gained many benefits, she had gained valuable life experience and witnessed just how insane and terrifying Japanese high society could be.

It was precisely because Riko understood the madness and wickedness of high society that she so cautiously reminded Kikuchi Momoko. It seemed like nothing now, and even Kuroki Hitomi wouldn't care, but it was hard to say how things would develop in the future, after all, people's hearts are fickle.

"Riko-nee, is there nothing I can do? I always feel that if I have the ability, I should help them. Helping them now is helping myself!" As she spoke, Kikuchi Momoko's gaze fell on Riko's face again, hoping that Riko could give her some good advice so that she could go further on this path!
"Judging from the current situation, that's indeed the case. You can't do anything, and it's best not to do anything. Although Mr. John doesn't care, your decision to do this is a mistake from the start. Have you thought about yourself? Have you thought about why Mr. John asked you and Akiko to handle the Japanese affairs together? Since there's a division of labor, then each of you should do your own thing and not interfere in other people's affairs. It's better for you and for everyone else!"

At this point, Riko naturally understood that Kikuchi Momoko wanted to win people's hearts and consolidate her foundation. However, she used the wrong method. Such a small trick was not worth mentioning in front of a big shot like John. It would be seen through at a glance, and even Kuroki Hitomi would see through her intentions at a glance.

Although she understood this in her heart, Riko couldn't say it out loud. No matter how good her relationship with Kikuchi Momoko was, she couldn't bring herself to speak about such a thing. If she wasn't careful, she would offend the other party and end up in a bad situation!
"Well, it seems we can only leave this to Akiko-nee to handle. I wonder what the situation is like on her end. The current situation isn't good. If this continues, the impact will be too great!" Kikuchi Momoko sighed, a faint look of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Clearly, her plan had failed, leaving her feeling resentful.

"Peach, this matter won't be settled so easily. It's a domino effect, and you're sorely mistaken if you think it's just about Mr. John. This will affect Japanese conglomerates and every aspect of Japan—it's all about interests. There will naturally be competition when interests are at stake, and it's normal for them to use this opportunity to complete their own plans. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Just watch, Japan will become even more chaotic, and the entertainment industry will become even more insane. If it's not necessary, you'd better not get involved, or it will have a negative impact on you!"

Riko was also worried that Kikuchi Momoko, with too many ideas in her mind and an eagerness to achieve them, might make some wrong moves that could negatively impact her. Riko knew far more about the chaos and madness of the Japanese entertainment industry than Kikuchi Momoko did; if she were to get caught up in it, the consequences would be dire!
"Riko-nee, things aren't that dangerous, are they? After all, I have friends too!" Kikuchi Momoko looked at Riko with a puzzled expression, finding this explanation hard to accept!

“I know you have friends in the entertainment industry, but in the current situation, if you do nothing, what do you think will happen if something goes wrong? Don’t underestimate those people. If someone takes a risk and uses you as leverage, what do you think the result will be? Also, don’t think you can be at ease just because you have security personnel around you. Security personnel can’t guarantee your personal safety at all times. Many times they may not be paying attention to you, especially when you are hanging out with friends!”

Riko's words made Kikuchi Momoko sigh again. She had hoped to get some information from her friends in the entertainment industry, but now it seemed there was no chance at all. Although Kikuchi Momoko had many ideas, she knew she couldn't risk her life; that would be irresponsible. How many people go missing in Japan every year? What happens to them?
The fate of those missing girls, and even beautiful women, is unimaginable. Moreover, the current situation is far from optimistic. With the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis, the impact on Japan's economy has been enormous, and those dark forces have also been affected. Now, the entertainment industry they control is also in trouble, which is a huge blow to them. It's not impossible that someone might act impulsively and recklessly!
"Alright, now you just need to manage your own affairs. You've done what you were supposed to do, and then you just need to keep an eye on everything at 'New Life Bank,' making sure you're fully aware of everything. You can't be completely ignorant, otherwise what's the point of your oversight? Your most important thing right now isn't dealing with the changes in Japan, but managing your own affairs!" Riko was right. If Kikuchi Momoko couldn't even handle her own affairs, how could she meddle in other things? That would only make things more dangerous! In Riko's view, this was also a test, a test for Kikuchi Momoko. If she made a mistake, the consequences would be severe!

Actually, Riko was overthinking it. John didn't have such concerns. He no longer needed to test Kikuchi Momoko, nor was it necessary. His energy should be focused on the battle with Soros, not on these trivial matters that Kikuchi Momoko was facing. In John's eyes, there would be no surprises from the Japanese. They couldn't withstand his anger, and once the zipper started moving and the donkey started moving, those Japanese guys wouldn't be able to resist at all. They would have no choice but to compromise, since they were subject to American restrictions!

Of course, the Japanese guys were also a little uneasy at this moment. They hadn't expected things to come to this point, and they hadn't expected the Americans to be so unreasonable. They were the ones who made them do this, but now they were the ones who had to take the blame. Moreover, John hadn't come to Japan this time, which made them even more uneasy.

Could it be that John no longer values ​​Japan and has developed some ill intentions towards them? Otherwise, how could things have changed like this? In the past, John would have come to Japan personally when such things happened, but this time he only sent Kikuchi Momoko and Kuroki Hitomi back to handle it, and their attitude was so tough.

"What should we do now? I have received good news that things have changed in the United States. John, Morgan and other financial groups have forced the White House to compromise with overwhelming force. Now the Koreans have also compromised and have taken the initiative to cooperate with John. We can't keep making trouble here. At the very least, we must ensure that everything is under our control and that there are no mistakes. Otherwise, things will only get worse!"

"Those criminal gangs really need to rein themselves in. What do they think the entertainment industry is? We must take this opportunity to warn them that if they escalate things, they will have to bear the consequences!"

"I'm afraid this won't work at all. Those guys will just put forward one or two scapegoats. To put it bluntly, these guys are still eyeing the profits of the entertainment industry. At the same time, they are also resistant to the existence of elite agencies. After all, they can't offer such good treatment. They will exploit those artists to the greatest extent possible!"

"I don't want to hear any of this. I just want a result, no matter how many reasons those guys have! Also, who was it that insisted on using those women who were no longer of much value to test John? Now that something has gone wrong, how do you suggest we resolve this? This matter can't be dragged on, or the consequences will be significant!"

"What's the point of bringing this up now? Even if you don't want to face it, it won't change anything. John has sent Hitomi Kuroki and Momoko Kikuchi to deal with this. Momoko Kikuchi is directly taking a strong stance against us, and she's only targeting our and the conglomerate's tactics against John's assets in Japan. Hitomi Kuroki is dealing with those women's issues. We need a mediator, someone who can talk to Hitomi Kuroki, someone who can play the emotional card!"

"Speaking of which, it's all because you guys went too far. If it weren't for your repeated probing, things wouldn't have come to this. Look at the state of things now. All the methods we used before have lost most of their effectiveness. Naoko is no longer in Japan, and with Akio Morita's retirement, she's hardly ever returned. Akina Nakamori was forced to go to Australia by you guys, and she doesn't stay in Japan anymore. There's almost nothing in Japan that she's attached to. Momoko Kikuchi is still capable, but her abilities are debatable. Hitomi Kuroki has also become more low-key and rarely shows her face. As for Sachiko Kamachi and Nanako Matsushima, they're even more low-key. Tell me, what forces do we have left? Those who could be controlled by us have all been discarded as pawns because of your selfishness!"

This is how some Japanese officials view the conglomerates: they think these guys are too cunning, treacherous, and selfish. They believe they played a winning hand terribly and are now offering unfavorable communication. Although John hasn't stopped cooperating with Japan, the impact is already there, and they need to find a solution!

"Then let's send someone to sound out Hitomi Kuroki's opinion and see what John is thinking. Perhaps things aren't as dangerous or as terrible as we think. After all, John's focus isn't on Japan right now, and his previous confrontation with Donkey wasn't simple. There's also Soros's plans in Southeast Asia. As long as we don't cause any more trouble, everything will be fine!"

“We will stop causing trouble. I’m afraid they will insist on causing trouble when it involves their own interests. You should know how crazy those guys are. Don’t tell me you don’t know about the situation with Norika Fujiwara, the Nakayama sisters, or Yasuko Sawaguchi and Chisato Moritaka. How did all of this happen? It’s all related to those guys. Do you still think it’s not a big problem?”

When this question was raised, the Japanese guys fell silent. They had all tacitly approved of the underworld's actions, which was precisely why things had escalated to this point, causing the situation to spiral out of control and putting them under immense pressure. However, even with this pressure, they needed to find a solution, otherwise the problem would remain unresolved, especially since someone was eyeing John's Comic Street. After all, seeing such lucrative real estate, they were all envious!
(End of this chapter)