America: My Time

Chapter 1357 A Sudden and Shocking Change

Chapter 1347 A Sudden and Shocking Change
"I'm so tired, so incredibly tired. Communicating with these guys is exhausting!" After finishing his conversation with the Middle Eastern prince, John couldn't help but sigh. Communicating with these guys had taken a heavy toll on his brain. After all, these guys had made many preparations in advance, and if he didn't react in time, it was easy for problems to arise!

Before John could even catch his breath, Jennifer Connelly came looking for him. There were so many people bringing congratulatory gifts, and so many Japanese people. Some she recognized because they had worked for John, while others were people she didn't know. This forced her to come to John for help!
"What are these Japanese guys trying to do? What are they testing?" Faced with this change, John couldn't help but frown. Were these guys testing his bottom line, or were they deliberately provoking him? The former was more likely, while the latter was almost impossible. After all, these guys couldn't afford his anger, unless they were cooperating with the oil capital again!
"Let Kuroki Hitomi handle things in Japan. With these guys in Japan acting like this, the Koreans won't just sit idly by. If there are any problems, just let Lee Boo-jin handle them; she knows what to do. Don't worry about them for now. Just keep an eye on things here. Let the others handle things in Asia!"

At this point, John had to take it seriously, as things had gotten a little out of his control. If it were just gifts from 'old friends' like Akio Morita, it wouldn't be a big deal; it was just a matter of courtesy. But the way those guys had arranged things made John realize that these Japanese were incredibly cunning and treacherous!
At this moment, John didn't send Kikuchi Momoko or Naoko, but instead sent Kuroki Hitomi. He wanted to see how those guys reacted and understand what was going on behind the scenes. Compared to Kikuchi Momoko and Naoko, Kuroki Hitomi was more experienced in handling such issues!

"Are you all crazy to come and give gifts at this time? No matter who is behind this, you shouldn't have accepted them. Don't you understand how serious the consequences will be?" Kuroki Hitomi's expression turned somewhat gloomy when she saw the familiar beauties in front of her!

“Akiko, we don’t want to take on this either, but do you think we have the right to refuse?” Seeing this, Daichi Mao sighed and stepped forward to explain. She had also been arranged to deliver the congratulatory gift. Although she was very unwilling, she had no power to refuse.

“I understand, but it's a bit too much of a show for you all to come here together. And even the slightest mistake could lead to irreparable trouble. If something goes wrong, you'll be under immense pressure. This isn't Japan, this is America, and this is someone else's wedding!”

Mao Daichi smiled bitterly, "We know that all too well, but we have no power to refuse. Neither the agency nor the conglomerates behind them are people we can fight against. We can only accept the arrangements they've made; no one dares to make any changes on their own. We're not stupid; how could we not understand the risks involved? But it's all arranged by them; we have no autonomy whatsoever! Do you think Miho, Shinobu, and Yasuko wanted to come? They don't know the dangers behind this. They understand, but they have no choice. Did you see Norika Fujiwara? Her situation is even worse."

"Are those people insane? Choosing this moment to provoke us like this? Do they really think John won't retaliate, or do they think they can withstand John's wrath?" Kuroki Hitomi hadn't expected things to turn out this way, nor had she anticipated it would become so insane. It seemed that the original conglomerate wasn't behind these people, but rather some unsavory individuals, perhaps even people Daichi Mao and the others dared not mention, or rather, they were completely unaware of. The only people who knew were their own agency or those who had contacted them!

This is the madness of the Japanese; there's nothing they wouldn't dare to do. Their arrangement of this wedding was brimming with malice. While it can't be called a slap in the face to John, the intention to provoke was undeniable, at least in Kuroki Hitomi's eyes.

Was all of this solely the work of those guys in Japan? Probably not. Behind it all is the work of Japanese capital, or rather, those guys in Japan. After all, as long as there's profit, there's nothing these guys won't do. They have no scruples when it comes to profit!
"Let's go, I'll arrange for you to sit down first. Standing here isn't a good idea; the longer you stay, the more likely problems will arise!" Kuroki Hitomi made the arrangements immediately without hesitation. They couldn't be allowed to stay here any longer, as it would attract a lot of unnecessary trouble. If anyone caused even the slightest disturbance, the consequences would be uncontrollable.

It wasn't that Hitomi Kuroki was trying to think the worst, but rather that such a thing was very likely to happen, and even in the United States, many people would cooperate. Hitomi Kuroki had learned everything behind this wedding and understood how many people were watching it. If something went wrong, she would be affected, and Jennifer Connelly would be affected too!

However, John was overthinking things. While the Japanese were indeed crazy, the Koreans didn't have that problem. They weren't targeting John; they didn't want to incur his wrath. The Japanese could be driven mad by profit, and they were ruthless enough to make sacrifices, even taking the blame for others—such sacrifices were acceptable to them. But for the Koreans, it would be far more difficult. After all, they weren't like the Japanese, and they weren't as reckless!
In the corner, although it didn't attract much attention, the gathering of so many Asian beauties still drew a lot of attention. However, those who could appear at the wedding were all elites, and naturally knew what they could and couldn't do. Moreover, causing trouble in such an occasion would offend not only John, but also the Bayard family, the Morgan family, and the DuPont family. This wedding had different meanings for both families, and anyone who dared to disrupt the wedding would be slapping them in the face and ruining their plans.

Everyone hoped to have a channel of communication with John. Although John's parents were good people, they wouldn't interfere in many matters, especially business. However, having another connection would completely change things. In this situation, anyone who dared to ruin their plans would be making an enemy! "Akiko, don't blame them. The current situation isn't something they can control. I'm a little better off; I don't have much pressure. It's just that I have a good relationship with you, and my relationships with others are relatively harmonious. But the situation for others is completely different. You should know what the situation is like in Japan. If they had a choice, they wouldn't have taken this on." After sitting down, Daichi Mao took the initiative to explain to the others. After all, the matter had already occurred, and the decision wasn't something they could make. In this situation, persuading Kuroki Hitomi was key to their ability to escape unscathed. If they couldn't even persuade Kuroki Hitomi, the pressure on them would be immense.

As a media tycoon, if John were to get angry, he could absolutely make it impossible for these people to survive in the Japanese entertainment industry. No one would be willing to stand up to John for them, at least not the bigwigs of Japanese conglomerates, nor the people in the Japanese entertainment industry, nor even the corporations.

Using women as a test, using them as shields—these Japanese guys are truly ruthless. Even if something goes wrong, the agencies behind these women, or the people who contacted them, will take responsibility, avoiding any involvement from the Japanese themselves. As long as someone is willing to be a scapegoat, everything is fine. Of course, all of this is predicated on John not investigating further or targeting them directly; otherwise, such methods are useless!
Hearing this, Kuroki Hitomi smiled bitterly and said, "I know, but things are not simple now. This is not an ordinary wedding. The influence behind it is astonishing. Not only is the Bayard family paying great attention to it, but Morgan and DuPont are also paying great attention to it. Under these circumstances, John may not do anything, but if DuPont and Morgan get angry, can you withstand such a backlash? With just one phone call from them, your future will be ruined."

“I know, and they know too, but we had no choice. Do you think we came without any preparation? Besides, something this big could have been found out with a little inquiry. This is their arrangement, and we can only accept it. And Mr. John probably won't care too much, after all, it's just a test. Otherwise, it wouldn't be this arrangement; it would be a much more frantic preparation, or even the direct sacrifice of them!”

Although Daichi Mao's words were spoken calmly, there was an endless chill within that calmness—that was the truth. If those guys from Japan were truly going to retaliate, or rather, to fight John, it wouldn't be like this now; it would be something far more insane. For women like the Nakayama sisters, Moritaka Chisato, and Sawaguchi Yasuko, sacrifice was nothing, as long as it brought them enough profit.

"I need to report this to John and hear his decision. I can't make a decision on my own. After all, this isn't a small matter. This kind of probing can be seen as a provocation or a test; it all depends on what John thinks and how he interprets it!" Kuroki Hitomi sighed, a faint unease flashing in her eyes. If she hadn't taken on the exchange with the Nakayama sisters and Sawaguchi Yasuko, perhaps she wouldn't have had to bear this pressure or face all of this!
“Akiko, do you think he has time to care about such trivial matters? Haven’t you seen how busy he is? The people around him have changed one after another. If you bother him now, it will only make things more dangerous!” Daichi Mao calmly advised Kuroki Hitomi. The longer this matter drags on, the better. Besides, they haven’t caused too much of an impact yet. Only those who know their identities understand the issues behind it. As for those guys from the US, they are mostly surprised and don’t understand the many problems behind it!

"I'm afraid some people don't think that way, some people want to cause trouble. I'm worried they have backup plans, I'm worried they'll ignite all of this. You should understand how terrible it would be if something went wrong here at this time?"

"No, that won't happen. Our appearance is just a test. Things haven't gotten that crazy yet. They're not crazy enough to start a war with Mr. John. You don't need to worry about that!" Concern makes one lose focus. In Mao Daichi's eyes, Hitomi Kuroki's mind was a little confused. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said such a thing. With her intelligence, she should be able to see through everything behind this!
"I know and I understand, but even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we have to be careful. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, I'll be implicated. After all, this matter was entrusted to me, and I have to take responsibility for it! I'll go over there when the situation has eased up a bit!"

Just as Kuroki Hitomi was feeling worried and uneasy, Naoko and the others came over. They had also noticed what had happened, and Kuroki Hitomi's handling of the situation was excellent. However, it was a bit too much to leave Kuroki Hitomi to face all of this alone, and Naoko and the others couldn't just ignore it.

"Why did you all come here? You didn't need to get involved in this at all!" When she saw Naoko and the others, Kuroki Hitomi couldn't help but sigh, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes. After all, it was a lot of pressure for them to step in and help her at this time, and the matter behind it was not simple!
"It's alright, we've already spoken to John, and besides, we're just killing time anyway, so why don't we all sit here and chat? After all, it's been so long since we've been back, it's a good opportunity for us all to get together!"

Hearing Naoko's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Her words meant that their problem wasn't a big deal, at least not in John's eyes. Everything was still within an acceptable range. Moreover, Naoko and the others' appearance naturally took on all the pressure, so they didn't have to bear it themselves!
(End of this chapter)