America: My Time

Chapter 1373 The Neon Panic

Chapter 1363 The Panic of Neon
John's profit-sharing scheme is toxic; excessive greed will inevitably lead to ruin. Given the Japanese people's greed, it's unthinkable that they'd lose everything if they participated. This isn't the outcome John wants either; after all, it would be ideal to crush these guys, and even better if he could wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

However, more calculation and preparation are needed. Now, all that's required is for these Japanese guys to get involved. Only their involvement will create tension and benefit my next move. These Japanese guys are my pawns, my helpers; they won't give up such temptation!
John is now sitting back and waiting for those Japanese guys to walk right into his trap. From this moment on, he doesn't need to do anything; he just needs to wait quietly. Those guys will act quickly. With the pressure from American conglomerates and the lure of such huge profits, it would be a miracle if they could resist.

The guys in Japan didn't gather together to discuss countermeasures; instead, they discussed it internally within their conglomerates. After all, profits are limited, and no one wants their own interests to be harmed. Naturally, they would each use their own methods to express their sincerity. Different arrangements and preparations were made by each of them. These guys had all made preparations beforehand. Since they had taken the initiative to test the waters, how could they have been completely unprepared? It's just that everything happened a little too fast, and they didn't expect things to go so smoothly!
Overnight, those who had been discarded were all 'punished'. Some died outright, others were forced to bow their heads and admit their mistakes. In short, those who had previously threatened the beautiful women were all 'punished'. The one who died was the one who threatened the Zhongshan sisters. Now that the situation had changed, he had to atone with his death, whether he wanted it or not. In comparison, the others fared better, merely bowing their heads and admitting their mistakes. After all, those women no longer had much of a relationship with John, so they naturally had fewer worries.

Although John knew that the Japanese would be prepared and would give him a satisfactory explanation, he was still shocked when Kikuchi Momoko told him about the big changes in the Japanese entertainment industry when he woke up in the morning. These guys were too crazy. They gave him a satisfactory explanation in just one night, and in different tiers at that!

"See? This is what happens to those who are abandoned. Those guys are alright; they just bowed their heads, admitted their mistakes, and paid a small price. But someone else has to atone with their death. These guys are really ruthless. I'm speechless at this kind of explanation." John sighed. This is reality. In such a cruel reality, doing wrong requires paying a price, and these guys from Japan are especially ruthless.

"Won't this cause trouble? After all, this has had a significant impact!" Kikuchi Momoko asked worriedly. This incident had also greatly affected her, but she was even more aware of the power of authority.

"It's alright, there won't be any trouble. Those guys have already taken care of everything. You take the two of them and have a good look around. Oh, and bring Shinobu along too. After all, they've given me a satisfactory explanation, and I can't just leave without any reaction. If I don't react at all, those guys will get even more nervous, and things might escalate!"

John didn't want things to escalate, as that could easily lead to a disaster, and he didn't need to. These guys in Japan didn't care about the lives of their men; they only cared about immediate profits. They would do anything for profit, and that was John's biggest worry—that the situation would escalate, affect more people, and cause unnecessary accidents!
"Okay, I'll arrange it!" Kikuchi Momoko nodded and answered quickly. Although there was a hint of doubt in her eyes, she didn't ask. After all, many things need to be understood by oneself, and one cannot always rely on John's answers. Otherwise, one will never improve. Moreover, she also needs to understand the current situation in Japan!
"Go ahead and get busy. You're going to be very busy today. A lot of people will be asking you questions. They're all out of town, so you're the only one they can ask right now!" John knew what was going to happen next, so he gestured for Kikuchi Momoko to go about her business and not worry about him.

The plan has been set up. Now it's just a matter of when these Japanese guys will talk to me. As for their profit-sharing, that's not my concern. The fiercer these guys fight, the more advantageous it is for me. If they don't fight, it will be disadvantageous for me, since only by fighting can my interests be guaranteed.

One day, two days, and soon three days had passed, and those guys in Japan still hadn't initiated formal negotiations with John. Although there had been a verbal agreement, it wasn't binding. Weren't they anxious? Weren't they worried about unforeseen circumstances? While John's reputation was excellent and reliable, the situation in the US was far from simple; things could easily change. If those financial tycoons joined forces, John would have no choice but to compromise!

It wasn't that the Japanese weren't in a hurry, but rather that they hadn't reached a consensus. Their fierce competition for profits had driven them to a frenzy. Since Japan saw no future and had no choice but to relocate overseas, John's offer of a share of the profits naturally excited them. Although they all knew that John was offering a substantial amount of assets, all from hot internet companies, this naturally attracted even more competition.

If they can't reach an agreement before negotiating with John, these guys in Japan are uneasy. They worry about their own interests being affected, or even about others sabotaging their plans from behind. It's precisely because they have so many concerns that they dare not act hastily and are dragging their feet.

John wasn't too concerned about the reactions of the Japanese guys. It was only three days; he could wait as long as it took. After all, the longer it dragged on, the more it proved that these guys were making careful preparations and that their internal competition was fierce, which was more advantageous to him.

Over the course of three days, Kikuchi Momoko was quite busy on the first day, dealing with various inquiries and questions from friends—all from the Japanese conglomerates who wanted to know about John's situation. The next two days were relatively relaxed; she spent the time sightseeing in Tokyo with Zeng Li and the other two friends, and no one bothered them during those two days.

Just as John had thought, Nakayama Shinobu's involvement relieved many Japanese people and made them feel much more relaxed. However, they could not relax completely, as they needed to devote more energy to the internal struggle for interests.

On the fourth day, things started to get tense in Japan. The Europeans, or more accurately, the British, had made their move. They went directly to Tokyo to meet with John and had a discussion with him. The delegation was made by British aristocrats, who represented not themselves, but British capital. No one knew what John discussed with them. After their meeting, these men immediately returned to England, without lingering in Japan. Their reaction terrified the Japanese; their worst fears had come true: European intervention would impact their interests!

"Stop arguing! The Europeans have already taken action, and now the British are stepping in. If we still don't have a result, then who will it be? Although John has offered a considerable amount of assets to share, with the US, Europe, and us all involved, it's still a case of too many wolves and too little meat!"

“That’s right, we can’t keep fighting amongst ourselves, or one unexpected thing after another will happen. Right now, it’s just the British, but who knows if an American will show up next? If Morgan steps in, do you think John can still hold on? Let’s make a decision. Everyone needs to back down, or no one will benefit from any further unexpected events!”

“That makes sense. We can’t keep fighting like this. I agree to the proposal. Let’s all take a step back and then negotiate with John! No, it’s not quite a judgment, it’s more like cooperation, because we don’t have the right to judge. We’ve never had the initiative. All we need to do is participate in this sharing of benefits.”

Yes, those guys in Japan have no right to judge. The internet companies John has are all high-quality assets with huge potential. Just look at the development of the internet now, and they're all tempted by it.

Although some were unwilling, they had no choice but to compromise in the face of the prevailing trend. They dared not gamble on whether John would side with the British or abandon Japan, after all, it had been four days and they still hadn't given John a clear answer. If you count from the day John arrived in Japan, it had been five days already, which was taking a bit too long.

If they hadn't prepared beforehand, such a long delay would be understandable, but these guys were all well-prepared, so it's a bit hard to explain. Why is this? Because they were all prepared, which is why the stalemate has lasted this long. Each party has its own carefully calculated schemes, so when they gathered together, problems arose. No one wanted to back down, and everyone wanted to maximize their own interests, so naturally, they couldn't reach a consensus!
With the mediation of Japanese officials, these individuals were finally able to reach a consensus and agree on a clear distribution plan. After all this was done, Japanese officials invited John to formally begin their 'negotiations,' or more accurately, to discuss how much of Japan's share John would share with them. They also considered how many internet companies would go public and raise funds, and how many shares they would receive before the IPO.

When faced with the questions from these Japanese guys, John smiled calmly and said, "If there are no other unforeseen circumstances, you can get 15% to 20% of the share. This is the limit I can do. After all, I also have many difficulties. The situation in the United States is still unresolved, and Europe has also taken action. I also need to consider it."

"Mr. John, isn't this a bit too little? Could you perhaps offer a larger share? After all, we've been working together for so long, and we both know each other well. You also know the current situation in Japan!"

“I have no choice. The US needs at least 50 percent of the share, and you can take 15 to 20 percent of the remaining 50 percent. The European share is about the same, and about 10 percent has to be given to others. After all, we have to take care of Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and even Southeast Asia. At least we have to make it look good on the surface!”

“Mr. John, we have no objection to the share in the United States, but could the allocation in Europe and Asia be adjusted? We also don’t think the Europeans will really invest a lot of capital in internet companies, since they value physical industries more. Why don’t you increase our share a little more?”

What those Japanese guys said isn't wrong. Europeans, like the Germans, don't value internet companies, even if they have amazing development and good profits. In their eyes, factories are more important, and they are more willing to invest their money in factories than in internet companies!
Of course, this is inseparable from the environment in Europe. Did Europeans not want to develop their own internet? They did, but each of them had the same idea and wanted their own network. However, Europe is only so big, yet it has so many countries. They all wanted to act independently, so naturally, nothing came of it. In contrast, John, with his first-mover advantage, was ahead of the curve, having already spread his internet across Europe and gaining an absolute advantage.

When everyone was pessimistic about the internet, John took the lead and quickly seized the market by focusing on games, internet cafe alliances, and universities. Now, Europe has realized what was happening and wants to make changes, but it's too late!
John thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “Alright, I can give you all another five percent, up to twenty-five percent. I can’t do more than that, after all, I also need to give an explanation to others. Of course, if there are any unexpected events in Europe, or if not many people in Asia are willing to participate, this share can naturally be left to you. However, the possibility of that is very small, so don’t forget the Middle Eastern tycoons.”

Since Japan was so willing to participate in this grand internet bubble, John naturally wouldn't refuse. Moreover, John's mention of Middle Eastern tycoons wasn't intended to put pressure on them; it was simply a fact. He couldn't forget the Middle Eastern tycoons when it came to sharing profits, and he also wanted them to understand how rapidly the internet had developed in the US. Only by making them understand could he extract more benefits from them. So much time had passed; the Middle Eastern tycoons' systems should be upgraded by now—that would be a considerable source of income!

(End of this chapter)