America: My Time

Chapter 1375 The Dark Side of Neon Lights

Chapter 1365 The Dark Side of Neon Lights
Yang Gongru and Zeng Li were both surprised and shocked by the secret when they heard John's conversation with Kikuchi Momoko and Nakayama Shinobu. They had never imagined that Japan would be like this, and that family ties here could be so cold! What greedy and crazy parents would treat their own daughters as objects to be exploited!

In John's mind, Akina's mother was actually worse than her father. It was because of the slightest comfort she offered Akina that Akina had to suffer so much and endure such immense pressure. It was also because of her existence that Akina was forcibly dragged into this family, allowing those greedy people to become even more ruthless!

For Japanese people, this is perfectly normal. It applies not only to the affection between children but also to the relationship between husband and wife. Domestic violence is common, and it's even more rampant in Japan now. Under the economic crisis, the depravity of human nature has been exposed even more clearly. Perhaps Momoko Kikuchi did not understand the real situation. It is not impossible that the incompetent man beat his wife for money!
John sent Kikuchi Momoko to check on Chihoko's situation and see if there were any other problems. If so, he wanted to be prepared, as this was a very sensitive time and he could easily get himself involved in this unnecessary trouble.
Suddenly, Shinobu Nakayama seemed to realize something, her eyes flashing with shock and fear. Clearly, her reaction was faster than Momoko Kikuchi's. Unfortunately, what happened back then had cost her a great deal. Even though John was reluctant, he had to be cautious. After all, her sister was more important than John in her heart, and could become a threat at crucial moments. Even if the chance was small, Shinobu couldn't gain more unless she could have a child with John. Having a child would change her attachments; after all, a mother's love is strong!
"You're quite good; you figured out the reason behind this. Yes, just as you thought. I'm worried that Chihoko's situation isn't simple, and she wasn't just sick from anger; she was a victim of domestic violence! Isn't this something that happens often to you Japanese men? Do you think this situation will have a terrible impact, on Akina, or even on me? Never underestimate the wickedness of people's hearts; we must be especially careful at times like these!"

At that moment, Yang Gongru and Zeng Li exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of shock in each other's eyes. They had both heard a horrifying piece of news. For John to have such thoughts, it was clear that Japan was not what they had imagined; Japanese men were far more dangerous and more insane than they knew!

In fact, domestic violence in Japan is not a big deal; it's almost the norm. Yang Gongru and Zeng Li are foreigners and don't know this, but it's common knowledge in Japan; they've just been hiding it from the outside world.

If it's domestic violence, why would her boyfriend insist on notifying Momoko Kikuchi at this time? What's his intention? Is it just about money, without any other motives? Or is there someone else scheming behind this?
One wrong move and Akina could be thrust into the spotlight, and he himself would be implicated, giving those guys in Japan an opportunity to target him—something John definitely didn't want to see. Even if there was no scheming behind it, the Japanese officials and conglomerates couldn't possibly be completely unaware. They had connections behind the hospital; finding out all this wouldn't be difficult for them.

John would never underestimate the cunning and treachery of the Japanese; they had no bottom line! Under normal circumstances, such a thing would be acceptable and understandable, after all, that's just how the Japanese are. But at this moment, John had to be cautious and not give the enemy any chance.

John could use Yang Gongru and Zeng Li's identities as a deterrent, and it wasn't impossible that the Japanese had made prior preparations. Of course, it was also possible that it was a last-minute arrangement. Under the lure of money, that family was capable of anything. Perhaps they thought they wouldn't be targeted, since they had Akina's connection and wouldn't be in any danger. However, their actions were testing John's patience.

If Akina continues to be burdened by this family's troubles, and if she continues to affect John's plans and interests, then eventually his patience will be exhausted, and their relationship will dissipate. Others don't have so many troubles and problems, but only Akina does. Even if John is incredibly patient, his patience will eventually run out, and that's when they'll pay the price. These guys simply don't understand that Akina leaving Japan is also a form of protection for them.

While John was handling the situation cautiously, the Japanese guys were arguing again, some of them acting without consulting the others. When the others found out, they were all furious, worried that these guys' foolishness would cost them their interests, so they were all seething with anger!

“This time you have to give us an explanation. Do you really think John is easy to talk to, or that your little schemes won't be seen through? You're playing with fire. The authorities also have to give us an explanation. I don't believe you're completely unaware. If this matter blows up, you'll bear all the consequences. You don't think John won't cut off supplies to Japan, do you? If something goes wrong, you'll have to explain to the public yourselves. We don't mind making a scene in front of the public; we won't take the blame for you!”

"Please don't worry, everyone. Things aren't as dangerous as you think, and there's no conspiracy involved. We just made some arrangements after we learned about this. We didn't intentionally design this, so we bear no responsibility!" The officials immediately distanced themselves from the situation. They didn't want to take the blame. Although they had some schemes, they insisted that they weren't responsible for this whole mess!

"Then tell me who plotted this, and who sold that internet cafe to? Who dares to be so bold as to target that internet cafe? Doesn't he know how much trouble this will cause and how much potential danger it will bring to all of us? You didn't experience what happened back then, but your predecessors did. If things get out of control, the profits we've already made will fly away, do you understand?"

"Alright, don't rush. Rushing won't help. We need to resolve this matter as quickly as possible, making sure it doesn't drag us into it or affect our interests. Find the guy who made the acquisition, make him pay the price, and make him sort things out himself. Otherwise, we'll deal with him. This time, no one can stand in our way. Anyone who dares to ruin our plans should be prepared to die. It's not like people haven't died before; losing one or two more isn't a big deal!"

Good heavens, this madman's opening remarks were laced with murderous intent, leaving the officials utterly shocked. They hadn't expected him to be so arrogant, daring to say such things right in front of them. However, the officials dared not refute him; they knew they couldn't afford to provoke him, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Well said. At this point, we must act swiftly and decisively, resolving everything as quickly as possible. The wedding incident has already displeased John; if something like this happens again, and we're dragged into it, there will be no cooperation whatsoever. He'll never do this deal with us again, and the profits we've already secured will slip through our fingers. I don't believe you want to see that happen, so someone has to pay the price!" "It was a few ignorant brats who caused this trouble. They schemed against that fool, which led to all this. However, we only found out later, after Chihoko was hospitalized. But that family has already approached Kikuchi Momoko; I believe Mr. John already knows by now!"

"Bastards, you're all bastards! How could you ignore something like this and let it continue to develop instead of taking action and killing those guys? Even if we say that none of this has anything to do with us, do you think John will believe us? At this time, this kind of thing is ruining our plans, do you know that?"

At this moment, the bigwigs of the Japanese conglomerate were all hostile towards the few bastards who knew but did not report it. Not only the officials, but also people within their own conglomerates, were involved. Naturally, someone had to take responsibility for what had happened.

“Tell me, whose idea was this? I don’t believe you didn’t know that family went to find Kikuchi Momoko. Why didn’t you stop them? Why did you watch this happen? Don’t you know how serious the consequences of doing this are? Energy, minerals, and food are all things we need to rely on John for, not to mention our current interests. And if we really angered them, have you thought about what the consequences would be? Don’t you know how terrifying John’s influence in finance is?”

“Now someone has to take this responsibility. The best option is to take down those bastards first, keep that greedy family in check, and make them behave so they don’t cause any trouble. We’ll go talk to Mr. John and make everything clear. We can’t take the blame for them.”

"No, we should be more direct. We should take those guys down and bring them directly to Mr. John to prove that we have nothing to do with this. This time, no one can ruin our plans. Anyone who dares to do so is our enemy!"

Good heavens, these people have gone mad. They have no regard for rules anymore; they are the rules. As for those few lowlifes, their lives or deaths are not important to them. What they care about is John's thoughts and reactions. Even in front of these officials, they have no scruples whatsoever!
In Japan, conglomerates have special privileges, and to protect their own interests, or even Japan's interests, the death of a few insignificant nobodys is nothing. Didn't someone 'atone for their sins' before? These guys can do it too.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's act now and take these guys down as quickly as possible. This time, the authorities will handle it. As for that greedy family, we'll handle them. That stupid scum seems to have forgotten the punishment we gave him back then. Let them remember it again and know what they can and cannot do! Our patience is limited. Don't force us to take action and kill the whole family!"

"This is all your fault, Sumitomo. If you hadn't chosen Nakamori Akina, there wouldn't be so much trouble. You guys benefited from this, but how much trouble have we suffered because of this greedy family!"

"Heh, now you're blaming us? You didn't say that back then, and didn't you do the same thing? Don't say you've forgotten about Norika Fujiwara. What happened to that girl? Didn't she cause us a lot of trouble?" The Sumitomo guys retorted directly. They knew very well how sinister this guy's intentions were. He wanted to take this opportunity to suppress Sumitomo and force them to sacrifice their own interests.

Especially at times like these, Sumitomo and his crew cannot back down. They must fight to the bitter end, or these bastards will take away their share of the spoils. Therefore, their eyes are filled with fighting spirit.

"Alright, stop arguing. It's not appropriate to discuss who's at fault right now. Putting everything else aside, Sumitomo's choice was correct. At least Nakamori Akina has secured many opportunities for Japan and done some things. Everyone, stop hiding yourselves and bring out whatever resources you have. We can't let Mr. John misunderstand us now; that would be very disadvantageous for us!"

"Sanwa, Mitsui, it's time for you to make your move. Kuroki Hitomi and Naoko are connected to you!"

"The best option is actually to go directly to Mr. John. At this point, no matter what others say, it's not as safe as talking to Mr. John face-to-face. After all, we haven't done anything wrong, and we don't need to worry. If someone really needs to step in to ease tensions, the best choice isn't Mitsui and Miwa, but Akio Morita. His relationship with Mr. John is the best and most suitable. Don't forget that Mr. John is going to visit Akio Morita after this matter is over. That alone is enough to show how good their relationship is. As long as he steps in, everything will be fine. Moreover, his intervention will have a greater impact on Mr. John, and even Naoko's influence is much stronger than Nakamori Akina's!"

(End of this chapter)