America: My Time

Chapter 1538 The Schemes Behind the Funeral

Chapter 1528 The Schemes Behind the Funeral
"Boss, it's a call from Japan. Mr. Akio Morita has passed away at a Tokyo hospital!"

Upon hearing the news, John was taken aback. So many years had passed without him realizing it. The memory of their first meeting flashed before his eyes, and now his old friend was gone, and he was no longer the boy he once was. If he hadn't known the news, he wouldn't have needed to do anything, but now that he knew, he couldn't remain inactive. And this time, he couldn't be the only one to bid farewell to his old friend!

“Have Naoko come back and contact the airport. We’re heading to Tokyo now to bid farewell to this old friend!” John paused, then added, “Also, inform Akina and the others; we can’t be impolite!”

This will be another turning point in my relationship with Japan. With Akio Morita dead, I will have fewer scruples. After all, Akio Morita was able to develop rapidly in Japan and gain so many benefits. With the passing of this old friend, my relationship with Japan will undergo a new change!
When John appeared in Tokyo, some people breathed a sigh of relief, while many others sighed. John had still appeared in Tokyo to bid farewell to his old friend Akio Morita, and Naoko was also there with him.

The situation in Japan has not improved at all. The only thing that can reassure Japan is that there is no problem with the supply of goods. 7-Eleven convenience stores and John's discount stores are still supplying cheap goods and competing with other retailers for market share, because John has enough supplies.

“Japan is still the same as before. So much time has passed, and they still haven’t turned things around. If this continues, Japan’s situation will remain terrible. I don’t know what those guys are thinking. Don’t they understand that the longer this drags on, the more dangerous it becomes for Japan?” John shook his head and put down the documents in his hand.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Their internal strife is too fierce, and the financial situation has been consistently bad, especially since the impact of the Asian financial crisis hasn't been recovered yet. Under these circumstances, how easy is it to revive the economy? Even with ample funds, our development is still slow!" Kikuchi Momoko sighed as she spoke. The more she understood Japan's situation and its financial system, the more she realized how difficult Japan's current predicament was.

"Let them be. Perhaps they will come to their senses one day. However, this situation will inevitably lead to polarization. Bankruptcies in Japan will continue. In comparison, discount stores and convenience stores will be much easier to find. Most importantly, those guys in Japan will probably become even more insane!"

At this point, John sighed again. Although his asset restructuring was now complete, it did not mean that everything would go smoothly. More troubles would arise in Japan, and he would not be able to stay in Japan for much longer. After all, the potential here had reached its limit, and there was no hope for the next ten years or so!
"Make arrangements so that Akina and the others can attend Morita-san's funeral with you. After all, you received his help. Without Riko's help, you wouldn't have everything you have today. Remember to keep a low profile!" Although John knew that no one would do anything to scheme against him in such a setting, it was better to be cautious. After all, there were too many crazy people in Japan, and no one knew if something unexpected might happen!

Human nature is treacherous, especially in Japan, where there is no shortage of lunatics. It's better to keep a low profile than to be high-profile. John is especially worried that the Japanese might try to test him this time, since Akio Morita's death has strained his relationship with Japan, leaving them with fewer channels for communication.

John's worst fears did not come true. Perhaps those guys knew they couldn't go too far in such an important setting. After all, causing trouble in such a place would be a slap in the face to the Morita family, or even to Japan. In any case, these guys still had some sense of face!

Unfortunately, John overestimated these guys. Just as John and Naoko were about to leave, the officials approached John and invited him to a business meeting they had prepared! Although he didn't want to deal with them, John suppressed his anger and nodded in agreement.

Thankfully, this wasn't a cocktail party. If it were, John would have refused without hesitation. After all, he had come to bid farewell to his old friend Akio Morita. Attending a cocktail party immediately after the funeral would be extremely impolite, damaging his public image and potentially rendering all his previous efforts futile!

While Akio Morita was still around, John wouldn't have dared to undermine Sony. But without Morita, John had fewer scruples, since Sony was no longer Morita's Sony. The Japanese seemed to share this concern, which explained their eagerness to communicate with John. Of course, their worries weren't about Sony itself, but rather about energy and mining cooperation, and food supplies—three areas where John controlled a significant market share in Japan!
Just as John was leaving with Naoko, the Japanese guys gathered together, eager to know John's answer: "So, did Mr. John agree? If we miss this opportunity, it might not be easy to sit down with him again to discuss cooperation!"

Yes, they are all worried about unexpected events in the supply of energy, minerals and food, especially energy. If Japan loses its cheap energy, it will be a disaster for them. This is the last thing the government and businesses want to see, as it means they will face greater cost pressures!

“Mr. John agreed, but I feel he’s a little unhappy. After all, he came to see Morita-san off on his final journey, and it’s a bit impolite for us to invite him at this time, especially since he wasn’t in a good mood to begin with!” “We know all that, but we have no choice. You see, if we don’t talk to Mr. John now, we’ll never have another chance after he leaves. You don’t think he’ll stay in Japan for long, do you? Once he leaves, will we still have a chance to discuss next year’s energy, mineral, and food supplies with him? And haven’t you noticed that everything Mr. John said back then has already happened? The situation in Japan is becoming increasingly dangerous!”

Now that the situation in Japan is getting worse, many people are bringing up John's words from back then. Looking at the projects John invested in, his industrial layout in Japan, and the current economic situation in Japan, they have no choice but to remain silent and admit defeat. Their vision is far inferior to John's, and the shortcomings John pointed out are now being exposed one by one!

"Even if there's no other way, we shouldn't make such a rude invitation in this kind of setting. If we're going to do it, it shouldn't be us. It would be best if the Morita family's heir did it, so there wouldn't be any hidden dangers!"

"Are you kidding me? Do you think we could do something like that? If we did, we'd lose all face. Besides, the Morita family isn't stupid. They wouldn't do something like that. They won't squander their last bit of goodwill. You heard John's promise to them!"

“But Mr. John has a very bad opinion of us now. Even if he is willing to participate in the talks, what are our chances of persuading him? And if we can’t persuade him, what’s the use of making any more efforts?”

“We know all that you’re saying. This isn’t just our decision; it’s the decision of all the conglomerates. You don’t really think this is just an official arrangement by us. Do you think the Morita family wouldn’t know about such a major event, or that the conglomerates wouldn’t be aware of it? Don’t worry, whatever the potential problems are, they have nothing to do with us. Even if Mr. John is dissatisfied, he won’t target us. He’ll only despise those guys from the conglomerates. He can tell who’s behind this!”

The officials were right. The moment they invited John, he saw through everything behind it and understood that it wasn't entirely an arrangement by the Japanese government, but more so by the conglomerate. It was just that the timing was a bit inappropriate. Even if they had some ulterior motives, they shouldn't have invited him at this time!
Unfortunately, those guys in Japan didn't dare take such a risk. They were worried that John would choose to leave Japan first thing tomorrow morning. After all, they all knew how busy John had been lately, and they also knew that John's asset restructuring was nearing its end. John was extremely busy at this time, and if John left, they would have no chance to negotiate anymore!
"These people are so rude! They know we're here to bid farewell to Mr. Morita, yet they insist on extending an invitation at this crucial moment. I don't know what they're thinking. Didn't they consider the Morita family's feelings?" On the way back, Naoko sighed and voiced her dissatisfaction. Naoko was still very grateful to Akio Morita; without his arrangements, she wouldn't be where she was today. Therefore, she was very unhappy with the actions of those officials on this occasion.
“If you think that way, you’re sorely mistaken. The Morita family knows everything, even Akio Morita knows everything, and he may even be behind it all. He might be using his last bit of strength to help Japan, or even to leave more room for the Morita family.” After calming down a bit, John was no longer angry, and had even seen through the many hidden maneuvers behind this matter!
"That's impossible. How could Morita-san possibly know all this, let alone be the one to orchestrate it all?"

“You underestimated the madness of those Japanese guys, and you underestimated how much Akio Morita valued his family. He definitely anticipated my appearance, so it’s not impossible that he made arrangements in advance at the end of his life. Do you think he wouldn’t worry about Sony’s safety? Do you really think he could abandon Sony and ignore him?” John shook his head as he spoke. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that all of this was something that old man Akio Morita had arranged long ago. He knew that with his friendship with him, no matter what happened, he would definitely come to see him off on his final journey. This was their chance.

Was he disgusted? He did feel a little bit, but he wasn't angry. After thinking it through, John was able to accept it. After all, he knew how the Japanese were good at seizing opportunities. For them, as long as it was in their own interest, they would do anything.

"But this is so rude!" Naoko still couldn't accept this situation and felt that none of this should have happened!

"What does rudeness matter? Compared to the interests of Japan and the conglomerates, it's insignificant. If I'm not mistaken, they definitely want to discuss next year's energy, mineral, and food supplies with me, hoping to reach an agreement in advance. They're overthinking it. Everything is beyond my control. After all, I have to consider not only Japan, but also the plans and arrangements with South Korea and China!"

John explained it this way to Naoko so that she could be prepared in advance and not be caught off guard and tricked when someone asked her to step in. John didn't have much affection for Japan.

"I hope there won't be any problems with Momoko. After all, these people can even scheme against you. I'm worried that something might happen to them!" Naoko was well aware of the situation in Japan. Those guys would do anything for profit. After all, this had happened more than once, but several times.

"Don't worry, there shouldn't be any problems on their end. Even if there are, it's not the work of the Japanese government, or even the Japanese conglomerates. It's just some lowlifes doing something foolish!" John didn't believe anyone would do anything unwise under these circumstances. If something went wrong, the consequences would be unbearable. Most importantly, those attending the funeral today were all prominent figures in Japan; they still had their pride! If something went wrong in such a setting, they would be the first to suffer. It would be a slap in the face to them, and even to the Japanese government and conglomerates. Who would dare to do something so outrageous in Japan!
(End of this chapter)