America: My Time

Chapter 193 The Temptation of Making Money

Chapter 193 The Temptation of Making Money
John knew he wasn't that ruthless when it came to beautiful women; perhaps it was a sign of his immaturity, a lack of ruthlessness, especially when faced with them. A true businessman pursuing profit shouldn't have such thoughts. Was it because he was too young? No, not at all. It was because his inner self wouldn't allow it; he had bottom lines he had to uphold.

Many people were shocked that Yoshie Kashiwabara received such a significant benefit from John. Hideki Saijo had previously gained similar recognition, and now Kashiwabara had received the same, making many envious. However, those who truly understood knew that it wasn't that Kashiwabara had won John over, but rather that she had a close relationship with Naoko, just like Hideki Saijo, which was why she received John's approval and this help.

John's acceptance of Hideki Saijo and Yoshie Kashiwabara reveals how much he values ​​relationships and cares about Naoko. This isn't just superficial hypocrisy; it's genuine sincerity, which is exactly the outcome those guys in Japan want to see and hope for.

At this moment, Riko began to understand why her boss, Akio Morita, valued her so much and had arranged for her to come—it was all because of his character and conduct. This also made Riko realize the immense pressure she was under; she wasn't just representing herself, but bearing the dual responsibility of Sony and Akio Morita. This immense pressure left her breathless, yet she had no choice but to face it.

Although Riko knew nothing about Toshiba or the machinations behind it all, she understood that anything that Akio Morita valued so highly was no ordinary matter. Naturally, she had to handle it with extreme caution, leaving no room for error. Failure would have consequences she couldn't bear; she would inevitably be abandoned by Morita. For a powerful figure like Morita, a woman like herself was completely insignificant—that was the difference between her and Naoko.

“Mr. John, I don’t understand. With the strength of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group, Elite Agency could have had a much better future, so why are you restricting it, and why is the agency spending so much unnecessary money?”

Upon hearing this, John gently shook his head and said, "Establishing Elite Agency is not for making money. If I wanted to make money, there are many ways, and they would be much easier. There are many ways to make money in this world! The existence of Elite Agency is only to ensure that Tokyo TV, Universal Music, and Nikkatsu will not be controlled by others in terms of personnel. Compared to that, whether the agency makes money or not is not important!"

The current elite agency is indeed not profitable, barely breaking even. It has very few artists and has already made significant capital expenditures. Riko and the others present felt this was unnecessary; no agency would refuse TV Tokyo and Nikkatsu. However, they were seeing TV Tokyo and Nikkatsu as they were now, not as they were when John first took over. Most importantly, they only saw the present and didn't consider the long term. This difference in perspective stems from their different positions.

Compared to TV Tokyo, Nikkatsu Pictures has its own talent development program and doesn't seem to need an elite agency. However, this isn't entirely true, and there's another important reason John didn't mention. When the bubble economy arrived, when Japan was frantically acquiring companies from the US, and even when Japan was heavily investing in Hollywood, Japanese elements inevitably permeated Hollywood. At that time, Universal Pictures needed this kind of support. With an elite agency, everything would be fine. It's better to keep the profits within the company; developing your own artists is far better than developing them for other agencies, and these artists are easier to manage!
While Riko and the others were focused on John's positioning of the elite agency, Nakamori Akina was staring intently at John. Although she was currently a top idol singer in Japan, when it came to money, most of it went to the agency, and Nakamori Akina herself only received a very small portion.

She then said, "John, why don't you teach us how to make money too!"

When a beautiful idol suddenly said such a thing, everyone present was taken aback. However, everyone could understand Nakamori Akina's thoughts. Nakamori Akina, who had just debuted, was not yet qualified to share profits with the company. Moreover, even they longed to earn more money and achieve financial freedom.

When it comes to making money, probably no one knows more about it than a time traveler. He has a complete grasp of which industries will be profitable, what will bring in big money, and when the money will come. However, these same things are John's foundation for future security and wealth, his greatest asset. Clearly, he wouldn't offer advice on making money based solely on a question from Nakamori Akina. Of course, that wasn't what Nakamori Akina was asking; she simply wanted to know some ways to make money. John smiled calmly and said, "If you have some spare cash, Akina-chan, you might consider investing in the stock market. Short-term investments should be profitable. Japan's economy is doing very well right now, and the stock market is a good option."

“I’ve heard about this before. They say the stock market is very profitable right now.” Riko’s expression changed slightly when she heard John’s words. Although she had been following the big boss Akio Morita and had gained a lot of benefits, she also valued making money. She had heard even more about the stock market, but there was a conflicted look on her face!
She'd heard Akio Morita say "the stock market is risky" more than once, so when John brought it up, she hesitated. What if it crashed and she lost everything? She knew nothing about stock market investing and didn't know what to do. But continuing to ask Akina Nakamori's question would be impolite and disrespectful. Not knowing and not wanting to listen to her opinion would be awkward!

While Riko was struggling with her decision, Akina Nakamori was also conflicted. Stock market experts could easily understand John's suggestion and had the ability to implement it, but for idols like Akina and Riko, it was impossible. They lacked the necessary knowledge; even if John offered advice, they couldn't put it into practice. Lack of knowledge was their biggest weakness!

Japanese idols debut at a very young age, starting in their teens. They simply don't have the time or energy to focus on their studies, so their knowledge is very limited. Even with John's good intentions, they lack the ability to implement them, which is their biggest problem!

Idols are easy to make money from, but even easier to deceive. In the Japanese entertainment industry, many idols have been cheated out of their money, sex, and other things. This is not an isolated case, but a group phenomenon, which shows how terrible their own problems are! Of course, this is not only the case in Japan, but also in the United States. Hollywood is not lacking in such fools.

Seeing Riko and Akina Nakamori's conflicted expressions, John suddenly realized that he had overestimated their abilities. Even as a transmigrator, he made considerable mistakes in the early stages, let alone these idols. Compared to them, their abilities were even worse, and expecting them to make a profit in the stock market was asking too much of them.

Compared to the struggles of idols like Riko and Akina Nakamori, Nako remained remarkably calm. She didn't care about the issue; she possessed shares in TV Tokyo given to her by John. Although there were many restrictions, this was still a considerable fortune. Not to mention, during her time with John, her record sales had increased significantly, and her advertising revenue ensured she wasn't short of money, at least not a little.

Although Naoko's record sales in Japan were not as high as Seiko Matsuda's, her income was far better. After changing agencies, Naoko not only received record royalties but also released records in Europe and America, which earned her far more than she did in the Japanese record market!

In the 1980s, the European and American record markets were much stronger than those in Japan. Naoko, who had gained some fame in the European and American music scene, also saw a significant increase in income. This resulted in her being far more famous in Europe and America than Seiko Matsuda, even dominating the Asian market, despite not being as famous as Matsuda in Japan. There was a huge gap in resources between the two, which led to the current unequal situation between them!
With a slight smile, John continued, "If you're worried about the risks of the stock market, then invest in real estate. It doesn't require professional knowledge or skills, and while I can't guarantee its long-term prospects, Japanese real estate is a sure thing for the next three to five years. It will only appreciate, not depreciate. Of course, this isn't absolute. It's true for big cities like Tokyo, but it's best to avoid real estate in smaller cities. It's difficult for you to grasp the right balance, so there are still risks involved!"

Japan's real estate market is currently experiencing a continuous rise, especially in major cities like Tokyo, where prices have been climbing year after year, showing signs of a bubble economy. The continued rise in real estate prices is undeniable; anyone paying attention will see how rapidly the market is developing. Furthermore, many people present overheard the conversation between John and Akio Morita, which included discussions of real estate cooperation. Without mutual benefit, how could these two tycoons be interested? If even these industry leaders are tempted, then it's no surprise that their idols are too!

(End of this chapter)