America: My Time

Chapter 3 Investment Plan
Chapter Three Investment Plan

Media and entertainment is a good investment direction. Entertainment groups are quite profitable. The IP in my mind can generate huge amounts of money and even support my plans. Now I need a comic book company!
The current US comic book market is not good and is in a slump. The best comic book market in the world in the future will be Japan, and the best record market will also be Japan. I need to establish a comic book company and a record company in Japan, and I need to do it quickly so that I don't give those guys in Japan a chance. Otherwise, many of the anime and music I remember will be taken away by them.

When thinking about comics and music, games are naturally indispensable! The game market also has huge potential. The D-pad patent is very important. Games were very popular in the 80s. In just one year in 1985, the Japanese Famicom sold 3300 million units in the United States. If we seize the opportunity now, we can tap into the huge gold mine of Japanese games!

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that my limited funds were insufficient and the urgency of time became! I would not hesitate or feel any unease about plundering Japanese assets! To seize Japanese assets and opportunities, I needed a detailed plan to plunder the most assets with the greatest strength!

Coming to his senses from the frenzy of thought, John quickly recognized his own shortcomings. Despite having access to vast amounts of information about the future, he also had numerous weaknesses: time, funds, ability, and understanding of the broader environment.
Time waits for no one. Even with a great opportunity, one needs to be fully prepared, have sufficient funds, and rely on the strength of one's family. After all, I am still a seventeen-year-old child, and I am too weak to withstand the storms of reality. I need my family to shelter me from the wind and rain.

While plagiarism can bring in quick profits, it requires time to accumulate wealth and for the distribution of funds to take time. What I lack most right now is time; opportunities in the gold market won't wait for me to have sufficient funds!
Suddenly, a thought flashed through John's mind—a brilliant idea! Millionaire! This was a great way to make money. If managed well, he could amass a huge fortune in a short time, alleviating his current financial difficulties.

What is the greatest ability of a time traveler? Knowing the future! They are well aware of how popular and profitable the show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is.

Thinking about it is no substitute for taking action. Only by taking action can you obtain the wealth you desire; otherwise, it's all just wishful thinking! The first thing I need to do is quickly plan out the "Millionaire" program and register the copyright!
Spurred by immense wealth and tempted by vast sums of money, his potential was unleashed, and the millionaire's program was conceived with effortless ease. In a short time, the entire program was planned out.

It has to be said that the allure of money is invincible. In this realistic world, it is hard for anyone to resist its temptation. Even time travelers are no exception and have to succumb to the charm of money!
The millionaire opened John's mind and made him realize that plagiarizing novels was not his only way to make money. Novel publication takes time, and becoming a hit also takes time to accumulate. To shorten this time, he needed to use his brain and create some hype!
Harry Potter's immense success wasn't solely due to its brilliant concept and writing style; it was largely driven by Time Warner. Without Time Warner's backing, even if the author achieved success solely through his own abilities, it would require time and effort. However, Harry Potter's path was one he couldn't have taken alone, as he didn't have Time Warner behind him!
Hype became his only option, which wasn't difficult; he had far too many hype tactics at his disposal.

Lost in thought, I unconsciously walked to the piano. A stirring melody began, powerful and awe-inspiring. In an instant, all my worries vanished, and I was completely immersed in the stirring music!
Exodus! Without realizing it, I played a magnificent piece of Exodus on my instrument, a version of Exodus adapted from the Maxim version I remembered!
When the music ended, John found himself surrounded by people—his father, mother, brother, and sister—all staring at him with incredulous eyes!

"What a magnificent Exodus piece! John, your arrangement of this piece is breathtaking and worthy of being released as a record. You not only have extraordinary talent in writing, but also great talent in music. Once you've revised the score, I'll ask a friend to help you release a record. Perhaps you can carve out your own niche in the music world!"

As his mother's voice faded, a sudden jolt ran through him, and a brilliant idea flashed through his mind. A record! Release a record! This was the best way to promote himself. If he combined the novel *Pirates of the Caribbean* with the music "He's a Pirate," the effect wouldn't be as simple as one plus one equals two!
“Thank you, Mom, I’ll revise it as soon as possible!” John paused for a moment, then continued, “Mom, I don’t want to go to school. I already know everything the teachers teach at school. I don’t want to waste my time. Can I go to Stanford University with you to audit classes? I only have less than six months until the college entrance exam!”

"What? You don't want to go to school, you want to audit classes at Stanford?" John's words shocked his parents, who found it hard to understand!

As a transmigrator, merging with everything of the original body, the benefits began to show. The photographic memory gave him a huge boost, allowing him to save more time on his learning journey, and also gave him the perfect excuse!

"Why? Why is John doing this? You need to convince us!" After exchanging glances, the parents did not directly refuse, but gave John a chance to explain and convince himself. This is the educational approach of Europeans and Americans.

“Because I have a photographic memory, I can remember any book after reading it only once. The knowledge I learned in school can no longer help me, and I don’t want to waste my time!” John paused here, pondered for a moment, and then continued, “During that period, a large part of the reason I went astray was that I couldn’t accept being with a group of immature people. Fortunately, I have emerged from my confusion and despair!”

Okay, that's a powerful reason, so powerful that it's hard to refuse. Geniuses are arrogant and different from others! Time is money; wasting time is wasting your money and your life! In the minds of Westerners, this is the most correct concept, and no one would disagree!

“John, we agree to your request in principle, but I’d like to know what your ideals are. Talent is a good thing, but talent doesn’t guarantee success!” Although somewhat surprised, Smith Bayard remained calm and inquired about John’s ideals. As he said, there are many talented people in this world, but very few who succeed. “I came, I saw, I conquered!”

When John, the boy who was about to turn eighteen, uttered Julius Caesar's famous words, it had a tremendous impact on the Smiths. They were awestruck by such ambition.

“John, it’s good to have ambition, but success is not as simple as you think. You still need to accumulate knowledge and experience. It’s great that you can choose to study at Stanford early to increase your knowledge. But you must remember that it’s good to be confident, but you can’t be overconfident or arrogant!”

“Dad, I understand. Knowledge can broaden horizons and cultivate character! There’s only a fine line between genius and madness. Success makes you a genius, failure makes you a madman. I will become a genius, not a madman!” John said confidently, his eyes gleaming with an unbelievable arrogance!
John's answer pleased Smith Bayard greatly, who laughed and said, "It's good that you understand. Many people don't, which is why they end up as shooting stars! Ambition is fine, but it must be moderate and within your control. Now you need to plan your future, at least have a short-term plan, and then move towards that goal. Otherwise, even if you succeed temporarily, you won't be able to sustain it. There are many talented people in this world, but very few who can persevere to success!"

In Smith Bayard's eyes, John was just a child who needed his guidance. However, he didn't realize he was facing a time traveler with the appearance of a teenager but the mind of an adult. For a time traveler's investments, success was inevitable; the only question was how much they would yield. With his financial backing, nothing could stop his path to success.

"I understand. My goal is clear: initially, I'll invest my money in entertainment, clothing, food, and high technology. The entertainment industry will always be incredibly attractive; clothing and food are even more important—people need to eat and wear to live; the same goes for high technology—it's always been one of the most profitable industries. However, right now I need to focus on writing, accumulating more funds for small-scale trials, and saving the rest for when the time is right. No matter what, no matter how the environment changes, cash is king, and opportunity favors the prepared! During my period of decline, I had many ideas that needed to be written down. Fame should come early; I won't waste my time or my life—time is money!"

John didn't voice his thoughts about the gold market, the Plaza Accord, or his own numerous concerns. Although he was facing his family, these ideas were too horrifying; even if he spoke them aloud, they wouldn't agree. A child's words carried little weight, so he had to keep them to himself.

“Good, it’s good that you have a clear understanding. You’re still young, so you can go all out and give full play to your talents. Even if you fail, it doesn’t matter. Youth has unlimited possibilities, and youth is your greatest asset! I will prepare the investment company you want for you. From now on, everything depends on your own efforts. If you need anything else, you can talk to me!” Smith nodded happily again. He saw hope in John, and he saw hope for the future of the family!

Youth is capital; one or two falls are nothing! John will not fall into that situation. He is not an ordinary person, but someone who has information about the future. As long as he has enough financial support, he will go further, become a superior person, and stand at the top of the times.

“John, success or failure isn’t determined by a single moment. You need to have a long-term perspective and not put too much pressure on yourself. The family doesn’t need you to shoulder responsibilities right now. You need time to grow, absorb more knowledge, and become stronger. Mom believes you will succeed! Don’t let money and profit cloud your judgment. You’re still a child and should have your own happiness!” For a mother, what matters is her child’s growth and happiness, not money and fame—at least that’s how she sees him!

I am indeed a child, but also a child with the mentality of an adult, and I can't understand the joy that an ordinary child should have. Money, beauty, and power are what I pursue, and I can't say these things out loud, much less show them to my mother.

"Mom, I understand. I know what I should do. Maybe my choice will seem to mean losing a lot of happiness, but this is my decision, and I will be happy with my choice. Everyone's pursuits are different, so the definition of happiness is also different!"

Mature! At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Smith saw a mature quality in John, which surprised them greatly, and they could hardly believe it! Could this be the difference between genius and genius? Could this be the benefit of breaking through the confusion and falling into despair on his own, which gave a seventeen-year-old boy a mature quality?

Although deeply shocked, John's transformation filled the Smiths with immense joy. They didn't want to uncover the secrets behind it, because John was their son, and there was no need to delve into the mysteries behind it!

(End of this chapter)