America: My Time

Chapter 330 Arrangements for Real Estate Expansion

Chapter 330 Arrangements for Real Estate Expansion

John was shocked when he took stock of his assets. Despite being burdened with huge loans, his assets were also astonishingly large. His assets in Japan were also growing rapidly, especially in real estate. He owned a large number of properties, which were held by 7-Eleven and Mandarin Oriental Group.

There is still more than a year until the Plaza Accord. During this time, Japan's real estate expansion will continue. Speaking of real estate, John couldn't help but think of the villas that Japan entrusted Mitsui Fudosan to build, as well as the property renovations in Kyoto and other places. He should know that when he left Tokyo, these were only just beginning. At the speed of Mitsui Fudosan, they should be completed soon!
"Naoko, Akina, Akiko, how's the Tokyo property? Is the renovation in Kyoto finished?"

"There are quite a few properties under construction in Tokyo, and they're not finished yet. Even at the fastest pace, it won't be until July or August!" Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi Kuroki were all puzzled when they talked about the Tokyo properties. Originally, it was just a few properties, then it increased to a dozen, and then dozens. How could such a massive construction project be completed in such a short time? Even Mitsui Fudosan, as powerful as it is, needs enough manpower to get things started!
As for some properties in Kyoto, the renovation work is nearing completion. Hitomi Kuroki knows more about this, since she has much more free time than Naoko and Akina, so she is in charge of supervising the properties outside of Tokyo.

"That's good. The longer it drags on, the more funds will be needed. Land prices in Japan are already rising rapidly. If we want to expand in the future, we will have to pay an even higher price!" John had the nerve to say this. The reason why land prices in Japan were rising so rapidly was because of him. He was the one who caused the land prices to rise.

John was also paying attention to real estate in Japan, as it represented a considerable fortune that would grow to an astonishing level within a few years. Over the next year or so, John would continue to expand his real estate holdings, and after the Plaza Accord, he would refrain from further purchases, instead waiting for the final opportunity to sell.

“Father, the airport on Lanai Island is complete. If you have time, could you go and check on it for me? Although those guys from the security company told me everything is going smoothly, their expertise is limited to security!” John still had some concerns about the construction on Lanai Island. After all, those guys from the security company only focused on security issues, and were far from competent in other areas. Once the island's defenses were completed, a new round of construction would begin, which was beyond their ability to oversee.

John also had high expectations for Lanai Island, which was the venue he used to 'entertain' the Japanese. If everything went smoothly, John felt that his investment would be fully recovered before the end of the bubble economy. Moreover, he didn't just have Lanai Island as a resort island; he also had plans to build more resorts.

Time is running out. Once the bubble economy begins, those Japanese will be spending like crazy around the world. If I don't seize this opportunity, I'll be letting myself down. If I can get this opportunity, all my investments will be recouped soon, and the Cultural Oriental Group will be on the right track.

Of course, John couldn't voice this idea. His parents already opposed the winery issue, so if there were any expansion plans like this, the situation would be unimaginable. After all, he knew how crazy Japan's development would become in the future, and how crazy the Japanese were during the bubble economy era, but his parents didn't.

John's remaining staff in Europe were largely focused on gathering information about ancient manors, preparing for the expansion of culture into the East. Of course, the biggest problem remained East Germany's talent recruitment program. Bell Labs was now on track, but John didn't want to be controlled or manipulated by others regarding lithography machine lenses. Therefore, he set his sights on recruiting talent from Zeiss. Given the less-than-ideal situation in East Germany, John naturally had some ideas about this.

John was well aware of the importance of optical lenses to lithography machines. Relying on West Germany was futile, as they had never prioritized lenses; their core business was cameras! As for Japan, John was even less likely to believe that things would change once they became competitors. He knew that while his current relationship with the Japanese might be good and there wouldn't be any major problems, everything would be different in the future. Therefore, he needed to prepare in advance.

Unfortunately, although John had many things to discuss with his father, it was already too late, and they could only talk about them tomorrow. However, it was uncertain whether there would be such an opportunity tomorrow, as his father wasn't always available and had his own matters to attend to. Similarly, John also had many things to deal with; the issue of international students alone couldn't be neglected. The sooner this was arranged, the more students would be secured. Just as John had feared, in the following days, his parents were unavailable, and John was busy arranging the international student program. After several days, the number reached a shocking figure: a full one hundred places! This completely exceeded John's expectations, forcing him to contact the consul general again; it was best to inform him of such a large number of places in advance!

"Mr. John, you're not mistaken, there are a hundred places for international students this year?" Consul General Hu was also shocked. Such a large number of places was unbelievable, especially since John had previously stated that the number of places would be fewer this year. And yet, such amazing news had arrived in such a short time!
At this moment, a hint of embarrassment flashed across John's face.
"That's right, there are only 100 spots available. To be honest, it's my fault. Last year, my approach was flawed; I didn't see the root of the problem and only considered a few universities I was familiar with. This year, thanks to my mother's reminder, I realized I made a big mistake. For studying abroad, public universities are the best choice, so the situation has changed this year. However, I need to clarify one point: these spots aren't entirely in California. The University of California alone doesn't have that many spots! The spots are all for public universities. Private universities like Stanford were excluded because their tuition is too high, and without scholarships, the pressure on students would be too great."

Consul General Hu didn't see this as a problem. The public universities John had chosen all had guaranteed teaching quality, and securing one hundred places wasn't something easily obtained; it required a vast network of connections! If this cooperation could continue, that would be ideal. However, it was clearly impossible; no institution could indefinitely grant such places, a fact Consul General Hu was well aware of.

After receiving the Consul General's thanks, John left the consulate. He breathed a sigh of relief after getting the matter settled. Next came the challenge of dealing with Morgan and Rockefeller. It must be said that Morgan and Rockefeller acted swiftly; Jimmy had already arranged a meeting time in advance.

For security reasons, John arranged the negotiations at his home rather than the company. Neither Dreamworld nor Nvidia was suitable, as leaks could easily cause unnecessary trouble.

"Jimmy, we're old friends, so I won't stand on ceremony. What decisions have you made?"

“John, Morgan is still firmly on your side. We’ve agreed to sell those TV stations to Phoenix Media and have also reached an agreement with AMC Theatres. As long as you give your approval, Phoenix Media can take over as quickly as possible.” At this moment, Jimmy didn’t hesitate or make any probing moves because he understood John’s character and how he handled things. It was better to be straightforward in such matters.

“Okay, Morgan is Morgan, he never disappoints me. As long as the price is right, we can do business anytime. This is Ryosuke Watanabe, CEO of Phoenix Group in the United States. He will handle the transaction!” John introduced Ryosuke Watanabe to Jimmy. Since this was a private occasion, there was no need for formalities.

With Morgan's matter resolved, it was now Rockefeller's turn to shine. Clearly, this guy had done a lot of preparation before meeting John, at least communicating with Jimmy, and he got straight to the point: "Mr. John, we have no problem either. The Rockefeller television station is ready for sale at any time. Also, we've chosen a great film studio for Phoenix Media: Paramount!"

Upon hearing these words, John's gaze sharpened, while Watanabe Ryosuke gasped in shock at the other party's move. Although Phoenix America had also planned to acquire a Hollywood giant, it hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. After all, with Legendary Entertainment involved, Phoenix America was often affected. But now, the news that Rockefeller was willing to sell Paramount Pictures to Phoenix America was truly astonishing.

“Jimmy, what does Morgan think about this? Although Phoenix Media making such an acquisition isn't a problem, as I told you before, those guys in Hollywood won't agree. Such an acquisition would cause a lot of trouble. If Phoenix Media makes such a big acquisition at this time, it will be another storm. I don't want to be targeted by those guys again, and I don't have the energy or time to argue with them!” John sighed softly as he said this, his gaze fixed on Jimmy.

(End of this chapter)