America: My Time

Chapter 366 Neon's Ambition

Chapter 366 Neon's Ambition
"Wow, that's fast! It seems Hughes' R&D is on track. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so confident in completing the communications satellite network plan within two years. It seems many people underestimate Hughes' capabilities and the investment John, that little fox, has made in this area. We can't give up this opportunity. The communications satellite network isn't important, but Hughes' second plan is extremely important: the Global Positioning System. That's the project we absolutely must participate in."

Soon, some of the Japanese present began to whisper among themselves. Having finalized Hughes's communications satellite network plan, they believed that the second plan would soon be fully implemented. This reminded them of the United States' Star Wars program. It seemed that this program was not simply a scheme against the Russians, but was actually being carried out. Hughes's second plan was the best proof of this. All the talk of commercial purposes was just a cover.

"Mr. John, I wonder if Hughes' second business plan, the development of a global positioning system, requires investment? If so, we are willing to participate in the investment!"

At this point, John saw that these guys from Japan were going to wave their money and participate in his global satellite positioning system project, which suited him perfectly. Without the participation of these guys, Hughes Corporation could not afford such research and development expenses. This was different from the previous communication satellite networking plan, which required a huge amount of money.

"Gentlemen, this is no small matter. Admittedly, Hughes's own capabilities are insufficient to support such research and development. It's not that the technology is inadequate, but rather the financial burden. Unlike previous communication satellite network projects, the Global Positioning System, while possessing enormous commercial potential, also requires a substantial amount of funding. The launch of each satellite demands a huge sum, and the success of the launch is not guaranteed. Although Hughes is developing a new launch system, this requires time and investment. Participating in such a project means there's no hope in the short term. You all need to think this through carefully. I don't want this project to jeopardize our friendship!"

What kind of friendship does John have with these guys? It's a friendship based on mutual benefit. This friendship won't be affected by Hughes's involvement in the global satellite positioning system. Besides, the companies present here aren't involved in this project; they're the official Japanese research and development institutions, so they don't see anything wrong with it.

"John, please rest assured, we won't have any thoughts about the success or failure of this project. This is something we participated in voluntarily, and it has nothing to do with you. Even if we ultimately fail, it's just because we lacked foresight." At this moment, at the suggestion of the Japanese officials, the old man Akio Morita had no choice but to step forward and persuade them.

"That's true, but I myself am not absolutely certain about this project. I can only say that I am optimistic about its potential. As for when it will succeed, it's hard to say. Moreover, all sorts of problems may arise during the research and development process, which may even directly affect the success or failure of the project. Such trade secrets will not be disclosed to the outside world once they enter the research and development stage. Are you all really determined to participate? Please think it over carefully to avoid disputes in the future."

The more John urged these guys to reconsider, the more the Japanese bastards became convinced that the project must be related to the Star Wars program; otherwise, John, that little fox, wouldn't have so politely declined. In their eyes, John was refusing their participation, and there must be some secret they desperately wanted involved.

“Mr. John, we are determined to participate in the research and development of this project. Money is not a problem, but we don’t know when Hughes Corporation will start investing in the research and development. If possible, could we send someone to participate?”

Upon hearing this, John frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Gentlemen, we need to discuss this matter with Hughes. This is not an ordinary project; I can't make the decision alone. Moreover, involving all of you might not be an easy task. I don't think your decision is correct!"

The more they refused, the more involved these Japanese guys became, convinced that their own ideas were correct. Perhaps John had conflicts with those old fogies like Rockefeller, but Hughes's research was absolutely sound; it was the Star Wars program they had always wanted to participate in. The Americans were too cunning, deceiving everyone. Their plan wasn't fake; they were genuinely pushing it forward.

"Mr. John, we await your news!" At this point, the Japanese guys had no choice but to let go for the time being and couldn't continue to pester him. They also felt that John couldn't make the decision alone and needed to consult with the people behind the project. Although no cooperation agreement was reached today, they felt it was already worth it.

In the minds of these Japanese guys, they felt they had confirmed the authenticity of Hughes's GPS system and believed it was the Star Wars program they had been following. The Americans had never given up, and perhaps everything before was just a cover-up, but now it was gradually coming to light.

John nodded and said, "I will discuss this with Hughes as soon as possible, and I will let you all know as soon as I have a result. However, I think you shouldn't have too high hopes. This kind of research and development is not a small matter. Even if you are willing to participate, you will need to face many situations. Perhaps we will need to separate the entire project from Hughes!" John sighed and shook his head slightly, appearing pessimistic. But the more he acted this way, the more determined the Japanese guys became. They were convinced that they had to participate in Hughes' project, otherwise, if things continued to attract more attention, they would have no chance at all.

Soon, the conversation stopped on this topic because the Japanese guys believed that John didn't have absolute authority in this matter, so they needed to wait for Hughes's side to reach a decision.

After the Universal Studios project was finalized, John didn't linger in the second-floor conference room any longer and left under some pretext. With John's departure, the Japanese guys underwent some changes.

"Gentlemen, it seems our guess was correct. Hughes' second plan, the Global Positioning System, is part of the Star Wars we've been watching closely. We can't give up as long as there's even the slightest chance. Regardless of whether it's already been considered for civilian use, we must go all out and participate in it to the best of our ability."

“I think so too. But even if we have the opportunity, we will have to pay a considerable price, at least financially. From John’s words, we know that he has some decision-making power, but in the end, he still has to consult with others. That is our opportunity!”

"That's right. No matter the cost, we must participate. John Huang's last words were a reminder to us that this project might be spun off. However, even so, it won't be easy to get involved. We can sense the secrets hidden behind Hughes' plan, and I believe others can as well. Once this project starts, even more people will want to get involved. If we want to gain a certain degree of influence, we'll have to pay a considerable price. This time, everyone must use whatever means they have to, and we absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip away!"

"Mr. Morita, we need you to keep a close eye on John's situation now. Try to learn as much as possible about things through the women around him. Although they can't possibly know the truth about this project, if they can put in a good word for us, our chances will be better." At this moment, those guys thought of Naoko, Akina, and Kuroki Hitomi. To them, it was very important to use women to win John's favor and get Japan involved in this plan.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some bad news to tell you. Someone is causing trouble because of Nakamori Akina. Someone has reported that her father demanded benefits from her agency and record company!"

"When did this happen? Which newspaper dares to report it? What are they trying to do?" At this moment, the expressions of the Japanese bigwigs changed. This was no small matter. If such trouble were to arise at this time, it would affect their plans. Once their plans were affected, someone would have to be held responsible.

"It was just a few tabloids. Fortunately, they've been brought under control. In a way, it's also Vanguard's fault. If they had handled this matter properly, this situation wouldn't have happened. Although I'm reluctant to admit it, that family was too greedy. If we hadn't stopped them in time, it might have had a significant impact on our plans."

"Damn Vanguard, how could they have chosen such a person? Didn't they think about how serious the consequences would be?" At this moment, someone was complaining about the Vanguard's mistake in choosing a candidate. If they hadn't chosen Akina Nakamori, they wouldn't be in this trouble, and they wouldn't be facing this problem.

“Those guys from Vanguard didn’t think that far ahead. Unlike Mr. Morita and Sanwa, they just wanted to resolve the conflict and didn’t think too much about it. If those guys had been a little more cautious, we wouldn’t have had this trouble. Fortunately, when the tabloids were published, the other side wasn’t in Japan, and it didn’t create a storm.”

"This is no small matter; it must be treated as a major issue. Those guys from the Vanguard must eliminate all potential threats and absolutely cannot affect our plans. Otherwise, they will be held accountable!"

(End of this chapter)