America: My Time

Chapter 370 Solving the problem
Chapter 370 Solving the Problem
Watching Akio Morita leave, John shook his head slightly, then turned his gaze back to the gossip of the beautiful women around him, listening to their discussions. With Morita gone, no one bothered John anymore, and the party ended smoothly without further incident.

Watching the excited Naoko and Akina, John couldn't help but shake his head. In contrast, Hitomi Kuroki didn't participate much in their conversation, but instead chatted with Mao Daichi from time to time, as if she were somewhat out of place with these beautiful idols. Perhaps this was related to her background and her own experiences.

Through her interactions with Mao Daichi, Hitomi Kuroki's perspective is also shifting. She can sense the pressure Riko's presence brings and understands Naoko's place in John's heart more clearly. Most importantly, Naoko and Akina are clearly more compatible and have a closer relationship, which makes Hitomi feel a sense of pressure.

John had no idea what Kuroki Hitomi was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care too much. The next day, John contacted the Consul General in San Francisco. Although he could have contacted the railway construction company directly, John felt it was better to communicate with the San Francisco side. After all, reciprocity is key to closer relationships, and it's not good if only one side is making efforts. Making appropriate requests is a reasonable choice for maintaining good relations.

"Mr. John, you want to rent giant pandas, and in Japan no less?" The Consul General was quite surprised when he heard John's request. He never expected John to make such a request, and to come to him first to discuss and arrange it, especially since John had just left China.

"Yes, this matter will require your assistance, Consul General. I wouldn't have bothered you if time weren't so pressing. There's another matter: Japan needs the support of Quantum Mining for iron ore price negotiations, so they hope to expedite the railway construction and complete it in the shortest possible time. They are willing to cover part of the funding for this. I hope you can help make contact with them about this as well. I've already contacted them once before, and it's not long now, so it's a bit difficult to make this request again. I'll have to trouble you again, Consul General!"

John's request was met with no delay from the San Francisco authorities. The fact that John made the call to San Francisco showed how much importance he attached to the matter. Soon, the San Francisco authorities contacted the authorities back home, and everything was quickly agreed upon.

Soon, staff from the Tokyo consulate came to John's door to deliver the good news. The fact that there was a result so quickly relieved John, as he hadn't had much time to deal with this matter. Now that there was a result, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At least the issues with Universal Studios and Yokohama Park were resolved, as was the iron ore problem.

When John told the Tokyo consulate that if the Australian railway could be completed within six months, it would generate an additional $100 million in revenue, they were stunned. A $100 million investment seemed insane, at least in their eyes. When they relayed this news back home, it also shocked many. This funding wasn't provided by Quantum Mining, but by Japan, which was also willing to send experts and scholars to provide guidance at any time.

Many people were shocked by the Japanese madness and felt the pressure the Japanese were under in the iron ore negotiations. If they weren't under immense pressure, how could they have made such a crazy decision and paid such a high price?

To many, a hundred million dollars is a staggering sum, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that such a price is not insurmountable. Compared to their price advantage, it is not unacceptable. In comparison, if they can use Quantum Mining to suppress the exorbitant demands of those mining giants, then the cost to Japan is nothing.

When John told Akio Morita the results, the Japanese guys quickly breathed a sigh of relief. They were also shocked by John's speed and realized that John had a good relationship with China. It was not something an ordinary person could do to accomplish everything in such a short time.

However, the faster John moved, the greater the pressure on the Japanese. They needed to make a decision as quickly as possible regarding Hughes's GPS system. Time was running out. If they couldn't make a decision in time, John would leave Japan soon, and then they would have to pay a much higher price and offer more benefits to negotiate with him again.

When Sumitomo took over the affairs behind Nakamori Akina, Ken-on faced immense pressure, Warner received a warning, and Vanguard was also extremely distressed. They hadn't expected things to escalate like this, nor had they anticipated that their beautiful PR girl would bring such trouble. They also felt a little regretful.

Sumitomo's method was simple: he wouldn't intervene directly, but instead had Ken-on suppress the greedy Nakamori Akina's family, forcing them to behave. This family had an agreement with Ken-on that they couldn't do anything to harm Akina, or they would face severe consequences. Most importantly, Vanguard handed over the evidence he possessed to Ken-on, using it as leverage to pressure the family into not causing trouble, otherwise they couldn't afford the serious consequences. The funds they received from Ken-on and Warner were far less than what they received from Vanguard; if Ken-on used this as grounds to sue them, the consequences would be severe. Of course, Ken-on wouldn't do that, after all, Akina was Ken-on's cash cow, and Akina had John's backing and Sumitomo's strong support.

With Sumitomo's full-force approach, Akina's situation was quickly resolved. Although her family was furious about Kenon's threats, they dared not break their promise to Kenon, nor could they bear the consequences of violating the agreement. In particular, if this matter were to spread, they would be utterly ashamed. The infamy of betraying their own daughter was not something they could bear; it would crush them.

Although such things are not uncommon in Japan, they are all done in secret and have not been brought to the public eye. Especially since Akina is now a well-known idol, if this matter were to become public, it might damage Akina's reputation, but more importantly, it would make it unbearable for Akina and her family to be pointed at and gossiped about by outsiders.

Akina has John's protection, but that greedy family won't have such good fortune. They will not only have to compensate Ken-on for her losses, but also bear a bad reputation. It is precisely because they understand how serious this matter is that that greedy family will quiet down and dare not do anything excessive again.

John was unaware of this situation, as was Akina. John hadn't expected that such a small matter would lead to this outcome. However, while arranging various matters in Japan, John also called Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi together, intending to meet with their families. Naoko, in particular, had been with him the longest, yet he had never given her an explanation; meeting her family was his way of showing his support.

Although Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi's people might all know about my existence and understand their situation, John felt it would be better to meet them, at least to put their minds at ease and put their minds at ease.

While it's true he likes beautiful women, he won't be fickle or act like a scumbag. After all, these three women were forced to accept their fate due to external pressures. Naoko's situation is much better, but that doesn't mean she's without any pressure. Even if Naoko doesn't show it, John doesn't believe she's truly without any pressure; the pressure from her family is still there.

John first encountered Akina's family. Although he was somewhat prepared, upon seeing them, he could still sense their greed and a faint sense of fear. If anyone in the family still cared about Akina, it was her mother, Chieko. Perhaps it was this bond with her mother that allowed Akina to endure her family's exploitation and greed.

Filial piety is something everyone should do. Whether it's Naoko or Hitomi Kuroki, they all help their families. But in Akina's case, filial piety has become distorted. This greedy family not only takes money from Akina, but also from the record company and the agency. It is precisely because of their greed that it will become Akina's nightmare in the future. Fortunately, everything has changed now. Although Akina was also betrayed by these guys, and sold for a good price, the pressure Akina faces has lessened considerably.

Money wasn't a big deal to John, nor did he care about Akina's contributions to the group. What John cared about was Akina's own feelings, and the pressure and influence this greedy family exerted on her. John didn't want to see Akina follow the same path, or go down that crazy road.

Although John knew about these things in the entertainment industry, he didn't have a good impression of Akina's family. All he saw in them was greed for money and exploitation of Akina; he saw no family affection. Aside from Akina's mother, Chieko, there was no trace of familial love among the others, only greed. Such greedy people were difficult to satisfy. Even if they could accept it now, John believed that as time went on, this greedy family would do something even more outrageous, but it was something he couldn't interfere with.

(End of this chapter)