America: My Time

Chapter 412 The Neon Lights' Probe

Chapter 412 The Neon Lights' Probe
Faced with the powerful Nvidia, the Japanese semiconductor companies also had some concerns, fearing that Nvidia would get involved in memory chip research. Akio Morita came to test John on behalf of these companies.

"John, does Nvidia have any plans for the development of memory chips? Many Japanese companies are quite worried about this, after all, Nvidia is too powerful now, and its development in the chip field is too fast, to an unbelievable degree."

"No, Nvidia's goal is simple: the research and development of CPU and GPU chips. We won't venture into anything else. Specialization is the best policy. The reason Intel ended up like this is because they were too greedy. They always wanted to pursue all-round development and control all the profits. How is that possible? No company can do that. Nvidia only does research and development; we don't do the manufacturing ourselves. Everything will be outsourced to ASUS. Only by focusing all our energy on product development can we stay ahead of our competitors. Nvidia doesn't want to follow in Intel's footsteps. Japanese companies don't need to worry. I have no intention of venturing into memory chips."

John, of course, had no such thoughts at this time. Even if he did have a plan, he would wait for the US to strike hard. That would be his chance to act, his opportunity to participate in memory chip research. At that time, there would be plenty of Japanese experts to compete for. ASUS had already made preparations in this regard, just waiting for the opportunity to arise. John, however, harbored a deep grudge against Toshiba, and if the opportunity presented itself, he would definitely give Toshiba a severe blow, letting them know what pain truly meant!
Toshiba's dissatisfaction with John is growing, especially with the rapid development of Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi. Sony is the most successful, although its acquisition of Columbia Pictures in the US was a huge loss, but such an acquisition is not something everyone can do. Now, with the emergence of ASUS personal computers, Sony's monitors are also receiving huge orders, which is even more infuriating to Toshiba.

In this transformation of the semiconductor industry, Toshiba did not benefit at all. Asus and Nvidia, as well as Dreamworld, never partnered with Toshiba. Therefore, Toshiba was in a very difficult position in this competition. The profits it could obtain were far less than those of Sony. No matter how good your products are, people just don't use them or choose them, and there is nothing Toshiba can do.

It's too late to improve relations; the opportunity has already been lost. Even if Toshiba had such thoughts, Sony wouldn't give him that chance. Akio Morita, that old fox, isn't stupid enough to let his rival steal his market share.

John broke down the major components of a personal computer: Nvidia focused on CPU and GPU chips, Dreamworld on software development, and ASUS on motherboard development. In the future, ASUS will participate in memory development. This will depend on the US's heavy hand to Japan. Otherwise, no matter how much they pay, it will be difficult to surpass these Japanese companies.

Now the hard drive problem is facing John. Knowing how crazy the development of personal computers will be in the future, John needs to consider all aspects of personal computing hardware. The problem is not too big now, but everything may change over time. This problem needs to be solved as soon as possible, and acquisition is the best solution.

The key question was who would complete the acquisition. Nvidia was already in the pre-IPO process and didn't have the time or energy, plus it wouldn't be very beneficial for Nvidia. Ultimately, the acquisition went to ASUS. ASUS is now on track and generating a steady stream of profits. They didn't need to take out loans for the acquisition and were completely self-sufficient!
Because of the old fox Akio Morita constantly testing him, John had no interest in watching the Victoria's Secret show. Otherwise, he might have been tricked by the old man. The old fox's choice to communicate with him in such a setting was probably for such a treacherous purpose.

"This old guy really has no sportsmanship. We came to see the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but he turned it into a business exchange and kept testing us. He's so cunning and treacherous!" Although John was very dissatisfied with Akio Morita's behavior, he had no choice but to deal with this 'challenge'!
As the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show drew to a close, the old man Akio Morita said again, "John, how long are you planning to stay in Tokyo this time? How about we get together? Many people want to sit down and talk with you. If you have no problem, how about we host a cocktail party and discuss cooperation?"

When Akio Morita said such a thing, could John refuse? Could he disrespect these Japanese guys? How could he refuse when these scoundrels who always cared so much about their reputation said something like that? Besides, it wasn't just about Akio Morita's reputation, but the reputation of all of Japan. No matter how busy he was, he had to agree.

"Sure, I have no problem. I have some time to talk to you all about the Australian iron ore issue. The project is nearing completion and will be finished soon. As long as you finish negotiating the iron ore price, we can provide high-quality iron ore to Japan at any time. The Koreans have been contacting Quantum Mining, and I need to understand the situation in Japan and confirm the amount so I can give them an answer. We can't keep dragging this on."

Even after Quantum Mining's repeated rejections, the Koreans persisted, leaving John and Quantum Mining helpless. Moreover, the Koreans had numerous lobbyists, so John was eager to resolve the issue and extract some benefits from them. However, the amount of support they could offer depended on the number of iron ore orders the Japanese would place with Quantum Mining. John didn't believe these guys would allow Quantum Mining to operate its Australian iron ore mines at full capacity; no one would make such a foolish decision. Even the Koreans wouldn't do that, let alone the cunning and treacherous Japanese. Orders would come, but not many—John understood this perfectly. That's why he allowed Quantum Mining to enter the steel industry, taking control of its own destiny rather than being influenced by external forces.

The more they learned about quantum mining, the more they understood the extent of John's ambitions downstream. It was precisely because those guys in Japan understood this that they kept testing John and causing all sorts of problems. They didn't want their lifeline to be in someone else's hands; they wanted to control it themselves.

The cooperation on iron ore was merely a matter of mutual benefit. Once those guys in Japan got everything they wanted, things would change. The relationship between those guys and John would change, and the orders Quantum Mining could get from Japan would also change. John understood this.

"That's right. This matter really can't be dragged on for too long. The iron ore price negotiations have already begun, and I believe there will be a result soon. You won't have to wait long. As for the Korean side, I believe everyone will be fine."

John was exhausted by the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but he was overjoyed by the Japanese perspectives. They all believed that Japan had stood up and gained recognition. The Victoria's Secret stage had been moved to Tokyo, and this time, two of their favorite idols were performing as guests, which satisfied their vanity.

With the end of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, John also parted ways with that old guy Akio Morita. He still had many things to deal with, including making arrangements with Victoria's Secret for expansion in Japan. The appearance of this Victoria's Secret show, while satisfying the vanity of those Japanese guys, would also gain their huge following, so there might be problems with the supply of Victoria's Secret products.

Exhausted. This Victoria's Secret Fashion Show left John feeling utterly drained. Continuing to "cooperate" with these Japanese guys would only make things worse. He needed time to relax. Although he didn't personally manage the company, he made every major decision, especially with each "cooperation" with these people, which only increased the pressure. These Japanese guys were just as cunning and treacherous as the old Rockefellers. John had to be wary of them. Originally, the scope of their "cooperation" was limited, but as John expanded, the "cooperation" with Japan increased, and so did the pressure he faced.

Is it possible for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to receive significant assistance from the Japanese government and the Tokyo local authorities without any cost? Yes, it requires cooperation from NBC and Paramount, as well as from Taiwanese and Hong Kong television stations.

With the successful launch of Hughes' communications satellite, the satellite has begun to operate, and Hong Kong's RTV has begun to transform into a satellite television station. The resources of Hong Kong and Taiwan have been fully integrated, and it has begun to have a huge influence on the entire Southeast Asia. The name change and transformation of the television station is no secret in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and it is not even a secret in the whole of Asia.

TV Tokyo is also transforming into a satellite television station, and it is precisely because of this transformation that many people have more faith in the powerful potential of Phoenix Media. Once the communication satellite network is fully established, everything will no longer be a problem. The television station will not only influence Asia, but also the world. The impact in the short term will not be too great, but the long-term benefits will be amazing.

The most important thing for Asia Television now is to stabilize its base in Southeast Asia. Only in this way can it achieve greater development. Now that Asia's satellite has been launched, it is just waiting for the transformation of the two major television stations in Hong Kong and Taiwan and the final merger. Once completed, Asia Television's market value will soar and its advertising revenue will skyrocket.

(End of this chapter)