America: My Time

Chapter 415 Human Greed
Chapter 415 Human Greed
Hitomi Kuroki understood that in the eyes of these Japanese tycoons, she, Naoko Kawai, and Akina Nakamori were merely a honey trap used to win over John. Their value lay in gaining John's approval for Japan, providing it with more room for development and greater benefits. This gradually made her understand why she hadn't encountered any difficulties after taking over the real estate; everything had gone so smoothly. Behind all of this was the support of these Japanese tycoons. Even her family had undergone changes, and behind all of this was still the help of these Japanese tycoons.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky. As Riko said, many of the beauties at this party will not have a good outcome. When they get old and lose their beauty, they will be abandoned, or even before they get tired of the big shots. That's why those actresses want to have a child with the big shots when they are young, just so that they can have a good outcome in the future.

Riko shared the same thought. She was already quite old, and if she didn't have any security, she might be incredibly lonely in her old age, and her quality of life wouldn't be guaranteed. Even though she had received a lot of money from Akio Morita, it would eventually run out.

Japanese entertainers don't earn as much as you might think; in fact, they earn very little. Singers are relatively better off with a share of the profits, while actors rely entirely on advertising to make money. Riko doesn't have many advertising opportunities right now, so she's very worried about her future. Even if she has some money, it will be impossible to maintain her quality of life once she leaves Akio Morita, which makes her feel a sense of urgency.

Many Japanese actresses have committed suicide since then, but Japan's suicide rate is so high that it hasn't caused much of a stir. Moreover, Japan's annual suicide rate is alarmingly high. More importantly, autopsies in Japan are a major problem. Therefore, the darkness of the Japanese entertainment industry is no less than that of South Korea.

Seeing Naoko Kawai and Akina Nakamori's performance, Riko couldn't help but sigh. They still lacked experience; even after she explained things so clearly, they still didn't understand her intentions. This made Riko a little disappointed. She couldn't be too explicit about such matters; she still had to maintain appearances for Japan.

They were all beauties, but why was she different from Naoko Kawai and Akina Nakamori? Why were they so lucky, while she still couldn't see a future? Was this fate? Riko sighed inwardly, yet she was powerless to break free. She knew that she didn't hold much of a place in Akio Morita's eyes.

John had no idea what Riko was talking about with Naoko and the others. Right now, John was discussing the supply issue of Quantum Mining with the old guys like Akio Morita, trying to find out how many orders they could get for him. John didn't have high hopes, since these guys in Japan already had partnerships with the original iron ore giants. Even with the sudden emergence of Quantum Mining, it was impossible to get enough orders from them.

The result greatly surprised John; the Japanese had placed a huge order that even he hadn't expected. However, John quickly understood the Japanese guys' intentions. They had been exploring the possibility of participating in Quantum Mining's investment in Australian iron ore mines, and it was clear that Japan had entered a new phase, beginning the development of a mature import model.

John politely declined the idea from the Japanese. Quantum Mining didn't require investment, and John knew perfectly well how astonishing the price of iron ore would rise. How could he possibly sign such an investment agreement with these guys? Besides, he didn't necessarily need the Japanese iron ore market at all.

Before completing a new round of expansion for Quantum Mining and investing in the steel industry, I might have had some reservations. But now, even without the Japanese iron ore market, it won't affect Quantum Mining's development. Taiwan and South Korea are both good options, and I already have substantial investments in China, so there's even less need to accept their investment.

Although they were somewhat prepared, the Japanese steel company employees still felt a little uncomfortable when John refused. The Japanese officials were also a bit embarrassed. In their opinion, John shouldn't have reacted this way. Japan had provided considerable support for the development of iron ore in Australia, and now he was being rejected for just a small investment. This was unacceptable to them and made them feel a slight dissatisfaction with John.

This is human nature; greed is ingrained in these guys' bones. They forgot that the support they received earlier was given to Quantum Mining voluntarily, not John's initiative in requesting it. Moreover, if Quantum Mining's iron ore mines hadn't already gained export capabilities, they would likely still be struggling with their negotiation issues with the major mining giants.

Although John had secured a significant share from the Japanese, he knew in his heart that this cooperation wouldn't last long. The Japanese would gradually reduce Quantum Mining's share, since they couldn't get the investment they wanted from Quantum Mining's mines, and they couldn't accept the risk of being held hostage.

The more John saw those insincere smiles on these guys' faces, the more he understood that they probably already had some ideas in mind. If it weren't for their need for Quantum Mining's resource supply, the cooperation would likely have ended already. John could accept this situation; it's business. It's understandable that these Japanese guys have such thoughts. Nobody wants to be held hostage, especially since these Japanese guys had already started preparing for resources. Securing this order is already quite good. If they didn't need to use Quantum Mining to pressure these mining giants on prices, Quantum Mining might not have benefited at all.

After making a verbal agreement with the Japanese guys, John didn't continue communicating with them. They were not on the same page, so they would eventually part ways. Instead of talking to these guys, he should think about how to cooperate with the Koreans and get a sufficient share from them.

After John left, the guys from the Neon Steel Company couldn't help but sigh, a hint of resentment flashing in their eyes. They had thought this was an opportunity, but it seemed they had been overthinking it. Although John was young, he was more cunning than they had imagined, and their plans had completely failed.

"It seems we've both underestimated the importance the other side places on iron ore. It's impossible for us to invest in the mines. If it's like this with iron ore, there's no chance with uranium ore either. We need to start preparing again and can no longer pin our hopes on the other side!"

“That’s right, we should definitely reconsider our plans. After the two-year contract expires, we will have to abandon our cooperation with Quantum Mining. Iron ore in South America is the focus of our investment. We are not on the same page as them. This little guy is unwilling to share Quantum Mining’s profits with us and is unwilling to cooperate with us!”

"Gentlemen, I think we should readjust our cooperative relationship with this little guy, especially in terms of finances. We can no longer provide him with substantial financial support, otherwise it will only affect our own interests. Quantum Mining and Western Energy are both expanding rapidly. They may not affect us for the time being, but that may not be the case in the long run. If we continue to provide him with more financial support, it will only allow him to develop even faster!"

That's true, but making such a decision isn't easy, because this financial cooperation is extremely beneficial to Japanese banks. Getting a bank to give up such a valuable client is unlikely to be easy; although they are all part of a conglomerate, it's impossible to influence the interests of the banking industry.

Most importantly, John is no longer the weak man he once was. Now, John controls vast resources, and even if the Japanese banking industry is no longer willing to provide him with strong support, it will not have a significant impact on John. Moreover, the internal situation within the Japanese conglomerate is not peaceful either. The relationship between Sony and Toshiba is a case in point, not to mention other areas of cooperation.

If it weren't for the strong financial support that the Japanese banks were willing to provide to John, would they have been able to secure orders for dozens of ships so easily, and would Komatsu have been able to obtain the heavy machinery needed by Quantum Mining so easily? These are all exchanges of interests. Even if these steel companies are dissatisfied, it would be wishful thinking to try to influence the Japanese banking industry.

John didn't care what the Japanese guys thought. During the party, he could clearly sense the greed of these Japanese steel companies. They were all trying to take advantage of Quantum Mining, treating it like other mining giants and wanting to participate in the investment. John was already on high alert about these guys.

Perhaps at this moment, these bastards were already harboring inappropriate thoughts and plotting their own schemes. This made John wary; these guys were cunning and treacherous, and a moment's carelessness could lead to being outmaneuvered. Therefore, John dared not be careless or negligent in the slightest. Fortunately, time was on his side. The Plaza Accord would begin soon, and the US semiconductor industry would deliver a fatal blow to these guys. He only needed to wait for the opportune moment.

(End of this chapter)