America: My Time

Chapter 464 Sigh
Chapter 464 Sigh

When they heard Akio Morita's words, everyone in the Mitsui Group sighed. They all knew about Seibu Group's crazy expansion in real estate, but they didn't expect Yoshiaki Tsutsumi to be so foolish as to choose to confront John, this American, at this time. This was not a good thing.

"Mr. Morita, do you think this will have an impact on us? If the matter of Yoshiaki Tsutsumi affects the interests of Mitsui, or even the interests of the entire Japan, then Daiichi Kogyoku needs to give us an explanation, and give everyone an explanation!"

"It won't have much impact on us. The Mandarin Oriental Group doesn't care about the impact from Japan either. After all, the Mandarin Oriental Group is now a multinational corporation. Their focus is now in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It's just that John chose to say such things at this time, which seems to indicate that he is dissatisfied with the Seibu Group."

"This is Japan. Does he think some American would expect us to target the Seibu Group?" At this moment, the Toshiba guys jumped out again. They were very dissatisfied after being rejected by John!
“John has neither such thoughts nor actions. However, this serves as a reminder that we should not be too arrogant. Can the Seibu Group be compared to this little fox, John? Admittedly, the Seibu Group currently holds a considerable amount of real estate, but its development is limited to real estate and is confined to Japan. John, on the other hand, is a true multinational giant. At least on this matter, we cannot stand against John. We need to give Seibu a warning and make our stance clear.”

"This isn't good. People will laugh at us, and they might even think that Mitsui has gone too far!"

“I don’t think there’s anything excessive about it. Mitsui Fudosan has a partnership with John, and Sony also has a partnership with them. We have every reason to warn Seibu and that guy Yoshiaki Tsutsumi to back down!”

“Well said. Mitsui Fudosan agrees with this proposal. That Seibu guy should have been warned a long time ago not to be so arrogant. Does he really think that his Seibu Group is the most powerful in all of Japan?”

"Let's contact those guys at First Industrial Bank first, tell them everything, and let them handle it themselves. First Industrial Bank has a close relationship with that little fox John, and they won't sit idly by and watch such an important client be lost. Besides, John has enough funds to repay the loan from First Industrial Bank now! We don't need to do anything, we just need to wait and see!"

As soon as Mitsui Bank said this, Akio Morita and the people at Toyota frowned. Doing nothing would bring no benefits or recognition. Trying to reap the benefits without doing anything is not a good thing in this world. Moreover, Mitsui and John are not the only ones with good relations in Japan. They also have good relations with Sanwa and Sumitomo.

"Mr. Morita, let's find a place to talk!" At this moment, Eiji Toyoda, the bigwig of Toyota Motor Corporation, invited Akio Morita to talk. He also opposed the decision made by Mitsui and felt that doing nothing was the biggest problem.

"Does Toyota also think there's a problem with this decision? They clearly had a chance to get closer to that little fox John, and they didn't have to pay any price—just issue a warning, that's all. But they just don't take it seriously, thinking it's an insult to the dignity of the Japanese, and that they shouldn't bow down to a little guy like John."

"Actually, I strongly agree with Morita's idea. We should go beyond Japan and enter the United States. Those guys only see Sony's losses at Columbia Pictures, but they don't see the benefits of doing so. At least Sony's sales in North America have increased rapidly. Toyota also needs to build a factory in the United States. I think Mr. John's suggestion is the best. Only by building a factory in the United States can we avoid being suppressed by Americans and avoid the biggest risks."

"Everyone understands the situation, but not everyone can make such a decision. Toshiba only wants to escape the crisis without paying the price. There's no such thing as a free lunch. If there were, we wouldn't be under so much pressure. Toshiba only wants to conquer the market without taking any responsibility. How can that be? They will eventually pay a heavy price. Once the pressure from the Americans comes, they will be severely damaged. Those guys only see Sony's development in North America, but they don't see Sony's efforts. Columbia Pictures is Sony's attitude towards the Americans."

"Yes, if you want to develop in North America, if you want to seize the US market without being suppressed by the Americans, you have to have your own factories in the US. This is a situation you have to face. If you can't even understand this, there's nothing we can do! However, Sony doesn't need to worry. Even if there is danger, with your relationship with John, there won't be any major problems. At least you can get his help. To be honest, I regret not acting sooner. Even Sumitomo and Sanwa saw the problem and reacted, but Toyota didn't react immediately." "You can't say that. Sumitomo's was an accident, an opportunity brought about by Pioneer. Sanwa was the one that truly had the courage, the vision, and the willingness to act. They were able to make a move that shocked everyone in such a short time, without caring about their own reputation. And their risk-taking paid off. Compared to them, I'm not as good. I was just lucky."

Good luck, but it wasn't just luck; it was shrewdness and courage. How many people have the courage of Akio Morita to make such a decision when John was still weak, to pay the price of giving away a popular idol and a cash cow? This is not a decision that ordinary people can make!

"Mr. Morita, don't you think this situation is a bit abnormal? This time, no one has taken the initiative to create an opportunity for everyone, an opportunity for each other to discuss things. I don't know what those bastards in the government are thinking. They clearly know that John, that little fox, is in Tokyo, but they haven't done anything. Other conglomerates haven't reacted at all either. This is too strange."

"That makes sense. Those guys all want to reap the benefits without sowing, and no one is willing to pay the price. They all want to wait for others to lose patience and take action first. But they're overthinking it. Perhaps those bastards are waiting for our Mitsui Group to step in, but they're way off. Things aren't peaceful inside Mitsui right now."

"It's kind of ridiculous, really. There are quite a few guys who actually want to cooperate with the Russians and get something out of them. Do you think that's possible?"

"They're courting death. They really think they can do what John, that little fox, can do. Now even John has to help change things because the Europeans don't want anyone helping the Russians, not to mention the Americans. We don't even want to see the Russians recover; it wouldn't be good for us either. If anyone is foolish enough to contact the Russians and make deals now, they're just asking for trouble. Have you seen John, that little fox, do any amazing expansion since the beginning of this year? No. He's been keeping a low profile, not wanting those old guys to keep an eye on him. Even this little fox is feeling the pressure, and yet some people still want to scheme against him. That's just stupid and ignorant. In my opinion, John is in Tokyo to avoid risks right now, and we need to be prepared too."

"Mr. Morita, it seems the Japanese entertainment industry isn't peaceful either. The sudden death of an idol has caused quite a storm. I wonder if you think this will affect us, or have any impact on that little fox, John?"

"No, that little fox won't suffer any losses. His firm is the most relaxed and stress-free in all of Japan. I know what you're thinking, but I advise you to remain still rather than act rashly. At this time, it's best to be cautious. Relationships can be built up slowly; there's no need to rush things. The current situation is completely different from before."

Akio Morita was fully aware of Eiji Toyoda's thoughts, but such an opportunity simply didn't exist, at least not in his view. Whether the other party would listen was beyond Morita's control. The more Morita understood John's changes during this period, the more immense the pressure he felt. In his view, all of this was a shift on the US side; the semiconductor dispute and the trade dispute were about to undergo a dramatic transformation.

Unfortunately, Akio Morita could only think all this in his mind; he couldn't gain the approval of others. Toshiba was still going its own way, and Mitsui had different ideas, all of which forced Morita to be cautious. It would be foolish to think that Sony was so stupid as to not understand how Columbia Pictures' losses occurred.

Sony was aware of Columbia Pictures' situation, but couldn't make any changes because the current environment didn't allow for them to. Only Columbia Pictures' losses could prevent the Americans from focusing their attention on Sony, giving Sony more opportunities for development—no pain, no gain. However, not everyone had Sony's determination, nor did everyone possess Akio Morita's decisiveness.

Toyota is now planning to invest in and build a factory in the United States. Its purpose is not only to make money, but also to get the Americans to show leniency, to prevent Toyota from being suppressed by the United States, and to stabilize Toyota's market in North America. Only by paying such a price can it obtain the market share it wants. You can only reap what you sow. If you don't want to pay anything, you will naturally not get any benefits.

(End of this chapter)