America: My Time

Chapter 482 The Storm Arrives
Chapter 482 The Storm Arrives

"Damn it, they're all bastards. They only care about their own interests, not about Toyota or other companies. And this isn't just Mitsui's problem; there are many more people scheming behind it. But they chose to make their move at this time. Isn't that stupid? It seems I need to have a talk with that old guy Akio Morita. With such a big incident, that old guy won't have an easy time either!" When he learned that Toyota's cooperation with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group was in trouble, Eiji Toyoda immediately thought of that old guy Akio Morita.

Unfortunately, Eiji Toyoda was unaware that the current situation was far more perilous than he had imagined. Before he could even meet Akio Morita, a storm had already broken out in the United States. Those old guys all knew the importance of time, and when they learned that the cooperation between Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media with Toyota Motor Corporation had been suspended, a sudden storm swept across North America.

This is a storm targeting Japanese cars. Soon, all of Japan's weaknesses were exposed. Behind this was not only the push from Wall Street crocodiles, but also from those old guys and American car companies. You have to understand that this is the best opportunity. No one wants to miss the chance to suppress the development of Japanese cars. This time, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group are on their side and are helping them with publicity.

Soon, many problems with the Japanese cars were exposed, and the 'guest performers' invited by the American car company were also making all sorts of accusations against the Japanese cars. Every accident involving a Japanese car was exposed, and all the problems pointed to safety. The Japanese cars were unsafe!

The perception that Japanese cars are unsafe and extremely dangerous has become widespread in the United States within just a few days. The numerous accidents and their severe consequences have sent chills down the spines of Americans. While one or two accidents might not seem like much, the cumulative effect has created a powerful impact. A preconceived notion has quickly formed in the minds of Americans: when considering buying a Japanese car, they must prioritize safety and the perceived danger.

In reality, this is just a tactic employed by Wall Street crocodiles, a counterattack by American car companies. Don't say Japanese cars are unsafe; even American cars aren't necessarily as safe as they claim. If you were to compile a list of their accident-damaged vehicles, their results wouldn't be much better than those of Japanese cars.

However, this is the United States, where the power of discourse is in their hands. Moreover, this time Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media are on their side, so it will be difficult for those Japanese car companies to make a statement. Those media companies have already been bribed and will not give the Japanese a chance at all. They will only report on the unsafety of Japanese cars.

Without the help of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, the poor quality and safety of Japanese cars has become a consensus among Americans. After all, there is so much propaganda in newspapers and on television that it has naturally given many Americans this perception, making them subconsciously believe that Japanese cars are dangerous.

The automobile industry was just the beginning; soon home appliances were also affected. Because the old Rockefellers had their own home appliance manufacturing companies in Mexico, they wanted to take this opportunity to suppress their competitors and gain a larger market share.

"Mr. Toyota, you've come to me about the situation in the United States, haven't you? It's not just your automotive industry that's been impacted, but home appliance companies are no exception. We've also been suppressed by those damned Americans!" Akio Morita was also furious, because Sony had also been affected and had been named. Fortunately, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group were not involved this time.

“Mr. Morita, although your companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi have also been affected, the danger is not great. But our automotive industry is completely different. It has reached a critical moment of life and death. If Americans develop the idea that Japanese cars are unsafe, the consequences will be unimaginable. I would like to ask you to persuade Mr. John to help us.”

"Persuade? How can I persuade them? You know what Prince Paper and the others have done. First it was Toshiba, and now Prince Paper has jumped out. If you were John, what would you think? This is not something we can do, and individual efforts will not play any role in this contest. I am afraid this is just the beginning, and a bigger disaster is yet to come."

At this point, Akio Morita couldn't help but sigh. He also didn't understand why some people were willing to jump out and cause trouble. There was nothing wrong, but these guys had to make things up. This was unacceptable to Akio Morita, but there was nothing he could do about it, since he was also a member of the Mitsui Group.

"Mr. Morita, do you mean we should do nothing and let the enemy suppress us?"

“What else can we do? Do you think we have the ability to change everything? I don’t object to testing John’s bottom line, but we can’t act at this time, in such a sensitive period. Isn’t that just courting death? Prince Paper doesn’t care about losses, but we can’t. This will affect our market in North America, and even our market in Asia.” At this point, Akio Morita was also somewhat agitated. After all, Sony was also being affected quite a bit, and in the long run, it would be a disaster. This time, Akio Morita understood that no matter how much he said, it was useless. Wrongdoings have consequences. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group’s reaction was John’s reaction. No one wants to be tested again and again, and John being easy to talk to doesn’t mean he’s easy to bully. Those guys were too presumptuous. No matter what their schemes were, they’ve all come to naught now, and someone has to take responsibility for it.

Akio Morita had no desire to take on this responsibility again, nor did he want to bear the pressure for those ignorant guys. He had already given enough; whoever caused the trouble should take responsibility, and he wouldn't keep cleaning up their messes.

When the storm hit the US, the pressure on Japan intensified. It was only then that those guys realized John's importance and how fortunate they were to have the help of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group. Without this support, the pressure they would have faced would have been staggering.

"What should we do? The storm in the United States is getting bigger and bigger, and it's all aimed at the Japanese automotive industry. If we don't deal with it and make changes, it will affect the survival of these car companies. If possible, I still hope to reach an understanding with Mr. John. This time, no one doubts the importance of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group."

"That's true, but now that old guy Akio Morita doesn't want to take on such a heavy responsibility anymore. He doesn't want to take the blame for others anymore, and he doesn't want to ruin his precious friendship with John. At least Sony didn't suffer too much damage in this storm, so it's understandable that he's not in a hurry!"

While we understand the situation, the problem must be solved. It's impossible for no one to step up and take responsibility after such a major incident. Even asking Prince Paper to make some sacrifices is not an option now, because John's reaction was too extreme. He directly acquired a paper mill in China and even transferred Phoenix Comics' overseas printing to China. This put a lot of pressure on people, not to mention that Phoenix Group and Legendary Entertainment have both made arrangements and preparations for animation in China.

"Heh, I wonder what those guys in Japan are thinking now. Will they just watch their auto industry get hit? Losing the North American market would be a disaster for them. If they lose the Asian market too, their situation will be even more dangerous. They might start losing money before long!"

Although he was in China, John was very familiar with the situation in the United States. He understood what those old guys were doing behind the scenes and what they wanted to do: suppress the Japanese auto industry. This would give the American auto industry an opportunity to regain the market. Under such temptation, how could GM, Ford, and Chrysler not be tempted and fight desperately? It was precisely because of the changes in the United States that everyone in Japan was worried.

Of course, the storm in the United States also showed China John's strength, the Americans' cunning and treachery, and the madness of those Japanese guys. They caused the trouble themselves, and now it's no use regretting it. The consequences have already come out, and even if they have to grit their teeth, they have to continue.

"Boss, they're asking in Japan when you're going back?"

"Back to Japan. Time is tight right now. Tell them not to wait. I don't have time for at least a month or two. I need to coordinate the Australian shipping and the Russian deal. Let's talk about it after all this is settled!"

John knew exactly what those guys in Japan were thinking, so he had no intention of accepting reconciliation. Moreover, he did have a lot of things to deal with in China and couldn't leave for the time being, so the invitation was simply rejected.

A dispute over timber escalated, with John, who was hiding in China, completely ignoring the situation in the United States and Japan, acting as if he wanted to stay out of it. However, he seemed to have forgotten that he was the one who started this storm, and that none of this would have happened if he hadn't reacted so strongly.

Regret? John didn't regret it at all. Perhaps doing this would cause his relationship with Japan to freeze, and might even have a slight impact on his investments in Japan, but he didn't regret it at all. If he backed down this time, who would respect him in the future? Who knew how much trouble would arise? So John wanted to take this opportunity to directly destroy everything, firmly grasp the initiative in his own hands, and not give anyone a chance!
(End of this chapter)