America: My Time

Chapter 484 A sudden surprise

Chapter 484 An Unexpected Surprise
"Riko, go see Naoko tomorrow and tell her about the situation here. Also, ask her to persuade John not to lower himself to those guys' level. Japan will give him a satisfactory explanation. This matter cannot be blown out of proportion, and we cannot react too much either, otherwise things will become more complicated. Right now, those Americans are watching Japan and our every move."

This was Akio Morita's solution. He could intervene himself, but the results wouldn't be very good. It was better to let Riko and Naoko talk to him; women were more likely to do such things, and it wouldn't attract too much attention. Of course, Akio Morita didn't want to over-exploit his relationship with John. This wasn't something that could be easily persuaded, and most importantly, Sony was still in a favorable position. It would be inappropriate for him to intervene and persuade John.

In Japan, it wasn't just Akio Morita who was using women as a form of public relations; many others shared the same idea. Matsushita had to step in and persuade Akina Nakamori to talk to John in order to resolve the situation, since both Komatsu and Vanguard had been affected.

Hitomi Kuroki was also approached by Mao Daichi, with the same goal in mind: to persuade John to offer some assistance to Japan and quell the turmoil in the United States. The Japanese hadn't been idle; they had bribed some tabloids, but their efforts were limited. When media conglomerates were in full force, the influence of tabloids was negligible. The real decision-makers were the media conglomerates, especially the multinational ones.

Both Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media are large multinational media groups with considerable influence. Therefore, the best solution is to ask John to step in. Only in this way can the problem be solved at its root, allowing Japan to catch its breath and preventing it from being wiped out by those greedy Americans.

The greedy Wall Street crocodiles naturally want to cripple or destroy Japan, but this is not an easy task. They also know the stakes. Japan is, after all, a vassal state of the United States. If they were to destroy Japan, how would the other vassals view the United States?

Wall Street crocodiles are greedy, but the White House won't allow them to do so. Moreover, things are gradually getting out of the White House's control, which is not a good thing. This is an outcome the White House doesn't want to see. If this storm gets bigger, the consequences will be serious. They just signed a semiconductor agreement with Japan, and then turned around and dealt them another heavy blow. That's too unethical.

When the Japanese took action, and when Naoko, Akina Nakamori, and Hitomi Kuroki had to persuade John, Morgan also gave John a subtle reminder: they couldn't let those old guys make things too big, and they couldn't let the situation get out of control. Although Morgan didn't mention the White House, John understood their intention.

"Fine, that's enough. I'm sure those guys from Japan will be more careful next time they try to take advantage of me. It won't be so easy for them to get away with it!" Although he was still a little unwilling and wanted to teach Japan a lesson, John held back and didn't do so.

John quickly instructed his secretary, Ava, to contact Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, asking them to cease their involvement in the attacks on Japan and to begin providing some assistance to Japanese businesses, preferably those with advertising partnerships.

After John spoke with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, the two companies gradually withdrew from their heavy-handed attacks on Japanese businesses and returned to their original positions. When Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media made this change, the storm in the United States shifted, and the media groups' pressure on Japanese companies began to ease. This wasn't due to the influence of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, but rather because they had all received a 'warning' from the White House!
As the turmoil in the US gradually subsided, the Japanese guys breathed a sigh of relief and were pleased with their earlier decision. They believed their decision was correct; beautiful public relations officers were the best choice. They thought that simply getting Naoko, Akina Nakamori, and Hitomi Kuroki to act was enough to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, they were overthinking it. They didn't know that the changes at Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were due to the White House's 'reminder,' and that the major US media groups were forced to halt their frenzied expansion because of the White House's intervention.

However, all of this has now become part of the influence of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, making those guys in Japan think that this is the influence of the two major media groups in the United States, so they are determined to give the two major media groups a big collaboration.

"Indeed, it seems our plan was correct. The turmoil in the United States will subside soon. The withdrawal of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media has prompted other media giants to make changes as well. Now we all recognize the importance of the two major media groups, so we must pay attention to this issue in the future. Now let's discuss how to give the other party a satisfactory explanation."

"Let those companies that sell in the US give Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media a major advertising deal. They've seen what happened to Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi; they were the least affected. Those companies with advertising partnerships with the two major media companies weren't too severely impacted either. The biggest hit are those companies without any partnerships; they've suffered the most. So I think making those guys pay the price is the best option." "I agree, but I want to add one point. From what we understand, Sony was only slightly affected at the beginning, but quickly started to grow against the trend. While other brands' markets declined, Sony's market share steadily increased. In fact, this turmoil not only didn't harm Sony, but it also increased their market share in North America. If this turmoil continues, other Japanese companies will suffer heavy losses, but Sony won't; it might even experience significant growth!"

"How is this possible? How did Sony do it? Does Sony have some secret that we don't know?" When they heard these words, the Japanese guys were shocked. They didn't expect that Sony would not suffer any losses in this storm and would even gain a lot of benefits. This was unbelievable.

"Actually, I think there are two aspects. On the one hand, it's because they have good cooperation with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, and Akio Morita and Mr. John have a good relationship. So at the beginning of the turmoil, Sony wasn't greatly affected, allowing them to stand firm immediately. On the other hand, Sony has investments in the United States. They acquired Columbia Pictures, which, although it has been losing money, still has considerable influence over them. At least in the media and among celebrities, no one would be foolish enough to stand up against Sony. So while other brands' markets were affected, Sony was expanding its market share."

"So what do you think is the most important point? Should all Japanese companies learn from Sony?"

"The first point is the most important. If Sony doesn't establish a firm foothold in the first place, it won't gain anything. At most, it can only barely maintain its market share, just like Panasonic and Hitachi. As for the second point, whether everyone should learn from it depends on their individual capabilities and development needs!"

Learning from Sony is no easy task. Everyone knows that Columbia Pictures, which Sony acquired, is constantly losing money. Even if the profits from Columbia Records were invested in it, it would not be enough to make up for the losses. However, Sony's sales in North America have increased significantly. Overall, Sony is still making money, but the money comes from its own products.

"Leave your analyses to the major companies and let them make their own decisions. We won't discuss it. After all, we can't influence the companies' development. Sony's situation is also difficult to replicate. Not everyone has the insightful vision of Akio Morita!"

“That’s right, that makes sense. Akio Morita’s success is not so easy to replicate, but I think we should remind them about the issue of female public relations. This is the best proof of that.”

"No need. We don't need to do anything. Those guys will take action on their own. The benefits Sony receives will drive them crazy. We just need to wait and see. However, it's impossible to control the rise in iron ore prices. It's not that we haven't tried our best, but that things are just too difficult."

Iron ore has a significant impact on Japan's rapidly developing economy. Rising iron ore prices inevitably affect the profits of Japanese companies, but they are currently powerless to do anything about it. Quantum Mining already possesses sufficient power, and even without Japanese iron ore orders, it doesn't matter, as Quantum Mining itself requires a considerable amount of iron ore. The idea of ​​controlling iron ore prices is simply wishful thinking.

Today, Japan's booming real estate market demands massive amounts of steel, as do its shipbuilding and automotive industries. Therefore, Japan has a huge demand for iron ore. Even with its overseas expansion strategy and investments in iron ore companies, controlling iron ore prices under these circumstances is impossible. Quantum Mining is a force they cannot control. Quantum Mining currently owns iron ore mines, coal mines, and gold and copper mines in Australia, controlling vast resources. Japan's attempt to acquire a stake in Quantum Mining is simply wishful thinking.

Countless Wall Street crocodiles have tried to acquire a stake in Quantum Mining, but none have succeeded. Japan also wants to get involved in Quantum Mining, which only shows their arrogance and overconfidence. This is not a force they can control or manage!
(End of this chapter)