America: My Time

Chapter 500 Driven by Profit

Chapter 500 Driven by Profit

After the song "Roppongi Heart" was sung, John nodded. Although the current "older sister" was a little shy and reserved in her singing, her voice was very suitable for rock. John then said, "Not bad, her voice is very good, which is suitable for our band's talent needs. It's just that her stage presence is a little lacking, but she can be trained. What's her name?"

As these words were spoken, Koizumi Yoshiko picked up the catalog and said, "Kamachi Sachiko shares the same surname as Seiko-san. I wonder if they are related!" Since their boss had already given his approval, the guys at the elite agency were naturally not foolish enough to stand up and object. Moreover, this beautiful woman's performance had indeed caught their eye. Stage presence could be improved, but not all beautiful women have such a good voice.

John had hoped for more surprises, but the results were a huge disappointment. None of the subsequent candidates met the agency's requirements; they were either too young and wanted to pursue an idol career, or they lacked sufficient talent. The entire audition process only yielded one successful candidate: Sachiko Kamachi.

"Miko, how's the apartment situation at the agency?" John thought of the apartment situation at this moment. With the current expansion, the apartment space was probably already a bit tight, and Phoenix Records also needed to have its own property.

"The apartment situation at Elite Agency is very good. We've already acquired two more buildings, so there's no pressure. But should Phoenix Records also make such an investment in real estate?" When her boss asked this question, Yoshiko Koizumi voiced her own concerns. John owns real estate in all his companies in Japan and provides accommodation and care for his employees. Should Phoenix Records do the same?

"That's natural. Have someone contact Mitsui Fudosan or Sony Realty to see if they have any such properties. Since we want to grow bigger and stronger, we can't skimp on basic resources. Phoenix Group has made arrangements for this, so you don't need to worry. As for the band, don't rush them to release records. Let them work together more and hone their skills!"

John paused for a moment, then continued, "There are some things I should tell you. TV Tokyo is going to hold a music festival, and it has received official approval and support from the Japanese government. This is the collaboration I mentioned before, aimed at promoting Japan. The music festival has a preliminary plan, but we need to pay attention to the selection of performers. Don't worry about the Western stars; Universal Music has extended an invitation. But you need to make some preparations regarding the Japanese side!"

"Boss, could I know the specific arrangements for the music festival, and what the main theme is?" Yoshiko Koizumi quickly grasped the core issue of music: the theme. A music festival needs to have its own theme, and then everything should be perfected around that theme.

"Let me share my thoughts. The plan is to prepare two music festivals because one music festival cannot meet the requirements of the Japanese authorities and achieve the best publicity effect. Two music festivals would be ideal, with different themes. When foreigners think of Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is Mount Fuji. So we want to take advantage of this to hold the Fuji Rock Festival, located near Mount Fuji! It will be held at the end of July. Then there will be a summer music festival with a cheerful theme and not too many restrictions. Idols can also perform if they wish. It will be held in Tokyo and Osaka at the same time, and the dates will be separated from the Fuji Rock Festival, in mid to late August."

With professionals like Yoshiko Koizumi, inviting artists shouldn't be a problem. Furthermore, if TV Tokyo makes an offer, no Japanese record company or agency will refuse; to do so would be going against the Japanese government. TV Tokyo's music festival is simply a publicity stunt for Japan. In reality, it's all about making money; if done well, it's incredibly lucrative. With such a successful project, TV Tokyo will never have financial problems again.

As night fell, John, accompanied by Naoko, visited Akio Morita. They had a brief discussion about the music festival arrangements and Phoenix Records' plans. Although the record acquisition wasn't a major issue, John's respect pleased Akio Morita, who readily accepted the acquisition of Being Records.

"John, is it really necessary to make this music festival so big? Two music festivals in three different locations, isn't that a bit crazy? And even with official support, such a large-scale music festival can easily lose a lot of money if it's not handled carefully. Even if you can get some sponsorships, I'm afraid it will be difficult to break even!"

When Akio Morita saw John's arrangements for the two music festivals, he couldn't help but sigh, especially the Fuji Rock Festival, which was practically being turned into a tourist amusement park. Such a huge investment was a bit too crazy!
“Of course it’s necessary. The Fuji Rock Festival requires a significant investment, but only in this way can it be scaled up and strengthened. The Summer Music Festival goes without saying; Chiba Prefecture has our water park, and we can’t let such a good opportunity for promotion pass us by. To be honest, I’m even thinking of asking Disney for some advertising fees. And Osaka goes without saying; Universal Studios is there. It would be foolish not to take this opportunity to promote ourselves and increase our brand awareness.” John’s reasoning left Akio Morita speechless. He had only seen the large investment in the music festivals, which would result in substantial losses, even with the assistance of the Japanese government. He hadn’t expected John to have such ulterior motives—using this opportunity to promote Universal Studios and Universal Water Park. Although John had his own selfish reasons, the more so, the more the Japanese believed that John would definitely make these two music festivals a success, because it was now closely linked to John’s own interests.

Profit is the best motivator. At this moment, Akio Morita believed that John's plan would be fine because it involved considerable profits. As long as John was determined to gain more profits, he would increase the promotion of the two music festivals. Perhaps the Japanese government would provide substantial subsidies and support, but as long as the festivals were successfully held, Japan would not lose money. At least their goal would be achieved.

The news that TV Tokyo was going to host a music festival has caused another stir in the Japanese entertainment industry. Although there is no specific information yet, many people want to participate in the music festival, even without an appearance fee. The fact that TV Tokyo is organizing the event is itself a great form of publicity.

After making arrangements with Tokyo TV, John didn't linger in Japan but headed directly to the Middle East to discuss the research and development funding needed by Hughes Aerospace with a Middle Eastern tycoon. John wasn't worried about whether the Middle Eastern tycoon would refuse, because they had a very low sense of security and desperately wanted to see Hughes Aerospace's global positioning system successfully developed and networked. That would make them feel safer and allow them to monitor enemy movements at any time.

It is precisely because of this that the cooperation between Middle Eastern tycoons and Hughes Aerospace has always been hindered by external forces. There have always been people who want to sabotage this cooperation. Just as the Japanese are worried that Hughes Aerospace will back out, the Middle Eastern tycoons have the same concerns. In particular, the previous slowdown in Hughes Aerospace's development has made them uneasy.

With John's arrival and the deepening of their discussions, the wealthy individuals quickly understood Hughes Space's current situation. They were pleased with the technological breakthroughs, and regarding funding, they stated directly that it was no problem; they would cover their share and it wouldn't affect Hughes Space's normal development. However, Hughes Space must ensure that the satellite network was completed before the original schedule. The wealthy individuals were now feeling immense pressure. The impending attack on ships posed a significant threat, forcing them to pay closer attention to Hughes Space's global positioning system.

“Mr. John, we want to fully utilize the capabilities of our existing satellites to gain a thorough understanding of the Gulf region to ensure our own security. This requires the support of Hughes Space. If you agree, we will increase our financial assistance!”

Having experienced the pain firsthand, the Middle Eastern tycoons found Hughes's GPS system incredibly useful after accepting it. They could monitor enemy movements at any time, but they couldn't master the system and could only use it in special circumstances. Now, the Middle Eastern tycoons felt that this was the most special period, and they needed John to agree to their proposal.

“In principle, I have no problem with this, after all, it is part of our cooperation agreement. However, you should understand that this will cause some people to obstruct it, and Hughes Aerospace will be under tremendous pressure. Those guys have been sabotaging our cooperation all along. If Hughes accepts your demands now, things will become very complicated.”

If there's trouble, it's because the money hasn't arrived. Once the money is there, there won't be any trouble. The Middle Eastern tycoons understand this very well, and they don't doubt John's intentions. They are also aware of the situation at Hughes Aerospace, and they know that those guys have been sabotaging the cooperation between the two sides.

“Mr. John, we believe Hughes Aerospace can solve such a small problem, and isn’t this the best testing opportunity? Only by withstanding such a test can we be more convincing!”

“That makes sense. Hughes Aerospace will make such a test arrangement, which will require your help!” Using the reason of testing to authorize the Middle Eastern tycoon to use the global satellite positioning system is a perfectly plausible excuse. As for any trouble caused, Hughes Aerospace is not going to give it away for nothing. With such a large sum of money in hand, what is a little trouble?

(End of this chapter)