America: My Time

Chapter 511 Reminders and Concerns

Chapter 511 Reminders and Concerns
While Akina Nakamori was discussing the Summer Music Festival, gossip from Onyanko Club was circulating. Meanwhile, Naoko was talking with Riko about the recent turmoil in Japan. The Toshiba incident had a significant impact on Japan, and although the matter had been resolved, the lingering effects were not easily erased. Sony's situation was not ideal, and even the market share of all Japanese companies in the United States was shrinking.

As John's woman, Naoko naturally attracts attention, and Riko, as Akio Morita's woman, also has her own thoughts. Therefore, they talk more about the current economic issues, worrying about the potential problems in Japan's economy.

"Naoko, you should get out of the entertainment industry as soon as possible. Don't waste your time and energy anymore. You've seen it all. In front of a big shot like Mr. John, celebrities are just 'ants.' They can only compromise in the face of the tide. Although Sony is involved, everyone knows that this time it's an official move. Look at those agencies, who dares to stand up and oppose them? Nobody. Although the authorities are often ignored, no one dares to oppose them in the face of such a big event. You should spend your time with Mr. John and participate in events like this, instead of worrying about the trivial matters of the entertainment industry!" At this moment, Riko was still trying to persuade Naoko.

Although her words were harsh, they were the truth, an unchangeable fact. Look at the big shots in the entertainment industry, who dares to cause trouble at this time, who dares to jump out and cause trouble? No one dares. Even if there are difficulties, we must try our best to overcome them.

"Sister Riko, I understand. I'm also gradually moving away from this circle, but there are still many things I need to deal with!"

"I really don't know what to say to you. What do you need to handle, whether it's your agency or your record company? Does that limit you? Do you think they can limit you? If you want to, you don't need to care about their feelings at all. Do you think Mr. John will stop you? Learn from Hitomi Kuroki and look at her way of handling things. She's listed on TV Tokyo, but have you ever seen her go to work on time? No. She understands very clearly that it's just an identity for her own convenience. She doesn't need to care about the thoughts and feelings of people inside TV Tokyo! You need to learn to adapt to your changing identity. You're no longer the idol you were at the beginning! Among the three of you, Hitomi Kuroki has changed the fastest. You and Akina are just too slow to react. You clearly have the greatest advantage, but you haven't made use of it!"

At this point, Riko couldn't help but sigh, envying Naoko's good fortune. If she were an ordinary idol, or if John were Japanese, Naoko might have already been abandoned. There are many beautiful women, but Naoko didn't know how to seize opportunities presented to her, instead repeatedly lingering in the entertainment industry. Nakamori Akina's reaction was even more sluggish, and her greedy family further hindered her progress.

If we're talking about Riko's words, who resonated with them the most? It would naturally be Seiko Matsuda. After getting married and having a child, her comeback made her more aware of the cruelty of this industry. She also realized that idols like herself have a very low status in Japan. If it weren't for Naoko's help, she probably wouldn't have had the chance to participate in the summer music festival at all.

Although Seiko Matsuda didn't want to admit defeat, she knew she had been too confident. In the world of Japanese idols, leaving meant quickly being replaced, and regaining it was incredibly difficult and required paying a much higher price. This industry was far more cruel and ruthless than she had ever experienced before. Furthermore, the death of Yukiko Okada had a significant impact on her, making her realize the terrifying and insane nature of this industry.

"Naoko, you really should start planning for the future. To be honest, this comeback and the death of Okada Yukiko have had a significant impact on me, even more so than when I was assaulted. You have a better future ahead of you. There's no need for you to stay stuck in this industry forever; it's not good for you!" Matsuda Seiko couldn't help but advise Naoko. Although she envied, even was jealous of, Naoko's good fortune, she hoped even more that Naoko would have a brighter future.

There are many things Riko can't bring herself to say, but she has more information than Naoko. She knows how many people in Japan are eyeing John and want to take Naoko, Akina Nakamori, and Hitomi Kuroki's place. With the Toshiba incident, there will be even more of these people. If Naoko still doesn't have any vigilance, she will easily be taken advantage of!

“Naoko, when you have time, try to persuade Akina not to spend so much time and energy on idols, and to pay more attention to her own problems. If her family continues to be so ignorant and foolish, it will definitely bring her a lot of trouble. To be honest, it's only because Mr. John hasn't been in Japan for long, otherwise what she's done would probably have already brought disaster upon herself. Some things can't be done; doing them will only bring disaster upon yourself! That family is too greedy and too ignorant. Perhaps it's related to their environment, but no matter what, they shouldn't do those outrageous things.” It was one thing for those greedy guys to exploit Akina, but as Akina compromised, they became more and more insane, even daring to use John's name to do things. This was courting death, at least in Riko's eyes. Akina was completely unaware of all this, and even Naoko was unaware; only Riko had noticed. Riko originally wanted to find some time to talk to Akina, but Akina was always busy with this and that and never had time to rest. Perhaps she was avoiding her family's nagging. However, this made it impossible for Riko to contact her. She had hoped that this party would give her some reminder, but unfortunately, Akina was sitting with those idols and talking about gossip in the industry.

Compared to Naoko, Akina Nakamori adapted even worse to her new identity. She didn't realize that her identity was no longer the same as the idols around her, and she was still working hard to make money. Perhaps this was because she was being exploited by her family, but in Riko's eyes, this was a wrong decision. The more she compromised and yielded, the more her family took advantage of her.

Although Phoenix Entertainment is expanding during its consolidation, no one believes this will be John's core business. After all, the core of the Phoenix Group is not Japan, and the expansion of the record company does not show much development in the short term. The Japanese record market is shrinking, while the European and American record markets are very strong.

Riko was trying to persuade Naoko, while on the other side, Daichi Mao was also persuading Kuroki Hitomi to learn to utilize the resources at her disposal instead of going it alone. With the collapse of Toshiba and the ongoing turmoil in Japan, there were more undercurrents in the entertainment industry. Although Kuroki Hitomi also sensed these changes, she was no longer part of the entertainment industry and therefore knew very little about them. In contrast, Daichi Mao knew much more.

"Zhaozi, you need to learn to utilize resources. I'm sure you've heard some rumors, and they're not unfounded; some people are indeed doing this. The struggles among conglomerates are more insane and terrifying than you think. Pay close attention, make preparations, and find more helpers for yourself! Tonight's party is not simple; you need to be careful."

Daichi Mao's words stirred something in Kuroki Hitomi's heart. She nodded thoughtfully. This party seemed to be hosted by Sony, without the participation of those zaibatsu, but it was actually being promoted by the Japanese government behind the scenes. However, it was precisely because the bigwigs of those zaibatsu were not present that many people could act more recklessly.

If it were just for summer music festivals and Fuji Rock Festival, all you'd need would be music professionals, not the entire entertainment industry. The most important thing is that there are just too many beautiful women here. Kuroki Hitomi had some doubts before, but after hearing Daichi Mao's words, she understood.

“I understand, but many things are beyond my control. Many people only see my glamorous side, but who knows the pressure behind it? Take Akina's situation as an example. Of the three of us, she is under the most pressure. Her family has never thought about Akina's future, only about themselves. To be honest, even I, an outsider, find it hard to believe, and what I know is only the tip of the iceberg!”

"Akina is too naive. She has no sense of caution at all at such a party. This is not a good thing. If something happens to her, it will not be good for you or Naoko. You need to keep a close eye on her. People are treacherous. Many people will do anything for their own benefit. If someone is eliminated, someone else may be eliminated."

As Daichi Mao repeatedly reminded him, Kuroki Hitomi realized that things weren't as simple as she thought. However, there was one thing she didn't understand: weren't those people worried about provoking John's retaliation, or were they prepared in advance? Unfortunately, Kuroki Hitomi couldn't ask such a question, since there were many people and it was noisy, and she wasn't necessarily safe either, as many people wanted to take her place!

Kuroki Hitomi knew something about Nakamori Akina's family situation, but because of her position, she couldn't offer advice. However, she now understood that if things continued as they were, it might affect her! Someone could easily use this opportunity to kick Nakamori Akina out of the picture, since that greedy girl had left her with far too much trouble and hidden dangers. If someone else replaced Nakamori Akina, would she still be in such a relaxed situation? Not everyone was as naive and easy to communicate with as Nakamori Akina, so the best solution was to prevent anything from happening in the first place!
(End of this chapter)