America: My Time

Chapter 641 Arrangement
Chapter 631 Arrangements

Upon hearing John's words, both Sonny and Sachiko Kamachi gasped. They weren't naive girls who knew nothing, especially Sachiko Kamachi, who was familiar with such top-tier wineries. They hadn't expected Naoko and Hitomi Kuroki to have such a benefit. At this moment, Sachiko also understood why there were top-tier red wines in Naoko and Akina's homes—they weren't bought by them, but rather from the winery John had given them.

"Don't hesitate, each of you choose one for your future expenses!" John gestured for Sonny and Sachiko to choose quickly. Although there weren't many wineries left, the two still had plenty of options. There were six small slips of paper on the table, showing how many wineries John had previously acquired. And this was only a portion; another portion was under the winery's umbrella.

Urged by John, Sonny and Sachiko each chose one and opened it. John took it, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "You're both pretty lucky. Sachiko's is Château Ausone, a prestigious Bordeaux estate, and Jade's is Stag's Leap, a renowned Napa Valley estate! Okay, these will be your expenses from now on, and the profits from each will be deposited into your accounts! Once you have your own interests, you can choose other assets as future income. Naoko, Akiko, and Akina all hold shares in TV Tokyo; if you're also interested in television stations, you can do the same."

At this point, both Sonny and Sachiko Kamachi shook their heads. They did not accept John's proposal. They were unwilling to accept assets like Tokyo TV. They felt that having such a top-notch winery was already quite good.

At this moment, John smiled calmly and said, "Don't think that top wineries like these make a lot of money. During economic crises, they don't make much profit. Naoko and Akiko both understand this. Actually, it's mainly for you to enjoy the wine yourselves!"

In fact, in the 1980s and 90s, those top wineries did not make much money, and there was still a considerable gap compared to other industries. Only last year was better, because of the trade with Russia, which made the wineries a lot of money. However, this was largely due to the shortage of resources in Russia, otherwise there would not have been much profit!
Of course, it's enough to maintain the winery and cover living expenses, but it's impossible to ask for more. Even Château d'Yquem doesn't generate much profit! Now is not the future. As John said, these wineries are only for personal collection and use. It's a unique investment. At least if managed well, these wineries won't depreciate. That's why these wineries are managed by professionals!

At this moment, Naoko remained unchanged and did not care about John's decision. However, Hitomi Kuroki understood that Sunny and Sachiko Kamachi had truly gained recognition. Although they had only gained John's recognition, it also meant that they were now on the same level as her. Fortunately, she had not spoken up before, otherwise there would have been no way to resolve the situation.

Just then, dinner was ready. John didn't say anything more and ate with the women. After such a long time, including the 'farce' at the hospital, John saw it all as a farce, a result of Akina's stupidity. If she had been able to trust others even a little and communicate with Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, or Sachiko Kamachi, this situation wouldn't have happened, and it wouldn't have had such an impact.

Dinner was prepared in a lavish manner because Hitomi Kuroki knew that Naoko and Sachiko had not rested well or eaten well, so she made preparations accordingly. Although it was just a small thing, it showed Hitomi Kuroki's thoughtfulness and how much care she put into it.

After dinner, Hitomi Kuroki prepared a pot of good tea for everyone, and then they sat together to talk about various topics. When Sachiko Kamachi mentioned that she couldn't go to Seoul with everyone to watch the Olympics, and that she had to prepare for her album and the Fuji Rock Festival, John's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Look at yourself now. Why aren't you resting properly and preparing for your album? Can you hold on if you continue like this?"

At this moment, Naoko also spoke up to advise, "Sachiko-chan, don't ruin your health. You need to rest properly now. You were staying up very late before, that won't do!"

"But we can't keep everyone waiting because of me!" Kuroki Hitomi sighed softly at Sachiko's words. Although she knew Sachiko's situation—after all, many things in the agency couldn't be hidden from Kuroki Hitomi—she knew Sachiko always stayed up very late, working late every day. But she hadn't expected Sachiko to be so foolish, so considerate of others instead of her own health. The ZARD band was formed around her; she was the core of the band. It was just that Sachiko didn't seem to have this concept, which left Kuroki Hitomi speechless.

Although it's not easy to bother others in Japan, the band's situation is not ordinary. Everything revolves around Sachiko, and the Fuji Rock Festival doesn't need to pay much attention to them. TV Tokyo has already invited the band!

"Let them wait. You need to recover first. Also, with Akina's situation, the security arrangements need to be changed. It's not that I don't trust those guys, but Akina's actions will affect the security personnel's morale. Hand over these security personnel to Sachiko for now, and we'll assign them to Akina once the new security personnel arrive! Naoko, you handle this matter!" At this moment, John thought of Akina's security issue. Although it was a small problem, it couldn't be taken lightly. After all, Akina's actions had put the security personnel in an awkward position.

"No need, I don't need it and I can't adapt to it!" Before Naoko could even speak, Sachiko hurriedly refused.

"You have no say in this matter. It's settled. Naoko, remember to instruct the security personnel to keep an eye on Sachiko and prevent her from staying up all night. There's no room for discussion. Also, you all need to take care of yourselves and not ruin your health over such trivial matters. Remember to have a physical examination every six months!" John had to take precautions for Sachiko, since in his memory, Sachiko had health problems and eventually passed away.

"Why don't we hand over my security personnel to Sachiko? I no longer live in Tokyo, so it's a waste to keep these people around!" Naoko suggested at this moment, wanting to hand over her security personnel in Tokyo to Sachiko.

At this moment, John frowned and said, "Keep your security personnel here in Tokyo. At least the properties here still need to be managed. Besides, you're not going to stay away forever. It's better to keep them!"

At this point, Naoko could only nod. Originally, she wanted to hand over her security personnel to Sachiko, but Rui had to give up. She would not oppose John's decision; her personality wouldn't allow her to do so.

"Alright, stop talking!" Naoko quickly stopped Sachiko when she saw she was about to say something more. Having been with John the longest, Naoko knew that John hated being rejected, especially in situations like this. He had taken meticulous care with everyone's security and medical checks. At this point, even if Sachiko tried to refuse again, it would be useless. John's decision was final; she couldn't refuse even if she wanted to. Naoko understood this deeply.

"Sachiko, listen to me, don't object. This is for your own good. You don't want your parents to be called in, do you? If you keep pushing yourself like this and they find out, just think about what it will be like!" Naoko didn't give Sachiko any time to react, and used her trump card again, making her dare not object anymore and acquiesce to everything. Knowing Sachiko well, Naoko knew exactly what Sachiko's biggest worry was: her family, because she didn't want them to worry about her.

When John saw that Sachiko was completely overwhelmed by Naoko's words, a smile appeared on his face. Sunny and Hitomi Kuroki also smiled. They hadn't expected Sachiko to be so cute, that she was afraid of being called to her parents.

“Sachiko, that’s settled then. I’ll have Naoko and Akiko keep you informed. Don’t try to get away with anything. Whether you accept it or not, it won’t matter. This is something that must be done. If you want to discuss music, you can talk to Akina or Naoko!” John sighed, shook his head, and added, “I’m actually getting a little nervous about this Akina thing. It’s funny!”

Not only John himself felt it, but Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, and other women who had followed John for a long time also sensed this subtle change, which made them all sigh inwardly! John also sighed, realizing that his heart was still not hard enough, not ruthless enough, otherwise such a change would not have occurred. Perhaps this was the influence of later generations on him.

"If you're tired, go take a bath and rest!" Seeing the faint signs of fatigue on Naoko and Sachiko's faces, John shook his head and tried to persuade them. These two women were too stubborn; John was somewhat helpless about it. As he spoke, John got up, pulled Sachiko up, and they went to take a bath together.

It has to be said that John made the best decision to choose properties with onsen (hot springs) from the beginning, at least he wouldn't have to worry about taking a bath! This is an advantage that the properties he built later didn't have, since not all places have onsen, especially in busy urban areas. It's not easy to find properties with onsen, at least not in downtown Tokyo!
(End of this chapter)