America: My Time

Chapter 701 Persuasion
Chapter 691 Persuasion

"He accepted it, but he doesn't want the same thing to happen again. He senses there's something else going on, but he doesn't want to investigate! This time, he's giving me face, but next time it won't happen again!"

"Don't worry, there won't be a next time. It wasn't our idea; I was just asked to do it. Let's leave it at that and pretend nothing ever happened. As for the other issues, we'll handle them and won't make things difficult for you!"

"That's good. I don't want to get involved in this kind of thing. This man is not easily deceived. I believe you all know how powerful he is. You all know what happened to Britain. Don't set his sights on Taiwan, or the consequences will be unimaginable. He is not only a giant in the semiconductor industry, but also a media tycoon and a financial giant. I don't know what you want to do, but I don't want Taiwan's finances to have problems!"

"No, at least not now. We will be watching everything carefully and won't let that happen!"

After listening to the conversation, Zhang Zhongmou shook his head and said, "I hope so. If you really want to play with fire, there's nothing I can do. At least I've heard of his notorious reputation. The British compromise is not as simple as it seems. Don't force him to break with us. If it really comes to that, the entire Taiwan cannot afford such consequences. The semiconductor industry may even suffer a devastating blow!"

Zhang Zhongmou's words elicited only a faint smile from the other party, who did not respond. It seemed that they did not take it to heart, or perhaps they simply did not care. Only he himself knew what he was really thinking.

Taiwan is not so peaceful either; there is a considerable turmoil brewing in the shadows. As for the reason, Zhang Zhongmou is not sure. At least for now, he has not sensed anything from the other party. They have been hiding something all along.

John didn't care about the situation in Taiwan, nor did he need to. Whatever their thoughts were, they couldn't stop his plans. Moreover, John didn't think those guys in Taiwan would be foolish enough to stand against him, nor did he think those old guys would choose to have a showdown with him in Taiwan.

As for the little scheme against Zhang Yuyan, it was nothing serious. At least John didn't take it seriously. In such cases, the Japanese guys would have been more direct, more crazy, and more insidious.

Entering the entertainment industry means facing numerous schemes, temptations, and unimaginable challenges. Sunny was too soft-hearted and not tough enough in dealing with such situations. Otherwise, this matter could have been easily resolved without his intervention, and Zhang Zhongmou wouldn't have been dragged into it.

“Cuiyu, next time you don’t need to have so many concerns. Just have someone break that guy’s legs. Your security personnel aren’t just for show. If they don’t give you face, they’re not giving me face. There’s no point in trying to persuade a young master like that. Just beat him up and we’ll talk about it later. I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens. He’s just a guy with not much strength. He’s not worth paying attention to. Those who are truly powerful know who you are, and those who don’t, there’s no need to care about them!”

When John finished speaking, Sonny showed a slight surprise and said softly, "Isn't this a bad idea? It will make things more serious and have a worse impact!"

"There's nothing wrong with it, and it won't be that serious. As for the impact, there's even less to worry about. Do you think someone who controls two major media groups needs to care about the impact? Do you think anyone would allow something like this to blow up? Think about Akina's situation. Don't be too soft-hearted. Being too kind is sometimes a sin!"

When John mentioned Akina Nakamori, Sonny couldn't help but shudder. Although she knew very little about the matter, the fact that it could drive a woman to suicide showed how cruel and terrifying it was. "I understand!" Sonny nodded gently, but a hint of hesitation remained in her eyes.

“Understanding isn’t enough; you have to be able to do it. This matter is nothing compared to the fact that this circle is far more terrifying than you imagine.” John shook his head, then turned to Zhang Yuyan and Xiao Qiang, saying, “You two need to be vigilant too. This circle isn’t as glamorous as you think, especially now. So many dark forces are pouring in. Beautiful women like you will be their targets, and many wealthy men and playboys will also be eyeing you. Young people are hot-tempered and might do something crazy. The wealthy are a little better; at least they have some dignity, and at most, they’re only tempted by money. But the dark forces are unpredictable; they’re capable of anything!”

Sunny's problem isn't too serious; at least no one in Taiwan would be foolish enough to do anything to her. But these two are different. As for their rivalry, this beauty is far more cunning than Zhang Yuyan or Sunny, and her pursuit of fame and fortune is far more frenzied. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been kept by a wealthy man, acted as a mistress more than ten times, and even endured being beaten to the point of hospitalization by another man's wife and her entourage without stopping. This shows just how crazy her pursuit of fame and fortune is. Talking about feelings with a wealthy man is a joke. "Men with money become bad, women become bad and get money"—this is a golden rule. Fame and fortune are hard to see through; at least John doesn't think he can!
If John could see through fame and fortune, he wouldn't have been so frantically developing himself and expanding his power, nor would he have so many beautiful women around him. It's in a man's nature to be lustful; if he weren't, he wouldn't be a man. That's how it is in the world of fame and fortune. While beautiful women attract attention, they also suffer from people's schemes and competition.

It's impossible for John to give up the beautiful women around him and his pursuit of them. Men can't resist such temptations; it's in their nature and instinct. However, John wouldn't do anything crazy, much less force anyone. At most, it would be a transaction, like with Cindy Crawford and other beauties. It would just be a transaction, and whether he would ultimately gain her approval was hard to say. Not all beautiful women could be his choice.

"Rising from the mud unsullied, cleansed by the clear water without becoming seductive. Such a state is extremely difficult to achieve in the entertainment industry. This industry is a huge quagmire, and it's almost impossible to achieve that. You will face all sorts of difficulties. If you have status and connections, it's a little easier. But if you have no status or connections, and are beautiful and charming, you will only bring disaster upon yourself. Beauty is your biggest mistake, your greatest original sin. Take some time to think carefully about whether you can accept such oppression, whether you can accept all this terrible stuff. You've only just stepped into this industry; it's not too late to quit!"

After Zhang Yuyan started dating Xie Zuwu, she never dated or married again. No one knows what happened between them. As for Xiao Qiang, his pursuit of fame and fortune was terrifyingly crazy, and he didn't care at all about the price he paid. At first, she also refused, but in the end, things turned out that way. This is the madness of this circle. How can a beautiful woman in this circle get out unscathed? And it's impossible to protect yourself.

"Can't the company protect us?" Zhang Yuyan was a little confused. Couldn't a multinational corporation like Phoenix Group, a world-class media group, protect artists like them?

"The company can't take care of everyone, and it can't keep an eye on you all the time. Besides, do you think the company is safe? Do you think none of the management have any designs on you beautiful women? Don't be so naive. The company may be able to shield you from some of the pressure, but there are many things the company can't do, especially the pursuit of fame and fortune."

John paused here, thought for a moment, and then continued, "Since we're on the topic, let me tell you how terrifying this industry is. Even within companies, there's infighting. You don't think everyone in a company is a united front, do you? Where there are people, there's a power struggle. And a company only has so many resources. Do you think there's any competition? Some people are willing to pay the price to get better resources. That's the darkness of this industry. There are so many ways to manipulate things in this industry. Don't think it's so wonderful! You've only been in this industry for a short time and don't know how terrifying the shady dealings are. For beautiful women like you, you should think carefully. Once you're completely trapped in this industry, it will be impossible to get out. At that point, it will be difficult for you to escape."

John was right. Once you're caught in this circle, it's hard to escape. Even the strongest will can be eroded by its chaos, gradually sinking into its depths. The later internal conflicts are the best example. This circle has swallowed up far too many beautiful women; almost every one of them has a story to tell, filled with bitterness. Of course, many don't care; they know all this from the beginning and actively integrate themselves into the circle. Most of them thrive, but many more are passively accepted, or even forced to accept it, ultimately sinking into the circle and becoming powerless to break free.

Human nature is treacherous; anything can happen in this industry, and any danger can occur. Today, Taiwan's entertainment industry is already frantically changing in this direction. Dark forces are driving everything, and you have no say in it!

(End of this chapter)