America: My Time

Chapter 709 Scheming Against Japan
Chapter 699 Scheming Against Japan

As the internet cafe alliance rapidly expanded, John wasn't having an easy time either. ASUS was under considerable pressure, with too many orders and the need to produce dance machines. John hadn't anticipated this situation. Moreover, the internet cafe alliance wasn't something anyone could easily pirate, unlike arcade machines which could be copied at will. Personal computers weren't something you could just copy; it was beyond the capabilities of small workshops. As for large factories, they didn't have the guts. Patents weren't just for show.

Watching Sonny lose himself in the game, John found it somewhat amusing. Ever since they installed a network at home and set up a small internet cafe, Sonny had changed, becoming completely absorbed in online games. John, however, didn't care, because games at that time were vastly different from those of later generations.

John was more concerned about the expansion of the internet cafe alliance, and he was also keeping an eye on the development of Taiwan's entertainment industry. It has to be said that with the increasing involvement of dark forces, the entire Taiwanese entertainment industry was in chaos. The situation at the television station was a little better, but the film and music industries were in complete disarray.

Now, another internet cafe alliance has emerged, attracting even more capital because it is indeed very profitable. The wildly popular online games are captivating, and the deposit system alone has made the internet cafe alliance rake with money. Similarly, ASUS is also receiving a flood of orders because the internet cafe alliance is no longer just a Taiwanese entity, but a global expansion.

The deposit system for internet cafes has left many people speechless. Isn't this the same tactic John used in the gaming world? Now he's using it on the internet cafe alliance. This guy really has 'good intentions'. Although many people are very disgusted, they still have to compromise under the lure of profit. Only by participating can they get benefits; if they don't participate, they get nothing.

"So, when can we reach the level of ASUS personal computers?" This kind of question appeared not only in Japan, but also in the United States. Originally, not many people paid attention to ASUS personal computers, even though they sold well thanks to the Internet. However, IBM and its guys did not think that ASUS could dominate the market. Now they have to think about the worst-case scenario. The emergence of the Internet Cafe Alliance has made them feel boundless pressure.

What to do? Naturally, they had to catch up. But ASUS's personal computers were of such high quality that they were practically the pinnacle of personal computer technology. This was something they couldn't simply catch up to. They could use Nvidia chips, but not motherboards or graphics cards. ASUS supplied those themselves, so how could they possibly sell them at retail?

"It's difficult. We underestimated ASUS's R&D capabilities. Their motherboards and graphics cards are already at the forefront. Perhaps this is not entirely due to their own efforts, but also with the help of Nvidia, Dream World, and Bell Labs. However, we have to admit that their motherboards can perfectly utilize the functions of the chips. It will not be easy for us to catch up. We will need time to circumvent many of their patents!"

"In other words, it's unlikely that we can compete with the Internet Cafe Alliance in the short term. We can only join them?" At this moment, Akio Morita's expression turned gloomy. He hadn't expected that Sony's strength was inferior to that of ASUS, a company that had only been established for a few years. This put Akio Morita under tremendous pressure.

"Yes, we can't catch up with them in a short time unless we can get their patent license, but that's almost impossible. This is ASUS's core technology, so we can only purchase their graphics cards. Even so, the performance of our personal computers is still inferior to theirs, after all, they have the support of Nvidia!"

"It seems we still need to talk to that little fox John. Since he can make such a good plan in the US and Europe, he can't possibly be without ideas in Japan. Now he's just waiting for us to take the initiative to discuss it." With Akio Morita's wisdom, he naturally understood that the fact that there was no internet cafe alliance in Japan was part of John's plan, and he was waiting for them to discuss cooperation.

Japan has the power to threaten ASUS, but it doesn't have that power in Europe, nor in South Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. If these Japanese companies were to join forces, it wouldn't be impossible for them to bypass ASUS's patents. John did consider blocking the chip supply to prevent other companies from catching up with ASUS, but he ultimately gave up. Doing so would have too many hidden dangers and would only make things more dangerous, causing Nvidia a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Heh, interesting. Japan can say no too? That old guy Akio Morita really dares to say such big words and even published a book about it. It seems that this old guy has quite the ambition!" When John saw the book "Japan Can Say No" in his hand, he couldn't help but shake his head, and he had a new feeling about Japan's arrogance.

Japan can say no, but can the internet cafe alliance say no now? Can they say no to the internet? Japan can't. If Japan really dares to say no, then the gap between them and ASUS will widen further and further. Moreover, ASUS's move has directly torn a hole in the original gaming market.

With Akio Morita's keen eye, he could naturally see the huge market potential for personal computer games. At the very least, online games could replace some arcade games, and the emergence of the internet cafe alliance had already impacted arcades. Just as John was mocking Morita's "Even Japan can say no" attitude, the phone rang. Morita, the old man, had no choice but to compromise and contact John. While the profits from the internet cafe alliance were considerable, Morita valued the personal computer partnership even more; he wanted Sony to participate!

"John, congratulations on your game's success again! With the launch of the Internet Cafe Alliance, online games have impacted arcade sales. It seems you have a keen eye. We all underestimated PC games. I wonder if we can cooperate? ASUS alone cannot supply the global market, and the Internet Cafe Alliance can't keep waiting like this. Time is money!"

"Oh, Mr. Morita, what kind of cooperation do you want? Is it for us to jointly promote the Internet Cafe Alliance in Japan, or some other kind of cooperation? Now is not the right time to promote it in Japan. Real estate in Japan is too expensive, which forced me to give up on promoting it in Japan because the Internet Cafe Alliance cannot come up with that much funding."

John's explanation failed to convince Akio Morita, as it was too far-fetched! Real estate was not a reason to abandon the investment; it was merely an excuse, which Morita found unacceptable.

“John, Sony wants to join the PC supply chain and needs ASUS’s technology license. I believe ASUS is not capable of supporting the expansion of the entire internet cafe alliance right now. Our cooperation is the best option!”

"Cooperation is not a problem, but quite a few people have already made this request to me. To be honest, I don't know how to choose. And you should know how high the cost of ASUS personal computers is. I don't want to rip people off. With Japan's current labor costs plus the licensing fees, can it really be promoted in Japan?"

Faced with John's doubts, Akio Morita said dismissively, "John, you underestimate Japan's spending power. This is not a problem. As long as we cooperate, this cost is nothing. You have no need to worry."

"Mr. Morita, I must make it clear in advance that our internet cafe alliance is a five-year contract, not a regular franchise where you can withdraw whenever you want. Moreover, we will not refund your money if you withdraw early. Are you sure there are no problems with Japan? With such high land prices, I really don't think there is any chance of success. I advise you to think carefully before you speak. Labor costs are high, land prices are expensive, and equipment is not cheap. Investing under these circumstances is a bit crazy. I don't see any profit unless you set an even higher price."

John seemed to be considering Akio Morita's best interests, but that wasn't the case. He was luring Morita into a trap step by step. The more John thought there was something wrong with consumption in Japan, the less Morita cared. After all, Japan's economy was booming, so how could it be acceptable in Taiwan? Besides, the internet cafes that were so popular wouldn't work in Japan.

“John, I think you have a misconception about the Japanese economy. It’s hard to explain over the phone. If possible, we should sit down and talk. You also need to visit Japan. The current state of Japan is not what you think. If we cooperate, it will definitely be a very good investment!”

"That's no problem. To be honest, I only hesitated to place the internet cafe alliance there because I calculated the costs in Japan. If my thinking is wrong, that's great. No one will pass up a chance to make money. As for other things, everything is negotiable. After all, this isn't our first collaboration. I believe that with Sony's promotion, the internet cafe alliance will have greater development in Japan. I still have some things to take care of here. I'll head to Tokyo after I've finished!"

"Okay, I'll wait for your arrival, and we'll discuss cooperation then!" At this moment, Akio Morita had a mysterious confidence in the Japanese economy. Not only did he have this idea, but many Japanese people also had such a mysterious confidence, always believing that the Japanese economy would only rise and there would be no problems. Unfortunately, reality was not so.

"I've discussed it with ASUS, and I'll go to Japan to try and establish an internet cafe alliance there as quickly as possible. Ideally, we should finish this before the summer holidays. The sooner we develop, the sooner we'll benefit!" At this moment, a faint smile appeared on John's face. That old fox, Akio Morita, had finally fallen for his trap.

(End of this chapter)