America: My Time

Chapter 789 Morita Akio’s Ambition

Chapter 779: Morita Akio’s Ambition
Looking at the bustling city of Tokyo, John wore a faint smile, a hint of cruel mockery in his expression. Who could have imagined that before long, this prosperous city of Japan would descend into even greater madness and be plundered? John did not approve of the actions of the Central Bank of Japan, but this was the madness of the Japanese people.

The Japanese didn't see anything wrong with John's appearance. After all, John appeared in Tokyo almost every summer, so no one thought he had any bad intentions. What they didn't know was that they were about to be plundered by this guy, and the Japanese stock market was about to crash.

Although John's appearance was not entirely unexpected, the old man Akio Morita was still very pleased. He was well aware of the turmoil in the United States recently, especially when Middle Eastern tycoons entered Hollywood and acquired MGM Studios, and even continued to expand in the media sector. This gave Akio Morita some ideas, and he also intended to expand in the American media industry, so he wanted to hear John's thoughts.

Of course, Akio Morita was unaware of John's rampant activities in the United States. Such secrets wouldn't be leaked, and no one would dare to do it, as it would bring them considerable danger. Both John and Morgan would investigate, and only a fool would dare to speak out. Therefore, aside from the American financial groups and those who were purged, outsiders were unaware of what had happened.

Not long after John arrived in Tokyo and returned to his residence there, the old fox Akio Morita appeared at John's estate with Riko. John was slightly surprised by his appearance, as Sony was not in any crisis at the moment. John did not understand why this old man had come to see him at this time.

"Mr. Morita, I wonder what brings you here so urgently? Sony's development in the United States is very rapid, and there are no problems. If there is any, it's just that we have to face competition from Panasonic. Their development speed is also amazing, especially in the game market, where they are even more aggressive."

John had been closely following the gaming market, especially since ASUS's assets in this area needed to be addressed after its spin-off. He also believed the gaming market would continue to expand, and abandoning it would be foolish. However, Panasonic's growth exceeded John's expectations. After taking over the gaming industry, its development was incredibly rapid, shocking even the rough-and-ready Rockefellers. The gaming industry's market share had been declining under their management, but it quickly recovered under Panasonic's control, leaving even John astonished.

It has to be said that these Japanese guys are quite capable. However, their rapid recovery has made Sony the biggest victim. As for ASUS's game consoles, they have also been affected to some extent, but not significantly. After all, ASUS is a CD manufacturer, which is completely different from their cartridges, so the impact is relatively small. Since there are no similar products in the industry, those who choose ASUS game consoles naturally do not need to worry about incompatibility issues. ASUS is the only player in the entire market.

"Panasonic's development is indeed astonishing. After acquiring Game World, they were completely freed from constraints, so many technologies can be applied in practice. However, it's nothing special. The game market is huge and still expanding, so it's not a big deal. I'm not here for that, but to ask if there would be any obstacles if Sony intended to enter the newspaper industry with Columbia Pictures as its core?"

"Mr. Morita also wants to enter the American newspaper industry? If so, there will inevitably be resistance. You should understand that. At the very least, those oil-rich capitalists will not turn a blind eye. For them, the entry of Middle Eastern tycoons has already threatened their control over the discourse. If Sony joins in, the competition will be even more intense. What do you think they will do?"

"That won't work; they won't allow Sony to enter the newspaper industry?"

"That's not entirely true. Acquiring those influential newspapers is very difficult, but starting with tabloids is much easier. However, it requires time and effort, as well as a lot of capital, and there's no guarantee of profitability in the short term. To be honest, although the Middle Eastern tycoons are developing rapidly, they are not doing so for money, but for the right to speak, to fight against oil capital, and to prevent themselves from being controlled by their enemies in terms of propaganda."

"John, I heard you helped them with this. Could you lend Sony a hand in return?"

“I helped the Middle Eastern tycoons connect with MGM Studios. As for the newspapers, that was Morgan’s doing. Why? Because some people were too arrogant and crossed everyone’s bottom line, so all this happened. If Sony wants to enter the newspaper industry, it should start with small and medium-sized newspapers. Don’t rush things, or it will inevitably attract attacks from oil capital. Those guys see the media industry as their own territory and have always been hostile to outsiders. You should understand this. I am a good example. Since I entered the media industry, I have always had conflicts and struggles with these guys, and it has never stopped!” John’s advice to Akio Morita was very pertinent, but he was even more aware of Japan’s greed. Since the old man Akio Morita was interested, he would not accept his proposal and would not start from small newspapers and develop slowly. They also wanted to learn from the Middle Eastern tycoons and directly acquire influential newspapers, taking it one step at a time.

John didn't care about Akio Morita's thoughts, nor did he care whether the Japanese government had any intentions or motivations behind it. It had nothing to do with him. If they wanted to acquire it, that was their own business. Reality would make them understand that things weren't as rosy as they thought. Just because Middle Eastern tycoons could do something didn't mean they could.

As for whether these guys in Japan have such thoughts because they want to break free from the influence of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, that's not something John is considering. Even if it weren't for these guys in Japan, there would be others. The development of the two major media groups wouldn't be affected. After all, both of these media groups are now world-class, and many companies want to cooperate with them.

"Sony is not afraid of competition; we can accept normal business competition!"

"If that's the case, then I can't say anything. Mr. Morita, you should prepare in advance. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group won't target you. I can also mediate for you regarding the Middle Eastern tycoons. As for Oil Pacific Capital, I can't help them. After all, I'm not on the same side as them. If you want to acquire a major newspaper company in one step, it's best not to do it yourself. Find Morgan to do it. That will reduce a lot of trouble!"

John was well aware of Akio Morita's arrogance. He had even co-authored a book called "Neon Can Say No," which showed just how arrogant and conceited the old man was. So, persuading him to back down was futile. Since this guy wanted to plunge headlong into the newspaper industry and expand, let him have his way. However, Sony would have to pay an even greater price. John could imagine that the involvement of Middle Eastern tycoons would accelerate the decline of the newspaper industry.

Middle Eastern tycoons don't care about making money, but oil-rich capital can't. A war between them would inevitably affect the entire industry and reduce profits. Middle Eastern tycoons have money and don't care about the profits in the newspaper industry, but can oil-rich capital do the same? The answer is no, they can't.

Will this situation have any impact on Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media? Yes, but not much. After all, the two media groups are not very strong in the newspaper industry, and they are both focused on entertainment, so they don't care about the competition between them. Most importantly, the newspaper industry is not the core of the two media groups.

If Sony were to join the newspaper industry competition under these circumstances, it might receive assistance from Japanese companies, but it's hard to say how long it could last. The current situation in the US newspaper industry is extremely fierce, with constant conflicts between the newspapers controlled by Middle Eastern tycoons and oil and Pacific capital. Moreover, both sides are poaching talent from each other, making the entire industry frantic.

It wasn't that no one wanted to mediate, but it was no use. The oil tycoons wouldn't accept it; they couldn't accept Middle Eastern tycoons interfering in their territory. So they were determined to expel them. Unfortunately, the more they did this, the more the American financial groups believed that this was the best outcome, and more people approved of John and Morgan's approach.

The US belongs to Americans, not Japanese. The arrogance of Japanese capital naturally makes many wary, which is why they can accept this newspaper war. If Japan were to join in now, the newspaper industry might become even more exciting. However, it's hard to say whether Akio Morita, that old fox, can make the decision and launch the acquisition regardless of the consequences. After all, a stock market crash in Japan is imminent, and it's questionable whether Sony will still have the strength to make the acquisition.

While Japanese companies are currently very wealthy, it's uncertain whether they can weather the storm when the bubble bursts. Moreover, the Japanese public is still caught up in a frenzy, unaware of the impending danger. When the storm arrives, they will all pay a heavy price, and even giants like Sony will be impacted. Given the stock market crash, it's unclear whether Akio Morita will still have the courage to acquire American newspapers, or whether the Japanese government will secretly support him. After all, newspapers are still very valuable, and acquiring one would require a significant investment.

(End of this chapter)