America: My Time

Chapter 790 Neon's Worries

Chapter 780 Neon's Worries

John didn't elaborate on the newspaper issue; he had said what he needed to say. As for Akio Morita's decision, that was his own business. Now, John wanted to know the current state of the Japanese internet cafe alliance and whether a stock market crash would impact it.

"Mr. Morita, Sony is developing very rapidly in the personal computer industry these days. The Japanese market is very attractive to many people, and there are quite a few people who want to join the Internet cafe alliance. What are your thoughts on this?"

As John finished speaking, Akio Morita's gaze sharpened. Although he had anticipated this, a sense of unease still lingered as it unfolded. The internet cafe alliance's personal computers were currently supplied by Sony, which had made rapid progress in the personal computer field in a short period, so he didn't want anyone else competing with him.

“John, if we accept other people to join now, won’t it affect the Internet Cafe Alliance? Also, the performance of personal computers varies, which will also affect the expansion of the Internet Cafe Alliance. Most importantly, these guys were indifferent and sarcastic at the beginning, but now that they see that we have opened up the market, they want to join. This is too much. We have paid such a high price to get the market we have now. I don’t agree to let them in!”

"I don't want to agree either, but these guys are quite powerful, and they'll try to sabotage us. If Sony can handle everything and prevent the internet cafe alliance from being affected, I have no objection. After all, I only run the internet cafe alliance; the supply of personal computers is handled by Sony. Everything depends on your opinion!"

With the rise of online games, the expansion of internet cafe alliances is accelerating. At the same time, Global Online Network Company is also developing rapidly. It has completely taken control of the United States and is now expanding into Canada and Europe. However, the speed of expansion is limited because those countries are secretly resisting it.

However, ASUS's production capacity was already strained by its expansion in Asia alone. Under these circumstances, it naturally did not pay much attention to development in Europe, but only expanded in major cities without continuing to deepen its presence there.

After hearing John's answer, Akio Morita finally breathed a sigh of relief. If John had agreed to these guys' proposal, it would have had a huge impact on Sony. Now, thanks to Sony's promotion, the Internet Cafe Alliance has spread to major cities in Japan.

“John, you don’t need to worry about the pressure from these guys. Sony will handle everything. It’s impossible for them to join the internet cafe alliance. Sony will firmly disagree.” Akio Morita, who was good at keeping everything for himself, naturally wouldn’t let others share the profits.

"Since Mr. Morita says so, then I naturally have no objection. Our interests are aligned. As long as Sony can withstand external pressure, I will naturally stand on your side. After all, we have been cooperating for so long, and it is impossible to disregard your feelings."

After receiving John's formal reply, Akio Morita didn't want to continue the conversation, so he changed the subject, saying, "John, how long do you plan to stay in Japan? If you have enough time, how about we hold a party so everyone can sit down and talk?"

"It won't be long. If nothing unexpected happens, it will be at most a month. I still have some things to take care of in Taiwan and South Korea. There's no need for the party. After all, many people want to join the internet cafe alliance, and I can't refuse them. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to explain it to you!"

After hearing John's words, Akio Morita nodded thoughtfully, but he did not accept John's words. He shook his head and said, "Don't worry, those guys won't make things difficult for you. Besides, the party is just for everyone to catch up. After all, it's been so long since we've seen each other. It's a good thing for everyone to sit down and talk."

John didn't believe a hundred, a thousand times more, what that old man Akio Morita said. These Japanese guys wouldn't do anything without a reason. Why would they hold a party to entertain him if they didn't have something to do with it? This party must have some ulterior motive.

However, since Akio Morita had already put things this way, it wouldn't be right for John to refuse again. So he nodded and said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Morita. But it would be best if it were later, as I have some things to take care of in Tokyo. Early August, you can decide the exact time, I have no objections." By early August, things would have already gotten out of hand in the Middle East, and those guys in Japan would be in a panic, causing oil prices to skyrocket. At that point, Japan would ask him for help, and his oil reserves would fetch a good price. Of course, not only Japan, but also South Korea, wouldn't escape his calculations.

After making an agreement with Akio Morita, the old man finally got up and left, no longer disturbing his rest. Although it was only a brief conversation, John understood that Akio Morita was not there on his behalf, but rather with the shadow of the Japanese government. Perhaps these guys were genuinely interested in the American newspaper industry, or perhaps they had other ideas.

"Riko, what did Naoko say? Is there anything else behind their actions?" Although the old man Akio Morita didn't think John had any other purpose in coming, he was still cautious and used the friendship between Riko and Naoko to inquire about John's true intentions.

"As in previous years, I'll just handle some things here and take a vacation. However, Mr. John needs to go to South Korea in mid-August to handle some matters there, then he'll go to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and finally to China."

"So this is still normal corporate management. Did Naoko mention anything about the United States?"

"No, I didn't say too much. I just mentioned Mr. John's arrangements for the child and the establishment of a personal fund for him. There was nothing else. However, Naoko will stay in Japan a little longer this time, since the child is still very young and can't withstand too much stress."

"It seems I was overthinking it. However, John's assets in Japan are not much anymore. In contrast, Taiwan and South Korea are expanding their investments, especially in South Korea's heavy industry, shipbuilding, and automobile manufacturing. This will be a significant blow to Japan. Now, those guys at Toyota are worried about their market share in the United States. Bentley Group's market share is constantly expanding, putting them under immense pressure. If it weren't for Bentley Group's insufficient production capacity in Mexico, its market share would probably be even greater."

With the completion of South Korea's automotive manufacturing transformation, the Japanese have been worried about their market share in North America, since South Korea's costs are much lower than theirs. As for China, the Japanese are also worried, since a large portion of North American auto parts now come from Bentley's factory in China. Although China has not entered the North American and European auto markets, it is making a fortune in auto parts.

With the appreciation of the yen, Japan's domestic automobile production has also been affected to some extent. After all, costs are rising, as are iron ore prices, which have had a significant impact on their production. Although the Japanese have acquired a number of mines from John, they are more of a liability than a benefit. They have no shortage of copper mines, but they are still controlled by a few major mining giants, one of which is Quantum Mining.

The streamlined Quantum Mining is also expanding rapidly, no longer just opening mines, but also vigorously developing itself in smelting. With the technology from Russia, it has made considerable progress in civilian applications, which naturally puts pressure on Japan.

If Western Energy hadn't been forced to split up, the Japanese would likely still be wary of its power. Now that Western Energy's biggest money-making project has been spun off and its development is slowing, the Japanese can finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, they're overthinking it. Once things go wrong in the Middle East, war breaks out, and oil prices rise, they'll realize just how brilliant John's strategy is. At that time, Western Energy can sell its oil reserves and have ample funds for development. Rockefeller will then be unable to stop Western Energy's development. The massive oil reserves will be enough for John to make a fortune and allow Western Energy to regain its strength.

"Riko, try to keep in touch with Naoko more often. Since she'll be staying in Tokyo for a long time, you should talk to her more. A lot of people are worried now, since John's assets in Japan are too few, which is making some guys uneasy." That's just the nature of the Japanese. Initially, they were worried that John would compete with them for profits, so they gradually bought back those assets from John. Now they're worried that John doesn't have enough assets in Japan.

Compared to John's investments in South Korea, Japan's assets are indeed not impressive. Japan has heavy industry investments in automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, semiconductors, oil refining, steel, etc., which are not something Japan possesses. Taiwan also surpasses Japan. ASUS alone is enough to amaze many people. China is even more impressive, with its industries being the largest among all investments.

Of course, what worries Japan most is the mining industry, specifically the supply of iron ore and uranium. Although Japan is constantly expanding and acquiring mines, it has yet to achieve anything in iron ore, and the same goes for uranium. Under these circumstances, it's understandable that the Japanese government is concerned. After all, John withdrew from Japanese real estate because someone deliberately ostracized them. If John holds a grudge, it will be troublesome and a hidden danger for them. Especially after learning some news from the United States, they became even more uneasy and eager to get closer to John, at least to avoid any negative opinions or resentment from him. This led to Akio Morita's trip.

(End of this chapter)