America: My Time

Chapter 815 Silent Interpretation

Chapter 805 Silent Interpretation

As night fell, Akio Morita told John the location of the party. Although they only had one day, with money paving the way, everything was quickly arranged. At this time, the Japanese were all looking forward to John's appearance. They were all waiting for their 'destiny' to arrive, and everyone wanted to get more benefits, but whether they could do it was another matter. The initiative was not in their hands, but in John's hands.

In truth, these guys all understood that John had already made arrangements, just hadn't announced them yet. The fact that the old fox Akio Morita was hosting the party meant Mitsui would gain something, at least John would give Morita some face; otherwise, doing this would be a slap in Morita's face. As for the others, they were all worried about whether they could get any benefits, and if so, how much. So, you can imagine their feelings.

The Japanese officials, on the other hand, were much calmer. At least they knew that John's move could further alleviate Japan's energy pressure, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. As for how much each conglomerate could take, that depended on their own strength, and no one else could influence John's decision.

"Riko, are you sure Naoko isn't attending tonight's party?" Akio Morita asked Riko again, confirming that Naoko wasn't accompanying John. To most people, who accompanied John wasn't a big deal, but for old fogies like Akio Morita, it was a completely different story. In their eyes, it was a silent message. If Naoko accompanied John to the party, it was a statement—an attitude towards Mitsui.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve asked Naoko again, and she doesn’t have time to attend. She needs to be with little Martin. This isn’t Mr. John’s decision; it’s Naoko’s own decision!” Although this wasn’t the first time Riko had answered this question, she still gave a cautious answer in response to Akio Morita’s inquiry.

Upon hearing this, Akio Morita shook his head and said, "You're oversimplifying things. Even if this wasn't John's request, it reflects his attitude. If he valued the relationship with the Mitsui conglomerate, he would have definitely asked Naoko to attend. It's a matter of etiquette and a demonstration of his attitude. The fact that he didn't say anything means he's dissatisfied with Mitsui. Fortunately, this isn't directed at us; at least Sony and he have a good relationship!"

Indeed, having Akio Morita host tonight's party speaks volumes about their attitude, their trust in Morita, and their friendly relationship. No one would believe John lacked the ability to host a party in Tokyo; with his current influence there, the Phoenix Group could easily have done it. Yet John chose not to, but instead selected Morita—that was his stance.

Since John started investing in Japan, he has never organized a single party. Everything has been handled by Japan. This is a statement of his attitude and an indication of his approval of Japan. At least, that's how the Japanese felt. They felt that John was showing them respect and never intended to take advantage of them.

It was precisely because John had always been so 'polite' and given the Japanese guys enough face that this result occurred. This prevented the Japanese guys from feeling threatened or oppressed, and it also gave them more ideas to think about.

"Mr. Morita, what preparations do I need to make? Naoko said that everyone else will be at the party. Should I make arrangements in advance to avoid any unexpected situations?" Riko asked cautiously, her eyes still very careful, not daring to be careless in the slightest. She knew how important today's party was.

"You don't need to prepare too much, just be a little careful. No one will be foolish enough to cause trouble at tonight's party. Even if they have a lot of ulterior motives, they won't do it. What you need to watch out for are those guys in the entertainment industry. Don't let them bother John. He doesn't have time to interact with them tonight. After they arrive, remind them to be careful not to make any mistakes, otherwise some people will be unhappy. After all, it's impossible for everyone to be satisfied at tonight's party, especially those guys like Mitsui. They'll probably be even more dissatisfied."

At this moment, Akio Morita carefully reminded Riko to avoid any problems with the party arrangements, lest things get out of his control and develop in a direction he didn't want to see. Akio Morita didn't want any unexpected events tonight that would force him to sacrifice Riko, which would be a significant loss. After all, Riko and Naoko had a very close relationship, and if he had to abandon Riko, he would lose a bridge of communication with John.

This wasn't just Akio Morita overthinking things; reality was harsh. There were many within the Mitsui conglomerate who were plotting against him, so Akio Morita didn't want Riko to be affected by his carelessness, nor did he want anyone to scheme against him and make him pay such a heavy price.

Riko could sense Akio Morita's goodwill, though it was tinged with ulterior motives. Riko was no longer the naive girl she once was; she was acutely aware of the harsh realities of society and didn't care about such self-interest. If she were of no use, she'd soon be kicked out, so she felt no resentment. "Mr. Morita, I'll be careful and won't let anyone bother Mr. John. But if someone insists on doing so, how should I respond?" Faced with this pressure, Riko cautiously inquired. After all, there were bound to be some people with ulterior motives at the party, and even if she warned them, they might not heed her warnings, and some might even have ulterior motives.

“If someone doesn’t heed your warning, stop them again. If they insist, let them be; I’ll intervene. But such things rarely happen unless they want to create a deep-seated hatred between us and Sony.” Despite Akio Morita’s words, he harbored such concerns, as such a situation was still quite possible.

Human nature is treacherous, and it's acceptable to make some necessary sacrifices to achieve a goal. It's not a big deal to introduce one or two unimportant figures. Such sacrifices are acceptable for Japan.

It was precisely because Akio Morita knew how crazy the Japanese zaibatsu were and understood how ruthless they would be in achieving their goals that he had such concerns and was so cautious. That's why he reminded Riko in this way, in order to prevent even bigger problems from arising.

If someone insists on causing trouble, Riko, given her status, would be powerless to stop them, and her insistence on doing so would only escalate the situation, creating even greater trouble and crisis. If that were to happen, Akio Morita would lose face.

Faced with this possibility, Akio Morita could only proceed with caution, carefully reminding Riko that if such a situation were to occur, she should let the other party be, as long as things didn't escalate, and they could deal with everything slowly after the party.

"Okay, I'll be careful." Riko nodded cautiously. She could feel the pressure on Akio Morita and understood how important tonight's party was, and how important it was to her. If she could, Riko wouldn't want to bear this pressure or this heavy responsibility, but she had no choice; she couldn't refuse Akio Morita's request.

Riko sighed inwardly. This was the difference. Although she had long understood everything, the repeated comparisons still weighed heavily on her heart. Initially, she had arranged things between Naoko and John, but now the gap between her and Naoko was widening, and their social statuses were increasingly diverging.

Despite her many feelings, Riko remained focused on her preparations. After Akio Morita left, she carefully arranged everything, instructing the waiters at the party to prevent any unforeseen circumstances from arising.

Soon the performers had entered, and before long the guests arrived as well. Just as Riko was carefully making arrangements, a voice suddenly rang out: "Riko-nee, why are you here greeting the guests?"

When Riko looked up, a small face appeared in her blind spot. It was Nakamori Akina, which surprised Riko. She hadn't expected her to arrive at the party early.

"Akina-chan, why did you come alone? Why weren't you with anyone else?" Riko asked with a puzzled look. Because of Akio Morita's previous instructions, Riko couldn't help but feel that Akina Nakamori's solo arrival might have something to do, or perhaps it was a gesture, so she had to be cautious.

"It's nothing. Actually, apart from Akiko-nee, we were all acting alone tonight. I just had plenty of time, so I came early, but I didn't expect to run into Riko-nee." Akina spoke her mind without hesitation, revealing the decision they had made together. Riko breathed a sigh of relief; her worries hadn't materialized. However, she was also surprised by Akina's straightforwardness—she had no reservations about her friend at all. This made Riko sigh inwardly. If that guy hadn't been so foolish, Akina wouldn't be like this now, wouldn't be under so much pressure!

(End of this chapter)