America: My Time

Chapter 820 Undercurrent
Chapter 810 Undercurrents
Seeing the reaction of his family members in Japan, John changed his tone and said, "If you have nothing else to do, I'll take my leave. It would be best if you could tell me the detailed quotas tomorrow so I can contact them."

John got up and left. Seeing this, the old man Akio Morita also got up and left with John. After all, these things had little to do with him. He had done what he was supposed to do, and now it was time to retire gracefully and hand over the venue to these guys. He believed that these guys would have a new round of negotiations, and it was not appropriate for him to get involved.

Given John's relationship with Middle Eastern tycoons, once the contract is signed, they should be able to obtain oil soon. This will require a detailed distribution plan, and those guys will definitely fight over it. After all, the current situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for Japan, and the Japanese stock market is constantly falling, which is already becoming unbearable for them.

No one tried to stop John and Akio Morita from leaving. They both needed time to negotiate, so their focus was now on each other, each wanting to gain more benefits. At this point, the Japanese officials couldn't help but feel a headache. John could leave, but they couldn't; now this trouble had landed on their shoulders.

“John, let’s sit over there!” After leaving those guys, Akio Morita led John to another corner, and the two sat down. The whole world is now affected by the energy crisis, and it’s not just Japan that’s suffering the most. It’s just that those guys on Wall Street are stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

Of course, John is one of them, but his methods are more covert, and he has already made arrangements. He has even begun to withdraw slowly. Now many people's attention is on the oil market. With Standard Chartered and Hurricane Investments starting to liquidate their positions, many people have rushed into the oil market. As the number of orders in the futures market continues to increase, many people have gradually realized that it is John who is selling off, and thus have overlooked John's arrangements in Japan.

"Mr. Morita, you seem to have something on your mind. Could it be that there's a new problem in Japan?"

"Something has indeed happened. Some guys have their eyes on the Internet Cafe Alliance. They want to get into this market, and it's a coalition of several companies. I believe they'll make their move soon. I'm worried that their appearance will affect Sony's strategy and the development of the Internet Cafe Alliance, so I wanted to discuss countermeasures with you!"

Upon hearing this, John shook his head and said, "If that's the case, there's nothing I can do. This kind of situation isn't just happening in Japan, it's happening in the US too. Even when Europe has its own personal computer companies, I'm afraid those guys will also make their move. It's perfectly normal. After all, as long as they have money and technology, they can build their own network. Even if you and I wanted to stop them, it would be impossible."

John never tried to stop others from getting involved in the internet cafe alliance, because it was impossible to stop them. The enormous profits and the impetus for the development of personal computers and semiconductor chips were obvious to all. Under the lure of such huge profits, it was only natural that some people would want to get involved.

John's focus on the US market, aiming to quickly seize the initiative and prevent competitors from entering the fray, would come at a heavy price if they insisted on participating. In contrast, the pressure on the Japanese side is much less; with those guys joining forces, it's really not a problem.

"But I'm not willing to accept this. If I had a little more time, Sony could have gained a larger market share. Once they enter the market, it will greatly impact Sony's interests!"

What can they do if they're unwilling? This is something that old guy Akio Morita can't stop. Those guys in Japan are crazy about increasing their shareholdings and driving up their stock prices. If there's any good news, it'll be a huge benefit for them. This internet cafe alliance will benefit many of them.

"There's nothing we can do about it. As the market continues to expand, our internet cafe alliance may even be at a disadvantage and be impacted. After all, we can't control the entire Japanese market; we don't have that kind of power."

John wasn't too concerned about this matter; his current targets were the Japanese stock market and oil futures. The operation was nearing its end, and John was eager to know if it would conclude successfully.

“That’s right, it’s something we can’t stop. John, what’s your opinion on the situation in the Middle East? How long will this predicament last? If it continues like this, it will be a disaster for Japan. If Japan’s economy falls into trouble, it will also have a significant impact on our business!”

"I don't know. Nobody can say for sure how long it will take to end there. We'll have to wait and see. There are a lot of failed investments in Japan right now, and many investments haven't yielded any returns. At least many high-end venues are having problems. I'm even worried about my resort hotels. If this continues, the consequences will be serious!"

John then steered the conversation towards resort hotels. Japan's current situation was indeed precarious, and the resort hotel industry wasn't doing too well. Of course, that wasn't all; high-end establishments were also experiencing a downturn. This time, Akio Morita didn't ask too many questions, simply discussing Japan's economic problems and the current situation with John. After all, if things continued this way, it would significantly impact Sony itself. John could only offer perfunctory responses to Morita's concerns; saying anything now was pointless, Japan's economic collapse was inevitable.

Of course, Morita Ki was also constantly testing John. After all, Sony was also facing problems. He had taken over a lot of real estate from John, and now, with the deteriorating economy, Morita Akio naturally felt the pressure and wanted to learn from John.

If there's one asset Sony acquired from John that still holds its value relatively well, it's the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, albeit under a different name. Despite this, the convenience store business has seen significant growth alongside the decline of the Japanese economy. However, other assets are depreciating, putting considerable pressure on Akio Morita.

Many people initially thought John was foolish, believing his repeated warnings to them were too stupid. However, now that they look at it again, they are not so comfortable with it. Although real estate prices are still rising, many people have already felt the danger and the pressure. Akio Morita is one of them.

As John and Akio Morita discussed the current situation in Japan, many people at the party were watching them. However, with Akio Morita present, no one bothered them. In contrast, John's women were surrounded by many people, all eager to make connections—that's reality.

This time, these beauties all became more cautious, refusing to agree to various requests. They also noticed changes in their friends, many of whom had undergone different transformations. If anyone felt this most keenly, it was Kikuchi Momoko, though she understood that these people were either seeking her favors or trying to curry favor.

Among these small circles, the one with the fewest members was Kuroki Hitomi and Riko. Because of Riko's presence, many people didn't dare to disturb them. Only a few people who were close to Kuroki Hitomi were present. Riko, as the host of the party, still put a lot of pressure on many people, so their group was much more relaxed.

Of course, many people were watching the changes at the party and the situation in those small circles. They were all recording everyone's conversations, hoping to get information or even something from the women around John.

"Have you found anyone yet? We don't have much time left. If we still don't have anything to say to the boss, we won't be able to explain this to him. Also, this time, he absolutely cannot have anything to do with those women."

"We have a goal, but I can't guarantee the results. Your requirements are too high. Besides, it's not just us taking action; there are many others doing the same thing. Most importantly, those bastards from Sanhe have a huge budget, which puts us in a very passive position."

"I don't care what difficulties you have. This is the boss's requirement. Figure it out yourself. I wanted to give you more time, but the boss won't. You have to give me an explanation as quickly as possible, understand?"

"We have candidates, but we lack the ability to secure them!"

"Foolish! Do you think they dare to ignore Toshiba's power? No one can refuse Toshiba's demands, do you understand? I don't care what methods or means you use, I only need a result. You saw Akio Morita's situation; we must have the same capabilities now. We can no longer rely on Sony, understand?" Nearby, two Toshiba guys were whispering amongst themselves. They had received a request from their boss to replace Sony, but whether they could succeed was another matter, as many others at the party were in similar situations.

Now, with the changing situation, the changes in the women around John, and their abilities, some people have become tempted. Those who had given up on using women have started to be tempted again, and they have begun to set their sights on John once more. After all, in their eyes, John is a womanizer, and womanizing is his biggest weakness!

(End of this chapter)