America: My Time

Chapter 88 Reception
Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Cocktail Party

Now is not the time for Dreamworld to venture into personal computers. No matter what Akio Morita says, he will not change his mind. John has never trusted Akio Morita either. The cooperation between the two parties is only based on the acquisition of Columbia Pictures, and it is only a cooperation between Legendary Entertainment and Sony, not between Dreamworld and Nvidia.

The most important thing for a personal computer is the chip; the chip is the key. Nvidia is more important than Akio Morita imagined. Now, John's task is to consolidate the foundation of Dream World and Nvidia, and wait for the successful development of VCD.

With the advent of VCDs, Sony's video recorder market was about to suffer a devastating blow, and whether the relationship between the two companies could be maintained was a major question! Of course, it wasn't just Sony's entire video recorder market that would be devastated, not to mention that John was still conducting research on MP3 players!
"John, will you be attending the First Industrial Bank's reception tomorrow? It's a great opportunity to network with various industries in Japan, and also a chance to exchange investment ideas!"

In the early 1980s, Japan's economy entered a period of rapid development, with all sectors accelerating their expansion. Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, with its semi-official status, would need to obtain more loans from various banks in Japan in the future, as loans were the best option for expansion.

Before the currency changes brought about by the Plaza Accord, borrowing any amount of dollars from the Bank of Japan was a good option; the more you borrowed, the more benefits you received! John still had to give face to the First Industrial Bank's invitation!

"Of course I'll participate. I just finished a collaboration with the First Industrial Bank, so I have to participate from every perspective. I just don't know what the First Industrial Bank's purpose is this time. If it's just to build relationships, there's no need to make such a big fuss!"

"Speaking of trade with the United States, you know that in recent years, trade disputes between Japan and the United States have been increasing, and relations have been deteriorating. The purpose of this party held by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank is to unite everyone and find a way to resolve the trade disputes between the two countries, so as not to affect the normal relations between the two countries!"

When John heard Akio Morita mention the trade disputes, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Now that Japanese industries were in a panic, what had they been doing all this time? If it weren't for the excessive greed of the Japanese, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point; if they hadn't been so greedy as to lose their minds, they wouldn't have fallen into the Americans' trap. A large part of the trade disputes of the past few years was due to Japan's excessive greed—constantly driving down prices to seize market share from their American counterparts!

Of course, a large part of this is also due to the calculations of major US financial groups. It's impossible to resolve the trade dispute now; Japan will inevitably have to accept US conditions, including currency adjustments and currency appreciation. This will further fuel Japan's bubble expansion, ushering in a bubble era.

When the bubble era arrives, Japan's major factories will suffer a huge blow, and Japan will gradually fall into a frenzy of speculation. At that time, Japan's disaster will gradually come.

At this time, Akio Morita and Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank invited him, which was probably for ulterior motives. They saw the power of NBC in his hands and wanted to use his power to help those industries in Japan.

Having seen through these people's plans, John sneered inwardly. Why would he help these Japanese people? It was already good enough that he didn't kick them when they were down. The more Japan was defeated, the more advantageous it would be for him, and the smoother his plan would be. He was not a selfless, do-gooder.

Of course, even if John saw through the Japanese people's plans, he wouldn't refuse; he would definitely attend their parties to see what preparations the various industries in Japan had made. John wouldn't interfere with the preparations made by the Japanese industries; their fate was none of his concern, and he had no reason to lend them a hand!
Akio Morita had been probing John's thoughts, but unfortunately, John wasn't so easily swayed and remained silent. This left Morita sighing inwardly; he was powerless against such a cunning fox! However, Morita was relieved to find that John didn't seem to have much interest in the manufacturing industry, which was good news for Sony.

Akio Morita had no idea how formidable John's preparations were. The Taiwanese contract manufacturers were not as simple as they appeared; they were John's backup plan for the manufacturing industry, and also for Sony.

John, with his vast knowledge of the future, fully understands the importance of production. Currently, he and Sony are in a cooperative relationship, so he doesn't need to worry about Sony's backlash. However, once Nvidia and Dreamworld touch Sony's core interests, a conflict will inevitably erupt. At that point, relying on Sony's production capabilities will be unrealistic. Gameworld can leverage Sony's strength, but Dreamworld and Nvidia are not feasible. In John's plan, Gameworld can be abandoned, but Dreamworld and Nvidia cannot be let go—this is a fundamental difference!
While the US isn't ideal for manufacturing, Taiwan is different. Taiwan is currently heavily investing in semiconductors, presenting John with an opportunity to enter the industry. Asus is currently just a small contract manufacturer, primarily producing for Nvidia, but it won't remain just that. It will eventually have its own R&D facilities. Asus's current focus is on motherboards, specifically personal computer motherboards – a key part of John's previous strategy in Taiwan! In his confrontation with Akio Morita, John maneuvered skillfully, never giving Morita a chance. Morita couldn't even discern John's true intentions, let alone understand his business strategy!

After returning to his residence from Akio Morita's place, John said to Naoko, "There's a party tomorrow night, hosted by the Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank. You'll come with me!"

The First Industrial Bank hosted a cocktail party, a top-tier event in Japan. John brought Naoko along, which signified his approval of Naoko and also demonstrated his stance to the outside world.

Although Naoko had quite a few clothes, she needed something special for the evening, so the two of them went shopping early the next morning. After much deliberation, they finally found a satisfactory evening gown for Naoko. A few minor alterations were needed, but they would be done quickly, in an hour or two. If time weren't so tight, haute couture would be ideal!

Compared to Naoko, John's clothes were easier to buy. There are many high-end dress shops in Tokyo. John chose a blue outfit. Clothes make the man, and after looking in the mirror, he was quite satisfied.

As dusk approached, John and Naoko returned home, ate a little something to tide them over, and waited for the person arranged by the Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank to arrive. Around 7 PM, the person from the Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank arrived. Upon meeting John, they were stunned by Naoko's presence beside him; they hadn't expected the national idol to be there!

Seeing the other person's surprise and astonishment, John smiled calmly and introduced Naoko as, "This is my girlfriend!"

John's introduction made Naoko very happy. It was a formal recognition of Naoko's identity, which was of extraordinary significance!

The three got into the car, and it started heading towards their destination: a sizable estate on the outskirts of Tokyo. Such a party wouldn't be held in downtown Tokyo. Too many people would create too much of a stir and attract media attention. Even if Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank was prepared, it was impossible to completely block out all media coverage. For such a large party, a private estate on the outskirts was the safest option!

Time always flies when you're on the road, and we arrived at our destination in no time. It was a sprawling estate. When the car arrived at the gate, it was stopped by the security guards. We opened the car window and handed over the invitation. Only after the security guards checked it were we allowed to pass. The level of caution shown by the security guards demonstrated how much First Bank valued this banquet!

The car entered the manor, drove through the garden, and came to a three-story neon-lit pavilion. As they approached the house, bodyguards began to escort them. The car stopped at the gate, and John, Naoko, and the people who had been received by the First Industrial Bank got out of the car. A waiter led them into the house.

The room was a spacious hall, now stocked with a variety of expensive wines and fine foods for the guests to enjoy; quite a few people had already arrived. Upon entering, John was greeted by several people; clearly, he was a prominent figure at the First Industrial Bank, and many recognized him.

When John entered the manor, several people were discussing matters on the third floor. "Taro has brought him here. The rest is up to you. Whether you can persuade him depends on your own methods. We will not get involved!" The First Industrial Bank, as the host, was making its stance clear.

(End of this chapter)