America: My Time

Chapter 881 Neon Trip
Chapter 851 Trip to Japan

Tokyo, the neon capital. Stepping onto the Japanese stage again, I find it drastically changed. Gone is the hustle and bustle of the past; it's become lifeless. With the collapse of the real estate market, Japan's economy has fallen into crisis. Whether it's due to internal reasons or other factors, the actions of the Japanese government are increasingly incomprehensible.

"I can't believe Tokyo has become like this. It has lost its former glory and is now filled with a suffocating heaviness, as if everyone is carrying boundless pressure. It's terrifying!"

"It's truly a dramatic change. Falling directly from a high point to a low point leaves no one in a state of shock, including the Japanese. When the stock market crashed, they still held onto the belief that the housing market would hold up and bring a turnaround to Japan's economy. But now, the collapse of the real estate market has caused them to lose that last belief, and their morale is naturally different. Moreover, excessive consumption has already burdened them with a lot of debt, and the Japanese are now in a state of confusion."

This is the opportunity John wanted. How else could he continue to plunder wealth from these guys if they didn't fall into confusion? What he's seeing now is just the beginning. Soon, with the collapse of the real estate market, those companies' cash flow will run into problems, and more and more companies will go bankrupt. That's when Japan's real hell will begin.

Although Japan is facing difficulties, it is still struggling. However, they are unaware that the pressure they will face next will be even greater. After the bubble burst, the yen did not depreciate, which is a problem and seriously affects the survival of Japanese companies.

"Next, you'll be taking over the retail business in Japan. 7-Eleven and Dollar Tree need to expand rapidly, but don't acquire them; only lease them. We'll discuss everything next year. This isn't just about you; it's about the whole operation!"

When John appeared in Tokyo, the Japanese already knew. However, this time no one bothered him, not even the old fox Akio Morita, because they were all in trouble. Sony's situation wasn't ideal either; the sudden collapse of the real estate market had saddled Sony with a considerable amount of debt.

Sony spent a fortune acquiring John's assets, initially thinking they'd gotten a good deal. But looking back now, they realize they've not only failed but have also incurred a mountain of debt. They can only blame their own greed for refusing to heed John's advice; now it's too late for regrets.

"What did that old fox Akio Morita say? Is he really going to refuse us?"

"He did indeed refuse. He was unwilling to get involved in the matter, saying that Sony's current situation was not good and that it needed to focus its energy on internal restructuring and transformation. He didn't have time to invite Mr. John to sit down and talk!"

"This bastard is trying to get benefits from us. Sony has lost a lot of money because of its real estate investments, and the assets they acquired from John were all financed by debt. Now that the situation has changed drastically, he's worried that something big might happen, so he's asking us for benefits in order to stabilize himself."

"That's what I think too. Everyone's in a tough spot right now. Although nothing's exploded yet, it won't be long. Japanese banks are carrying a lot of bad debts, and if it's exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable. Right now, we need to increase our investment in the US, but then this global navigation company appears, swallowing up most of the luxury car market share. Six months is a long time; we need to secure a partnership, at least to guarantee our needs. Now that old fox Akio Morita is unwilling to step in, we might as well take action ourselves!"

"No, while we could approach them ourselves, what are the chances? Things would be completely different with that old fox, Akio Morita. After all, they've known each other for years. We have some connection with them, but it's not deep. So your suggestion is unfeasible. If we try to negotiate ourselves and fail, it'll be difficult to bring it up again. But with Akio Morita involved, the problem becomes much easier. However, we can't stop our previous arrangements. We can't keep relying on that old fox, Akio Morita; we need to build our own relationships!"

"I'm afraid this time will be the same as before, and they still won't give us a chance. But the good news is that those guys gave up after their previous failures, so maybe we can give it a try. It's just that we don't know if we have enough time. After all, we don't know why Mr. John came to Tokyo this time. He has already sold most of his properties in Japan!"

When John's businesses were mentioned, the Toyota guys all sighed. They'd all thought John was incredibly foolish to sell so many assets at such low prices, but now they saw him as the real winner. Although he hadn't cashed out at the peak, his foresight was sharp; he'd seen the crisis in the Japanese real estate bubble. "Let's do our best. I believe he won't leave so soon. We need to keep an eye on Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda. We can't let them get ahead of us. Do you think someone who can see through the real estate bubble wouldn't be unprepared for his final stop in Japan? So we still have plenty of time!"

Toyota's current situation is not ideal. Although it has opened up the North American market, the emergence of Bentley Motors has hindered its development. Moreover, the Chinese market has little to do with them. Bentley Motors' investment is truly massive. Even after the ten-year agreement expires, they will not withdraw their funds and will continue to increase their investment in China, all of which are the most advanced cars and technologies. This scale is something that other car companies cannot do.

Unlike other companies, John's investments in China are forward-looking. He never engages in fraud or deception, but instead focuses on honestly making money without resorting to tricks. As a result, he naturally holds an advantage in the Chinese market. Despite the fact that Bentley Motors has not withdrawn a single penny from China over the years, its current investment in China is astonishingly large.

Although many automotive groups have their eyes on China's huge market, none of them have the scale of John's ambitions. They are unwilling to share their most advanced technologies, making it impossible for them to dominate the Chinese market. This also blocks the path for Japanese automakers. While Toyota has developed the North American market, they are also interested in the Chinese market, but unfortunately, they find it difficult to enter. Things are different now; entering the Chinese market requires sincerity, and John's ten-year agreement is unacceptable to many.

Honesty is king. This is John's investment philosophy, not only in China but also in Japan. He simply used information from the future to create a time lag, leaving those guys in Japan with no way to complain.

Before coming to Japan, John knew he would face many problems and was prepared. However, he did not expect the Japanese to be so patient and not contact him immediately. This was not like them, which made John wary. After all, the Japanese were not good people; they were very treacherous and cunning.

"How's the situation in Japan lately?" After a short rest, John asked Hitomi Kuroki about the situation in Japan. Since they were going to launch an operation, it was essential to understand the situation.

"It's not good. There are already bad rumors coming out of the banks!" The situation in Japan was beyond Hitomi Kuroki's imagination. She originally thought it was just an ordinary crisis, but even the banks were having problems. Everything was confirming John's prediction.

"It's coming soon. Soon the banks will collapse. They can't hold on any longer, especially the small and medium-sized banks. They simply don't have the capacity to withstand the risks. The wave of unemployment won't be long either. The entire Japanese economy will be mired in a quagmire. It's only because Japan has a lot of overseas investments that can support the domestic economy. Otherwise, things would be much worse than they are now."

John also harbored some doubts. The reason those guys in Japan deliberately burst the bubble was because they had the 'capital' to back it up. Even if their domestic economy faltered, they still had overseas resources to rely on. In the 1980s and 90s, Japanese home appliances and machinery were world-renowned. However, the bubble crisis would also cost them dearly.

"Tomorrow, you'll accompany Fu Zhen to take over 7-Eleven and Dollar Tree. The era of low desire and low expectations is coming, and Japanese consumption will enter a new era. 7-Eleven and Dollar Tree need to accelerate their development. The stores will be leased for now, and we'll wait for Japanese property prices to continue to fall, at least to a level that we can accept, before we make a move."

John's decision to have Hitomi Kuroki accompany Boo-jin to take over the 7-Eleven convenience store was well-considered. After all, Japan's situation was dire. The expansion of 7-Eleven and Dollar Tree would absorb some of the staff, a win-win situation for both sides. Luxury brands no longer had as many buyers, and the middle class had been severely impacted by the real estate crash, burdened with huge debts. Most of their wages went towards loan repayments, so affordable and high-quality goods were what Japan desperately needed, and this wasn't a difficult task for John.

The expansion of 7-Eleven convenience stores is just the beginning, and it's also a way of showing goodwill to those guys in Japan. Only in this way can his plans be advanced step by step, and can those talents be brought under his control instead of being taken away by the Koreans. John welcomes all talents from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Now, all the major groups have sufficient funds, but what they lack is talent. Although he can't capture them all, John wants to complete his plan to recruit Japanese talent as quickly as possible.

(End of this chapter)