America: My Time

Chapter 882: Testing
Chapter 852 Testing the Waters

To gain something, you must first give something! You can only gain something by giving something away. Adding flowers to brocade is not as good as providing charcoal in the snow. Japan is currently in the midst of a bubble crisis, with an impending wave of unemployment, business failures, and bank collapses. Under these circumstances, how could the Japanese not be moved by my large-scale investment in Japan?

Unfortunately, not everyone was aware of John's scheme, and his arrival had little impact on Japan. The Japanese didn't believe John could bring about a turnaround for the Japanese economy; what they couldn't do, an American certainly couldn't. They weren't wrong in thinking this way; John himself thought the same. One person against a nation, even the smallest, couldn't be shaken, let alone a powerful economy like Japan.

John only wanted the market, that emerging market, to seize the opportunity before others made their moves, to reclaim everything he had, and to restore his investment percentage in Japan. However, while 7-Eleven could act first, the others would have to wait, until the wave of bankruptcies and massive unemployment arrived. At that time, he could not only find the people he needed with the lowest wages, but also gain the gratitude of the Japanese people—why not?

I believe this day is not far off. With the collapse of the real estate market and the plummeting of housing prices, countless people will go bankrupt, many companies will collapse, and the exposure of banks will be an inevitable result. During the bubble period, Japanese banks did a lot of accounting fraud, not to mention that during the crazy real estate bubble, banks were even more profuse. Few people were able to withdraw gracefully; most people were caught up in the frenzy. So this is a foregone conclusion, and no one can change it.

Of course, John never wanted to change it; he only wanted to take the opportunity to gain more benefits from Japan. Once the time was right, everything would unfold, everything would move quickly, allowing his plans to proceed smoothly.

Hitomi Kuroki did not refuse John's request. In Japan, she was the most suitable candidate, having some experience in business management, albeit briefly. The reason she didn't choose Momoko Kikuchi was also deliberate; Kuroki maintained connections with the Sanwa Group, and this decision served to send a clear message to the outside world.

John didn't want any benefit from the Sanwa Group; he just wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble and at least let those guys in Japan know about his 'goodwill.' With the breakup of the Southern Group, many people wanted to know what the final outcome would be. After all, 7-Eleven convenience stores were only in the Tokyo metropolitan area and were developing very slowly, giving the impression that they had no potential for growth.

This is the result of a severe blow. After selling all the stores, leaving only this small portion of assets, it's already a great achievement that they've managed to recover. This also depends on 7-Eleven's original supply system, which allows them to obtain sufficiently cheap goods; otherwise, they would have already collapsed.

This is a grand scheme for Japan, requiring a massive amount of resources. Although investigations have been conducted beforehand, it will take time to truly get it moving. Moreover, this time, their goal is not simple; the 7-Eleven convenience store is just a small test to see how the Japanese react.

Lee Boo-jin might have asked, but Kuroki Hitomi didn't. That's the difference between them. Kuroki Hitomi would resolutely carry out John's requests, even if she had doubts, she wouldn't ask. She knew it wasn't something she should ask, and it was enough to just do what she was supposed to do.

"This is just the beginning. Don't rush. We'll proceed step by step. Akiko will help you understand the situation of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan. It won't be difficult for you, it just takes a little time. We'll start by expanding outwards from the Tokyo metropolitan area, beginning with Nagoya in the Chukyo area, then the Keihanshin area with Osaka as the main focus, and finally Sapporo in Hokkaido and Fukuoka in Kyushu. We'll rebuild new 7-Eleven convenience stores. If there are any issues that need to be resolved in Japan, let Akiko handle them!"

Rebuilding a nationwide network of convenience stores in Japan requires a massive amount of capital, but it's not as much as one might imagine. After all, it's not something that can be done in a short time; it takes time. Once everything is in place, things will move much faster. As for the source of funding, Japanese investment companies have already prepared it.

I believe that once this step is taken, it will definitely have an impact on those guys in Japan. Along with it, there will be low-cost stores like Dollar Tree. In short, it's all about competing for the low-to-mid-range market. Currently, low-end stores in Japan haven't developed yet. After all, during the bubble economy, almost everyone in Japan was rich, so how could low-end stores possibly develop? Luxury goods were what they pursued. But now it's different. Mid-to-low-end goods will soon become their mainstream.

After arranging things at 7-Eleven, John didn't make any further plans. Those plans weren't urgent; he wanted to see how the Japanese reacted first. Besides, Japan hadn't yet entered a frenzy of business failures and unemployment; he had plenty of time to wait and see how Japan gradually descended into the madness following the bursting of the bubble. Even if his plans were fully implemented, it would be a drop in the ocean in terms of the situation in Japan, having little effect. After all, this would be an economic crisis sweeping across the entire country, something no single person could overcome. Only the first to act would earn respect and gratitude, and John was prepared for that.

During the years of trading with the Russians, John acquired a large number of cheap goods production factories and land in Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia. His production factories in China were expanding rapidly, and large quantities of cheap products were exported to Russia and the United States. Now, Japan will also become one of his sales destinations.

"Is that family still causing trouble?" After arranging the start of the operation in Japan, John asked about Akina again. This had been going on for a long time. Now that greedy family had lost everything in the real estate and stock markets. If it weren't for the fact that they had an internet cafe franchise, they would have already collapsed. Now these guys have set their sights on Akina, wanting to continue to bleed her dry and make her pay for their stupidity.

"They're still causing trouble. This time, they ignored Ken-on's warnings and kept making a fuss, insisting that Akina repay all their debts. The situation is getting bigger and bigger, and the media knows about it. These guys are so shameless that they directly accused Akina of being an 'unfilial daughter,' forcing Akina to stay in Kyoto and refusing to return to Tokyo or see them."

"They keep causing trouble, do they really think Akina will keep tolerating it, and do they really think Ken-on won't fall out with them? What a foolish and greedy family. Didn't Akina's mother step in to stop them? It seems she also chose to sacrifice Akina alone, so that the rest of the family could have an easy time, and put all the responsibility on Akina's shoulders."

Kuroki Hitomi nodded with a wry smile and said, "That's right. Now that family is acting recklessly, it seems they have a lot of debt. Actually, it's not just Akina's family; our families haven't listened to advice either, and we've all taken on a lot of debt, just not as much. If it weren't for the real estate crash, we wouldn't have known they were secretly buying properties. Only Sachiko and Miho are unaffected!"

In fact, this is a microcosm of Japan. Only a few people rationally fled in advance; most were directly swept up in this economic crisis. This is the greed of human nature. Even when someone warned them, they didn't believe it. Are there no smart people in Japan? Are there no people who can see through all this? Yes, there are, but most people are unwilling to accept it. They feel that they can't give up such a great opportunity, so one by one they all fall into it.

Miho and Sachiko were unharmed because they didn't have complicated families. The others were completely different. During the Japanese bubble economy, everyone was investing in the stock market and real estate. With money in hand, how could they resist the temptation of immediate profits? Once you're in, it's hard to get out. After all, it's difficult for people to break free from the lure of profit. They are constantly pushed towards destruction by the lure of profit.

"It's human nature. Even if you explain everything in the most eloquent way and lay out all the pros and cons, some people still can't resist jumping in headfirst when faced with profit. Have your family sell off all the properties. The longer you drag it out, the more it will fall. It's best not to make any investments in the short term. Japan's era of low desire and longing is coming. Tell Akina that she should take the initiative to face some things. Ken-on can't keep dragging this out. She needs to make a statement."

Yes, it is somewhat cruel, but at this point, Akina Nakamori must make her stance clear and let Kenon know her thoughts. The reason why Kenon has not taken the most direct approach is because Akina has not made her stance clear and is unwilling to lose this pillar of the show, so she has been enduring it. However, Kenon's patience has its limits and cannot continue like this indefinitely.

"Isn't this too cruel? After all, this is about her own family. Asking Akina to make a decision at this time will be too much for her to bear!" Kuroki Hitomi said with some concern. After all, she had been through a storm and didn't want to see such a situation happen again, as it would not be good for anyone.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. Ken-on will handle everything. They won't let these guys ruin everything. Besides, they can't withstand Ken-on's counterattack. As long as Akina makes her stance clear, Ken-on will suppress everything and resolve everything. There won't be any problems. Akina's attitude is the most important thing!"

(End of this chapter)