America: My Time

Chapter 994 Sleepless Night
Chapter 984 A Sleepless Night

"See? I told you long ago not to do anything useless. That guy is a little fox and won't give you a chance. Doing this will only alert him and make him more vigilant. It won't do us any good, and it will also make it easier for that old man Akio Morita to notice. Besides, there's no need to test him at this time. It's too obvious!"

"That's exactly what we need to make clear. If we do nothing, do you think that little fox John will believe that such a big deal in the automotive industry, such a huge impact on Japan, and we have no reaction at all? Is that possible? In this situation, only by taking action can we put that little fox at ease and lower his guard. If you underestimate that little fox John, you are very wrong. I don't think there's anything wrong with this action, and you've seen it yourself, he has already reacted and warned us."

"How can you say that? Isn't this negotiation our response? And you yourself said he's already warning us. Isn't this ruining our plans? Isn't this just stirring up trouble?"

"If that's how you see everything, I can only say you're incredibly foolish. We're facing a business tycoon, not some ignorant brat. If you insist on using that ridiculous argument, I can't stop you; it will only get us all killed. In short, I can't afford to be careless in the slightest when dealing with this little fox. I need to be even more cautious. And do you really think that old fox, Akio Morita, wouldn't know about our plan? Don't underestimate people."

These guys in Japan are pretty crazy. After the party, an internal strife broke out among them. They had different opinions, after all, the current situation was not simple, especially for them. Many of them were in crisis. Some of them had become crazy, believing that John's previous actions were bottom-fishing and that the real estate market would soon recover. Otherwise, why would John be so 'foolish' as ​​to invest so much money in Japanese real estate? Just the Akihabara project alone had shocked them.

Among these guys, it wasn't just the conglomerates who were crazy, but also the Japanese government and banks. At least behind the scenes, the Japanese central bank had done a lot of work. Moreover, these guys disregarded John's words and even despised them. As for the Akihabara project, they all opposed it. It's just a pity that they couldn't openly confront the conglomerates, or at least they couldn't push the conglomerates to the brink, because that wouldn't be good for anyone!
It was a sleepless night. The party was over, but the matter was far from over. Many people were watching John, and many were discussing countermeasures. Each of them had different ideas and their own plans! For those on the verge of death, seeing a glimmer of hope would unleash a powerful force, stimulating the endless madness within them. After all, 'madness' is a tradition ingrained in the bones of the Japanese, and going insane is perfectly normal for them.

In Japan, there were sober people, and people who agreed with John's ideas, but there were far more 'madmen'—because that's human nature; no one wants to accept defeat, and as long as they see a glimmer of hope, these guys will go even crazier. Everything that happened at the party quickly spread throughout Japan, making it a sleepless night as everyone pondered John's words so they could make the best judgment.

"You've figured it out? If you have, then take the initiative to admit your mistake, put your mind at ease, and stop having so many ridiculous worries. He's a very easy person to talk to!" Kikuchi Momoko whispered to Sawaguchi Yasuko and Nakayama Miho. Compared to the two of them, Kikuchi Momoko understood John better and also had a bit of 'goodwill' in her.

After saying that, Kikuchi Momoko pulled Nakayama Shinobu away, letting them make their own choice. After all, it was up to them to decide. Outsiders could only offer advice. If they couldn't see things clearly, no amount of advice from Kikuchi Momoko would be of any use!
Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama are well aware of how dark and insane this industry is. If they can't even do this much, then there's no need for me to waste my time and energy. There's no point in doing anything more. They've been given the opportunity, and if they can't seize it, they can only blame themselves for being too stupid and ignorant.

In Japan, one cannot harbor such ridiculous fantasies about pursuing fairness. Fairness simply doesn't exist here. Japan is fundamentally a class-based society, with the upper class and ordinary people separated. These women merely straddle the line; for them, fairness is nonexistent. Everything they do is manipulated by capital. It's precisely because they haven't fallen into that quagmire that Yasuko Sawaguchi and Miho Nakayama have such laughable ideas. Why do these two have such 'ridiculous' thoughts, and even act so foolishly? Simply put, they've had too much of a good life, forgotten their status and position, and, having been somewhat elevated, believe themselves to be 'princesses.' In reality, they are nothing. Once separated from John, they are nothing more than 'ants,' becoming pawns manipulated by capital, and potentially falling into an abyss of no return.

In Kikuchi Momoko's eyes, the most arrogant person was Sawaguchi Yasuko. Perhaps the Japanese had too high an opinion of her; she thought her beauty was her greatest strength, forgetting that in a crazy country like Japan, beauty can also be a source of trouble. Moreover, she had a terrifying 'enemy'—Tsutsumi Yoshiaki of Seibu! If she hadn't become arrogant, how could Sawaguchi Yasuko, after being in the industry for so long, not know how crazy Tsutsumi Yoshiaki was, what kind of madman he was? Without his protection, how terrible would her fate be! Someone who can't even see their own situation clearly can only be described as extremely arrogant.

As for Miho Nakayama, Momoko Kikuchi understood her somewhat. She lacked confidence and was constantly worried about the future. She seemed strong, but in reality, she was an ostrich unwilling to face reality and lacked self-confidence, which was related to her own experiences! She was also getting carried away, thinking that John hadn't interfered with their thoughts and actions, or even blamed them at all. Coupled with the 'praise' she received in the industry, she became extremely arrogant. Otherwise, how could she be so foolish!
This is Japan. Talking about freedom and self-reliance is all a lie. Women have a low status, and idols have an even lower status. Yasuko Sawaguchi is alright, as she hasn't experienced any setbacks. But Miho Nakayama is different. She made a mistake she shouldn't have made. She seems very smart, but in this dazzling world, she lost her way amidst the words of those around her.

In contrast, Chisato Moritaka and Sachiko Kamachi were more rational. Chisato Moritaka could get reminders from her family, since her father was in the industry and had a lot of experience in this area. The longer one is in the industry, the more one understands how dark and cruel it is. As for Sachiko Kamachi, her education was perhaps the best help. Among them, Naoko had followed John the longest and had a great personality. Hitomi Kuroki came from Takarazuka and had a great education. Akina Nakamori was different; she had been repeatedly let down by her family. As for Norika Fujiwara, who had always been excluded from the group, she was a different story. Knowledge, vision, and mindset were all important, at least in Momoko Kikuchi's opinion.

All three have younger sisters and families, but look at how Hitomi Kuroki, Sachiko Kamachi, and Naoko made their choices. Hitomi Kuroki didn't compete or fight; she simply arranged things based on her own abilities. Others may not know, but Momoko Kikuchi, after taking over John's assets in Japan, understood Hitomi Kuroki very well. Within her capabilities, she arranged things perfectly for her family without any gossip, providing them with comfortable jobs at TV Tokyo and other companies, all without causing her any trouble. Naoko and Sachiko Kamachi arranged for their younger sisters to study at world-renowned universities in the United States—a remarkable foresight. But look at Miho Nakayama, who dragged Shinobu Nakayama into this cruel world—it's a far cry from their choices. Their vision and mindset are completely different.

Did Miho Nakayama not know how dark and cruel this industry was? She did, yet she still did it. This was something Momoko Kikuchi couldn't understand. Was it confidence or arrogance? Even Momoko Kikuchi suspected that Miho Nakayama thought she could protect her sister, otherwise why would she do such ridiculous things, using her resources and connections to help Shinobu Nakayama, especially after she had made the decision? Sometimes, the higher you fly, the harder you fall. Without the protection of a powerful figure, the more famous you are, the more easily you attract the attention of capital.

Although Elite Entertainment is less affected by external factors, it would be foolish to think that it is immune to the influence and control of capital. Things are definitely not like that. The agency only provides basic protection, which means there is no overt oppression, and it is only among underage artists. After all, Elite Entertainment has its reputation to maintain.

Whether Miho Nakayama failed to notice all this or simply overlooked it, Momoko Kikuchi wasn't sure. All she knew was that Miho Nakayama had done something foolish, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Even the best of 'sisterly affection' had to be kept in check, otherwise it would only lead to conflict, eventually causing them to part ways and affecting her.

(End of this chapter)