[TL Note: I have removed a major sub plot before this. William White wants to buy a bank in Hong Kong for his future China endeavors but British make trouble. So he helps Chinese people make trouble for the British during the Queen's visit to China. After causing a lot of controversy in USA using NBC, they finally cave in.]
William White increased his investments in Japan. Initially, it was just buying some stocks, but now he was even buying office buildings, indicating a long-term investment strategy.
More and more people began feeling uneasy. It wasn't merely setting up; it looked more like a strategic shift or retreat.
Ever since the Fed's implementation of high interest rates, all the world's U.S. dollars were gathering in the United States. Everyone knew the U.S. economy would eventually recover, but as for when? Sadly, nobody really knew.
To have someone fully retreat under such circumstances was quite outrageous.
The head of the Fed was conflicted; he desperately wanted to drag William White in for questioning: "What exactly are you up to?"
Unfortunately, not only couldn't he pull White in, but White also couldn't care less about him. Even if questioned, his only response might be a dismissive laugh.
Security concerns?
Well, that's certainly possible. Sure, the head of the FBI had gone home, but such actions were still quite alarming.
"Dad, do you think William might pull out completely?"
"Heh, no way. He's just unhappy. Some people have gone too far and need a bit of a lesson."
Gotta admit, the old man seemed to know better than his son. Whether or not Japan was worth investing in, this stance was definitely necessary.
He was aware that the head of the FBI was just a scapegoat, and there was no way William White wouldn't know. He didn't react at the time just to prevent the situation from escalating; a reckoning had to be made.
The head in Washington was having headaches. It wasn't that he didn't want to intervene, he just felt powerless. Shamefully, even as the most powerful person in the world, there were moments of helplessness.
The current financial squabbles had become quite unruly. The silver crisis had barely passed, and now new mischief was arising.
Soon, word spread from Washington's lobbying firms that Star Wars or the breakup of U.S. Telecom had been temporarily shelved.
It was a shocking development.
...
After wandering by the seaside for a few days, William White returned to Japan. His destination this time was Osaka, not for any grand reason -- just to see if it was possible to open some kind of amusement park there.
He vividly remembered Tokyo Disneyland being incredibly profitable, which surprised some bystanders and led to a rush of investments in Japan.
Gotta say, Japanese folks were cautious in these matters. They wouldn't open golf courses everywhere just because they were moneymakers. In many Japanese people's eyes, companies without products aren't very reliable.
So, aside from Tokyo, only Osaka had a Universal Studios. Its business was decent but still didn't compare to Disneyland. Of course, "decent" here meant compared to Tokyo Disneyland. When compared to Los Angeles' Disneyland, well, it was actually booming.
Amusement park businesses were peculiar. If they ever became empty, it was almost impossible to recover. No matter how many novelties you introduced, no one would bite. It was baffling. Did people really like standing in lines?
...
William White was giving instructions to his men, but what he didn't know was that a group of people were beating their chests and stamping their feet.
Well, the shares they hold have indeed decreased, and seeing how much money Disney is making, it is impossible not to feel sad.
"So, Murata, what are your plans for the White Studios in Osaka?"
"Investment? What's the point of thinking about it? That foreign guy is very cunning, but he is also very smart. If we don't do it, other companies will get involved."
...
"Hey, Suzuki, did someone steal my crab?"
"Gosh, that's impossible, there's already a ton of food here," the assistant snapped back.
"No way, the one I saw earlier was huge, like six or seven pounds, looked like a pig; there's barely any meat here. Nope, I'll need a whole crab."
The restaurant found this strange request difficult to accommodate. They just didn't have pots that big.
"You know, Suzuki, down in Australia, there's a kind of crab. When they molt, you can throw the whole thing in the pot and fry it up. It's delicious, you can eat the shell too."
"Really? I've never heard of it."
"Yeah, they're not ocean crabs. You can find them in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Next time, I'll treat you -- it's supposed to be really nutritious too."
"Wow, I'm looking forward to it. Must be delicious."
"Yeah, mostly it's really nourishing. My back's been aching lately."
The assistant thought to herself, "Probably all those flirty women."
...
When William White returned to Tokyo, Michael Eisner had already been busy for days. It made sense now why the boss thought so highly of this Disney park.
Well, there's just no comparing it to the one in Los Angeles. As William White said, it's practically trash. It's funny, really. The Japanese had never run an amusement park before; all their stuff was learned from the U.S.
"So, Michael, how does it compare to Los Angeles?"
"Boss, it's the service."
"Haha, not bad, not bad. Grasping that in a few days isn't easy. You know, I don't expect profits from the U.S. project, but this service -- it needs to match Japan's, doesn't have to exceed it, but at least get close?"
"Boss, trust me. Give me three months, and there will be a big improvement."
"Good. Treat your customers like kings, and they'll spend money. Times are rough as it is. If your service isn't good, you'll have real problems."
William White knew this Disney park was hugely profitable, one of the world's most profitable amusement park projects. Even during economic crises, Tokyo Disneyland wasn't affected.
*****
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