[Chapter 684: Ignorance]
The Viking comic series sold remarkably well in Japan, but sales in other regions were pretty lackluster.
William White just couldn't figure out why the good old U.S. of A. had to be so fickle. It would have been great if they could have been as dependable as Japan, then his profits would have soared even higher.
Losing money wasn't all that terrible; as long as Japan brought in the bucks, that was all that mattered. Marvel and DC were a real headache. Since neither was a publicly traded company, he ended up footing the bill for their losses.
Given how strong Japan division had been, it made sense to increase its significance in the overall operation. Besides, a hefty bonus was definitely in order.
"Sir, about that bonus?"
"Go for it, Fujita. Keep up the good work; I've got high hopes for you. If Viking Comics ever moved their headquarters to Japan, I wouldn't be too surprised."
"We'll keep pushing forward."
Japan had its quirks. Typically, when it came to handing out bonuses, the boss would show up personally. However, William White preferred to maintain a low profile, wanting to downplay his American identity as much as possible. If the folks in Japan believed that Viking Comics was just another Japanese company, he would be quite pleased.
He no longer cared about fame. American comics simply didn't mesh with Japanese tastes, and there was no changing that. To keep the company profitable, he had to make good use of the Japanese folks he had.
At the end of the day, most of the profits still belonged to him. It just went to show that capitalists lacked integrity; their eyes were glued to profits. Even if William White's wealth was beyond belief, the old adage held true.
The geishas from Japan weren't nearly as intimidating as people imagined. Sure, their makeup could look ghostly, but they were still just going to wash it off later.
The intricate kimonos did their job. Wrapped up tightly, they still managed to look good.
Of course, none of that was the real point; it was primarily the heartfelt service that mattered. Service wasn't something you could just learn; people from Japan nailed it in that department.
...
After making some waves in Japan, William White made his way to the United States. His cooperation with Samsung was quite smooth, and visiting them at this time felt perfectly timed.
He had toured Asia thoroughly, hitting every place where he had business interests. From that perspective, it was clear that William White took Asia seriously.
The only peculiarity was that Hong Kong seemed to have slipped his mind. If anything, it would be more accurate to say that he prioritized Hong Kong over the rest of Asia. His investments there far surpassed those in any other region.
It was clear that William White was not pleased. When he acquired Hong Kong Telecom, everyone kept their mouths shut. If he had known it would lead to this, why would he have bothered paying such hefty costs for it?
If it were still in the hands of Jardine Matheson, would they still be crying monopoly?
As for the new boss? William White had no fondness there either. Just a stick in the mud, acting like no one could figure out his agenda.
How bold of you to step up and say otherwise.
The good old U.S. of A. was practically sweating bullets. What good was this bunch of useless idiots?
The decline of England had begun with the Boer War, which caused the Brits to rethink their stance.
Fighting a war over gold mines but spending enough to buy a heap of gold in return? Was there anything funnier than that?
The war was, from the start, unjust, lacking any sense of principle. The ending was just as embarrassing; if not for the burden of old, weak, and children, England would never have lost.
After the Boer War, England began playing the continental balance game. To put it bluntly, they were stirring trouble everywhere. As long as others were in chaos, they remained the big boss.
Well, they messed that up too. If the Americans hadn't intervened, England might have been speaking German by now. Ever since the Boer War, England hardly won any battles. You'd think they would realize that if schemes could resolve issues, why bother fighting?
...
After almost a month of wandering, William White found himself back on Lanai Island, and of course, he needed a few days to unwind.
"Nastassja, how did you end up on Lanai? I'm taking a few days off before heading back to shooting. As you know, I've been swamped."
"The premiere. If you skip it, the promotion for Fast and Furious will suffer."
"Oh man, that's frustrating. It's just the Japanese cars hogging the spotlight. My recent trip to Japan had several major auto manufacturers on my case. You got off easy; your next sponsorship has already been taken care of."
"Frustrating?" Nastassja looked at him with a strange expression.
"Word is you've been quite the troublemaker in Japan. Come here. Let me check if you've been behaving."
"ahem Easy now, let's agree no teeth involved."
"Humph, be quick about it. By the time you get back to Los Angeles, who knows what might happen."
Sometimes, having too many beautiful women around became a hassle. William White wasn't really used to saying no to anyone.
Ahem, just figure this part out on your own.
Since the supply was limited and of mediocre quality, Nastassja clearly looked a bit discontent. Watching William White stuff his face, she couldn't help but comment.
"Lay off the lobster, I hear it's cold in nature. You should eat more oysters -- oh, and today's sea urchin is quite nice.
"Ahem Nastassja, you're into Chinese medicine? Don't listen to those idiots. Hold on, are you treating me like a trash bin for remedies?"
"Humph, tomorrow matters; it still counts now."
William White couldn't help but chuckle. Although he traveled the globe, he wasn't missing out on anything; people knew well enough what the billionaire liked.
Besides, he still had a little assistant nearby. Though her combat skills were practically nonexistent, frequent attempts added up.
"Nastassja, the premiere moved to America?"
"There are rumors circling about you and the British not getting along. If you head to London now, might be a bit awkward, no?"
"Ha! It's them who should feel awkward; why should I worry about them? A bunch of dishonest lowlifes."
"William, what's a good investment these days? I can't shake the feeling that everything is getting more expensive."
"Getting more expensive? Of course, it is. Have you seen how much money they've printed? You don't have much cash, so just go for tech stocks -- Microsoft, that charming fellow in glasses."
"Pfft! What's handsome about that? Just look at those glasses. That stare could nearly melt the lenses."
"Ha! I can't believe Bill's got that kind of look. Hey, Nastassja, are you dressed a bit lightly?"
"Humph, what difference does it make? You're already well acquainted." Suddenly, the conversation had grown quite suggestive. William White found it surprising; weren't they just discussing investments? They say men think with their lower halves, but sometimes, women do too.
*****
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