Chapter 264: Toyota Wants to See You

"These days, Carter felt as if he had returned to the days of running his business. Back then, he would carry a bag, going from one company to another, peddling his cheap management courses.

The only improvement now was that Carter didn't have to suffer as much as before. In scorching hot weather, he no longer had to wear long-sleeved shirts to squeeze onto public buses, standing foolishly at company entrances.

Now, he wore a polo shirt and carried a small leather bag, and even booked a Cadillac from the hotel as his private car. With this kind of appearance, regardless of his occupation, most companies would at least give him a meeting out of respect for the luxury car. Perhaps he could be their major client?

It's harsh, but that's how it works. If you stand foolishly at the company's door waiting, you might not even get a meeting all afternoon.

"It all depends on how you plan things. As long as you don't want to stop, there will always be something to do. You can't finish everything in a lifetime! When it's time to rest, just rest. What's the point?"

Jim shook his head helplessly. He knew that saying this was almost pointless.

"Have you been irritated by those Japanese these past few days?"

"Well, why even bring it up? Who gave them money now, and you're still bothered by it? If you worry about other people's wallets, of course, you'll be irritated."

As he unbuttoned his shirt to cool off, Carter spoke nonchalantly.

Compared to the experiences of running a business in the past, this bit of frustration was nothing. If you couldn't endure even a little hardship as a businessman, you might as well not do business at all! Go home and raise pigs! Oh no, even pig farming is a business now!

"But, you know what? These Japanese people are really getting arrogant now! They act as if they own the place, thinking they're in Japan rather than America! Nose in the air, every one of them!"

"Hehe, just like you said, who gave them money now?"

"Just a bunch of fools! Even in a country where national sovereignty is hard to maintain, no matter how wealthy they are, they're just a bunch of pigs waiting to be slaughtered!"

Lying back on the beach chair, Carter grumbled angrily.

This was the time to give Japan a taste of their own medicine! Remembering the Japanese real estate bubble, which happened in the early 1990s, and then it burst in the next decade. Maybe it was time to accumulate some capital?

"Oh? You know about that?"

Jim wasn't surprised by Carter's angry words. Young people, when they're upset, naturally don't feel good. Compared to most American peers, it was not easy for someone at the age of 17 to remain calm and resilient after experiencing grievances.

What surprised Jim more was Carter's views on politics and economics. In an era where information and consulting were not developed, bringing up something that might be widely known in the future was a remarkable feat.

"What's so hard to understand? I've taken history classes. Japan's economy owes a lot to America. If General MacArthur didn't start the Korean War and then the Vietnam War, there wouldn't have been such a huge demand for military equipment on the front lines. Japan might not even have been able to recover to its pre-World War II level. They're the second-largest GDP, it's a joke!"

Shrugging, Carter turned to the table next to Jim and picked up a cigar.

"Besides, with their current distorted development, even if they become the number one GDP, what's the use? Our military is right there on that island. If push comes to shove, just learn from that art school dropout and march straight toward the pigs and sheep. Wealth will eventually be ours!"

"Haha, you! Don't say these things too loudly. What if those Jewish folks overhear? You know, right?"

"I know! I'm not stupid. I'm just chatting with you!"

"Alright, let's talk about something practical. How are things going recently? How many companies have you negotiated with?"

Jim smiled, feeling relaxed talking to Carter, just as Julian had said. Chatting with Carter was very relaxing.

"This kid dares to say anything, just like when he was young."

"Oh? Now, I'm affecting your vacation?"

Chuckling, Carter teased Jim, taking the opportunity to continue:

"I've been in talks with a company that produces threaded steel. They're interested, but they're leaning towards Ohio or North Carolina for their factory location. Georgia's advantage is its proximity to a major port, but they don't seem to have much interest in expanding into Europe at the moment, so I'm still trying to convince them."

"Now I've been in talks with a company that produces threaded steel. They're interested, but they're leaning towards Ohio or North Carolina for their factory location. Georgia's advantage is its proximity to a major port, but they don't seem to have much interest in expanding into Europe at the moment, so I'm still trying to convince them."

"Besides this one with a higher possibility, there's another one dealing with optical instruments. Telescopes, scopes, you name it. There's a demand for these in Europe, and they're competing with Zeiss, but the scale is a bit smaller. Not sure how much employment it could generate."

"Mr. Blake! There's a call for you!"

As Carter enthusiastically reported his recent work progress, a hotel bellhop rushed to the beach to call him.

"Ah, let me go!"

Letting out a sigh, Carter pushed himself up from the beach chair with both hands.

In the days without mobile phones, communication was indeed quite a hassle!

Grumbling about the annoying communication efficiency, Carter handed out a five-dollar tip casually. Following the bellhop's gleeful footsteps, Carter made his way to the hotel lobby.

"Hello, who's this? This is Carter Blake speaking."

"Mr. Blake, it's Cyril!"

"Cyril, huh? What's up?"

Ever since being stood up by the Sari Corporation, Carter hadn't contacted anyone from Agale in a few days. Without seeing any progress in the matter, Carter was afraid of encountering a similar situation again!

Once could be considered an accident or a mistake, but to have it happen repeatedly would ruin his reputation!

"Are you available to come back to Georgia? There's a breakthrough in the investment matter! However, they specifically requested your involvement."

"Huh? Which company is it? Downhill Steel?"

"No, it's a car company called Toyota. Their Vice President is on his way, and we've scheduled the official meeting for three days from now."

"Toyota?! The car manufacturer?"

Downhill Steel was the threaded steel company Carter had been following up on recently. But where did this Toyota come from out of the blue?!

Compared to the unknown Downhill Steel Corporation he hadn't heard of in the future, Toyota's name was too prominent! It was so prominent that Carter couldn't believe it!

Before Tesla surged ahead, Toyota was the world's largest car manufacturer by market value. Was it really that Toyota?!

"Yes, that's the one! Look—"

"I'll head back immediately!"

What the hell am I waiting for?!

If Toyota can set up a factory in Georgia, what am I even doing in Hawaii?

"Please help me book the earliest flight to Atlanta or Columbus Airport in Georgia! Oh, and make sure it's not a DC-10!"

After hanging up the phone, Carter hurriedly instructed the hotel front desk. Then, he paced back and forth in the hotel lobby.

The fact that Toyota was coming was undoubtedly a huge advantage. But why?!

Carter was sure that he had never had any contact with Toyota. Oh, the Toyota Car Sales Company didn't count; Carter did visit them, but the staff who received him explicitly stated that they were just a car sales company and weren't involved in production. To discuss factory matters, one would have to go to Aichi Prefecture in Japan and talk to the relevant departments of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Running back to Japan now was obviously impractical. So, regarding Toyota, after that brief encounter, Carter gave up.

But now suddenly, Toyota wants to come? And not just that, they even specifically requested to see him?!

Why?!

"Why do you care? I know about Toyota cars, and I know they've got technical prowess. Although I don't like small cars, I have to admit, their cars really save fuel!"

Nonsense! In my previous life, I took Corollas and Levin's most often when using DiDi. How could I not know they're fuel-efficient?!

Hearing Jim's unconstructive opinion, Carter almost burst out swearing:

"No, you help me figure it out. What could they want from me? Because of the bank? I've been thinking about it, and it seems only the bank is a possibility. But the Bass Bank, no, even if all three of my banks were bundled together, it wouldn't be of much use! A multinational corporation like Toyota, if they want a loan, they have plenty of options with Citibank, Bank of America, and JPMorgan."

"It probably isn't for that reason either, but I really can't think of any other aspect where I could be related to a car company like them. Without preparing for this, going there with an empty mind, what would I even talk about?"

As Carter spread his hands, he suddenly thought of something. Then he slapped his thigh:

"DOG Construction! It must be them. There's only one construction company near Agale, and if they're going to build a factory, they'll definitely need a construction team!"