America's Road to Wealth

"……goodbye."

After noon.

Abel smiled as he looked at the two Hearst sisters who were walking to Smith Tower and continuing to work in the afternoon.

After the two figures disappeared, he looked at David Jones next to him expressionlessly.

"Let Allen and the others check what's going on at the Hearst Group recently."

"Understood." David nodded in agreement.

At lunch with the Hearst sisters just now, everything was normal.

But Abel knew that it was impossible for John Hester to let the two of them come to work at his place for no reason.

After experiencing so much, Abel already understood.

This gang of old scheming men may not be as powerful as those in novels or TV series.

Such a battle of wits, so many reversals and reversals.

Some are even very brutal, such as committing suicide by being shot eight times in the back.

Many of these are fictional.

But in reality, these guys, basically whatever they do, there must be some purpose behind it.

Abel wanted to know now what Hester wanted to do.

It would be easier for him to deal with it if he knew it, and then he would consider whether to eat the sisters.

But that's all.

Abel's thoughts were interrupted by some pungent smell in the air in the cold wind.

Abel looked towards the direction where the pungent air was coming from, and found that it was where two tall buildings used to stand in the distance.

The Twin Towers were once the two tallest buildings in the United States.

It is now in ruins, and has been since that event.

With the ruins as the central point, severe air pollution formed nearby, which is still affecting the entire lower Manhattan.

It's okay in rooms and carriages with complete fresh air systems that can filter harmful air.

Outdoors, if you are too close, the wind will still blow this way.

Even though three months have passed, the smell and pollution have not disappeared.

At least half of the residents of lower Manhattan left because of this factor.

After all, there are more rich people living here, and rich people are often the most afraid of death.

Those who could leave, of course, did so. Those who stayed and did not leave were those whose conditions were poorer, unable to leave, or those who worked nearby.

"Let's go." Looking at Edward and the others gathered around him, Abel said directly: "Let's go to the city hall."

Under the escort of Edward and others, Abel got into the Cadillac Monster in the cold wind.

In the warm car, protected by advanced air filtration, the pungent odor disappears.

The convoy advanced through the streets for about twenty minutes, mainly due to traffic jams.

The motorcade arrived at its destination, New York City Hall.

This is the largest city in the United States and the seat of New York City.

The government of New York City consists of three parts: City Hall, City Council and Courts.

It is located in Lower Manhattan, in the middle of City Hall Park in the Civic Center District, surrounded by Broadway Avenue, Park Row and Chambers Street.

This historic City Hall itself still serves as the official office of New York City.

It is the oldest still functioning city hall in the United States.

Built from 1803 to 1812, it was included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and became a U.S. national historic building.

Its rotunda, like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, is a New York City landmark.

Abel's motorcade was stopped at the door of the city hall.

But there are people here who have been waiting for a long time.

After the team's identity was verified, it was immediately released and entered the internal parking lot.

In the cold wind, Abel even met the next mayor who had not yet taken office. Michael Bloomberg personally went to the parking lot to greet him.

As Abel got out of the car, his hair, which had been completely white but had always been dyed black, smiled and stretched out his hand towards Abel from afar.

The two walked quickly towards each other and quickly hugged each other gently.

"I heard you made a fortune in Hanguo. I'm really happy that I became a shareholder of Smith Capital."

After letting go, Bloomberg said with a smile.

Abel shrugged: "Me too."

"Haha~" Bloomberg continued to laugh and led Abel towards New York City Hall.

Logically speaking, Bloomberg will not be officially sworn in as the new mayor of New York City until January 1 next year.

Until then, this should still be Rudy Giuliani’s territory.

But in reality, of course it won't be like this.

After the new mayor is confirmed to have won, he can take office.

In this last month, the new mayor will gradually take over the affairs of the city hall.

After all, we can't wait until January 1st for hundreds of talents to rush in at once. That would be very detrimental to the work.

So generally speaking, by December it starts. The former mayor will gradually start to ignore things.

The new mayor and his people will slowly take over and become familiar with the affairs in advance.

This way, when I take office soon, I can start working immediately.

This is a pretty good little tradition here in New York.

What's more, Rudy Giuliani and Bloomberg both belong to the Elephant Party and are from the same faction.

Many of the people left behind by Rudy Giuliani are the backbone of the New York Elephant Party.

If Bloomberg comes to power, these people will not be fired and will continue to hold their original positions.

This kind of consistency in policy is actually the best for both the city and the country in many cases.

But at the same time, it is often not good for certain vested interests, such as capitalists.

Because a long-term management organization with relatively concentrated power has always been a dangerous existence for monopoly capitalists.

Not to mention outside the United States.

Just say in the United States.

This was the situation of Master Luo back then...

Therefore, Master Luo had to die of cerebral hemorrhage in the white house on the eve of the victory of World War II.

In the city hall, being brought here for the first time by the new mayor, Abel also had a visitor's mentality to see the heart of the most prosperous city in the United States.

After living in this building, Bloomberg can begin to manage New York, which has a total area of ​​1,214 square kilometers, 5 districts under its jurisdiction, and a total population of about 7 million.

While looking around, Abel thought to himself, not knowing what this would feel like.

He was a little curious, but then he thought about it. This is America, the paradise of capital.

In other places, if you are a businessman, you may always be a businessman.

In the United States, as long as the timing and conditions are right, businessmen can dominate such places and even live in white houses.

So... in the future, when you get old, if you are interested, you can also consider playing this real-life "Skyline" game.

Maybe even play a game of Civilization.

For people like me, this is the superiority of capitalism.

Thinking this way, Abel was already greeted by Bloomberg and arrived at Bloomberg's office in the city hall.

A classical-style office that nominally still belongs to Rudy Giuliani, but there are not many personal traces of the former mayor.

It is estimated that the things have been moved or rearranged by Bloomberg.

Like the facade of this building, the New York City Mayor's office also has a typical Victorian colonial style from the 17th and 18th centuries.

I don’t know if anyone has watched the first part of the American TV series “Billions”.

The office where one of the male protagonists, Chuck, had a conversation and discussion with his father, also had this style.

It's just that Bloomberg's room is larger, has better and wider lighting, and the light is brighter.

"...Gee, what a beautiful office. No wonder a New Yorker, or even an American, wants to work here."

After coming in, looking around, Abel smiled and expressed this emotion.

Bloomberg responded with a smile: "I want to compare it with here. More Americans still want to work in the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, right?"

Hearing what he said, Abel laughed, "That's true."

The two quickly took their seats.

Even before the formal oath was taken, Bloomberg had already unceremoniously sat in the seat that Rudy Giuliani had occupied for eight years.

Abel and Bloomberg looked at each other across a beautiful, spacious desk that looked antique, thick and large.

Then the two foxes, an old one and a young one, couldn't help but laugh together without saying anything.

Amid laughter, Bloomberg said: "Haha~ What should I drink? Coffee or tea?"

"Cafe."

"Oh, I understand. To be honest, after drinking Rosea coffee a few times, I like it now. The fragrant grassy smell will make me feel like I am in the virgin forest of Africa."

"Well... I didn't drink it. I like drinking it just because it's not that bitter."

Bloomberg: “…”

After the pleasantries, Abel looked away from the layout of the New York Mayor's office.

"The plan is almost ready to begin," he whispered to Bloomberg.

"Of course." Bloomberg said with a firm look, "It has actually started. Look at the document in front of you."

After hearing what Bloomberg said, Abel saw a thick folder in front of him.

He originally thought it was government affairs here, but he didn't expect it was for himself.

Abel took it and turned it over. On page 1 of the document, in capital letters, "Hudson Bay Land Renovation Plan" was written.

The document looked like it had been aged for a while, and the paper was a little yellowed.

In the lower right corner of it, Abel saw the time: October 25, 1989.

This could be the time this document was printed.

Abel opened the second article and saw a simple overhead view of Manhattan on the left.

It is marked in large English letters "Manhattan Hudson Bay 11\u0026amp;693 # 147 Plate Map".

On the right is the catalog. Abel took a quick look and found that there were contents such as "Land Area Calculation", "Land Owner Sovereignty List", "Agent Assessment and Consideration", "Surrounding Environment..." and so on.

He didn't turn the pages any further, but simply closed the documents.

"Is this the original version of the Hudson's Bay renovation plan?"

Bloomberg responded to his question with a slight nod.

"Yes. This is the final complete version that the New York City Government hired from a design company and its own designers. It took several years."

"Of course. That was more than ten years ago, maybe even twenty years ago."

Having said this, Bloomberg smiled and said, "It has been thrown into the old paper pile in the archives for more than 10 years. If it weren't for you, I don't know when it would be seen again."

Abel thought that he would not need me until the subprime mortgage crisis is over in a few years.

In order to find a new economic growth point, New York has a new engine for GDP development.

Why not just get it out and pass it at an unprecedented speed, and then start attracting investment from all over the world, tricking others into investing in construction.

Of course, this is something in parallel time and space.

Now that Abel is here, the situation is naturally different.

He wanted to make himself a bigger local leader in New York, and he also had some thoughts of building wonders and leaving a name in history.

We have always been very active in promoting this large-scale construction plan.

Sometimes, his positivity even made these old men speechless.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's start according to our previous plan." Abel said directly.

Bloomberg nodded, "I will be responsible for the work here. It will be carried out immediately after January 1st. But what about Robert's side?"

There is no way to avoid this matter, Morgenthau, a local snake in the Manhattan judicial circle.

Fortunately, everyone has already discussed it.

Many thorny little questions, as long as they were judicial ones, were placed in the hands of Robert Morgenthau.

To sum up, it is Bloomberg’s push on administrative and official matters.

Abel was responsible for promoting money and public opinion, as well as construction.

Robert Morgenthau is responsible for solving judicial problems.

Some less legal, but very "reasonable" means may also be used.

The love of Abel, or the love of Bloomberg and Robert.

Many people's interests may be harmed, but who cares?

The Manhattan Three wouldn't care anyway. The many vested interests involved don’t care either.

The most important thing to come to Bloomberg for is after it’s settled.

Abel talked about another thing, "The Christmas Eve show in Times Square, do you want to go see it together?"

What he was talking about this time was the Christmas Eve show held in Elizabeth's Back Garden in Times Square this year.

Last year, Rudy Giuliani and the old speaker of the New York City Council both went.

These two old guys were actually beaten by Abel with money.

These two old guys will most likely not go this year.

Because Abel didn't spend any money on them this year.

Who told people to leave the tea? These two are no longer in office and have already faded into the background?

But Abel feels that a big show cannot lack big roles. What kind of show would it be if there were no big names?

If Buffett hadn't been fooled once, he would definitely fool Warren again.

Now I have no choice but to let Bloomberg show his face with me and continue to promote Issa's reputation internationally.

Faced with this small request from his partners, Bloomberg certainly would not refuse.

He smiled and said: "The problem is that on December 24, I am not the official mayor yet. I will not be of much use when I am on the scene."

"That's true..." Abel thought for a while and said softly: "I remember Mr. Cheney. He seems to be in New York recently?"

"Um..." Bloomberg looked at Abel speechlessly, "You don't want to invite him to go, do you? Let a deputy commander go to the underwear show? Only you dare to think of such a thing, and only you Dare to do it.”

Cheney is George's deputy, the nominal owner of the White House, and the nominally second most powerful person in the United States.

If something unexpected happens while George is in office, he will immediately become the number one figure in the country.

This person in this position is often considered a pure mascot in the United States and has almost no power.

But if you let such a mascot go to a live underwear show, it will not match its very serious tone no matter how you look at it.

If it weren't for the fact that the venue was New York, or if our allies insisted. Let alone this year, Bloomberg might not have attended last year.

Bloomberg doesn’t think Cheney will agree to Abel’s ridiculous invitation.

Abel also felt that it was unlikely, but now that he thought of it, he felt that he should give it a try.

“Try it for free,” he told Bloomberg. “I’ll write him a letter.”

Abel remembered this Mr. Cheney, who had a daughter.

This daughter was still working as a lawyer a few years ago, but she resigned last year and joined the US government.

Well, that's when George checked into the White House.

Maybe I can find a solution from this person.

It's not a crooked way, because she is almost forty years old and looks very ordinary.

Whether it can work or not, just give it a try.

Seeing Abel like this, Bloomberg also shook his head and ignored him.

The two talked softly about other things, such as the cooperation between Bloomberg and Smith Media, the cooperation between Bloomberg Financial and Smith Capital, and so on.

Abel stayed in Bloomberg's office until about 4 p.m. before leaving Manhattan's City Hall Park.

After walking out of the city hall, Abel found that snow was beginning to fall from the sky again.

It’s just light snow.

It's cold, the temperature is below freezing. But compared to last year’s cold winter, this year’s warm winter is pretty good.

The weather forecast also says that the weather in New York will be milder during Christmas this year.

It will be around ten degrees above zero, much better than last year.

With this thought in mind, Edward opened the door for him and he got into the car.

This morning he dealt with the matter of Smith Capital and held a meeting at AMC Television Group.

At noon, I had another meal with the Hearst sisters.

Much of the afternoon was spent in secret talks with Bloomberg.

By now, Abel found that his work was basically done.

Then, "Go home."

He said to the driver in front of him, Andy.

Andy hesitated, thought for a moment, and then looked at Edward's eyes next to him.

In the end, the driver decided to drive the car to 138 East 65th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

After all, the boss came out from there today.

Miss Ikana, Miss Laura and others whom the boss values ​​​​are not in Manhattan.

Even those celebrity ladies are not in New York.

The home the boss mentioned should be where the Asian lady lives.

Don't look at Andy and the other drivers. They usually have an easy job in Manhattan, they just need to drive.

Even when Abel wasn't in New York, he didn't have to work much.

But their work is actually quite difficult.

At the very least, you must be able to guess where the boss wants to go in a few simple words.

You can't guess wrong yet.

It's okay if you guess wrong once or twice, but if you make too many mistakes, you probably won't be able to be a driver.

Fortunately, Andy guessed correctly this time, and the motorcade returned to the gate of 138 East 65th Street.

Before getting off the bus, Edward, who had just made a satellite call to contact the rock security staff inside, said softly to the boss:

"BOSS. Miss Jessica's sister is here and is in the house now."

Abel was startled, "Jessica's sister? Oh..."

At first, he thought that Li Fu really had raised her baby in Han State, and her belly was already 6 months old?

When I reacted later, I remembered that Li Xinyu was more than just Li Fuzhen's sister.

She seems to have a second sister.