Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Malkin Sr.'s home in Queens.

Polly stood at the door of her house, watching David's car slowly go away. After putting down her raised arms, the smile on her lips disappeared instantly. .

She frowned, turned around and walked quickly into the living room, staring at her father, old Malkin, and asked with a hint of confusion and anger in her tone.

"Why did you say those things to him?"

Old Malkin, who was sitting on the single sofa, turned his head and glanced at the silent Ludy, and then glanced at Mike Bai who was walking out of the restaurant. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment. It was not until Mike Bai went out that he said .

"What do you think is the biggest gain from our trip to Hawaii?"

"..." Polly crossed her arms in front of her chest, glanced at Ludy with a complicated expression, and remained silent.

"Hehe~"

"Actually, you two must have felt it too!"

"That's right!"

"If David goes further and further on the right path, more and more people will appear around him, and the network of relationships he needs to manage will become more and more complex!"

"And as he continues to succeed, it keeps moving up. . ."

"Money will gradually become less attractive to David."

"Until money has completely lost its appeal to him, and we can no longer maintain a close relationship with him except by spending more money."

"In the end, we can only believe in his inherent loyalty to feelings and love!"

Old Malkin picked up the half-burned cigar from the small table next to him, took a deep breath, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and continued to ask Ludy in a low voice.

"David once told you that even if I retire, I still can't let go of family affairs?"

"Um.."

"Ha~"

"do you know?"

"This is the smartest thing about him!"

"..." Lu Di nodded silently and looked at old Malkin quietly, but there was a huge wave in his heart. .

Malkin Sr. stretched out his right hand to his youngest daughter Polly and motioned for her to sit next to him.

After Polly stood there frowning and thinking for a while, she walked over to him and sat down, waiting~

Old Malkin picked up the cigar cutter next to him, cut off the cigar butt in his hand, and said.

"You should have discovered a long time ago that he started to like studying history at some point!"

"Is history that worth studying?"

"Hehe~"

"Let's take the fortune history of John Rockefeller Sr. as an example."

"He was born in 1839 in a poor town not far from New York City."

"After graduating from high school, he started his working career and was lucky enough to get his first job: bookkeeper."

"In 1964, at the age of 24, he co-founded the first oil refining company."

"In 1982, he had already personally built the most powerful trust business alliance in American history!"

"And in that year, John Rockefeller Sr. was only 43 years old!!"

"Only 18 years!"

"He has already achieved... a huge achievement that is almost unimaginable to those of his contemporaries!"

Old Malkin showed an intriguing smile on his lips, looked at his daughter Polly who lowered her head and said nothing, and asked.

"Then when you read this piece of history, will you think that... people who lived at the same time as him were all idiots?"

"..." Polly's frown slowly relaxed and she listened quietly.

"The answer is obvious!"

Malkin Sr. waved his left hand: "Many people say: John D. Rockefeller Sr. had great luck and used all means to achieve his goals, so he achieved a success worthy of being recorded in history."

"But those people will ignore it intentionally or unintentionally... Where did he get the M&A funds to complete a huge merger plan for 90% of the oil production-related companies in the United States in just a dozen years? ?!”

"Wall Street at that time was still in a barbaric era with imperfect rules~"

"Whoever has superb means, has a ruthless vision, and has strong financial strength can dominate Wall Street!"

"John Rockefeller Sr. was able to obtain funds from banks again and again in that barbaric era to carry out large-scale mergers with his oil peers."

"What do you think he has been through?"

"Who invested those huge amounts of money in him?"

"After countless years of elimination, who are the people who can stay by his side in the end?"

"Where have all his good friends from his youth gone?"

Old Malkin straightened his body, looking at Ludy with very complicated emotions in his eyes and said.

"David, I watched it grow up bit by bit with my own eyes..."

"He was originally just an introverted, somewhat dull, honest kid..."

"But when he followed his father David Sr. into my study that day, I was extremely shocked to find..."

"It turns out that he has undergone a transformation that I can't even believe!"

"And the banquet I asked you to arrange for him to attend was also to test my guess."

"Result~"

"He really didn't disappoint me!"

"At that banquet, he successfully attracted the attention of Giles Norton Morgan and became friends with him."

Ludy couldn't help raising his eyebrows, resting his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to look at old Malkin, and continued.

"So, after you learned that David and Giles were frank about their cooperation and were preparing to establish a security company, you immediately made up your mind to invest in all the plans he proposed."

"Then, as he performs amazingly again and again, you increase your investment in him again and again."

"Until, after he went to London, you took the initiative to give almost all the family's money to the Morgan family and asked them to help launder it...?!"

"That's right!"

"But how do you know that the Morgan family won't use tricks to withhold the money?"

"Don't you think... investing too many chips at one time will lead to..."

"Hehe~"

Old Malkin showed a helpless smile, shook his head and said: "I have already said this reason!"

"Old Morgan of the Morgan family has chosen to increase his investment in David again and again, and his purpose is the same as mine!"

“We all appreciate David’s advanced business acumen, interpersonal skills and problem-solving ability!”

"But the differences between our two families are still too big~"

"There are many, many ways that old Morgan wants to invest in David..."

"The way we invest in David is to give him full trust + a large amount of shady money..."

"What else do you think?"

"..." Lu Di looked down at his toes and was speechless.

Old Malkin turned his head and looked at his daughter Polly, reached out and patted her arm, smiling gently.

"Actually, I decided to invest the laundered funds in David long before he asked you to go to London..."

"Rosenlow only found you after the two of you suddenly confirmed your relationship... It was definitely not my arrangement to tell him the news officially!"

"so.."

"That's enough!" Polly said, waving her right hand expressionlessly.

"But you promised me that neither you nor mother will interfere in my affairs with him!"

"..."

Old Malkin nodded silently, glanced at Ludi, and after pondering for a moment, said: "The unfortunate marriage between you and your sister Manqi made your mother and I feel very uncomfortable..."

"We are all old!"

"We don't want to see you sisters living without any family to rely on..."

Polly turned her head and looked directly into her father's eyes. She suppressed the strong dissatisfaction in her heart and took a deep breath: "I'm pregnant!"

"what?"

"I said, I might be pregnant!"

"Forehead.."

Old Malkin closed his eyes, covered his forehead with his hands, and said with a bitter smile: "You still don't understand... Why did he let you stay and leave alone?"

"Um?!!"

"Dad, what do you mean?"

"Ha ha.."

Old Malkin sighed, patted the armrest of the sofa next to him, and explained.

"I choose to clarify all my plans, arrangements, tests and concerns with him tonight..."

"It's all because I don't want to cause any unexplainable misunderstanding between you and him!"

"And he immediately understood my painstaking efforts and chose to keep you here to listen to all my explanations..."

"He also wanted to avoid any misunderstandings between father and daughter that might damage our relationship."

"..."

Polly, who had always considered herself very smart, felt a burst of relief and emotion in her heart, like a "sudden enlightenment".

She stood up and walked to her father, old Malkin, squatted down and looked up at him, biting her lips hesitantly a few times, but said nothing.

Of course, old Malkin understood his daughter's thoughts best. He smiled and patted her shoulder with his hand, comforting her.

"After I finish the finishing work these days, I will go to Hawaii to relax with your mother and sister~"

"If you feel uncomfortable, go to the hospital for a good check-up. Don't ruin your health just to be busy with work."

"As for the things between you and David, we can't control it, so we just don't care about it~"

"I just hope you can feel happy, and we will be happy for you!"

"..Um!"

Polly bit her lip with red eyes, lowered her head and whispered: "I want to give David a baby..."

"Then live!"

"But you can only have two at most!"

"No matter how much, it's not good for your health..."

"Ok!"

Old Malkin stroked his daughter's hair with his hand, hesitated for a few seconds, and asked, "You just said you were pregnant...is that true?"

"no.."

"Hi~"

Old Malkin couldn't help but smile and sighed: "You made me happy again in vain...?"

Polly pouted, turned her head to the side and muttered: "Why didn't I see that you were happy?"

"Hahaha~"

Old Malkin laughed and threw a wink at Ludy, shook his head, and didn’t want to say anything anymore~

Seeing that the "smell of gunpowder" between their father and daughter had faded away, Lu Di also laughed and shook his head, letting out a sigh of relief.

----

Manhattan.

42nd Street, in front of Wildfire Bar.

Black Mike parked the car steadily on the street, glanced at the silent David in the rearview mirror, and said nothing.

Because he could clearly feel that David had entered that "trance" state again at this moment. .

After about ten minutes.

David supported his chin on one hand and looked out the window, took a deep breath, rubbed his forehead with his hand and said.

"Do you know the tourist pier at the southern end of downtown where you can see the Statue of Liberty?"

"Know!"

"Let's go for a walk~ I want to enjoy the sea breeze."

"it is good!"

"I'll go get a pack of cigarettes first."

"..." David nodded silently.

Black Mike glanced at the left and right rearview mirrors, and after making sure there was no problem, he quickly got out of the car and walked into the bar.

. . .

After half an hour.

David was sitting on a bench by the pier, holding a cup of hot coffee in his hand, looking at the Statue of Liberty hidden in the night on the sea in the distance, in a daze ~

Not far behind him.

Black Mike and Mengo, the steel-toothed dog, each held a cup of hot coffee in their hands, leaning against the car and scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Another ten minutes passed.

A black Chevrolet car parked near Black Mike and the two.

Mr. Gardener led a somewhat unfamiliar middle-aged man to Black Mike and asked with a smile.

"Hi~ We're here to cover the shift!"

"Haha..." Black Mike, who was shrinking his neck, opened the completely cold coffee cup and looked at the middle-aged man next to Mr. Gardener without saying anything.

The gardener pointed to the people around him and introduced Black Mike and Mengo the steel-toothed dog: "He is the long-horned beetle."

"His real name... I don't know either~"

"But he is very trustworthy. Odis Parker is ready to let him gradually take over my job and be responsible for all peripheral intelligence security work related to David."

Black Mike stared at the expressionless Mr. Tianniu for a few seconds, stretched out his right hand and said, "I am Mike, and this is Mengo."

"Hello!" Longhorn took off the black sheepskin gloves on his hands, shook Black Mike's hand hard, and nodded to the two of them.

Mr. Gardener turned to Menge and asked with a smile: "It's almost midnight, right? What's his condition now?"

"I don't know..." Menge shrugged and leaned back against the car door.

Black Mike crossed his arms across his chest, looked at David who was still in the "thinker" state in the distance, thought for a while, and explained.

"Maybe, he wants to be alone for a while..."

"Oh~"

Mr. Gardener nodded in understanding, glanced at the beetle beside him, and said.

"Are you going to make a phone call?"

"Ok!"

"What are you going to do?" Menge suddenly asked warily.

"Hehe~"

Mr. Gardener waved to the beetle, walked slowly to Menge, and laughed softly.

"When I was as young as David, I couldn't understand what people call... the illusory willpower. What is it~"

“It wasn’t until later, when I met more people and saw more things, that I gradually understood!”

"It turns out that things that cannot be seen with the eyes can really invisibly affect other people's thoughts or determinations with just one look or movement."

"Just like the same impassioned speech, the effect of Churchill's speech and my speech are completely different..."

"So ah~"

Mr. Gardener pointed his finger at David's back, and there was no longer any smile on his lips, and he whispered.

"Now, what he is carrying is far heavier than we imagined... countless times!"

"..." Black Mike looked at David's back silently, clenching his fists little by little.

Menge, the steel-toothed dog, subconsciously touched the pistol at his waist, but suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling of powerlessness welling up from his heart. .

Mr. Gardener took out cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and said.

"The path he chose is too difficult!"

"So far, everything I have seen... he is almost always making decisions that are more beneficial to himself and others, rather than choosing to release his desire for possession~"

"For example: If a beautiful woman like Elena Mesa throws herself into my arms willingly, I will never refuse."

"For example: If someone gets along with me for a short time, he trusts me very much and gives me a huge sum of money and asks me to keep it for him."

"I definitely can't stand the temptation of a huge fortune from heaven, so I just refuse him!"

"Hehe~"

"Look!"

"Now even the way I speak is under the constant influence of David. It's strange... I'm becoming more and more like him!"

"This is a wonderful external manifestation of willpower or charisma!"

"To paraphrase, the word Longhorn just heard from Elena today: halo effect~"

"David has an influence that we can't see with our eyes, but we can clearly feel it all the time."

"This kind of influence allows everyone with different purposes or hopes to truly find the right direction again and follow his footsteps to keep moving forward."

"And guys like me and the beetles, who have seen too many people and encountered too many things, have already developed a trace of despair in their hearts..."

"I can actually feel that kind of power from him...that I can't explain in words!"

"It is precisely this invisible power that makes Odis Parker, a psychopath with brain problems, willing to serve him as if he has found a peerless treasure."

"Oh~"

Mr. Gardener looked at the surprised steel-toothed dog Menge, shrugged and said with a smile: "That's right!"

"Even in person, I would call him a lunatic with a brain problem."

"Because, after he almost drove an Oxford University psychology professor crazy one time, he took this kind of curse word as a different kind of praise..."

"Can't think of it?"

"Perhaps only people with the same mental illness as him can understand his happiness..."

"Hahaha~"

"..." Black Mike and Menge looked at each other and turned their heads to the side in tacit understanding, looking at Mr. Tianniu who had returned from a distance.

The gardener laughed to himself for a while, threw away the cigarette butt, and shrank his neck in the cold midnight sea breeze. Suddenly he saw David slowly standing up from the bench.

"Hey~ look!"

"..." Black Mike and the other two turned around and saw David standing there, vigorously moving his frozen limbs and neck a few times, then turning around and walking over step by step.

Black Mike immediately walked forward quickly, stared at him for two seconds, and asked: "Shall we go back?"

"No~"

David wiped his nose with his hand and said with a smile: "Let's go to a nightclub~"

"da nightclub?"

"Ok!"

"ok~"

Black Mike glanced at the steel-toothed dog Menge, who immediately opened the door and started the car.

David smiled and patted Black Mike with his stiff arm without saying any words of thanks.

Black Mike also smiled and gestured with his chin: "They are here too~"

"Oh?"

"Mr. Gardener! And who is this...?"

"My name is Longhorn."

"Um...Mr. Longhorn?"

"Yes!"

"Hehe~"

David sniffed, shrank his head and gestured to the gardener with a thumbs up, praising: "Are your names so unique?"

"Hahaha~"

"In a few days, I will introduce you to Ms. Dragonfly."

"She will definitely be able to give you a satisfactory answer."

"dragonfly?"

"Okay~"

David showed an apologetic smile to the beetle, walked a few steps quickly and got into the car, rubbed his hands and smiled.

"Let's go~"

"I'll take you to see the most fun place in New York at midnight!"

"Okay~"

Mr. Gardener closed the car door and signaled to Black Mike to drive ahead and lead the way.

The driver, Black Mike, nodded, walked around to the other side and saw that the steel-toothed dog Mengo had started the car in front of him, and then let out a sigh of relief.

----

the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Island country, Tokyo.

Afternoon~

Chuo-ku, Ginza.

In front of Mitsukoshi Department Store.

David's butler, Acklade Parkinson, was wearing an old dark gray coat and a dark blue twill suit. He stood on the side of the street, waving to an old friend walking in the distance and smiling.

"Hi~Long time no see!"

"Hahaha~"

"Aclade, why did you suddenly come to Tokyo?"

"Are you here for a trip?"

"Still have a job?"

After listening to his old friend's inquiry, Aclade smiled and shook his head slightly: "I came here this time to help my friend with some things."

"work?"

"Okay~"

"My car is parked over there."

"Let's go! Find a place to sit down first, and then we can have a good chat~"

"Hmm~" Aclade's old friend, while pulling him towards the New Bridge, talked very enthusiastically about their experiences after the two separated in recent years.