America's Road to Wealth

Chapter 340 The Night in Manhattan is Quiet
new York,

Manhattan.

Headquarters of Soros Fund Management Company.

A well-known financial hooligan, but he looks amiable, just like the white-haired grandfather on the street.

In the office, Soros frowned deeply. He was reading newspaper reports with deep and gloomy eyes.

"咚咚-"

Soros looked up and saw Tims who pushed the door in. He couldn't help stretching his brows and asked, "Is there any latest news?"

"Well, just now, American Express Company officially sent a public letter to all shareholders, arguing that shareholders of American Express Company should reject Abel Smith's acquisition, calling Abel Smith a disruptor of the normal financial order in the United States, calling on investors and shareholders They resisted him and spoke very fiercely."

As Tims said, he handed Soros a document in his hand, and then sat on the chair opposite him, his eyes full of gloating and complacent.

The general manager of Soros Fund Management Company felt that Kenneth Chenault and the board of directors of American Express were pushed into a hurry.

He actually called Abel a destroyer of the normal financial order in the United States.

Didn’t I watch the owner of the White House openly declare on TV that Abe Smith is the mainstay of American finance?
I didn’t see the White House saying, is Abel Smith the savior of this stock market crash?

When Kenneth did this, he planned to never compromise!
Tims knew who gave Kenneth the courage.

Because in the past few days, it was Tims who was in contact with Kenneth.

It was George Soros who stood up, and other Wall Street institutions hidden behind the scenes, who gave the desperate Kenneth Chenault and other senior executives of American Express, the last seemingly good way out.

It's a pity that Kenneth Chenault didn't know, and maybe he couldn't help it if he knew.

That's the last line of retreat, and it really just looks good.

Soros took the file and quickly browsed through it.

In this open letter to all shareholders, the board of directors of American Express criticized Abel Smith's acquisition, saying that its acquisition had serious malice.

The letter also said Abel Smith's claims of "immediate cash payments to shareholders" were "completely unrealistic".

Abel Smith lacked the requisite comprehensive management experience of a large bank.

In the letter, American Express also refuted the operations of Pacific Bank of Commerce.

It is claimed that this commercial bank solely owned by Abel Smith has an extremely opaque business operation model.

It is claimed that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and other relevant banking and financial industry regulatory agencies should enter as soon as possible to investigate the Pacific Bank of Commerce.

American Express concluded by saying: "We believe that supporting Abel Smith's hostile takeover would make no sense for American Express shareholders. And, in the event that the transaction is not approved, American Express may face the risk of incalculable value loss. .”

Compared with the previous statement, there is also a gesture of showing favor to Soros.

In this open letter to shareholders, the board of directors of American Express, headed by Kenneth Chenault, can be said to have completely torn face with Abel.

"Stupid, stupid approach. But it is also the last resort of helplessness."

After reading the letter, Soros, with an indifferent expression on his face, made a comment and put the documents in his hand aside.

The old guy took off his glasses and gently pinched the bridge of his nose.

"They can't help it. If they don't want to be fired by Abel Smith. They can only show their loyalty to us."

Timms heard Soros' conclusion and put in a good word for Kenneth.

Soros took a sharp look at Tims, knowing that this confidant of his should have had some communication with Kenneth.

The other party may even have promised Tims some benefits.

But Soros didn't care, he was confident that he could control Timms and the company.

Giving Tims a little freedom and a little benefit will allow the opponent to have more subjective motivation.

"What's the reaction from Abe Smith?" Soros asked softly.

Tims shook his head. "There hasn't been much reaction yet. They haven't raised the tender offer again."

"This guy!"

George Soros said angrily: "You don't look like a young man at all! So many newspapers are talking about him, but he can't bear it?"

In the past few days, after Soros entered the market.

There was a lot of financial media that turned the tide.

They played up the American Express incident as a financial war between Soros and Abel.

The spoils of war are the American Express Company, and whoever can get the control of the American Express Company is the winner.

Who is the true financial uncrowned king of the United States.

These media almost described American Express as the most important company on Wall Street.

It seems that only when Abe really wins Amex, can he keep pace with big names such as Buffett and Soros.

The change in direction of the financial media is obviously from the handwriting of Soros Fund Management Company.

Those Wall Street institutions that have joined must have contributed a lot.

They just want to provoke Abel, so that Abel is bound to win the American Express.

The very simple method is to make Abel, who looks young and presumably very aggressive, arouse his competitive spirit and stimulate Abel.

After a few days, Soros was a little disappointed.

The reason is because of Abel's side, except for the occasional "New York Observer" who came out to scold each other without pain or itching.

In other respects, Abel is basically quiet, almost as tolerant as Buffett.

Fortunately, from the beginning to the end, Soros did not think that Abel could be fooled so easily.

The old guy thought for a while and asked Tims: "I remember this guy's company's annual meeting this year, the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yes." Tims said, "Last year it was November [-]th, and this year's Smith Capital's year-end reception is also November [-]th."

"Then he should come back from Los Angeles." Soros smiled confidently: "We'll go find him then, and meet this guy for a while!"

"Forehead"

Timms showed a slightly embarrassed expression. Looking at his confident boss, he couldn't help whispering:

"That. BOSS, I want to tell you one thing. That is, David Mellon did not send us an invitation letter."

"What did you say?" Soros was startled, and the old guy frowned and said, "Didn't I remember sending it to us last year?"

Last year, Smith Capital did send an invitation letter to Soros for its first year-end investment reception.

But at that time, Abel's reputation was far from what it is now.

At that time, Soros was in Asia again, busy operating Tokyo's stock market.

So I didn't rush back to participate.

It was the investment reception that Tims went to.But there were too many people who went there at that time, and there were a lot of Wall Street giants.

Soros Fund Management Company is basically Soros's voice, and Soros's position in the company is similar to that of Abel in Smith Capital.

Tims, the general manager, was as insignificant as David Mellon at Smith Capital. At that time, Abel didn't notice him at all.

There was an invitation letter last year, and Soros felt that there should be one this year.

After all, his position is here.

As a result, now Tims told him that Smith Capital did not send an invitation letter to this side this year.

Tims answered the boss's question honestly: "Well, there is really no. Unless they send it today and tomorrow."

Because the reception will start the day after tomorrow, it doesn't make sense to send out the invitation letter on the day of the reception.

"Fake!"

Soros couldn't help cursing, he guessed that Abel must have done it on purpose.

"Get an invitation letter. If he doesn't invite us, we'll go there by ourselves!" Soros was angry. He felt that at least he knew each other.

Even if it is an opponent, it shouldn't be like this.

He wanted to go to Abel to question him!

"Okay." Tims agreed directly. The general manager of Soros Fund Management Company could see that his boss was a little angry.

Anyway, this is not difficult, given the position of Soros Fund Management Company in Wall Street.

With Soros' status in the Oilers, it's easy to ask others to issue one or two invitation letters.

The next day is January 11th.

Another day, Smith Capital's year-end investment reception will be held.

Even if you don't want to go back to cold New York at this time, breathe the air polluted by the Twin Towers in Manhattan.

Abel also had to take his own Boeing 747 from Los Angeles International Airport to New York's JFK International Airport in eight hours.

Abel got on the plane at nine o'clock in the morning local time in Los Angeles.

But when he flew for nine hours and returned to New York.

The local time in New York is already nine o'clock in the evening.

The reason is that there is a time difference of about three hours between Los Angeles and New York.

It was past six o'clock in the evening in Los Angeles, and it was already past nine o'clock in the evening in New York.

When Abel returns to Manhattan's Woolworth Building, the "Pinnacle" mansion on the top floor.

Sophie Marceau and the Spanish national treasure goddess, they are gone.

The two stayed with Abel for more than a week last month, and they all returned to Europe after Abel left for Los Angeles.

They weren't going home for vacation or anything.

It is because of the "European Rising Star" project of Smith Media and Vivendi that the first phase of the cooperation plan has begun.

A total of 6 films will be filmed in the first phase of European Nova.

The investment of two of them will be more than 5000 million U.S. dollars, but less than 8000 million U.S. dollars.

The other four are expected to cost less than US$1000 million.

Sophie Marceau and the others have already signed Abel's short-term employee agreement.

For this reason, they easily got the lead actresses of two movies with an investment of more than 5000 million US dollars.

Now it can be regarded as going back to shoot a blockbuster co-produced in Europe and the United States.

There is only one Avril living in the summit mansion.

It was only when Abel came out of the independent elevator of the summit mansion at around ten o'clock.

But in the living room of the summit mansion, I saw Avril Lavigne drinking and Britney Spears.

I saw two chicks sitting on the sofa in the middle of the living room.

There are empty beer bottles and unopened beer piled up next to the sofa.

There are no appetizers.

Because unlike Europeans and Asians, most of the time, Americans really eat when they eat, and when they drink, they drink.

It means not to drink while eating, and not to eat while drinking.

The appearance of Abel naturally attracted the attention of the two girls whose cheeks were already flushed.

"Ah, Abel! You're back!" Avril, who obviously drank a lot, exclaimed happily.

Usually, when she talks to Abel, she is somewhat afraid.

The main reason is that the two of them didn't get along for a long time, only those few days.

During those few days, the way the two got along was mostly in the most primitive state of human beings.

The occasions we get along with are either on the sofa in the living room or the bathtub in the bathroom, or simply on Simmons.

Don't talk about feelings, even normal friendship is very strange.

Abel's status and power are there again, and it's normal for her to be afraid.

But now he looks like an old friend, without any fear at all, and it's not justified if he's drunk.

Britney Spears next to her wasn't much better.

This little girl with some mental problems was smiling foolishly beside her at this moment, she didn't look sweet at all, just like a drunk little girl on the street.

Well, punk girls are about the same at this time.

Abel frowned, and a female bodyguard of the rock security he arranged next to him had no choice but to bite the bullet and report:

"Miss Lavigne and Miss Spears have been drinking for more than three hours, starting at three o'clock. According to the regulations, we can't stop her, so."

Rock security stipulates that all women related to Abel.As long as they don't endanger their own personal safety, and don't do things that put Abel at risk of wearing a hat.

Rock security has no right to stop most of their actions and deeds.

Drinking alcohol is obviously not included in the prohibition regulations, so the female bodyguard naturally has no way to stand up and stop it.

"Two crazy women."

Abel doesn't like alcohol, and he doesn't like the smell of it.

"Help them into the room and let them sleep. By the way, wash them up. Forget it, after drinking so much wine, don't let them take a bath directly."

Abel thought for a while, and then said: "Let the maid wipe their bodies, wash their faces, and change into pajamas."

"Understood." The female bodyguard quickly agreed, and the boss looked a little angry.

But she didn't blame her, and the female bodyguard was relieved.

Abel is turned off by two drunken lunatics.

He originally wanted to pull Avril to the bathroom or Simmons as soon as he came back.

It is also a fresh experience to experience more magnificent ups and downs, and occasionally taste a flat life.

But now he lost interest, so he simply went to the study.

"Hi Michael, I'm back."

In the study, Abel called Bloomberg.

"Hi! My dear friend, have you come back from the sunny West Coast at last?"

"Don't make those wisecracks. Michael, you know what's on my mind."

"Hahahaha~ Of course I know. But for this kind of thing, don't you ask your subordinates to inquire about it a little bit?"

Abel said impatiently: "Nonsense, of course I still want to hear you tell me about this kind of thing."

"Hahaha~"

Bloomberg laughed again over there.

"Very well. Then, my dear friend, I will tell you myself."

Abel's friend seemed to be in a good mood.

Looks like the election wasn't bad.

"The result is... I am in the lead! About 180 million people have voted so far. I am leading by a lot. I am ahead of No.210 million votes, 14.3%!"

"So much?" Abel was surprised.

The election for mayor of New York City is different from the general election. There are no such things as electoral votes.

All New Yorkers over the age of [-] have the right to vote.

New York now has a population of almost 600 million.

Exclude about a quarter of citizens under the age of [-].

If everyone votes, that's about 450 million votes in total.

But the problem is that it is impossible for all 450 million people to vote.

At least one-third of the people here are indifferent to who is the mayor of New York City.

In other words, at most 300 million people will vote, half of the city's population.

And among the 300 million people, about one-third of them did not vote out for various reasons during the voting period.

So in the end every election in New York, generally only 200-250 million people voted.

Under normal circumstances, there will be 4-8 candidates in each New York election.

This is the same as electing a general. In fact, there are more than four or five candidates for each general election.

At its peak, 9 people participated in the general election.

It's just that other than those two people, the other participants are really just participants.

In the end, 99.5% of the elections will be won between donkeys and elephants.

The same is true for New York. There are six candidates for mayor of New York this time.

But the sum of the first four votes did not get as many votes as Bloomberg and Mark Green from the Donkey Party alone.

As long as Bloomberg wins the Donkey Party candidate Mark Green, he will win [-]%.

For other participants, it can only be said that the most important thing is to participate.
Abel knew that Bloomberg had a high probability of winning this time.

In parallel time and space, it was Bloomberg who won.

After this time and space has its own support.

Bloomberg is stronger here, and there will only be more chances of winning.

But Abel did not expect that Bloomberg could win so much.

10 votes, 14.3%, in the case of 180 million voters.

This is almost announcing that Bloomberg is the final winner.

After all, it is still 2001, and the donkey and the elephant are actually still harmonious in private, and the split has not yet begun.

At this time, the conditions for the Donkey Party to play with the Yin soldiers to come out of the cage have not yet been formed.

The Momo in New York has not yet formed, and most of them are still in the southern states and the West Coast.

In other words, Bloomberg has basically won more than half of it.

No wonder the old man is so happy, Abel is also a little happy now after hearing this.

"This is really good news. Come to my reception tomorrow night, how about we talk about it in detail?"

During the election season, Bloomberg was busy.As a candidate, he needs to run up and down New York all day, canvassing for himself.

For a whole month, I was so busy that I couldn't resist without a good body.

But now it's late in the election.

And it was still night.

No matter how busy you are, it's okay to come over to the reception at night.

"Of course! I'll go if you don't say so. My dear friend, I really don't know what I should do without you!"

What the old guy said was a bit nasty.

Abel said directly: "Then see you tomorrow night, dear Mayor Bloomberg!"

"Hahaha~ Okay, dear Mr. Abel Smith, see you tomorrow night!"

Abel hung up the phone on his own initiative, and he shook his head with a smile.

Bloomberg finally took the stage.

Then your own big plan for New York can also start.

After Bloomberg himself, Abel was probably the second-happiest person.

He thought it was time to celebrate. After thinking about it, Abel put his phone away, turned around and left the study.

Abel went to the bathroom in the master bedroom to take a shower first.

After taking a shower, Abel, wearing a bath towel, turned and left the master bedroom.

He stood in the corridor and looked around, hesitated for a while, and finally chose a room and walked in.

When he went in, the female bodyguard not far away who was in charge of Avril's safety couldn't help but want to speak.

Because the room that Abel entered was not Avril's room.

The female bodyguard opened her mouth halfway, but before she could speak, she was held down by the female bodyguard captain Doni, who had a sharp eye and a quick hand.

After Abel opened the door and entered, Doni let go of the female bodyguard's mouth and said softly:
"Don't worry too much about what you don't care about. Mr. Smith, he is our boss, understand?"

Avril Lavigne's female bodyguard nodded hurriedly, "Understood, I'm sorry, Captain Donnie."

Doni nodded, and pointed to Avril's room next to her.

"Look here. If your mistress comes out, tell her that Mr. Smith is sleeping in his room."

"Oh, okay." The female bodyguard agreed.

Then she looked at Donnie, walked over to the master bedroom, and locked the door of the empty master bedroom.

Naturally, there was nothing to say all night.

Only the flowers are in full bloom.

And quiet Manhattan nights.

(End of this chapter)