America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Masonic Salon, 221 New York Avenue.

The original dim gas streetlights at the entrance have now been replaced by electric lights, and the sound of car horns has replaced the "dede" of horse hooves, becoming the main theme of New York night.

"Bang, bang!"

A car drove crookedly onto the curb and then rushed into the flower bed on the roadside.

The car was quite sturdy, but the ground went under and the wheels got stuck in the mud.

A young man stumbled out of the driver's seat and walked onto the road.

"Master! Master!" Another man jumped out of the passenger seat and caught up with the young man in front.

"Master, are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

The young man took out a cigar from his clothes, lit it for himself, turned his head and glanced, and when he opened his mouth, he smelled of alcohol:
"Why are you panicking? It's okay, not a piece of flesh is missing from your body." He said disapprovingly, "You are a driver, so you should understand that this kind of situation is very common."

When the driver saw that his young master was okay, he went back to the car and squatted down alone, crying.

"Hey, isn't it just a broken car? That's all." The young man turned around with a cigar in his mouth and said disdainfully.

"Master, I can't explain it." The driver was about to cry.

"It's not you who drove the car. What do you want to explain?" The young man laughed. "Besides, I haven't been able to see the old man for several months now. How can he care about my life and death?"

"Leave the car here for now. You can drive another one to pick me up when you go back!"

After saying that, he swaggered towards the door of the salon.

The waiter at the door witnessed everything and was not surprised.

"Master Rockefeller, please show me your..."

The young man did not seem to be listening to the waiter.

He shook his head and began to fumble in his exceptional pocket.

But after touching for a long time, I didn't seem to find what I wanted.

"Do you think I can get in with this face?" The young man raised his head proudly and looked at the waiter.

"I'm sorry, Master Rockefeller, this is a rule." The waiter answered, not knowing whether he was joking or seriously, "What if you are in disguise?"

"Damn Irishman."

Little Rockefeller turned around and cursed in a low voice.

He walked back to his stalled car and grabbed the door handle.

But he tried hard for a long time, but he couldn't open the car door.

"Who the hell can help me open this damn car door!" he yelled, kicking the car door.

Fortunately, the driver didn't go far.

Hearing his young master's voice, he hurried back and opened the car door for his young master.

Little Rockefeller got half-body into the car and fumbled for another ten minutes before he found his Masonic badge under the car seat.

"Oh!"

He slammed the car door directly and walked towards the door of the Masonic Salon again.

The waiter said nothing this time, opened the door, and let little Rockefeller in.

Young Rockefeller walked through the long corridor hung with portraits of the pioneers of Freemasonry and came to the living room.

There were not many or few people in the living room, but they were basically his elders.

Morgan was still sitting in his seat near the bar; opposite him, barrister Hickman was wearing glasses and flipping through the pile of files.

Sugar tycoon Walter was also there. In addition, there were tobacco tycoon Washington Duke and others, as well as arms tycoon Chen Jianqiu.

Young Rockefeller was different from his father.

The elder Rockefeller's dislike of Chen Jianqiu stemmed from the fact that the latter "had a fight" with him when he first arrived in New Mexico, and the second was a devout Protestant's dissatisfaction with pagans.

If a person doesn't even believe in God, what bottom line can he have?
Young Rockefeller did not have such a strong sense of mission and belief.

Although he didn't have a good impression of Chen Jianqiu, he couldn't say he hated him deeply.

But he was also curious about why Chen Jianqiu appeared here.

The latter seemed to know what he was thinking, and gently turned his palm, revealing the Masonic badge on his palm.

Chen Jianqiu raised the half glass of whiskey in his hand and shook it at Little Rockefeller with a smile on his face.

When little Rockefeller saw the whiskey, he seemed to have forgotten everything, ran to sit down next to Chen Jianqiu, and poured himself a glass without hesitation.

As soon as he raised the wine to his mouth, he realized that there were two people sitting on the sofa opposite him.

One male and one female.

The man is Harriman, the vice president of Northern Securities, and the woman is his secretary and lover Eva.

A burst of anger suddenly rose from little Rockefeller's belly.

His badge was inherited from his father, and Chen Jianqiu's badge may have been given by Morgan.

The latter is also a hero after all.

Then why can these two people enter?
"Hmph!" Little Rockefeller snorted.

When he thought of the Irishman at the door just now, he became a little angry.

A redneck from the West, a nouveau riche, a woman.
Hiss~ This woman seems to be extraordinary.

When little Rockefeller's eyes fell on Eva, he found that Eva was also looking at her.

The woman wore a low-cut red dress today and her hair was pulled up, which clearly revealed the smallness of her face.

But Eva seemed to see through her disdain and looked at him coldly.

This made young Rockefeller feel like a thorn in his back.

Just as he was about to glare back defiantly, Morgan interrupted him.

"I called everyone here today to discuss with you the government's recent antitrust actions."

said the big banker.His voice is very calm and neither arrogant nor impetuous.

“This sudden attack by the federal government on Northern Securities was carried out quickly and ruthlessly without any warning in advance.”

He did not say that he went to Washington to seek reconciliation.

"The government is determined to challenge us this time. If they want to do this, then we will have to go to court."

Morgan looked around the room.

"I have fought many lawsuits in my life, so I will fight for my rights to this government prosecution to the end. Our country is a country with the rule of law."

"But what I want to say is that if Northern Securities collapses, the government will not let you go! Today of Northern Securities is your tomorrow!"

Duke's head reached to Walter's ear and whispered:
"No wonder I heard that Carnegie has been quietly selling shares of the United Steel Company. It turns out that he had already received the news that the government was going to take action. This old and cunning guy."

"Yes, I heard about it too." Walter nodded, "It seems that there are always buyers secretly buying in."

He patted Chen Jianqiu's arm lightly with his hand.

"Mr. Chen, have you heard about this?"

"I haven't heard of him. I haven't seen him today." Chen Jianqiu took a sip of the whiskey in the glass and looked in another direction.

She turned the ring on Eva's index finger.

People in the living room began to whisper to each other.

"We cannot allow this kind of thing to happen in the U.S. Federation. As long as there is a failed case, the government can invoke the results of this judgment and deal with us one by one!"

Duke stood up and said.

"Yes, we should use the energy and resources we can use to influence this judgment!" Walter said immediately.

"John, what do you think?" Morgan suddenly asked little Rockefeller, who had been silent and just enjoying his drink.

"What do I think? Is it important?" Little Rockefeller said with a hint of drunkenness.

He drank a lot when he arrived. He sobered up a little after the car drove into the flower bed. After entering the door, he drank one glass after another, drinking a lot.

"You might as well ask my dad." Little Rockefeller put the wine glass on the table, lowered his head, and slumped on the chair, seemingly asleep.

Morgan sighed.

Once upon a time, the man in front of him, like little Astor, was an ambitious young man who wanted to inherit the family business.

But after several things went wrong, the old Rockefeller neglected him, and he became an alcoholic.

"Mr. Chen, what about you?"

Morgan no longer looked at Rockefeller Jr., but turned to Chen Jianqiu.

"Me? What can I do as a Chinese? Aren't I just at the mercy of others? I'll just do whatever the government says." Chen Jianqiu spread his hands.

Morgan originally wanted to say a few words, but when the words reached his lips, he stopped.

Everyone discussed for a while, and after reaching a partial consensus, they decided to adjourn the meeting.

Several tycoons were all busy people. They were neatly dressed and whispered to each other at the door for a while, then got into their respective cars and left.

Little Rockefeller was finally pushed into the newly arrived car by the driver and waiter.

Morgan watched them leave, turned around, and glanced at Harriman behind him:
"Harriman, come into the house with me. I have something to talk to you alone."

After that, he re-entered the house.

Harriman glanced at Eva beside him and hesitated:

"How about I find someone to take you back first?"

Eva smiled and shook her head:

"No, I'll walk home. Mr. Morgan is looking for you alone. It must be a very important matter."

"But I heard that it is very dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night in New York." Harriman was still hesitant.

"Don't worry, how safe the night in New York is depends entirely on whether the people living in that area have money."

Eva gathered her coat and gave Harriman a kiss.

The two people parted at the door.

Harriman turned and entered the salon.

"There's a traitor in the company."

Morgan sat in his usual spot with a stern look on his face.

"I saw some internal information about our company at Knox's place. Harriman, you have to find that bastard quickly!"

"In our west, there is only one way to deal with a traitor, and that is to kill him."

A sinister smile appeared on Harriman's lips.

After parting ways with Harriman, Eva walked down Fifth Avenue step by step.

However, she did not keep walking along the avenue, but turned into a nearby alley after walking a few hundred meters.

She stopped in front of a clothing store in an alley.

All the shops in this alley are closed.

There were no pedestrians in the alley, and it was dark inside the store.

Eva pushed the store door.

The door was pushed open.

The door was either unlocked or someone had opened it in advance.

Suddenly, a man came out from behind the counter with a lamp:

"Beautiful lady, if you choose this time to meet me in this dark place, aren't you afraid that Mr. Harriman will be jealous?"

Chen Jianqiu asked with a smile.