America's Road to Wealth

Chapter 426 Good Sister Peggy and the Core of the Industry

Go back to No. [-] Central Park South Avenue, the two-story flat on the top.

Unsurprisingly, Abel saw Lydia.

"Honey, you're back."

In the living room, Amanda, who was talking to Lydia, greeted her with a smile.

It was when she was walking that she was obviously limping.

Looks badly damaged.

"I'm back. Good evening, dear. Oh, and good evening, Lydia."

Abel smiled back.

Lydia quickly stood up and greeted Abel with a smile.

"Eaten dinner yet?"

"No, I want to have dinner with you tonight."

"That would be great." Amanda said happily:

"I asked the chef to prepare taco rolls, kolaches, smoked grilled lamb ribs, pulled pork, and your favorite char-grilled tomahawk steak!!"

The things that Miss Hurst asked the chef to prepare had a distinctly Texas signature.

They can all be regarded as foods that most people love in the southern United States.

"Sounds great."

So began a pleasant dinner.

After dinner, Abel went to take a shower to wash away the smell of dust and smoke from his body.

In the cloakroom, I found a slim T-shirt, a black casual suit, and a pair of leather shoes.

I opened the watch cabinet and looked at it. There were more than [-] expensive watches in it.

Under the right lighting, these beautiful and precious watches bloom with beautiful brilliance.

Their value alone adds up to millions of dollars.

Abel has more than a dozen such watch cabinets.

Basically, in every place where Abel has a "girlfriend" living for a long time, the family housekeeper will arrange such a watch cabinet.

Some of these watches are new watches purchased by the family office managed by David when those luxury watch brands release new products.

They are generally limited editions, or the most expensive flagship models.

Some are his women, and the gifts they buy for him will not be cheap.

What Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Girard Perregaux, Blancpain...

These are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. In countless Shenhao novels, the male protagonists need to use luxury watches when pretending to be X.

To him, they are no different from ordinary watches worth tens or hundreds of dollars on the street.

Smith's family office spends almost $2000 million a year in this area.

But it's worth the money spent.

It's not that buying these watches can add style to Abel.

For his sake, if he himself is willing to wear it, it can in turn increase the influence of luxury brands.

Instead of those luxuries, it helped him increase his style.

The reason why it is worth it is because these expensive watches generally have the potential to increase in value.

If you buy it for a few years and then sell it, it will not depreciate but will become more expensive.

It can also be considered an investment.

Of course, the time has come to sell watches.

Maybe this little value-added doesn't do much.

Glancing at the watch cabinet, he didn't see anything pleasing to the eye, and Abel didn't take any of them.

Looking at the handsome guy in the mirror, Abel picked up a comb from the cabinet, straightened his hair, grinned with satisfaction, turned and left the cloakroom.

In the living room, the two cousins ​​saw Abel in casual attire.

Amanda had a satisfied and happy expression on her face.

Lydia looked a little straight-eyed.

Men will like beautiful women, and will be robbed of their eyes and minds because of the appearance of big beauties.

The same goes for women.

When a handsome guy appears in front of them, they will also behave similarly to men.

It's just the innate physiology, plus the influence of the acquired human society on the difference between the sexes.

Most women are more tactful in this regard.

Smiling at the two girls, Abel made no intention of joining them.

He never relied on any verbal skills to pick up girls.

He doesn't need to be like ordinary men, in order to make his girlfriend happy, he indirectly pleases his sister's sisters, best friends and so on.

Abel has always relied on two things to pick up girls.

One said Yan, which refers to his face and figure.

The second is money, and in the capitalist society in Europe and America, because of the power brought by money.

The two secrets made him always invincible.

After greeting the two, in their sticky eyes.

Abel turned around and went to the study to deal with things.

Watching Abel's tall and strong figure disappear into the corner of the living room corridor.

Amanda withdrew her infatuated gaze and looked at her cousin.

She found Lydia looking at herself.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with my makeup?"

"No." Lydia, who has stronger self-control and has been cautious since she was a child, said in a low voice:
"Well, I just feel that you are too involved in this relationship, and your status is too unequal."

Amanda was startled, and soon understood what Lydia meant.

She gritted her teeth, Amanda still has years of rich education and related shame.

She is not like Ikana and Paris, she is from a real top rich family.

Not like those Hollywood girls who can sometimes ignore shame.

Even if there are thousands of reasons, it is not honorable to be someone's mistress.

"I know what you mean. Lydia, I see what you're talking about."

"But... hey..." Amanda rarely sighed a little:
"But I can't get away. If I can't get him, I can't even sleep well. After I get him, I want him to have more of me in my heart. No matter what the reason is, I can't get away, you Understood, this is me, Lydia."

Lydia nodded silently.

Lydia understood what her cousin meant.

Lydia knew it was impossible to say how much or how much her cousin loved Abel.

There are not many opportunities for the two of them to contact each other, and they don't even have many chats.

The common experience between the two parties is almost equal to nothing.

Without these foundations, how can there be deep love?

The reason why Amanda became like this.

Both she and Lydia knew that the main reason was Amanda's personality.

Amanda, who has been loved by the elders of the family since she was a child, is easy to get whatever she wants.

Because there is such a mother, Lydia, who is also a cousin, does not have such treatment.

So compared to Amanda, Lydia is much more normal no matter what aspect of her character she is.

In the parallel time and space, Amanda was not married until Abel was reborn.

At that time, Lydia had already married and had children.

Because of being so loved, Amanda later developed a character that she must get if she wants it.

Plus maybe the genes of the Hearst family, it's really somewhat crazy.

For a long time, she couldn't ask for Abel, which made Amanda even more confused in this regard.

Add some psychological and practical, such as social sunk costs.

It ended up being Amanda, and it became what it is now.

"Then what do you think now? You know, he is engaged to Laura Bush. With his background, it is impossible to fall out with the other party."

Lydia said softly.

They are all from Texas, and you are from New York. It is not so easy to get ahead.

Regional concepts are more serious in the United States than in China.

"Take one step at a time. Anyway, I am very happy and satisfied now." Amanda said: "And..."

She elongated her voice, looked at Lydia with beautiful green eyes, and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"And don't think that I'm just a love brain, I don't know what my family thinks."

"It doesn't matter if it's my mother, Uncle William, or Uncle John like this now. I think... the way I am now must be something these elders would like to see!"

Lydia was silent again.

Amanda was right.

There is such a relationship with the core figure of a huge consortium.

To the entire Hearst family, it sounded a bit unpleasant, but it was actually something the family liked.

Even if it is to be a mistress to the other party.

Because this is a bond, a bond to communicate with each other when necessary.

Still very stable.

Just a daughter.

Do you really think that the Hearst family attaches great importance to it, so they will turn against someone like Abel Smith?
In European and American culture, the worship of the strong is much more serious than in Eastern culture.

When the opponent is strong enough, the degree of obedience of the Westerners is unimaginable to the Easterners.

For example, when France was in the era of the Sun King.

The Sun King speaks for himself throughout France.

At that time, in the court of Paris, most of the French male nobles even felt honored that their wives had an affair with the Sun King...

And these male nobles themselves have to compete for the opportunity to provide Louis Dieudonne Bourbon with morning wake-up service every morning.

Sometimes even the couples of the great nobles would serve in the Palace of Versailles...

This is a very absurd existence in the ancient oriental culture that pays attention to etiquette.

In Europe at that time, this kind of thing was very common, and was imitated by other European monarchs.

The mistress/human culture behind the West probably originated from this.

Now, technology has advanced.

However, the culture in this aspect has generally not changed much in Europe and the United States.

It's just a thick coat.

"Okay." Lydia thought a lot, and finally said softly:

"No matter what, I will stay with you. If you need my help, as long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Amanda smiled and hugged her cousin, "Lydia, I love you, my good sister!"

Then that night, Amanda almost couldn't help herself and wanted to call Lydia to come in and help.

That was when she was about to be unable to bear Abel's grace.

But fortunately, he didn't shout out after all.

Because at that time, she was already fooled into talking nonsense.

Someone would have dared to bring Lydia in if she had really called out.

The next morning.

Abel put on a sports T-shirt, sports trousers, and running shoes. After taking a look at the sleeping Amanda, he left the house and met the four King Kongs who were also in sports equipment in the lobby downstairs of the apartment building.

Abel moved his muscular body while walking, attracting the attention of some women on the street from time to time.

Across the street, you can see the dense woods, and the location of Abel's morning exercise is, as always, Central Park.

Central Park is located in the center of Manhattan, between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue, 59th Street and 110th Street. It is a rectangular green space in the center of the city.

Its large area and rich flora and fauna make it hard to imagine that it exists in such a commercialized international metropolis.

Looking at Central Park from the map, it is a neat square, accounting for one-eighth of the entire Manhattan.

Except for a small park castle, there is no commercial or civil building in the park.

Towering trees, green lawns, and large and small lakes make Central Park a legend in bustling New York.

In late February in New York, the weather began to turn warm.

The air in the morning was really fresh. Abel, who started jogging, was under the protection of a group of bodyguards.

He crossed Central Park West and West Trail, followed the trail, to Strawberry Fields.

Heading north, follow any footpath on West Lane, then turn right onto 79th Street Transverse.

Continue east past the intersection of the 79th Street Transverse and the East Trail, then take the South Trail to Wenchi.

Follow the trail west across the East Trail and onto Lob Lake Boat Parking.

Go south from the brick tunnel at the fountain, past the lower flank of 72nd Street, into the boulevard.

All the scenery passing by was very familiar to Abel.

Suddenly, Edward, who was running alongside him, whispered to the boss:

"Boss, look over there. It looks like Miss Peggy Morgenthau."

Hearing this, Abel looked over.

On a path not far away, he saw the daughter of the Morgenthau family, a well-known judicial and political family in New York, and one of his former "rumored girlfriends".

Paige Morgenthau, wearing a tight casual running outfit, is running this way.

His first reaction was not to stop Peggy, but to look at Edward.

The latter immediately knew what Abel meant, thought for a while and said softly:

"Miss Morgenthau, since the end of last year, she has basically come out for a run every day."

Abel nodded.

For safety's sake, Rock Security is in some public places where Abel often appears.

Even if Abel doesn't show up, the company will arrange some staff to keep an eye on him all the year round to see if there are any signs of abnormality.

Abel often comes to Central Park.

There are rock security staff here every day, monitoring here.

It is quite normal to know the whereabouts of Peggy Morgenthau.

"Come on. Let's go back."

Abel didn't go up to meet Peggy Morgenthau as Edward thought.

Instead, he turned around and ran back, leaving Central Park directly.

In the distance, looking at the runway in front of her, Peggy, who suddenly lost a large number of people, couldn't help but stop.

Looking ahead, she sighed.

"Hey--"

Somewhat disappointed.

ten o'clock in the morning.

Smith Building.

"Smith Media has sufficient conditions to go public."

In Abel's office, David Mellon and several executives from Smith Capital are reporting to Abel.

"Smith Media can directly apply for re-listing with the qualification of MGM Films."

"The procedures in this regard are very simple."

"I also believe that the New York Stock Exchange will be very happy to see the listing of Smith Media!"

"If Richard Grasso knew about this, I believe he would have held a party for three days in a row!!"

Richard Grasso, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

The New York Stock Exchange manages the most valuable stock market on the planet.

"Having said that." After listening to David's somewhat excited story, Abel said with a smile, "As a shareholder of more than 200 companies listed on the NYSE, I only now know that if a company wants to be listed on the NYSE, it needs What kind of conditions."

As a worldwide stock exchange, the New York Stock Exchange also accepts foreign companies to list on the New York Stock Exchange, but its listing conditions are stricter than those of domestic companies in the United States.

Smith Media is a standard American company, and the requirements for listing are much looser.

"That's it." Abel ordered: "Help me make an appointment with Richard Grasso and tell him the news."

"Obey, my king!!" David stood up all of a sudden, his tone excited.

Listing Smith Media is not a whim of Abel's.

This is one of his long-planned plans.

Media, finance, energy, and industry, these are the four major industries that Abel has always planned for himself.

The media is the mouthpiece, finance is the weapon of plunder and deterrence, and energy and industry are the core elements of a strong Smith Giant.

There is also an industry that is used to maintain the cornerstone of the bottom line.

That is the core of the Pacific Supermarket Company, with supermarkets, logistics and agriculture as the main sectors.

Among the five major industries, Abel attaches the most importance to the latter three.

They are the main reasons why the first two can play a role and be effective.

If there is no strength in the industry, energy and agriculture of the United States itself, there will be no strength in the United States in media and finance.

The same is true of the country, and so is the consortium.

Why are Rockefeller and Morgan so powerful?
Are they financial?
Yes, but finance is just their external means.

The real core of the Rockefeller family is actually oil.

The earliest oil monopoly was Rockefeller's Seven Oil Sisters.

It is true that the Morgan family's main business later was insurance and banking.

But the industries they started with were actually canals, steamships, and railroads.

In the Gilded Age of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the shipping and railroad industries were the economic lifelines of the era of crazy expansion in the United States.

It can be said that the status of oil in the petrodollar era in the late 20th century is similar.

These two families both made their fortunes in industry and laid the foundation. After they had a sufficient financial foundation, they began to transform.

Don't think that the main business of Rockefeller and Morgan is finance.

That is now.

Without the foundations of the past in shipping, railroads and oil, there would be no Rockefeller and Morgan today.

In the same way, this is why the Oilers Group can only act as a housekeeper and accountant in the United States.

Because they can't master these core industries, what they can master has always been finance and media.

And part of the later Internet, and part of medical care.

Therefore, in his own industry, Abel regards the media and finance as the least important thing.

A pen that can talk, and an abacus that plays with money.

Nothing is as important as a gun that can kill people, or a factory that can make guns.

Oh, and the energy that keeps factories going.

In these business sectors, it is necessary to open a listing to allow partners and friends to share the benefits.

Naturally, media and finance are the most suitable.

Finance is not yet.

The one that goes public is naturally the media.

David Mellon made a phone call.

in the afternoon.

Richard Grasso, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, went to Smith Tower himself.

The chairman of the New York Stock Exchange is willing to come over in person.

From this, it can be seen how much the New York Stock Exchange attaches importance to the listing of Smith Media.

(End of this chapter)