Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Manhattan.

When it was time to get off work in the evening, there were more and more pedestrians on the street.

22nd Street, Kmart supermarket.

David stood in front of the checkout counter of the supermarket, watching the very familiar young man and the cashier busy making payments, and asked with a smile.

"Hi~ man."

"Have we... met somewhere?"

The young man didn't stop. He looked up at David in surprise, shook his head and said with a smile: "No, sir~ I just came to New York from Detroit. I have no acquaintances here. We should have never met~"

"Oh~"

David took out his credit card from his wallet and handed it to the female cashier: "Detroit?"

"Man, can you tell me your name?"

The young man paused his hand and said, "Of course ~ Neil Walker, my friends call me Neil ~"

"Neil~"

David stretched out his right hand, looked at the somewhat familiar face of Neil Walker, and smiled: "I'm David Coleman, make a friend?"

Neil Walker didn't quite understand what the young man named David in front of him wanted to do.

But he still stretched out his right hand and said with a smile: "Thank you ~ you are my third friend in New York!"

"Hmm~haha~"

"Neal, when will you get off work? I happen to be free in the evening and would like to buy you a drink~"

"Uh... ok!"

"Ok~Wait...Giovanni, pick up Neil and go to the Wildfire Bar."

Giovanni blinked his big eyes and nodded with the same confusion: "Okay~"

"See you soon, Neil!"

"See you later!"

Neil Walker watched David and a group of strong men slowly walk towards the supermarket exit, raised his hand and scratched his head, and asked the female colleague beside him.

"Should I...shouldn't agree to him?"

The female colleague held back her laughter and kept her hands on her. She glanced at David who was walking away and said.

"Do you want to take my advice?"

"Um...of course!"

"You shouldn't have to worry about tonight being very bad..."

Neil Walker lowered his head and checked his clothes, and said with a strange expression: "Have you heard of the Wildfire Bar?"

"I think I've heard of it~ It should be over there on 42nd Street, right? I'm not sure~"

The female colleague tilted her head and looked Neil up and down again, and said with a smile: "There are many weird people in New York, but this David doesn't seem to like men..."

"I'm sure of this!"

Neil Walker nodded with a dark face, and went to work with some anxiety. .

----

Manhattan.

In a hotel near 58th Street.

Larry Allison, who came to New York from California's Silicon Valley, held a microphone in his hand and introduced what he saw and heard today with the company's partners Bob Miner and Edmund Oates.

Finally, he focused on David's idea of ​​​​investing in the company and providing the company with a lot of resources to help the company develop.

Opposite the phone.

Bob and Edmund looked at each other for a while, feeling like they were dreaming about what Larry said.

Edmund came closer to the phone and asked: "Larry, did you talk to that David...about your ex-girlfriend and ex-wife?"

"Do they have anything to do with business?"

At this moment, Larry also felt that he was a little confused at the time: "I don't know why I talked about this..."

"But... it works well~"

"Not only did it shorten the distance between us, but it also made us friends~"

"Ahem~ guys."

“The first thing we need to consider is David’s investment!”

"What do you two think?"

Edmund looked at Bob, the company's technical director: "I... think it's okay~"

"What do you say?"

Bob raised his hand and scratched his head, and asked Larry: "He wants 40% of the shares? How much will he pay?"

"He just wrote a blank check, probably because he wanted us to make our own quotation."

Edmund slapped his thigh in excitement: "Larry, our... company must have great potential for development!"

"We chose to be in the software development industry..."

"Whoa whoa~ man! I know, I know!"

Larry found a more comfortable position for himself and said: "Bob, Edmund, I want to offer 8 dollars and sell David 40% of the shares. What do you think?"

"8?"

Bob, who is very sensitive to numbers, immediately stood up with a frown, looked around the office, and smacked his lips a few times: "Is our company already worth 20 dollars?"

"Haha~ If this David agrees, I have no objection~"

After Bob finished speaking, he looked at Edmund, who had wide eyes: "Hey~ it's your turn! What do you think?"

"I...of course I agree! Hahaha~"

Edmund rubbed his hands, stood up and turned around several times before speaking into the phone: "The total value of our company is not worth ten thousand dollars..."

"But the company has us!"

"I have always believed that together, we will definitely make a career in the software industry!"

"Larry, no investor or institution here in Silicon Valley would value our company at $20."

"If you can really get this investment, I will definitely kiss you when you come back..."

Larry Allison on the other end of the phone quickly interrupted with a smile: "Okay, guys!"

"You two go book flights to New York right away~"

"Let's meet David together. If he agrees to the price, we will sign an agreement!"

"Haha~ok! Wait for us, we'll be there soon!"

Larry laughed and cursed a few words and hung up the phone.

He walked to the window, kicked off his leather shoes, and lay on the bed, his head empty.

20 million knives!

Their company is definitely not worth the price~!

David, will you accept this somewhat outrageous Lion's big opening offer?

----

Manhattan.

People were coming and going on 42nd Street. In front of the Wildfire Bar, there were some people who wanted to go in but couldn't get a seat. They had no choice but to buy a few bottles of beer and stood chatting in twos and threes at the door of the bar.

in the bar.

David, who was standing behind the bar, was listening to Madonna's bragging. .

"David, you'd never think that!"

"Last time, you organized a flash mob on Wall Street, and now it's... so hot!"

“Many people are inspired by you and want to hold a pop-up event.”

"Look, those guys with long hair... When I was studying at the Power Plant recording studio today, I heard him say he wanted to get to know you, so I told him he could find you at the Wildfire Bar~"

"As a result...they really came!~"

David poured the cocktail he mixed in his hand into the cup, wiped his hands and said with a smile, "You went to the power plant? How did Mr. Tony and Mr. David treat you?"

"Haha~ Very good, very good!"

"Someone got the tape of your flash mob event from the TV station from some unknown source."

“The band on the videotape caught their attention.”

"Now, there are many people hanging around the door of the Power Plant recording studio every day, wanting to get to know Mr. David and Mr. Tony."

"The power plant is completely on fire! They are both on fire too!"

"In the New York underground music circle now, you two teachers David and Tony are definitely avant-garde movement idols worshiped by countless people!"

Madonna's little face flushed with excitement, and she couldn't help but lie down on the bar, smiling provocatively at David.

"There are many little girls who have watched the video and want to be your groupie!"

(Groupie is the transliteration of English groupie. It originally referred to the little girls who blindly followed rock stars in the 60s. They were willing to give everything unconditionally to their idols.)

(But as time goes by, "flesh and bones" has become synonymous with a group of people who "exchange their bodies for money," and their targets have also expanded to include actors, athletes and even politicians.)

(When rock music was booming in my country in the 20s, a group of people also appeared; however, they were not called people in the rock circle, but another word: "Guoer" or "Jianguoer" ;This word is sometimes used to describe those girls who are beautiful and outstanding).

"As long as you are willing, hook your fingers, they will happily climb into your bed~ Haha~"

David was a bit dumbfounded and flicked Madonna on the forehead, shook his head and said, "You've been in the power plant all day... and that's all you've learned?"

"I don't want to get stuck with those groupie little girls~"

"Don't go around and cause trouble for me, do you understand?"

Madonna covered her forehead, looked at David in confusion and shock, and said angrily: "Are you still a man?"

David shrugged and said with a smile: "You can ask Susan~hahaha~"

"Cut~"

Madonna raised her middle finger to show her disdain for David's cowardice. .

In the bar.

Old Rhett, who had been happily watching the excitement just now, came to David's side and joked.

"Madonna is right~ Are you still a man?"

"You are not tempted by those beautiful little girls who want to approach you and have sex with you?"

David laughed and said, "How about... I also get you two songs? So that you can also become popular in the music circle?"

"This way you can be like me, with a groupie little girl sticking up for you!"

"fxxxyou!"

Old Red raised two middle fingers to express his contempt~!

"Hahaha~"

. . .

During this conversation between Madonna and David at the bar, neither of them deliberately lowered their voices.

In the bar, Martha, Erica, Brother Zach, Black Mike and others who were working all heard it~

When David said Susan's name, Susan heard it very keenly~

Every year, countless young and beautiful girls come to New York to pursue their dreams. .

This place is definitely a paradise for men who can't control their desires.

But just like Madonna said, groupie girls are not fools either~

They are no longer the group of silly girls more than ten years ago who had nothing to ask for from those who devoted themselves to themselves!

David was able to make it clear that he didn't want to be involved with them, which made Susan extremely happy. .

After all, Susan is already considered a big sister compared to those groupie girls who are only 16 or 17 years old. .

Thinking of this, Susan couldn't help but look up at the ceiling of the bar.

Upstairs, there is also a Miranla~

she. .Is she a groupie girl?

----

New York, west of the Hudson River, Jersey City.

Junior Soprano of the Soprano family saw his shark head returning from inspecting the goods. After confirming that the goods were fine, he raised his glass and smiled at Pacio Herrera who was sitting opposite. .

"Nice to work with, man!"

Pazio raised the cup, touched it with Junior, and said with the same satisfied smile: "Starting next week, twice a week."

"Every time we trade, we are here to deliver at this time, so you have to have cash ready!"

"No problem! Deal! Hahaha~"

. . .

What Pacio didn't know was that in the far corner of the club, Griselda Blanco's agent in New York, Field, was sitting quietly in the shadows, watching his transaction with Junior.

----

New York state.

Ithaca, a town near Cornell University.

In a bar in a small town.

Harold Stone, the director of the New York FBI, put down the microphone and walked over to sit down next to Lynde Vercello, the director of the New York Anti-Gangster Unit.

Linde smiled and said: "We will go back in three days. Where is your girlfriend? Will she go back to New York together?"

"No~ she's already gone!"

Linde raised his eyebrows and asked with a gossipy face: "Are you and she...really going to come?"

Mr. Stone smiled, asked the bartender for another drink, looked at Linde sideways and said, "Where can there be so many truths and lies?"

"I plan to go back to New York this time and find an opportunity to propose to her!"

"what?"

Linde was surprised for a few seconds, then shook his head and smiled: "It seems... I won't be able to keep my salary next month!?"

"Haha~ As you wish!"

"No, no, no~ Man, what are you missing when you get married? You're welcome, just tell me and I'll give it to you!"

Seeing Linde speaking so arrogantly, Mr. Stone couldn't help but sneered: "Are you rich?"

"Hahaha~ I only have one month's salary, no more!"

"..make a deal!"

"Ding ~"

The cups of the two of them clinked together~

----

Manhattan.

In a building not far from the World Trade Center Twin Towers.

The lights are brightly lit in the office of the New York branch of the U.S. Commodity Futures Commission (CFTC).

. . .

cftc, established in 1974.

Its predecessor was the Commodity Exchange Authority (CEA).

In the past, futures contracts were typically traded in the context of markets for agricultural commodities.

This is one of the reasons why CEA was once managed by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

However, as the commodity futures market becomes more and more complex, CEA can no longer fully fulfill its regulatory responsibilities for the futures market.

Therefore, Congress expanded the regulatory team on the basis of CEA, and after reorganization, established the CFTC.

Also.

As an independent financial regulatory agency, the CFTC's management is composed of five members appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate to form a management committee.

With the approval of the Senate, the President designates one of the five members to serve as Chairman of the Governing Council.

The main responsibilities and functions of the CFTC are to supervise the commodity futures, options and financial futures and options markets, and to protect market participants and the public from fraud, market manipulation, and improper operations related to commodity and financial futures and options. , ensuring the openness, competitiveness and financial reliability of the futures and options market.

. . .

In the conference room on the office floor of cftc.

Randas Horik, the management and committee member of CFTC New York, sat at the head of the conference room and said with a frown.

"Show us the heating oil trader information, concentration ratios, and position reports first~"

"Ok~"

The staff of the New York Mercantile Exchange Supervision Bureau placed several thick copies on the table and distributed these materials to the participants.

ten minutes later.

Landas Horik put down the information in his hand and asked his head of the Market Supervision Department.

"What do you think?"

The person in charge of the Market Supervision Department also put down the information in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said: "Today is the fourth day of listing and trading of the heating oil futures contract."

"Judging from yesterday's and today's trading records and position ratio, some funds or investors who were originally on the sidelines wanted to join forces to establish positions in the heating oil futures contract."

"However, judging from the traders' information, there are no flaws in their trading method~"

"Oh?~No more?"

The person in charge lowered his head to avoid Horik's gaze and whispered: "Yes~"

Randas Horik is obviously not satisfied with this answer~

He turned to look at the representatives from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (sec) who were invited to attend the meeting and asked.

"You, tell me your opinion."

The sec representative quickly glanced at the participants in the conference room and shrugged.

"If this happens on the New York Stock Exchange, we will issue an announcement about trading abnormalities tomorrow morning~"

"Everyone on this list will also be given verbal or written reminders and warnings to let them understand and comply with the relevant regulations on market transactions."

"That's it?" Horik asked.

The representative of sec spread his hands, picked up the trader information and said: "There are nearly 400 investors or fund companies on this list."

"They all entered the market yesterday and today to conduct transactions~"

"Judging from its current price, coupled with the influence of weather forecast factors, its price has not deviated from the controllable range acceptable to the market."

"As we mentioned just now, heating oil has only been on the market for four days, and trading is relatively active. Isn't this a good sign?"

The representative of sec seemed to be unimpressed by the frequent trading of heating oil futures today.

On the contrary, it is believed that investors are very optimistic about the heating oil futures market.

Landas Horik narrowed his eyes and slowly scanned everyone's face. He was silent for a while before speaking.

"The New York Mercantile Exchange will issue a written reminder to all investors and brokers tomorrow!"

"Before the market opens, all traders, brokers, fund companies and the people behind them must know that we are always paying attention to the heating oil market!"

"We will never sit idly by and ignore their abusive trading behavior!"

Horik straightened his body, and the aura emanating from his body seemed to make the air pressure in the entire conference room drop a bit.

"Heating oil is the first energy futures contract to be officially listed in New York."

"It is important to protect the openness and competitiveness of the futures market."

"But if someone wants to manipulate the prices of certain commodities in the market, or wants to take advantage of the asymmetry of information to speculate in the market~"

"We, the CFTC, as a regulatory agency, must stand up!"

"This is our duty and the meaning of our existence!"

Horik paused slightly, and his voice turned into a deeper voice.

"The CFTC Supervision Office will conduct an internal review of everyone here, including me, starting tomorrow morning~"

"I hope that in a few days, everyone will still be sitting here."

"Everyone, please don't let the little benefits in front of you fool you~"

"Tonight, I will be in the office, waiting for someone to come to me!"

"The meeting is over~"

After Horik finished speaking, he took the folder on the table in his hand, ignored all the participants who were looking at each other, and strode out of the conference room~

----

Manhattan.

42th Street.

Neil Walker followed Giovanni out of the car, looked around at the crowd of twos and threes, and walked into the Wildfire Bar with curiosity and some apprehension.

in the bar.

Giovanni pointed to the bar and said to Neil: "He is there, you can go there by yourself~"

"OK, thanks!"

Neil walked through the crowd and walked to the packed bar, waving to David: "Hi David, I'm here!"

David, who was lowering his head to mix drinks, turned his head to see Neil, smiled and raised his head: "Find him a seat~"

At the bar, the little Zach jumped off the stool and gave his seat to Neil.

After Neil thanked him politely, he looked around and said, "Do you work here?"

"This bar is mine~"

"Yours? Are you the boss?"

David shrugged and smiled: "What? It doesn't look like it?"

"Uh... No, man~ I'm just a little surprised."

"Haha~ What do you want to drink? I'll treat you!"

"Anything with a lower alcohol content is fine~"

David looked at the ingredients on hand and nodded: "ok~"

1 minute later.

A glass of brightly colored cocktail was placed in front of Neil.

David wiped his hands and asked with a smile: "You just came to New York? Where are you from?"

"Detroit~ I just came here less than a week ago."

"Oh ~ Have you been working at Kmart?"

"No~ I was originally an athlete, and I found a suitable job at Kmart only after I got injured~"

"athlete?"

David looked at Neil's figure, nodded slightly and said.

"I see you are not an ordinary worker in the supermarket, right? What is your position?"

Neil took a sip of the cocktail, tilted his head, thought for a moment, and asked, "What do you want to know?"

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, man~"

"It's just a casual chat. I'm curious about your work experience."

Neil nodded doubtfully and said, "I have worked in Detroit for four years. My boss trusted me and asked me to come to New York to take care of the store on 22nd Street."

"If I do a good job in one year, I will be asked to manage all seven Kmart supermarkets in New York."

This time, it was David's turn to ask in surprise: "Seven rooms? Wow~ By then, you will become a middle- and senior-level manager, right?"

"No~ I'm still a worker, not a manager."

David held the bar with both hands and couldn't help but sigh as he watched Neil's face across from him overlap with the face in his memory.

He only remembered the face of Neil Walker, who had appeared in the movies "The Hangover" and "The End of Time" and was the leading actor. .

But he couldn't remember Neil Walker's face or his actor's name. .

That's it. .It’s so embarrassing~